HyperTough 12V Impact - Can it keep up with Milwaukee?

In this video we look at the Hyper Tough 12V Compact Impact Wrench from Walmart. At a kit price of $59 it is a super handy tool to have. I have seen many videos show these as sub-par and maybe way short of the M12 line, but I have not seen that with mine. In fact it is the opposite, I have been very surprised by the performance for price with mine. A friend at work Patrick and his neighbor Joe had used theirs and worked on some automotive projects with them and kept telling me how great they found theirs to be. Patrick gave me his ratchet and impact to test with and after some testing I also bought my own to make sure theirs were not anomalies. Mine seemed strong as well so I decided to go ahead a record some footage of it. I did take time to modify some packs just for fun and see if I could push the Hyper Tough to keep up with the M12. I did not prepare as much as I normally would have for this video as I was not expecting these compacts to have this much torque. I hope you find the video helpful and thanks so much for watching
These 2 links are not affiliate links, simply here to help you get more info if needed:
Molicel 2800mAh cells link: www.18650batterystore.com/pro...
Walmart 12V Hyper tough link if interested: www.walmart.com/search?q=hype...
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[@JoeTheDIY]

Really great video. I wasn't sure if I'd be making a mistake with Hypertough. Questions answered!

[@RevDevGaming]

As someone who gave their 3/8 electric ratchet a try I was extremely impressed. I have Milwaukee stuff in my main box but I bought it to carry around and use on projects far away from my tool box. It’s performs way better than you’d expect for what you pay. The battery lasts a long time also. I used the hyper tough electric ratchet to pull the motor out of a 4Runner and it didn’t even run the small battery completely dead when doing it.

[@drivewaybuilds]

Yeah ima do that too ima keep them in my car for when I travel, thanks for the comment

[@Nicky14P]

I also have the hyper tough ratchet and I am extremely impressed with the battery life. I work in retail and use it to build/tear down displays in the store and it saves me so much time. The battery lasts so long. Great value tool for sure.

[@shawnlachance4427]

I enjoyed the video! Thank you for the content. Very informative. Looking forward to your next one!

[@superspeeder]

Great budget option. Thanks for sharing!

[@Funny_moments763]

I Got the 3/8 electric ratchet for little under a year now and I love it helped me a lot with a go kart project and haven’t had any issues

[@SLKR-ek9hj]

Thank you for the video very impressive little impact for the price 👍🏻

[@sneedsfeedandseed2]

Great educational video

[@b4zz3d59]

Appreciate the info. and straight forward presentation. Respect.

[@BlueRidgeMarine]

Was working on a home product today ( bitting my tongue and will remain slient) thought dang. Haven't seen Ole Thrifty in a minute? So i came " Door Kicking " Glad to see you mixing it up a bit. Thanks for sharing. Thumbing - up 👍

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Thanks for your kind comment! Hope the project goes well! I have been smiling ever since Torque Test Channel tested out the beast in a video yesterday. It was super fun! So glad they tested it for fun and well science!

[@lockprousa]

Another great review, I will be looking into getting some of these tools. Would like to see some more battery rebuilds.

[@Lyle-1999]

Battery information was very cool. Would like to learn more too.

[@johnbayliss1098]

Excellent my friend thank you

[@bbob10871]

Good damn video and very informative!!! A+

[@mn4a15]

Quality video excellent job yeah too. I also wondered why the torque test channel hyper tough acts differently from all the other ones on KZbin

[@SmoothJK]

His testing setup seems to be very different from real world scenarios.

[@mn4a15]

@@SmoothJK who’s ?

[@Nicky14P]

@@SmoothJKI feel like his setup takes quite a bit of torque to even get it moving.

[@kanakti0n338]

Decided to pick one up for my daughter in a hyper tough tool bag and a hyper tough magnetic work light for tire change because her car’s emergency car jack uses a 14mm socket to operate and her lugs uses a 21mm socket makes tire changes a breeze needing only two sockets gives me a little assurance she won’t be stranded with a flat on the side of the road stuck using hand tools.

