DEWALT XTREME 12V MAX DCF801B 1/4in Brushless Impact Driver (Tool Only)
By DEWALT · Impact Drivers · Power Tools
- 12V MAX (10.8V nominal)
- Up to 1,450 in-lbs of torque
- 5.05-in long (front to back)
- 1.75 lbs (tool only)
- Brushless motor
Lowest price seen
~$149.00 (approx.)
from $149.00 at Amazon
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Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.
Summary
A compact bare-tool 12V impact driver for tight-space fastening, with a brushless motor and 1,450 in-lbs of rated torque in a 5.05-in body. Check the platform before you buy: it ships without a battery or charger, so you need 12V MAX* packs and a charger already on the bench.
Strengths
- Second-highest fastening torque among the 12V drivers in Pro Tool Reviews’ instrumented testing at the time.
- A measured 1,800 in-lbs of nut-busting torque.
- Compact and light at 5.05 in and 1.75 lbs, sized for tight spaces.
- Three-LED ring that Pro Tool Reviews judged more effective than a single LED.
- One-hand bit insertion and ejection.
- Runs on every 12V MAX* battery and charger.
Weaknesses
- It is a bare tool, so budget for 12V MAX* batteries and a charger.
- Not as powerful as an 18V or 20V driver, per Bob Vila’s hands-on test.
- Under load with a 1/4-in lag screw it held only 9.1% of its no-load speed (265.6 RPM), the weakest part of its performance.
- Pro Tool Reviews recommends an 18V driver for frequent 1/4-in-and-larger fastening.
- DeWalt’s 12V battery lineup was narrower than Milwaukee’s M12 at the time of testing.
- Its 3-year warranty is shorter than the 5-year Milwaukee offered then.
Verified specifications
| Model | DCF801B, bare tool (battery and charger not included). |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 12V MAX* (10.8V nominal). |
| Motor | brushless. |
| Max torque | 1,450 in-lbs (manufacturer rating). |
| Max speed | 2,850 RPM. |
| Impact rate | 3,600 IPM. |
| Length | 5.05 in front to back; 5.1 in measured by Pro Tool Reviews. |
| Weight | 1.75 lbs tool only; 1.74 lbs measured bare by Pro Tool Reviews, 2.23 lbs with a 2.0Ah battery. |
| Chuck | 1/4-in quick-release drop-and-load hex, accepts 1-in bit tips. |
| Modes | 3 settings including Precision Drive. |
| LEDs | 3 on the nose for work-surface lighting. |
| Battery platform | 12V MAX* XTREME. |
| Country of origin | China. |
| UPC | 885911631013. |
Full research notes and sources
Torque and real-world performance
The 1,450 in-lbs headline is a manufacturer rating, tested on a bench and not under load. Pro Tool Reviews’ instrumented test (December 2019, against the Milwaukee M12 Fuel 2553) used a different method and measured an average of 579 in-lbs to break a fastened nut, plus a nut-busting breakaway of 1,800 in-lbs. Pro Tool Reviews states its method does not match manufacturer spec testing, so treat the two figures as different measurements rather than a contradiction.
Under load with a 1/4-in lag screw the tool averaged 265.6 RPM and kept 9.1% of its no-load speed. That is the tool working near the top of what 12V can do, and Pro Tool Reviews suggests stepping up to an 18V driver if you regularly drive 1/4-in-and-larger fasteners. In its 2024 roundup Pro Tool Reviews still singled out the DCF801 as the 12V MAX model to get and said it does “80% or more of what you expect from a full-size impact driver.” Bob Vila’s test of the DCF801F2 kit (the same tool with batteries) found the balance and grip good and the power enough for softwood and hardwood.
Battery platform and the bare-tool catch
The DCF801B uses the 12V MAX* XTREME platform and runs on any 12V MAX* battery and charger, but none are in the box; only a belt clip ships with the tool. The kit version, DCF801F2, adds batteries, a charger and a bag. The system is nominal 10.8V, a detail the marketing rarely spells out. At the time of Pro Tool Reviews’ test DeWalt’s 12V lineup was limited to 1.5Ah, 2.0Ah and 3.0Ah packs, a shallower range than Milwaukee’s M12.
Repairs, warranty and running costs
The tool carries a 3-year limited warranty, 1 year of free service and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee. Pro Tool Reviews noted Milwaukee offered a longer 5-year tool warranty at the time. DeWalt publishes an instruction manual and an exploded diagram, which helps if you need to service the tool later. No failure rates or repairability data were found, and no owner forum discussions were captured in this pass, so there is no track record to lean on.
Is it worth it?
Pro Tool Reviews listed the bare tool at $129 in December 2019 and still at $129 in its October 2024 roundup, and listed the DCF801F2 kit at $149 and the DCK221F2 drill-and-impact combo at $199 in 2019. Those are historical reference points, not quotes. For someone who already owns 12V MAX* batteries and wants the smallest, lightest DeWalt impact driver, the bare tool is the cheap way in; for anyone starting fresh, the missing battery and charger add real cost, and Pro Tool Reviews points to the 20V MAX* DCF845 when raw performance matters more than size.
Which model this is
This page covers the DCF801B, the bare-tool 12V MAX* XTREME brushless impact driver. The kit version is the DCF801F2. Don’t confuse it with the older DCF815, the previous-generation 12V impact driver, or with 20V MAX* models.
ASIN B07TTFNHMS
Sources
Manufacturer:
Independent reviews:
- Bob Vila — The Best Impact Drivers to Add to Your Tool Collection
- Pro Tool Reviews — DeWalt Xtreme 12V vs Milwaukee 12V Impact Driver
- Pro Tool Reviews — Best DeWalt Impact Driver
- Jaspecs — DCF801B Specs
Owner reports:
- No owner forum reports were captured in this research pass.
