Metabo HPT Sub-Compact Drill and Impact Combo Kit (2nd Gen): Compact Power That Punches Above Its Price

Introduction

The second-generation Metabo HPT Sub-Compact Drill and Impact Combo Kit is one of the most convincing compact tool packages to come out this year. Priced at around $150 on Amazon during recent sales, and with a regular retail of $200, it pairs two brushless tools with a genuinely strong warranty and battery upgrade that makes it easy to recommend to homeowners and professionals alike.

What Is in the Kit

The kit arrives in a large box containing a new soft tool bag, a drill, an impact driver, two 2.0Ah batteries with fuel gauges, a basic charger, and the usual paperwork. The bag is noticeably light, with a two-compartment layout and a subtle camouflage-style finish. The two included batteries are a step up from the older 1.5Ah packs that shipped with first-generation kits, now at 2.0Ah with the welcome addition of a fuel gauge. A two-pack with charger sells separately for around $100.

The included charger is the same basic unit as before: no fan, no quick-charge features, and it is genuinely slow. If you plan to use this kit seriously, a separate rapid charger with active cooling is worth adding to your list.

Power and Specs

The ratings sit at the upper end of the compact class rather than the absolute top tier: 620 inch-pounds of max torque on the drill and 1,549 on the impact driver. Both tools are brushless. The impact driver is noticeably shorter than the previous generation, though slightly fatter at the head, and it feels like a real quality jump in the hand. The new black grip overmold is the easiest way to tell the generations apart, since the first-gen tools used green handles.

Weight went up slightly, as expected with the metal chuck. The old impact came in at 2 pounds 9.2 ounces versus 2 pounds 12.9 ounces for the new one, and the drill moved from 2 pounds 11.5 ounces to 3 pounds 6.5 ounces. In practice the difference is hard to feel, and both tools still handle comfortably.

Drill: Metal Chuck and a Smarter Clutch

The biggest single hardware upgrade is the switch to an all-metal chuck, a surprise at this price given that the first generation used a plastic one. The clutch collar is slimmer and slightly shorter than before, making it easier to get a hand on, and the high/low markings on the new drill are far easier to read than the older design.

Power Testing: Where the New Generation Pulls Ahead

With five decking screws per impact driver, the new kit drove through the test set without drama, and the new batteries themselves seem to add noticeable output. The drill test is where the gap opened up: using a large 1.5-inch spade bit, the first-generation drill bogged down, needed to drop to low speed, and eventually overheated. The second-generation drill completed the same two holes without trouble, even starting in high speed.

One caveat: these tools perform significantly better with a larger MultiVolt battery, which adds output at the cost of weight and size.

Things to Consider Before Buying

There is a short list of nitpicks. There are no mode settings on the base of either tool, which most users will not miss. The LED light still sits low on the body near the chuck, and a light placed higher up would have been more useful. The included charger is slow. None of these change the overall picture, but they are worth knowing about.

Should You Upgrade From the First Generation?

If you already own the first-generation sub-compact kit, the new one is a legitimate improvement: more power, a metal chuck, better ergonomics, and batteries with half an amp-hour more capacity and a fuel gauge. Buying extra batteries separately costs about $70 each, so the bundled packs carry real value. A rapid charger is also recommended either way.

Buying Advice

This is the kind of kit that does a bit of everything without costing what a flagship set does. It is not trying to match the most powerful drills and impacts on the market, and buyers who want that should look at larger platforms. But for an all-purpose set that suits a homeowner, a professional who wants a compact second kit, or a truck-and-emergency setup, the combination of brushless tools, a lifetime tool warranty, two-year battery warranty, one-year charger warranty, and frequent sale pricing around $150 makes it extremely hard to beat. Given the quality on offer, the value argument is easy to make, and sale prices on this brand are common enough that paying full retail is rarely necessary.

Conclusion

The second-generation Metabo HPT Sub-Compact combo kit earns its place as a top pick for compact drill and impact sets: more power than its predecessor, a metal chuck, improved batteries, and a warranty and price combination that the competition struggles to match.