[@mrb3888]

Man you beat me to it again LOL! You’re the king! So I’ve already been through one of these trying to find the crux. Couple things I wanted to comment that might add to the fun a little. First I think Chevron is smart doing this because there are really no options on the market when it comes to a “stick” style 12v battery, 3/8 impact. Only the Milwaukee. Hell even the Chinese haven’t yet. I’ve been experimenting with a lot of the Chinese knock offs and playing with those, because they are getting really good. But when it comes to a 12v 3/8 brushless impact wrench, not driver, they are non existent. Lo and behold hyper tough fills the gap here. For starters I wholly believe TTC got a “first” gen. I got one right when it came out and it behaved the same. I got the 4Ah and it would still cut out, granted it took longer but still was not what a 4Ah should be. I figured the batteries were to blame but it was so aggressive I looked into the board. I tried controller swapping it. You can find 12v generic brushless boards on aliexpress. It worked at first but failed worse than the original but that was due to my own error, as the board I got was meant for a smaller rotor and stator. Because the HT motor size is actually comparable to a normal 18v impact. I do have another controller on the way that has the proper specs for the motor/anvil size. And also is simpler. It only runs pos/neg. No extra ID pins or of the sort. That board should be here in about 3 weeks. Now, like I said I got two of these impacts. I purchased another one because of the 70$ deal was too hard to pass up, and thought I could have a spare parts impact just in case I mess something up because I do use these for work. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt there is something totally different with this one compared to the first. I have not had the cutting out issues, even with the 2ah. Of course it will cut out and flash on one bar but that’s any tool. I’m using my 2ah and 4Ah basically till dead. So something is definitely different. Why they wouldn’t announce an update to the tool is anyone’s guess. I also watched your other video about swapping good cells in, as I also suspected this to be a handicap too. And like you said, at this price something has to give. But I have been hesitant on cell swapping because I did not want to go through the trouble if it was say like a board issue. So seeing your video tells me I need to rip my 2.0 apart and spot some of my new 25r cells in. Because at the end of the day I want to use the 2.0 battery for the size as that’s the whole point of the impact for me. At the end of the day I think HT-Chevron are smart tapping into this untapped market of 12v impacts because of people like us who want that compact size. I don’t care about huge amounts of torque, it’s for smaller stuff. And at least they cheaped on the cells, because the construction of the tool being PA6 and of course the other details is awesome, and is basically the same as big brand tool contraction. Hell, even the battery is PA6 which is super cool. If HT-Chevron-Walmart, whatever LOL, offered a battery with better cells, like the ones you have or Samsungs, they would dominate hard. Of course they would be more expensive but it’s still a huge difference compared to the big brands. I hope the marketing/engineering sees your videos and others alike, because a simple battery offering with better cells would crush it. And your proved it. Great set of videos like always man. Oh and last but not least, something I notice with all the cheaper non brand banish tools, is the absence of hall sensors. Which also takes the price down a lot, because boards have to be finely tuned for this. But brushless tools with hall sensors, are faster, have more torque, better low end control, and the responsiveness is way better. It would be cool to see this in cheaper tools like the HT but that would drive the price higher in my opinion than better cells, as from my research, every big name tool brand, uses a different approach to how they lay out their sensors, that could be hall degree angle, which side the sensors sit in relation to the stator, etc etc. This of course takes specific programming/tuning for the tool. Which means engineering/r&d. But better batteries wake this thing up fine. Just thought I’d add to your observation of HT uses of sensor less motors. This is the standard across the board unless you pay big bucks. Hopefully I can update soon when this new board comes in. And possibly while I’m waiting do a cell swap to go along with it. Hoping to get more RPM and responsiveness. We will see! Thanks!

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Awesome! I would like to see how the controller replacement works out for sure. Good point about the PA6, I thought the same. I was very surprised for it being hall-less how well it performed, super smooth really. I agree on the size of it also. Super handy size feels really good in the hand and it will make torque if needed. Thanks for your contributions and kind comments!

[@iGame2A]

I got one for Christmas and I've been using the 2 ah battery to rip off bolts in my vehicles. I have done a valve cover gasket replacement, taken a steering wheel off to swap a clock spring, and I've even assembled a king sized bed frame with it. I like how compact the tool is for those hard to reach areas. I'm probably going to end up getting the drill and the rotary tool.

[@Nicky14P]

I have the rotary tool. It’s decent! I’ve used it to cut a rusted stabilizer/sway bar out in a wheel well, cut stripped fasteners, and to etch/carve into plastic.

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Thanks! I am going to get one of those also!

