RIDGID Nuke Stealth Force Review: The Quietest Hydraulic Impact Driver Yet

Introduction

The RIDGID Nuke line has been generating a lot of interest, and for good reason. It introduces a new compact drill, a standard impact driver, and most notably, the return of Stealth Force, a hydraulic quiet impact driver. This is a category that only a few brands have entered, and RIDGID is now offering one of the most accessible options yet.

The Stealth Force is priced at $169, making it the cheapest hydraulic impact driver you will find at a hardware store. It uses spikes and hydraulic fluid pressure instead of hammers and metal anvil dogs, which is what allows it to drive fasteners much more quietly. This is not a new concept, but RIDGID has not offered one in a long time. The question is whether this new version can compete with established options from Milwaukee and DeWalt.

The Return of Stealth Force

The RIDGID Nuke Stealth Force is the main reason this lineup was tested. It is a compact tool, measuring exactly 4.47 inches in length, which it shares with the standard Nuke impact driver. The Stealth Force is a bit more chunky in other dimensions, with a squared-off nose to accommodate the hydraulic mechanism.

Both the Stealth Force and the standard Nuke feature some of the better collets you will find, with auto insert and eject. This slightly sprung auto release is a feature you often do not find on compact and subcompact models in this price range.

What they do not share is a torque rating. The standard Nuke is rated at 2,000 inch-pounds, which is a lot for a tool of this size. The Stealth Force, however, has no torque rating at all. It is the first impact driver tested without a published torque figure, which raises questions about what RIDGID is not showing.

Torque and Power Output

In initial torque testing, the Stealth Force produced 58 foot-pounds. That is not a lot of torque in absolute terms, but it is more than the current Milwaukee M18 Surge Gen 2. In that context, it is a respectable figure. It also comfortably beats the Hyper Tough and the Gen 1 Surge, which would be around 39 foot-pounds.

When compared directly to the DeWalt DCF870, which produces 96 foot-pounds, the RIDGID is clearly not aiming for DeWalt levels of torque. This is likely why RIDGID chose not to rate the tool in torque, as the number would be lower than its main competitor.

In the reverse test, the Stealth Force made an impressive 73 foot-pounds, which is close to the DeWalt and better than the M18. The DeWalt tends to struggle in reverse compared to its forward runs, so this is a notable result for the RIDGID.

Driving Speed and Performance

Beyond raw torque, the Stealth Force excels in driving speed. In a test running half-inch nylon lock nuts down half-inch threads, the Milwaukee Surge completed the task in 13 seconds. The standard Nuke impact driver did it in 6.07 seconds, which is very fast. The Stealth Force, despite its lower torque, completed the same test in just 4.3 seconds.

That is quicker than RIDGID’s fastest full-size regular impact driver, faster than a Milwaukee Gen 4 traditional impact driver, and even quicker than the Flex 24V. The trick to this speed is that the tool does not impact very often. At full throttle, the bar for the tool to start impacting is high enough that it drives things more like a drill. It is a drill and impact driver hybrid of sorts, which results in a lot of turning for most normal-size fasteners.

The payoff is that when it does impact, it is not loud. This makes it an excellent choice for driving large numbers of fasteners quickly and quietly.

Noise Levels: The Quietest Yet

Noise is where the Stealth Force truly stands out. From a 1-meter reading, it registers around 91.5 to 92.1 dB when driving and removing fasteners. This is quite low and has more of a thud pitch to it, which is not unpleasant to the ears.

Compared to the 102 to 104 dB of regular impact drivers, and even other hydraulics, this is significantly quieter. It is the lowest reading to date on the hydraulic driver leaderboard. Because sound level is logarithmic, these values are actually closer to 10 to 20 percent louder than the RIDGID, even though the raw numbers do not look that different. The Stealth Force earns a perfect score for the lowest noise reading to date.

Vibration and Ergonomics

The Stealth Force also performs well in vibration testing. In peak shock G-forces hitting the hand, it measured 1.77 G’s, compared to 1.61 G’s for the M18. This is less of a difference than you might expect. The RIDGID at high speed is rather balanced in its hits, with large hits in opposite directions that cancel each other out.

By pure vibration, the RIDGID is less vibraty than the DeWalt, which is the most hand-numbing over time. However, this balance only works when the tool is driving and rotating things. On heavy-duty tasks, such as large lag screws or loosening stuck fasteners, the Stealth Force becomes the most hand-numbing impact driver tested to date. The balancing fluid situation stops working when things stop rotating, and it becomes all shake and bake.

Wrist twisting is another consideration. The RIDGID measures 122 degrees per second in little bursts, which is the most yet. The M18 does this noticeably less. On light work at 10 to 15 percent throttle, the Stealth Force has a bit of twist shimmy, which is three times higher than the full-speed measurement.

The Nuke Impact Driver

The standard Nuke impact driver is a more traditional option. It is smaller than the latest RIDGID on the leaderboards and slightly cheaper, at around $109 bare. It mainly comes in a kit, though. It shares the exact same 4.47-inch length with the Stealth Force.

In torque testing, it produced 106 foot-pounds, which is above the hydraulic tools and similar to the latest Craftsman. It is rated at 2,000 inch-pounds, which is a lot for a subcompact size. It is a useful tool, though it does not rank particularly high when scored as a function of size and power.

The Nuke Compact Drill

The new kit also came with a compact drill. With a standard max output battery in high mode, it performs well, making up to 730 watts before dipping below 1,000 RPM. It is unable to sustain that driving speed, but it is good enough to sit at the top of the standard drill driver rankings, even with the included 2 amp-hour battery.

On the hammer drill ranking, which this is not, if you include its 8 amp-hour battery performance, it would place between much more expensive Snap-on and DeWalt options. This is quite good for a tool that is just 6.1 inches long.

Overall Buying Advice

The RIDGID Nuke Stealth Force is something unique. If you have a lot of fasteners to drive and do not want job site echoing ruckus, this tool will do it for you the quietest, the fastest, and the cheapest of all the tools that can do that job. It is a new hybrid between a drill and a quiet impact driver.

At full tilt, it turns to rotate stuff more often than it hammers to do so, which could be the best option possible for your needs. It does not make all the torque when maxed out, and it can be more shake weight-like at times. It also gets hot faster than other tools, and when it becomes warm, it makes less power. This drop-off is wider than usual for hydraulics.

There is also a quirk where freezing the tool for a couple of hours boosts its torque from 69 foot-pounds to 92. This is a neat trick if you need to loosen something and only have this tool, though it may have more to do with the bolts and larger lags making heat.

The DeWalt DCF870 remains the hydraulic impact that could replace all of your impact driving needs, especially with how much the RIDGID shakes when trying to do its peak torque. However, for the price and the combination of speed and quiet operation, the Stealth Force is a compelling option.

Conclusion

The RIDGID Nuke Stealth Force is a special tool that brings something new and different to the hydraulic impact driver market. It is the quietest and fastest at driving fasteners, and it is the cheapest hydraulic option that functions all the time. It has its quirks, particularly with vibration on heavy-duty tasks and heat buildup, but for its intended use of driving lots of fasteners quietly, it is hard to beat.

The standard Nuke impact driver and compact drill are solid additions to the lineup, offering good performance at reasonable prices. If you are in the market for a quiet impact driver, the Stealth Force is worth serious consideration.