Power tools · owner-verdict comparison

DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver vs Milwaukee 2746-20: what real owners say

Real owners rate these about evenly: 69% of 54 DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver owners recommend it, vs 74% of 19 for the Milwaukee 2746-20.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver

69%of 54 owners recommend
69% recommend · 3% neutral · 28% don't
Owners praise
  • Serious power and torque that drives tough screws, bolts, and even lugnuts
  • Reliable workhorse that keeps running after years of drops and jobsite abuse
  • Multiple speed settings handle everything from delicate to heavy driving
Owners complain about
  • Trigger and speed-control electronics can fail, leaving power fluttering or stuck
  • Chuck wobble and bit-retention problems, with springs breaking on bit swaps
  • Repairs cost enough that owners just buy a new tool instead
Full owner report →

Milwaukee 2746-20

74%of 19 owners recommend
74% recommend · 5% neutral · 21% don't
Owners praise
  • Reliable, jam-free nailing
  • Cordless, no compressor or fuel cells
  • Worth the money
Owners complain about
  • Misfires needing warranty repair
  • Heavier than air nailers
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver if
  • ✓DIYers driving screws and assembling flat-pack furniture
  • ✓Tradespeople needing an all-day jobsite driver
  • ✓Users wanting three-speed control for fine or delicate work
  • ✓Anyone driving lots of long or stubborn fasteners
Skip it if
  • People wanting a small driver only for light delicate tasks
  • Buyers worried about the reported trigger reliability issues
Get the Milwaukee 2746-20 if
  • ✓Trim carpenters wanting cordless, compressor-free nailing
  • ✓Daily jobsite use on trim and jamb work
  • ✓DIYers upgrading from pneumatic or fuel-cell nailers
Skip it if
  • Those needing the lightest possible nailer
  • Budget shoppers deterred by the higher price

What DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver owners say

“887 still goin strong, really a beast of an Impact for being roughly 8 years and change”
— @BlackenedEclipse on YouTube
“I have the Dewalt DCF887. It makes driving and removing screws effortless, and the impact action does so without stripping heads, wrenching your wrist, and lets you drive long screws into wood like butter. It's the most used tool I own.”
— soupyfrood on Reddit
“the tool repair shop at the other location has literal crates of DCF887 impacts that are just older than 1 year and if the switch just now went out thats not considered a defect so you'll have to ~$97 plus shipping on a tool that sells for $139.”
— shiyal on Reddit

What Milwaukee 2746-20 owners say

“The gun performed fantastically throughout the entire project with no jams of misfires.”
— @ericcaira7338 on YouTube
“Not one issue with this gun. Love it worth every penny.”
— @scottmoore7417 on YouTube
“Mine does it too. But if I put a shim under the red safety so it pushes it in farther it fires.”
— ExtraYogurtcloset771 on Reddit

DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver vs Milwaukee 2746-20: frequently asked questions

Is the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver or the Milwaukee 2746-20 better?

Real owners rate these about evenly: 69% of 54 DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver owners recommend it, vs 74% of 19 for the Milwaukee 2746-20.

Who should get the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver?

Owners point the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver at dIYers driving screws and assembling flat-pack furniture, and tradespeople needing an all-day jobsite driver.

Who should get the Milwaukee 2746-20?

Owners point the Milwaukee 2746-20 at trim carpenters wanting cordless, compressor-free nailing, and daily jobsite use on trim and jamb work.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver is trigger and speed-control electronics can fail, leaving power fluttering or stuck. For the Milwaukee 2746-20, it's misfires needing warranty repair.