[@iGame2A]

@@Nicky14P good to know. I haven't picked one up yet. But will soon. I did pick up the brushless drill last week and it's alright. Might return it and get the rotary tool.

[@turbro7185]

I'm starting out in the automotive industry, and I need to buy tools to start off i was looking at power tools to make my job easier and quicker to take off fasteners instead of doing them by hand which would be time consuming, and Milwaukee has outperformed a lot of electric power tools and they're pretty pricey. i don't get paid enough starting off to be able to afford all these high-end tools and I don't want to get myself in debt yet when I'm just starting off. The HyperTough power tool lineup seems decent especially for the price you're paying. This would be good enough to take out less torque application fasteners instead of doing them by hand. Thanks for the video this really helped me out in deciding if it was worth getting it or not and now I now that it Is!

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Awesome! Best of luck to you in the automotive industry. I believe these tools will be super handy for you and I totally agree with starting with these and you can eventually buy M12 slowly as you go if that is what tools you desire to end up with. Thanks for your comment!

[@BlueRidgeMarine]

If you do the Battery mod would you cover the strips and spot welding and all that jaz in Depth? I know you have done this before but would like to see how your doing it now. ( i still have my 14.4 stuff as well) thanks again for taking the time to make the video. 👍

[@ThriftyToolShed]

I am editing that video now. I am trying to share as much as possible without it being such a long video. I will absolutely show the cheap spot welder that I use now and spot welding some strips in real time maybe fast forward and skip through some of it with focus more on the smaller 1P pack and then maybe show some detail on the differences in the larger 2P pack. The 2P pack on this Hyper Tough is one of the most time consuming and difficult packs I have ever played around with. It was interesting and I enjoyed doing it, but I imagine it will be some comments about how it's not worth the time to do as such. It's truly not, I did it for testing obviously and it was fun to see just how much time and work goes into the design and it is simply amazing all that can be put together and sold for under $25! I spiced it up a little, but it cost me $30 in cells alone. Impressive really that they can get the manufacturing cost to that level. I know they use China, but most of them all do as well.

[@papi-champoo6033]

You made it to the torque test channel.

[@ThriftyToolShed]

I did. It was a blessing for sure and a lot of fun! 👍

[@keysautorepair6038]

Would be happy to use any of these tools daily better than turning wrenches by hand.

[@SGAOuTLaWz]

I own all the 12v Hyper Tough tools with the exception of the oscillating tool, saw saw, and router. I work in restaurant maintenance and they get used multiple times daily. I use the impact driver the most but all the tools perform flawlessly. For my needs these tools are a great value and i don't have to worry about getting them greasy and dirty. At the end of the day just wipe off and throw in the tool box. Hyper Tough has really stepped up their game.

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@believe2261]

Hey! Great video, got a question for ya, I just bought a Dyson hair dryer and the head sounds loose. Like the main housing group in the head is shifting back and forth, any ideas?

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Thanks for your kind comment. I am not exactly sure which part is moving. The large head housing is actually molded to the inner part of the handle so it should not be moving between those two. The slide on handle cover could have movement or the back of the head where the buttons are can pop out, but it's a very tight fit.

[@vevenaneathna]

really good comprehensive video. fyi, the battery cells 18650 are ~1.5-3$ each in bulk. knowing this always makes me cringe when i see how expensive some of the brand name tool batteries are. like a 500-1000% mark up

[@wIzKid16100]

Yeah i don’t know what ttc was on about cause these hyper tough tool perform, not like my Milwaukee of course but they’re no light weight either. I’ve done control arm and rear shocks with this little guy.

[@jpfortin12]

I wonder how the skil 12v compare to those 2

[@ThriftyToolShed]

I have wondered that as well. They have an excellent price and sales at times on them. Of course they are made by Chervon so if these Hyper Tough are made by chervon it may be very close in performance.

[@Lyle-1999]

What cells did you put in that? 21700?

[@ThriftyToolShed]

It is the Molicel 2800mah 35A 18650. I have used the 21700's in other 20V packs, but these 12V always use the 18650 due to size constraints with the handle. Well the ones with the cells in the handle anyway. I guess the Skil and similar designs could actually use the 21700 if they wanted to make a Magnum pack...🤣

[@Lyle-1999]

Awesome! That is so cool. Appreciate the information. Super informative.

