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Best DeWalt impact driver

Updated: 22 October 2026

Four bare DeWalt bodies are on amazon.co.uk, and the prices do not tell you which one to open first. The best DeWalt impact driver in this set, if you already own 18 V XR packs and the longer nose still reaches the screw, is the DCF887N at about £59.95. Skip it when the gap is about 100 mm, or when noise is the reason you are looking at the hydraulic body. Listings were saved on 20 October 2026. This is not a lab test. Prices and rows are on the [DeWalt cordless impact driver comparison](/hub/tools/de-walt-cordless-impact-driver). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Four bare DeWalt bodies are on amazon.co.uk, and the prices do not tell you which one to open first.

Our top picks

DeWalt DeWalt DCF887N

Best overall

DeWalt DeWalt DCF887N
9.2/10about £59.95
View offer
DeWalt DeWalt DCF850N

Best value

DeWalt DeWalt DCF850N
8.0/10about £98.43
View offer
DeWalt DeWalt DCF870N

Alternative

DeWalt DeWalt DCF870N
6.6/10about £184.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Best when you already own the batteries
  2. 2.Best when the body has to be short
  3. 3.Best when the noise is the problem
  4. 4.When none of these four is the next tool

Best when you already own the batteries

The DCF887N-XJ is 4.7 from 5,167 amazon.co.uk reviews. On an Impact Drivers best-seller snapshot it sat first. That snapshot is a ranking page, not a test, and it is still the largest UK sample in this set. UK reviewers use it for screws, coach bolts, and decking, with less wrist strain than a drill. Three modes are the control they mention. One owner says a 5 Ah pack lasts a working day. That is one person's day. Several UK reviewers report side-to-side play in the collet, so check the nose on arrival. Mode 1 is often called too light and mode 2 too strong for a delicate screw. One reviewer could not fit a gap under 20 cm. The decking page is that repetitive screw job.

Best when the body has to be short

The DCF850N-XJ is 4.7 from 1,106 reviews at about £98.43. The bullets say 101 mm and 0.95 kg without a battery. DeWalt UK marketing says 205 Nm, and the manual prints 206.2 Nm, so it sits in the same torque class as the DCF887. Reviewers who replaced a longer driver talk about tight spaces, a lighter feel, the LED ring, and the drop-style bit change. Skip it when the DCF887 already reaches the screw. You would pay about £38 more for length, on the same 4.7 star line, with a smaller sample. Mode 1 draws the same complaint. Separate UK reviews mention a cut-out and a sticky direction switch. Those are single reports.
DeWalt DeWalt DCF887N

Testsieger

DeWalt DeWalt DCF887N
9.2/10about £59.95
View offer

Best when the noise is the problem

The DCF870N-XJ is the hydraulic oil-pulse body at about £184.99, 4.6 from 95 reviews, with 56 Nm and 500 W. UK reviewers, including a joiner, say it is quieter than a conventional impact driver, at about 101 mm. One finds screws into 2x4 timber easier than with a combi. The first speed is described as very quiet. This comparison did not measure decibels. It is not a silent tool. Skip it when you wanted the about-205 Nm class. About £184.99 is a lot for a bare unit, and 95 reviews is a much smaller sample than 5,167. The DCF840N at about £78.00 is one speed and 4.5 from 38 ratings. That line is too thin to call a value buy against the DCF887.

When none of these four is the next tool

Leave all four if you still need a battery and a charger. Leave them for holes, a clutch, or masonry: every kept tool is a 6.35 mm hex driver. A combi on the same packs is the other tool on the impact driver versus combi drill page. Nuts belong on an impact wrench. The conditional pick stays the DCF887N at about £59.95 when the longer nose fits. The DCF850N is the exception for about 101 mm. The DCF870N is the exception for noise at 56 Nm.

Common questions

Which DeWalt impact driver should I buy first?
Open the DCF887N if you already have 18 V XR batteries and the longer body fits. It is about £59.95 with 4.7 from 5,167 reviews and three speeds. Choose the DCF850N at about £98.43 when you need about 101 mm. Choose the DCF870N at about £184.99 when you want the hydraulic body and accept 56 Nm. The best-seller rank that put the DCF887 first is a ranking, not a workshop test.
Is the cheapest body the best value?
On these four saved listings, the DCF887N is both the lowest price and the deepest review sample, so it is the top pick when length is not the constraint. The DCF850N is the body to spend more on when the nose has to be short, with the same 4.7 and 1,106 reviews. The DCF840N costs about £78.00 and gives you one speed and 38 ratings, a weak saving against the three-speed body at about £59.95.
Is the DCF850 worth more than the DCF887?
It is worth the extra when a gap of about 101 mm is the job, because the torque class stays around 205 Nm and you keep three speeds. It is not worth it when the DCF887 already reaches the screw. You would pay about £98.43 instead of about £59.95 for a shorter nose and a smaller, still solid, review count. Check collet play on the DCF887 and mode 1 on both.
Who should skip the DCF870?
Skip it if you need the conventional torque class, if about £184.99 is more than the noise is worth to you, or if you wanted a battery in the box. Buy it if you work indoors, UK reviewers in your trade already describe it as the quieter compact body, and 56 Nm covers your screws. Do not treat a masonry anecdote in one review as a hammer-drill rating.
Is the DCF840 a false economy?
Against the DCF887N, yes for most XR owners. You pay about £78.00, lose the mode dial, and rely on 38 ratings. One of those reviews describes a direction fault that was still unrepaired. It can still be a spare for long timber screws if you have read that limit and the part number in the title is DCF840N-XJ. The model field on the listing names a different body.

Related pages

DeWalt cordless impact driver buying guide

How to use a DeWalt impact driver

DeWalt cordless impact driver

DeWalt impact driver for decking: screws, not pilots

DeWalt impact driver vs combi drill: screws or holes

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the four amazon.co.uk listings captured on 20 October 2026. Noise and vibration action values apply at work. They are not a certificate that a domestic driver is silent or safe for all-day use.

  1. DCF887 instruction manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. DCF850 instruction manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. DeWalt UK, DCF840N-XJ bare unit (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. DeWalt UK, DCF850 compact kit (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. HSE, hand-arm vibration calculator (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. HSE, noise for employers (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK, Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23 (retrieved 20 October 2026)