Makita TD173 vs the Compact Impact Drivers It Competes With

Introduction

Makita’s new TD173 impact driver has landed, and it has picked up genuinely positive feedback wherever it has shown up. The new feature set is real, not marketing fluff, and the tool feels like a meaningful step in design. But there is one thing holding it back from being an easy recommendation, and it is not performance. It is the price tag, which sits at or near the highest we have seen for any impact driver to date. In this comparison, we look at what the TD173 does well, why the pricing gives us pause, and which alternatives make more sense for the same money.

What Makes the Makita TD173 Interesting

The TD173 brings a full LED ring around the chuck, a design that blends the ring lighting seen on other Makita tools with the glow-ring style into one cohesive look. It is one of the more thoughtfully executed lighting designs on an impact driver to date.

Makita also moved the controls to the back of the tool and shifted the handle geometry forward, which changes the balance and feel in hand. These are practical, user-focused updates rather than headline gimmicks.

Where the TD173 does not break ground is raw power. It is a fairly standard mid-range performer in the impact driver category, so you are largely paying for the design refinements and lighting rather than a step change in driving force.

The Price Problem

Here is the core issue: the TD173 is difficult to find anywhere under roughly $220 to $250, depending on shipping and taxes in your region, and that is before adding a battery, which pushes the total close to a $300 tool.

For context, the most expensive impact driver bought to date was the Makita XGT Gen 2 from Japan, the yellow model that ran around $180. The TD173 sits well above even that. It is not that the TD173 is a bad tool. Early adopters have been vocal about how much they like it. The argument is simply that Makita priced it too aggressively for what it delivers.

Makita XGT Gen 2: The Premium Benchmark

The XGT Gen 2 from Japan has long served as the high-water mark for what a premium impact driver costs and feels like. At around $180 as an import, it already sits at the expensive end of the category, and the TD173 undercuts the value proposition by costing more still.

If you want a flagship-tier Makita impact driver and can source the XGT Gen 2, it remains the stronger value unless the TD173’s new features specifically matter to you.

Makita XDT16: The Long-Time Favorite

The XDT16 is one of the most consistently praised impact drivers around, and it has earned that reputation over years of use. It delivers strong everyday performance in a compact body at a fraction of the TD173’s price.

For most users who simply need a dependable, well-rounded driver for fastening work, the XDT16 still covers the job without the premium attached to the newest release.

HiKOKI: The Value Alternative

The HiKOKI impact driver rounds out the value side of this comparison. It offers solid performance in a compact package at a budget-friendly price point, making it a sensible pick for anyone who does not need the newest Makita feature set.

Its inclusion here matters for one specific reason, covered in the next section.

The Smarter Way to Spend the Same Money

Here is the comparison that puts the TD173’s pricing in perspective: for roughly the price of one TD173, you can pick up both the XDT16 and the HiKOKI impact driver combined. Two full impact drivers for the cost of one.

That does not make the TD173 a poor tool, but it makes the buying decision much harder. Unless you specifically want the LED ring and the new handle design, the two-driver route covers more situations and leaves you with a backup.

It is also worth watching for a US release. Given Makita’s naming pattern, skipping odd numbers in the series, a US version of this driver could plausibly arrive as the XDT21, and there is a reasonable chance it lands at a lower price when it does.

Conclusion

The Makita TD173 is a well-designed impact driver with a genuinely impressive LED ring and thoughtful ergonomics, and people who have bought it are happy. The problem is the price. At $220 to $250 before a battery, it is overpriced for what it offers, especially when an XDT16 plus a HiKOKI together cost about the same. If the price drops, or a cheaper US version arrives, this becomes a much easier recommendation. Until then, the alternatives on this list deliver more value per dollar.