DeWalt 20V MAX XR 1/2 in. High Torque Impact Wrench Kit (2) 5.0Ah Batteries & Charger

The first time I pulled the trigger on the DCF900, I knew it wasn’t playing in the same league as the mid‑torque impacts I keep in my truck. It’s built for the ugly fasteners—axle nuts, stubborn crank bolts, rusted couplings—that turn breaker bars into pretzels and eat lesser impacts for breakfast. After a few weeks using it in the garage and on jobsites, here’s how it stacks up.

Build and first impressions

This is a big, serious 1/2-inch impact. At 6.4 lb tool‑only (expect closer to 7.5–8 lb with a 5.0Ah pack), it’s not the one you reach for to swap a few interior panels. DeWalt kept the profile reasonably compact for the class—8.8 inches long and 9.1 inches tall—so it fits into wheel wells and around suspension components better than some of the older high torques I’ve used. The rubber overmold is generous where your hand needs it, and the battery interface feels tight thanks to BatteryGuard, which adds a bit of shock isolation between the pack and the tool. That may sound like marketing fluff, but under heavy hammering you can feel fewer jolts transmitted through the grip compared to older models.

The hog ring anvil is the right choice here. It lets me hot-swap sockets quickly without fishing for a detent pin, and retention has been firm with both impact deep sockets and chrome adapters. If you prefer pin detent for working at height, note that this configuration is hog ring only.

Fit and finish are what I expect from the brand: clean casting, snug switchgear, and a trigger that moves from feather to full without grit or slack.

Power: the reason to carry it

The headline numbers—1030 ft‑lb fastening torque and 1400 ft‑lb breakaway—tell most of the story. In practice, the DCF900 breaks corroded hardware that mid‑torques simply won’t touch. On a recent front hub job, it popped a stubborn axle nut that laughed at a breaker bar extension. In mechanical rooms, it’s removed old 3/4-inch wedge anchors and grooved couplings without warming up the cheater pipe. Wheel lugs, even on heavy trucks, are a non-event.

Top speed is 2300 RPM with 2200 IPM. It doesn’t feel “fast” in the way compact impacts do—there’s more mass behind every blow and slightly less free-spin RPM—but when the hammer engages, it hits hard and consistently. The brushless motor ramps smoothly and never felt choked, even when I eased into it on delicate hardware.

As with any impact, I don’t treat it as a torque wrench. It’ll snug fasteners down in a hurry, but I always finish critical assemblies with a torque wrench or torque sticks.

Control: more finesse than you’d expect

High-torque impacts often feel like binary tools: off or violence. The control scheme here is better than that. You get a four‑mode selector:

• Mode 1: Low speed/low power for starting fasteners and working around smaller hardware.
• Mode 2: Medium power, good for most automotive work.
• Mode 3: Full power for big fasteners.
• Precision Wrench: In forward, it spins fasteners up and pauses before impact to help avoid overtightening; in reverse, it slows when the fastener breaks free to keep nuts from running off and disappearing.

Precision Wrench is legitimately useful. I used it on wheel lugs to run them down quickly without hammering, then finished with a torque wrench. In reverse, catching a lock nut before it rockets into a skid plate is a small but real quality-of-life upgrade. The variable‑speed trigger is nicely linear, so micro‑adjustments are easy even in full‑power mode.

Ergonomics and balance

High torque means high mass, and you feel it. Overhead or extended-reach work will tax your forearms. That said, the balance with a 5.0Ah pack is good, and the main handle angle keeps your wrist neutral. Vibration at the hand is relatively low for the class, helped by the BatteryGuard interface and a solid hammer mechanism. Noise is still substantial; wear hearing protection.

The on‑tool LED is bright and well-placed. It’s not a ring light around the anvil, but it does a good job eliminating shadows directly in front of the socket. I’d love a multi‑brightness option or a longer afterglow timer, though that’s nitpicking.

Runtime and charging

This kit ships with two 5.0Ah 20V packs and a charger, which is exactly what a high‑torque impact wants. Runtime will depend on how seized your life is, but with heavy mix use (a dozen wheel removals, a few seized bolts, some anchor setting) I generally swap packs midway through the day and finish without hitting the charger. For short bursts, it’ll run on a compact 2.0Ah pack in a pinch, but expect voltage sag under sustained hammering—use the 5.0s for the jobs you bought this tool to do.

The charger is basic but reliable, and the soft bag fits the tool, charger, and both packs with a handful of sockets. A hard case would protect better, but the bag is easier to live with in a crowded truck.

Durability and maintenance

Brushless motor, robust housing, and a hammer mechanism that hasn’t loosened or leaked in my time with it. I don’t have an IP rating from DeWalt, so I avoid working in direct rain and blow out dust after concrete work. The battery rails are metal‑reinforced, and the anvil shows minimal wear after repeated socket swaps. As always with impacts, keep the anvil lightly greased and check the hog ring for tension over time.

Comparisons and system fit

Against other high torques I’ve used, the DCF900 sits at the top tier for raw breakaway power while keeping size in check. Some competitors offer slightly higher RPM or additional auto‑stop profiles, but the Precision Wrench mode covers my real-world needs, and the linear trigger mapping is excellent. If you’re already on 20V MAX, this is a straightforward upgrade; if you’re starting from scratch, the inclusion of two 5.0Ah batteries makes the kit a strong entry point to the ecosystem.

If you mostly do brake jobs, light suspension, and general assembly, a mid‑torque will be kinder to your elbows and still finish 80% of your day. The DCF900 is for the other 20%—the jobs that stall your schedule. Many techs will carry both and choose appropriately.

What I’d change

• Weight is the trade‑off for power. That’s inherent to the class, but you’ll feel it in prolonged use.
• Hog ring only. I’d like a pin‑detent variant for ironworkers and anyone working at height.
• An expanded control suite—like user‑tunable speeds or torque‑limiting profiles—would be welcome for those who bounce between delicate and heavy hardware all day.

Who it’s for

• Automotive techs and DIYers tackling axle, hub, and suspension work on trucks and SUVs.
• Mechanical contractors dealing with grooved couplings, flange bolts, and large anchors.
• Fabricators and heavy equipment maintenance where seized fasteners are the norm.

If your work rarely exceeds 1/2‑inch hardware or you seldom battle corrosion, a compact or mid‑torque impact will save weight and money.

Recommendation

I recommend the DCF900 kit. It delivers class‑leading breakaway power, practical control in the form of a four‑mode selector and Precision Wrench, and a thoughtful battery interface that reduces felt shock. The size and weight are real, but appropriate for the power on tap. With two 5.0Ah batteries and a charger included, the kit makes sense for both existing 20V users who need a true heavy‑hitter and newcomers who want a turnkey solution. If you regularly confront seized fasteners or heavy hardware, this impact earns its place in your kit and pays you back in time saved and jobs finished.