	Name	Purchased for ($)	Link	Made In
	Genuine Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	$200.00	Search on Amazon	Vietnam
The real 1/4-in brushless Milwaukee, rated for 2,000 in-lb and 3,900 RPM with a 5-year warranty. Best overall: fastest on the 5-in lag bolt and the hardest-hitting tool in the review on tightening torque.
	Genuine DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	$200.00	Search on Amazon	Mexico
The real DCF860, a lightly used tool that cost about $200 new. Third overall, with the fastest deck-screw time in the review at 1.01 seconds and a lag-bolt time within a hair of the Milwaukee.
	Genuine Makita 18V LXT Impact Driver	$249.00	Search on Amazon	Thailand
The real Makita, with a work light about twice as bright as the counterfeit's and 0.08 in of end play against 0.26. Not built as a torque monster, but well ahead of its copy in every driving test.
	Counterfeit DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	$39.00
Sold as a brushless DCF860 rated for 3,800 RPM and 2,500 in-lb, with no country of manufacture listed. The quickest of the counterfeit drivers, but it smoked on the 10-in lag bolt.
	Counterfeit Makita 18V Impact Driver	$39.00		China
Sold as a brushless Makita rated for 1,590 in-lb and 3,600 RPM. Spun the fastest of the two Makitas with no load, then took more than twice as long as the genuine tool on the lag bolts.
	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	$47.00
Sold as a brushless 1/4-in Milwaukee impact driver rated for 2,000 in-lb and 3,900 RPM, with no country of manufacture on the tool or box. Last in every test: slowest on lag bolts at 31.56 seconds and the hottest tool tested at 289°F.

	Name	Purchased for ($)	Link	Made In
	Genuine DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	$240.00	Search on Amazon	Mexico
The real Atomic, rated for 300 ft-lb fastening and 450 ft-lb breakaway. Second overall and the top wrench: 1,098 in-lb on the 10-in lag bolt and the fastest bolt removal at 3.29 seconds.
	Genuine Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	$249.00	Search on Amazon	Vietnam
The real three-speed brushless wrench, belt clip included. Second only to the DeWalt Atomic at burying a 1/2 x 10-in lag bolt, at 865 in-lb.
	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	$47.00
Sold as a brushless 1/2-in wrench rated for 250 ft-lb and 2,400 RPM, stamped Milwaukee Tool USA. Heaviest tool tested, with a hammer assembly 20% lighter than the genuine wrench's, though it did beat the genuine wrench on the 5-in lag bolts.
	Counterfeit DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	$41.00
Sold as a DCF921B rated for 300 ft-lb fastening and 450 ft-lb breakaway, labeled as made in Germany. The best-performing counterfeit on deck screws and bolt removal, but a part flew off it on the 10-in lag bolt.

Rank	Product	Result
1	Genuine DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	1.01
2	Genuine Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	1.17
3	Genuine DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	1.43
4	Genuine Makita 18V LXT Impact Driver	1.58
5	Counterfeit DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	2.41
6	Genuine Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	2.46
7	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	2.82
8	Counterfeit DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	3.03
9	Counterfeit Makita 18V Impact Driver	3.50
10	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	3.55

Rank	Product	Result
1	Genuine Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	6.86
2	Genuine DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	6.91
3	Genuine DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	9.96
4	Genuine Makita 18V LXT Impact Driver	13.16
5	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	16.88
6	Genuine Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	17.45
7	Counterfeit DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	18.12
8	Counterfeit DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	19.98
9	Counterfeit Makita 18V Impact Driver	30.01
10	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	31.56

Rank	Product	Result
1	Genuine DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	3.29
2	Counterfeit DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	5.72
3	Genuine Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	6.08
4	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	7.07

Rank	Product	Result
1	Genuine DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	1098
2	Genuine Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	865
3	Genuine Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	509
4	Genuine DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	472
5	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	450
6	Counterfeit DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	413
7	Counterfeit DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	365
8	Genuine Makita 18V LXT Impact Driver	353
9	Counterfeit Makita 18V Impact Driver	297
10	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	284

Rank	Product	Result
1	Genuine DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	3855
2	Genuine Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	3835
3	Counterfeit Makita 18V Impact Driver	3519
4	Genuine Makita 18V LXT Impact Driver	3426
5	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	3394
6	Counterfeit DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	2942
7	Counterfeit DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	2889
8	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	2656
9	Genuine DeWalt Atomic DCF921 Impact Wrench	2472
10	Genuine Milwaukee M18 1/2-in Impact Wrench	2291

Rank	Product	Result
1	Genuine Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	0.08
2	Genuine Makita 18V LXT Impact Driver	0.08
3	Genuine DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	0.10
4	Counterfeit DeWalt DCF860 Impact Driver	0.24
5	Counterfeit Milwaukee M18 Impact Driver	0.26
6	Counterfeit Makita 18V Impact Driver	0.26

Counterfeit vs Genuine Impact Tools: 5 Fake Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita Drivers and Wrenches Tested

Top Picks

1/4-in Impact Drivers

1/2-in Impact Wrenches

Price

5-in Deck Screw Drive Time (Seconds)

5-in Lag Bolt Drive Time (Seconds)

Tool Temperature After Three Lag Bolts (°F)

5-in Lag Bolt Removal Time (Seconds)

1/2 x 10-in Lag Bolt Torque (in-lb)

Maximum Tightening Torque (ft-lb)

No-Load Speed (RPM)

Anvil End Play (Inches)

Tool Weight (Grams)

The Verdict

Related Tests

Top Picks

1/4-in Impact Drivers

1/2-in Impact Wrenches

Price

5-in Deck Screw Drive Time (Seconds)

5-in Lag Bolt Drive Time (Seconds)

Tool Temperature After Three Lag Bolts (°F)

5-in Lag Bolt Removal Time (Seconds)

1/2 x 10-in Lag Bolt Torque (in-lb)

Maximum Tightening Torque (ft-lb)

No-Load Speed (RPM)

Anvil End Play (Inches)

Tool Weight (Grams)

The Verdict