Greenworks Pro Impact Wrenches: Three Affordable Options That Deliver Serious Power

Introduction

Greenworks Pro has moved into Walmart with a lineup of cordless impact wrenches that are hard to ignore. At these prices, it would be harder not to buy them. The equivalent lineup from a major brand would cost around $950, while these tools come in at $390 total. That is not just half price, it is almost $100 less than half. More models are coming out by the day, and the ones available now are making a strong case for themselves.

These tools all carry a 5-year warranty, and the batteries charge over USB-C at 65 watts, which is faster than many brand-name included chargers. If you prefer a traditional dock charger, Greenworks sells those too. This new Pro line seems to mean business, and the specs back that up.

The Greenworks Pro Lineup

The lineup includes three impact wrenches that fall into different categories, even though Greenworks does not officially classify them that way. The smallest is the IW5370A1, a 3/8 drive mini impact. The middle option is the IW555081, a compact model. The largest is the mid-torque, which is the most powerful of the three.

Each tool steps up in size and price. The mini costs $70, the compact costs $80, and the mid-torque costs $139. For comparison, the yellow brand’s compact impact was $199 when it first launched and is around $239 these days. The M12 has gone up to $249. You could buy three and a half Greenworks mini impacts for the price of one of those.

Best Mini Impact: Greenworks Pro IW5370A1

The IW5370A1 is the compact impact wrench in a categorical sense, and it is a bit smaller than the next model up. Greenworks claims 270 ft-lb tightening and 400 ft-lb breakaway torque. That places it around DeWalt’s top compact model at 350/400 ft-lb.

In design and appearance, it even has the soft-touch button pad at the bottom like newer DeWalts. The head size, proportion, and front lighting all look very similar. Despite the specs saying 5.4 inches long, it showed up looking a bit smaller than expected. It is pretty much the exact same length as DeWalt’s Atomic at 4.98 inches.

In working torque testing, it delivered 169 ft-lb. That is a big improvement over the last Greenworks model and above the Lowe’s 24-volt offering. In reverse, it hit 260 ft-lb, tracking with a very good DeWalt and beating Milwaukee’s own higher voltage compact 18-volt that is still sold today.

The mini really shines in the max torque reverse test, ending at 321 ft-lb, slightly on top of the DeWalt Atomic’s 319 ft-lb. It is the second most powerful compact impact wrench on the planet that we know of, and you buy it from Walmart for $70. If you want recent $230 DeWalt-type performance, this is going to be your tool. If you want this year’s $250 Milwaukee M12-type performance, this seems like it is going to be your tool too.

Best Compact Impact: Greenworks Pro IW555081

The IW555081 compact is $10 more than the mini at $80. It has the same body with a slightly longer nose at 5.7 inches overall. It is too small to be mid-torque, being noticeably under 6 inches, so it classifies as a compact alongside Makita’s long-running entries of similar size.

Greenworks advertises 400 ft-lb fastening and 560 ft-lb breakaway, which are very mid-torque type numbers. That is pretty crazy for a tool this size. It does have an older style push button board at the bottom, and its trigger is perhaps the worst of the bunch, with some bit of delay. Those are the nitpicks.

In working torque testing, it delivered 210 ft-lb, above the DeWalt but a little bit longer too. For reference, the equally sized Makita makes 236 in this test. But also for reference, this is a third of that price. In the max torque reverse test, it hit 325 ft-lb, a lot closer to the top compact ever tested than we would have guessed.

The pointy cone-like head fits into more narrow places than stub nose designs. It is perhaps more old school in that sense, but very much new school with this performance. At 381 ft-lb in reverse, it is the second most powerful compact impact wrench on the planet that we know of.

Best Mid-Torque Impact: Greenworks Pro Mid-Torque

The mid-torque is a step up in size and price, from $70-80 now to $139. That is what many of us remember paying for these sorts of tools not all that long ago. It is another 5-year warranty brushless impact with a very M18-looking aesthetic and DeWalt-like soft-touch buttons at the base.

It measures in at 6.18 inches to the Milwaukee’s 6 inches flat. It weighs similar, 0.2 lb more at 3.8 lb, or 5.3 lb with a battery, making it one of the lighter mid-torques out there. It advertises 600 ft-lb fastening and 750 ft-lb breakaway, well above the M18 and matching the also 24-volt Flex mid-torque.

In working torque testing, it delivered 394 ft-lb, just about exactly matching the Flex. In reverse, it hit 465 ft-lb, keeping up with the last brand with that 20% more power tagline. The new GP mid-torque hits faster than either the Flex or DeWalt at 4,000 IPM. For a mid-torque, that is sort of crazy numbers versus the 3,100 and 3,200 of the competition.

In the best-case test, 15 seconds in reverse with a topped-off battery, it hit 500 ft-lb on the dot. For mid-torques, 400 sort of is not it anymore like it used to be when brushless was a flashy marketing term. At 500 ft-lb, this thing is going to get a lot of crusty stuff done, including the vast majority of lug nuts in most climates.

