Bauer vs Milwaukee: Impact Driver Comparison and Shootout!

NOTE: Prices are for tools with 3.0 Ah batteries. Individual tool prices may differ.

Are name brand tools worth the extra price? Or do Harbor Freight tools hold their own? In this video, we set the Bauer 20V and Milwuakee 18V 1/4 in. impact drivers head to head, and see which one is the better purchase.

Please subscribe for more videos! Thank you and enjoy.

[FormulaJake]

Hey guys! Thanks for all of the response to the video, I didn't expect it to take off like it did.

One thing I made a huge mistake on is battery voltage. Milwaukee's 18V nominal voltage is the same as Bauer's 20V "max" voltage, and I only thought they were different because I fell for their sneaky marketing. Thanks to all who corrected me on this issue.

If you enjoyed the video, please subscribe to us! We do all sorts of videos, from projects and builds to reviews and comparisons, and we never stick to one topic. Thanks again!

[kidyugi]

I'm sticking to these underrated brands. If it gets the job done it gets the job done.

[leftyswooddesigns]

I use Bauer drills everyday for 6 hours a day and they never gave me any trouble I dropped them off tables and they still work fine I build stuff for Lowe's and home Depot and these drills performance is too notch Bauer all the way

[waynewicks]

I love the bauer drills I have both drill and driver and I owned them for 2yrs they never gave me any issues I use it every day at work I do construction

[texasboy]

In my opinion to make it FAIR, it would be better to compare it to Milwaukee’s BRUSHED motor instead of brushless.

[ronniewesson]

Just bought the Baur for $65. Home projects it’s perfect and can’t beat the price. If you want the name brand for 3-4 times the price, that’s individual choice.

[waltercalderon]

I like your unbiased, honest and fair opinion in this review. When I started doing maintenance, I was using DeWalt. Later in my career I used Bosch for about a year and then I was introduced to Milwaukee because it was on sale. I have since stuck with that brand, but the Bauer does seem to give it a run for the money. Obviously, they are not on the same level, but it’s still a great tool. You just earned yourself a follower! Thank you and God bless you!!!

[Mikefngarage]

makes the decision easy for me. I could buy 3 sets of Bauer for the same price. So if they got stolen I would still have my money to buy another set.

[Brentranome]

Very good review and well explained. I got the Bauer for christmas, and I feel it'll work well for the occasional duty I will need it for.

[RebuildRex]

I’m a big fan of the Milwaukee tools. I just bought a 3/8 and a 1/4 drive cordless ratchet and I really like them.

[congaronbo]

The bauer will spin the blades right off my 60 inch zero turn mower deck. That's good performance from a 1/4" impact driver. All I need. Mine was a gift a couple years ago.

[bpsdetailing]

I got a new Milwaukee m18 gen 3 Fuel 2853, ebay Vanon 5 Ah battery and generic charger for about $145 - all new and all readily available. I think it's the best deal overall because the Gen 3 is powerful enough to use as an impact wrench for most things, and if you don't put the battery through a ton of cycles then the Vanon will do just fine for a long time. Thank you for the comparison video! Cheers!

[Red_dot_randy]

As a weekend warrior I love my Bauer 😎

[DereksWorkshopAndProjects]

I agree with a lot of what you said, especially at the end. I’m not using Milwaukee tools every day to make money anymore. My batteries were really on their way out. I sold them all used ranging from 3-5 years old and replaced them with brand new Bauer Bauer tools. How long they last is to be determined.

[tonyvargas]

Dude forget the tools I'm impressed with you driving 366 screws for this Review 👏👏👏👏👏👏.

[Papparratzi]

Just bought the Bauer. Your review is very evenhanded. After reviewing your comparison, I agree with your findings and as a casual user, the Bauer would still be my choice. I’ve purchased expensive brands in the past and the batteries typically fail before I put much time on. As a casual user, it’s cheaper just to buy a complete replacement than a new battery.
If I was still in construction, Milwaukee all day.

[danr]

18 volts and 20 volts are actually the same, just how they are measured. I do like Harbor Freight, but I bought a Milwaukee 12 volt set, drill and impact with two batteries. The Hercules said to compare with the Milwaukee, so I did. The week I bought it, the Milwaukee was cheaper!

[darrylbrown]

Put them under a high torque situation (ie. Lag bolts in a 4x4 or automotive nuts/bolts) and I bet youd see a larger difference between the two.

[madmangaud]

I really appreciate your testing. I cannot/ don't want to afford those more expensive tools, so I have the Bauer line up. Thanks so much!

[cbmech]

Another factor to consider would be cost divided by number of holes (plus the Bauer is now available in brushess, and I like mine.