Kobalt 24V 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench

By Chris Boll
July 16, 2018

As many of you know, Kobalt is something of a house brand for Lowe’s. We know how that might sound to some folks. Like, you go to the store for ice cream, but you don’t have the money for the Ben and Jerry’s, and so you have to settle for the store brand. Sure, that generic ice cream will scratch the proverbial itch, but it won’t do it to the same degree of satisfaction that the premium stuff will.

Well, Kobalt has been looking to improve their possible image as the “Great Value” of tool brands by working on their fundamentals. As of late, they’ve been releasing comfortable, more powerful, and longer-lasting cordless tools on their 24V Max platform, and they’ve done it at some really reasonable price points. Well, add one more tool to the growing stable of budget-friendly, new-and-improved Kobalt tools. Because, new to the Lowe’s shelves, the Kobalt 24V 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench looks to scratch all your lugnut itches to complete satisfaction.

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Noteworthy Features

Improved Power: The Kobalt 24V 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench, like all of the tools on the 24V Max battery platform, offers a brushless motor. Quickly becoming the industry standard for cordless power tools, brushless motors offer longer lifespans and more power than brushed motors. In addition to that, the Kobalt 24V Max batteries offer 50% more power and 3.6 X more runtime when compared to their 18V tools. So all these numbers sound great, but practically, what do they all amount to? With the included 4.0Ah 24V Max battery, the Kobalt Impact Wrench can generate 650 ft-lbs of breakaway torque.

Variable Speed Trigger: Sometimes you need all the available power a tool can generate, and sometimes you need to finesse things a bit. The variable speed trigger allows you to generate anywhere between 0-1900 RPM of no-load speed. You also get 2400 IPM for faster tightening and loosening.

Built-In LED Worklight: For those times when you’re working in some dim lighting conditions, this LED lights up when you squeeze the trigger. Kobalt has placed it on the bottom of the handle to keep it out the way of your hands, and the light effectively brightens up the work area.

Impressive Warranty: All of the Kobalt Tools on the 24V Max line feature a 1-Year Money Back Guarantee, as well as a 5-Year Limited Warranty on the tool, and a 3-Year limited warranty on the battery.

Additional Accessories

Kobalt 24V 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench
24V Max High Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery
Charger
Soft Contractor Bag

Final Thoughts

The single-speed Kobalt 24V 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench looks like a step in the right direction for Lowe’s. Though a little on the heavy side at 7 lbs, 10 oz, the tool feels comfortable and balanced in the hand. Brushless motors almost always improve a tool’s performance and longevity. Plus, Kobalt’s 24V Max battery rules. Since outsourcing their battery manufacturing to Chervon, the power situation with the Kobalt lineup has improved dramatically. The 4.0Ah battery has 2 sets of 6 cells, for a grand total of 12 cells. Most manufacturers are still operating on an 18V/20V Max platform, which means that they’re running on 2 sets of 5 cells. The Kobalt 24V Max platform is, in fact, running with more power.

Considering the power that this tool generates, we do wonder why it’s only pulling off 650 ft-lbs of loosening torque. It puts up some decent numbers for RPM and IPM that are comparable to some of the High-Torque Impact Wrenches we looked at in last November’s Shootout. But, the torque doesn’t quite reach the heights of some of those models. Still though, how much torque do you really need? Unless you’re doing industrial work, the Kobalt model can probably handle most of what you’ll throw at it.

Finally, we love the price point here. $199 for the tool, battery, and charger almost seems like a steal. Sure, most kits come with two batteries, where this one only comes with one. But, if you’ve ever shopped Kobalt batteries, you’ll know that the company really isn’t trying to gouge you in the ol’ pocketbook. All things considered, we really like this “store brand,” and reckon it’ll probably satisfy your impact wrench itch.

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