This Dewalt 20V Max brushless impact driver features a 1/4″ bit chuck with pushbutton bit release, and other features you have come to expect from the brand’s premium cordless impacts.
It has a brushless motor, 3-speed settings, and 3 LED worklights centered around the bit chuck.
The 1/4″ hex chuck fits power-style bits, and also insert-style 1″ bits (although they don’t lock in).
Advertisement
The switch at the bottom lets users select 3 speed/torque settings:
- 0-950 RPM | 500 in-lbs
- 0-1900RPM | 900 in-lbs
- 0-2850 RPM | 1500 in-lbs
The compact PowerStack battery is a great fit.
Thoughts?
Bill
Model # ?
Big Richard
DCF895, it’s a unicorn.
Bill
Yes, I thought it looked familiar. Introduced in 2012, but with a different battery of course.
April fools Stuart.
Stuart
I didn’t say it was new! =)
Mr. Creek
You always manage to sneak in a fun post this time of year!
andres reyes
I have one, Brand New, Some people doesnt even know they existed LOL…
ca
I miss the push button release.
JoeM
That was a really nice feature, but it never truly worked ergonomically. This was the original Brushless tool for the line, and it wasn’t popular with many people. The design that made the bit release flush with the casing, plus the nested bit release button… Not a good combo. The impact drivers that came after this all got it right though. Still would be nice if the bit release button was on one of the new ones, just an internal mechanism that translated the button push to pushing the chuck out to release the bits. It would still be a nice feature, as long as it’s not embedded in the casing like this old beauty.
Christian
push button release with no spinning chuck to mar everything up. bought two of these still running strong
Jamie Lee Davis
Ha!
Nakoma
I want one
Shawn
This impact was the very first DeWalt impact I ever had. It was my introduction to the DeWalt line and I never looked back. It’s still running strong to this day!
I actually really liked the push button release as I could drop a bit out one-handed.
Justin
An 8-10yr old tool… So why write about it now???? Mine was stolen in 2017, and I do miss it dearly though
Stuart
It’s 11-12 years old and was replaced by the DCF886 in 2015.
It’s April Fool’s Day, and I was betting most readers and social media followers never saw this model before. There are so many fake tools and products shared today, I figured I’d show something real but not fully believable to those who haven’t seen it.
SamR
I didn’t know I would be played by you when you notified me about a new tool, at least to me 🙂
andres reyes
I Have It, and its A Brand New , My Little Unicorn…, Used to love this model, dont get why they stopped making them.. broke the one i was using, and bought another one but Didnt feel like using it, so i bought another one the cheaper version, this one was the expensive one at the time… so i saved it and look at it now, 12 years later i have myself a Little Unicorn….
Joren
You got me! I’ve got two of them, and think this mechanism is the cat’s meow!
Have you done a piece on why this mechanism went away and we can’t buy a tool with it anymore?
Chris Ficken
Mine stopped retaining the bit – I ended up putting a nice bit holder into the impact with a little blue Loctite, it’s still in use 10 years after I got it…
MicahMc
mine isn’t holding bits as well anymore so thanks for the tip. This is my favorite impact driver by far!
MM
You can still get parts for the 895 if you want to replace the detent ball or spring or whatever the culprit may be that’s stopping yours from holding bits properly.
Joren
Good to know, thanks!
Joren
Can’t find anything documenting why Dewalt stopped this type of quick change chuck. Maybe Stuart knows?
MM
I’m curious if there are any official answers but my thoughts are that it’s cost savings. The collar style chuck is simpler and cheaper than the pushbutton, both in terms of parts and also the labor required to assemble the tool.
I also wonder if there were others on the market? The two I know of are the DCF895, which is long discontinued and selling for mad money on Ebay, and the Flex Quick Eject model FX1371A, which is currently available. Were/are there any others?
Joren
Dear golly, you weren’t kidding. They’re sold ones on eBay for over $500. And not just one or two. If I didn’t love the chuck design I’d put mine up for sale at that price!
Big Richard
That’s why we call it the unicorn.
Stuart
I don’t recall ever hearing reasons as to why, but I feel that the standard-style quick-release chuck is more consistent and easier to use.
The pushbutton doesn’t auto-eject bits, which limits its appeal and advantage in my opinion.
MM
Gravity is the auto-eject on the 895; tilt the tool downwards and the bits fall right out when you press the button. That’s why I like it so much. Imagine you’re doing a bit change. You’re holding the tool in your strong hand. You pick up the new bit with the thumb and forefinger of your off hand. As your off hand comes up with the new bit your main hand tilts the tool down slightly and hits the bit release. This makes the old bit fall into your off-hand palm–both actions occurring simultaneously. As the old bit falls into your palm you hold it with your pinky and ring finger while your thumb and forefinger are inserting the new bit. At this point you have the new bit in the tool and the old bit in your hand ready to be put away before you’d even have pulled the collar back on a traditional design. Your main hand presses the bit release while your off hand comes up with the new bit and leaves with the old one. It’s an incredibly fast motion and greatly reduces the complexity of what you are doing with your off hand.
Joren
Yep. Let’s me swap from drill bit to driver and back or pilot bit to final size as I’m going, without taking my hand off the grip of the tool – otherwise I need to support the tool, pull the chuck back and insert the bit – almost a three handed job.
Thanks, Stuart! Would love an official explanation if you ever need a harder question to throw at Dewalt.
NoDak Farming
Flex offers a push button Quick Eject Collet on their full size, 2500 in-lbs torque model. It’s not listed as being compact, but is only 4.7 inches long. (Not April Fooling. Just putting it out there in case someone strongly likes, and is looking for, a push button release feature)
MM
Yep, that’s the only model on the market today which I know of using a trigger bit release. It’s my backup plan if my 895 dies and cannot be fixed.
Vob
Found one at a pawn shop some years ago. It’s 6 years old now and my favorite impact. Will be sad when the motor gives out.
Shawn Yuan
My 895 developed a gremlin where if the battery is installed, the LEDs will intermittently turn on as if I pulled the trigger and off after 30 seconds. This has caused me to habitually disconnect the battery even if I’ll be picking ot up again in 10 min.
I tried opening it up and spraying w contact cleaner to no avail. I sprayed out the trigger as well. Google has yielded little other solutions than to replace the trigger assembly entirely. Any suggestions?
Ziv
Love this model. Its the only impact I have ever bought and its still going strong many years later. I like it and wish they had continued with this type of impact …..but what can you do when pros complain because they don’t like Change?
Blake
This was best impact dewalt made up until recent years hands down, i used mine almost daily for sheetrocking, framing, etc. The trigger assembly has finally failed me. But not bad for what was prob $100 tool