Once you’ve settled on that, we reckon these new impact wrenches will be a huge hit with steel fixers, plant engineers and heavy engineers worldwide. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). The DTW1002 has the more common ½” square drive, with a friction-push fit, and delivers a maximum 1,000Nm of tightening torque.

As with cars though a bigger engine does not always translate to better performance so it is important to compare the specifications of tools at different voltages between different manufacturers. Clearly, the top benefit of both cordless tools is the brushless motor, which can be powered by Makita’s LTX batteries but will offer you the best performance when paired with the 5Ah packs. Starting with the DTW1001, we have a ¾” square drive machine that can produce 1,050Nm of tightening torque.The Japanese power tool giants are clearly very proud of the heritage of its cordless impact wrenches, pointing out that they’ve become the standard in steel erection industry, heavy engineering, plant maintenance and for the pit-stop teams in the World Touring Car Championship and all-electric Formula E World Championship. Other features include twin LED lights to illuminate the work area, an electric brake stops rotation almost immediately the trigger is released and a protection circuit prevents battery overload and overheating.

It's a personal choice, but I opted for the 1002 with the 1/2" sq drive, as I'd need the adapter for the 1001 with 3/4" drive, and I don't have any 3/4 drive sockets anyway. I had a look at the latest Makita 40v one, but they are even bulkier and heavier than this 1001/1002 series, so I figured 1600Nm nutbusting torque would be sufficient for most vehicle work.At the heart of this tool is the brushless motor that allows you to use the impact wrench efficiently.