Two independent bench tests this month put Milwaukee's new M18 impact on rusty, seized nuts and clocked it between 1,730 and 1,820 ft-lbs of breakaway. The spec sheet says 1,600.

In an industry where every marketing sheet you've ever read runs about 15% optimistic, Milwaukee published a number roughly 10% under what the tool actually does. Nobody does that on purpose. That's the tool-world equivalent of a sub finishing early and handing money back. You've heard stories about it happening. You've never seen it.

The tool is the 3061-20, replacing the 2967-20 — which was already the impact to beat. The rated numbers: 1,600 ft-lbs of nut-busting torque, 1,000 ft-lbs of fastening torque, 0-2,650 RPM. And it runs on the M18 batteries you already own, which is the part that actually matters, because at this point the batteries are the mortgage and the tool is just closing costs.

Out in the field, the report is better than the bench numbers. Truck mechanics doing suspension work say it's the first cordless that genuinely replaces a pneumatic 1/2" IR for lug nuts and control-arm bolts. That's a real bar to clear — guys have been dragging hose across the shop for that exact work since the invention of the compressor. It's not going to swap out a 3/4" gun on heavy equipment, but for anything under 200-lb bolts, this is the tool now.

What it costs: $399 bare tool, $549 with a 12.0 Ah battery and charger. Home Depot has it exclusive through Q1 2027, then it opens up to the rest of the network. So for the next year your options are the orange store or patience, and I know which one you're picking.

Now, the tribal question. If you're already on M18, this is a straight upgrade over the 2967 and there's nothing to think about — go on, you were going to anyway. If you run DeWalt, no, one impact is not a reason to jump platforms. Nobody re-buys fifteen batteries out of spite, no matter what the guy in the red hoodie at the counter tells you between sips of his gas-station coffee.

But credit where it's earned. It's been a while since either team did much besides trade paint, and this is the first time in a good stretch that Milwaukee has actually widened the gap instead of matching it.

A tool company sandbagging its own spec sheet. Hell of a thing to live long enough to see.