Batteries and USB-C Charging

The batteries are a big part of the story. Every new battery in the line charges over USB-C at 65 watts, and they are two-way charging, which means all the newer batteries can also charge other things super fast. You do not need to own a proprietary charger for these. You can charge two at a time with laptop chargers, and if you have the stuff laying around, three at a time.

Batteries are $75, $80, or $90 depending on capacity. There is even a two-pack that is an online purchase only, not in store, for $1 more than the price of a single battery.

The battery cases are made from a polycarbonate with ABS mix like a Makita pack, so that is legit enough. They are assembled with screws going in through the side with a lip around the inner shell to distribute those forces, not just relying on the hardware. That is how Milwaukee puts together their more expensive M18 Forge packs now, so that is better than most.

The 21700 cell model has plenty of air space, which seems like wasted space that could have made it more compact, but it is definitely not going to be overheating. The cells are Malaysian produced, not Samsung 40T cells like you would find in Milwaukee, DeWalt, or even Hercules compact batteries. The 18650 pack fared better as a result of those larger cells in the compact battery. Between the glue and lots of conformal coating protecting against water and corrosion, what looks like low voltage monitoring and plenty of chips, it is plenty complex for a battery board.

Inside the Tools: Build Quality

When a tool checks every box, cheap, powerful, feature-packed, the first question is naturally going to be its durability. That is a fair question to have. These tools were tested about five times more than normal after camera and lens focus issues forced a couple reshoots. After 3 days of just impacting, here is what they looked like inside.

Honestly, none of them broken, and nothing in these tools screams cost cutting. If anything, some of these design choices are surprisingly premium. While the DeWalt has its potted board in the handle, the GPs have theirs in the base where the push buttons are, epoxy potted into aluminum, which perhaps is a bit more durable and also heat dissipating compared to the plastic the DeWalt’s potted electronics are sitting in.

The GP tools both use steel battery slider covers and steel locking latch spots, which is uncommon to see elsewhere. The gauge of wiring is all at least as thick or thicker in some cases than the DeWalt despite being higher voltage. The brushless motors in the GP are larger than the DeWalt’s. The GPs use an O-ring sealed hammer case, which is usually a bit of an upmarket design. It stops grease from heat flowing into the motor area when things get hot. That grease is both the correct kind, moly disulfide, and the correct amount.

The hammer in the mini weighs 274 g, less than the DeWalt Atomic’s 312 g but still more than an M12 Gen 1 impact wrench. The bit larger compact GP’s hammer weighs in at 320 g, more than the DeWalt’s and similar to the 335 g of the latest big dog M12. Nothing about inside these tools scream cheaply made. The windings on the mini impact’s motor even are more dense than the DeWalt’s.

Performance Testing Results

The mid-torque scores 80.9 points as a function of performance and length. It advertises 600 ft-lb tightening, and while it did not reach that in testing, it sits at 83% at $139. That is a lot of value, totaling 353.9 points, placing it below the Flex and above the high-performance 40-volt Makita that costs $350 bare.

The two smaller tools might just do some real damage on the compact impact leaderboard at these prices and this performance. The mini is about the same exact size and power as the Atomic, so it gets just about the same points at 66.8. The value of these is sort of the headline today, and that takes performance into account. The mini totals 308.3 points, placing it just below the reigning champ in compact torque, the M12. The bit larger GP totals 325.2 points, placing it first among all cordless impacts tested to date, including the pretty crazy Hyper Tough.

If you deleted just value, the M12 would remain on top for sure. But the mini would then top the Hyper Tough, as it is basically one of those just shrunken down a little bit with a better trigger, some slightly better build quality, and pretty much the same price with more battery selection.

Overall Buying Advice

The Greenworks Pro lineup at Walmart is a big problem for big brands. Maybe tradesmen will not be switching overnight, but homeowners and weekend ranchers suddenly have a lineup that is hard to ignore. Harbor Freight spent years disrupting in this space, and now some of their categories are getting up there in price. It seems Walmart wants to be that guy.

The mini at $70 is the standout value, delivering DeWalt Atomic-type performance for a fraction of the price. The compact at $80 is not far behind, offering mid-torque type numbers in a compact body. The mid-torque at $139 is the most powerful of the three, hitting 500 ft-lb in reverse and handling the vast majority of lug nuts in most climates.

The USB-C charging is genuinely useful for a list of reasons. The batteries are reasonably priced and well built. The 5-year warranty adds peace of mind. Greenworks old stuff never impressed us much, but this new Pro lineup does.

Conclusion

The Greenworks Pro impact wrenches are low cost, the batteries are reasonably priced and built, and some of those impacts are landing near the very top of our charts. The tools do not suck, and they top some of the damn charts. For anyone looking for a capable cordless impact wrench without paying premium brand prices, this lineup is worth a serious look.