[@Nicky14P]

I think the big thing with cheaper tools like Hyper Tough is that the quality control isn’t nearly as good as the larger tool brands. Maybe TTC got a bad tool?

[@user-lf3ym5uy7y]

I thought the hyper tough didn't work with the 2a battery

[@ThriftyToolShed]

That is the one that comes with it. It is now known that it doesn't work as well with it and works much better with the 4Ah for sure. My 2Ah seemed to functon properly with mine, but some are reporting theirs did not work well at all with the 2Ah that comes with it.

[@DamionJR4923]

Those Dewalt Nicad batteries where bad. In my experience they would only keep a charge for about 1 year whether you used them or not.

[@ceronv]

Mine cuts off! Should i exchange it

[@ThriftyToolShed]

It may be similar to the one on Torque Test Channel? I believe many of these do with the 2Ah battery. Many people are recommending the 4ah with it now. Walmart even sells the 4ah with it as a combo now in addition to the 2ah that already is in the kit. I would think it's for a reason. It's a good price too. Mine and my friends did not seem to cut off like that with a 2ah. It will with a 1.5ah. I would try to exchange it and see if the next one is better. For the long haul the larger capacity 4ah is the best fit for it. It really is just strong enough to desire a bit more power it seems. I really like the little impact it's small and easy to use. Best of luck to ya!

[@keysautorepair6038]

TTC can’t let anything beat them Milwaukees lol.

[@ThriftyToolShed]

The M12 is a powerful rascal for sure. So with the Hyper Tough holding on and being that close it does say a lot. TTC does show that newer DeWalt 1/2" Hi Torque spanking a little bit of Red behind... Of course that is saying something the M18 Hi Torque is a bad boy...😂

[@user-lp7dd7dz9m]

That Milwaukee batt looks like the chinese knock offs with the 2 piece case. The real ones don't have that removable cap

[@ThriftyToolShed]

You may be thinking of the larger 2P packs (like 4Ah and 6Ah). The compact 1P packs ( Like these 2Ah) all have the removable cap. I have worked on many of them.

[@user-lp7dd7dz9m]

@@ThriftyToolShed I would attach an image of one of my Milwaukee 1.5Ah M12 batt next to one of my knock offs if youtube would let me but I can't. I have dissasembled them both. The knock offs you release the clips on the top, the genuine you have to remove the bottom black plastic that is attached with a T10 + clips

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Yes, the newer 1P packs are indeed like the larger 2P packs and disassemble in a similar way without the clips. I forgot they did changed the design. The first 1.5Ah packs came that way. It threw me off when you mentioned knock off. I have had some of these packs from the first Gen of the packs, but all came with M12 kits from Home Depot. None of mine are even possible knock offs actually. I have videos on the knockoff M18, but I have never bought any M12 individually like that. That is why you were thinking they were knock-offs and they used to be that way really. BTW: if you ever want to share a photo I have a Facebook group called "On the Bench" just for sharing like that. So many times viewers ask questions and need a photo or drawing so feel free to check it out! Thanks for your comment!

[@alcerz984]

Please don't tell me torque test channel is selling himself to the highest bidder

[@ThriftyToolShed]

No. I never meant to imply any of the sort. I was just wondering if they received a bad unit or pack. I simply wondered if they would retest based on mine in case of a bad unit they could have received. TTC did not wish to take mine and compare any further when I offered, but TTC is awesome enough to send me theirs so I could test with it. I thought that was super nice of them. I simply tested it and it seems the tool is not the issue it seems like a bad pack. The one they sent me will not power the tool much at all. I still have some questions of why both the 4Ah and the 2Ah seemed to give problems for them as they only sent me the one battery, but it was enough to prove my thought wrong about maybe the tool they had being an earlier model or version. The brushless sticker is not on the back, but everything else is the same it seems. I have not posted a video on it since it's not much to show other than a bad or faulty pack to some degree. I may still post one eventually to answer the open question I had in this video. I only have trust for TTC as they even showed the "Beast" pack that sent in to them out performing all the other packs even the one they built to try to compete it. So I feel like they show it as it is. I was hoping the Beast pack would dominate, but they showed it in full glory. They did not make excuses for other packs or manufacturers, just the fact that it was truly a beast.

[@alcerz984]

Good to know thank you sir!!!!!