Hi all,
I am considering the purchase of a small, battery-powered impact wrench.
Prices seem to vary quite a bit !!
Could you spare a moment and share your thoughts/experience/advice about these handy tools?
Thanks in advance!

Dan

PS I have been looking at this RIGID, for example.....

https://www.directtoolsoutlet.com/ca...ools/ZRR86034K

 

Hello, I am in the construction field,( woodworker, cabinet maker, carpentry etc.) and I have been using these for years. I actually special ordered my first set before they were available in stores. I run Makita 18, my first ones are still going (made in Japan then) and I beat the tar out of them. I am a pro. and I do take care of my stuff, BUT I am pretty demanding. I have several now, I also know that the rigid tools come with lifetime warr. Look up details online, pretty good deal. 18 volt tools are pretty tough and I have broken numerous tips and mag tips. great for rusty nuts and bolts.

 

Not sure how strong the electric ones are these days. I use an IR 231C and it is able to break free the axle nuts, and everything else i needed to break loose for that matter. I forget the torque if has but the torque specs of it might be a good benchmark for whatever electric model you get.

 

Exactly what I use on a daily basis, fantastic tools.

 

Decide what you want to use it for. I use a Makita 18v as mentioned by others. I picked it up on a recommendation by Sean Ratts, and I've not been disappointed. It has the capability to remove a properly-torqued lug nut, but in practice I use it as a nut runner only after the nut has been broken loose with a plastic-lined socket. This one gets the most use of any of my impact tools, mostly because it has the smallest opportunity to do damage.


That's just one example. Reality is that, although I have a complete collection impact wrenches, impact drivers, pneumatic ratchets and more, they are seldom used on the 928. These tools speed up the assembly and disassembly processes, at the expense of control and precision. I sometimes use my 'vintage' Blue-Point air ratchet that makes less than 35 lbs/ft of torque. The bigger ones are handy for disassembling suspension bolts and the like, and doing partial assembly work. Bolts are always fitted first by hand, and final torque is always by hand. Working on the 928 is not production work, at least for me. As the cars age and bits get brittle, I find myself taking a lot of extra care using the smallest amount of effort possible when working. This saves on collateral damage, but takes longer that it would using power tools.

 

Is the example shown here a goo done for use with water pump bolts? I currently have zero impact tools, but since I've heard that they're good to use for the water pump application, and since I see that coming in the very near future...I may as well figure out what to get for that...

 

I have a harbor freight one that I use when I go auto crossing it seems to do well.

 

My opinion is that an impact driver is a good way to break water pump bolts.

 

All of the 18v brands will do the job, so it's more a matter of which battery system you've bought into.

Milwaukee, Ridgid, AEG, Craftsman C3 , Nextec, and Ryobi are all made by TTI. The guts of the tools are similar, but the batteries and chargers are not interchangeable. Bosch and Makita are both well respected brands that make quality tools.

Milwaukee and Ryobi seem to have the biggest variety of tools using the same battery systems - if that's a consideration.

If you are looking for the most power, consider the new "brushless" versions, but new technology/more power = more bucks.

I bought into the Ryobi line about 10 years ago and they have not let me down, but I'm just a diy'er so I don't know how they'd hold up to pro use.

James

 

I bought this one per Sean's recommendation recommendation.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/mobile/dp/...tag=your_order

 

I have had good luck with the milwaukee high torque 1/2" 18 brushless one. It will remove anything. Has up to 1100 ft. lbs of removing torque and can tighten at up to 700 ft. lbs. Has 2 settings. 1st setting is around 100 ish ft lbs. and second setting is max power. The milwaukee brushless stuff seems to run forever on a battery. I have a little 1/4" hex brushless impact for screws etc. and u can literally use it all day on one battery.

 

Hmmm...OK maybe I shouldn't buy one then lol. Honestly, I haven't had any issues with frozen nuts or bolts so far, and I'm not expecting to need an impact driver for the water pump, but it seemed like it might be good to have "just in case." I definitely would prefer to avoid broken bolts, however!

 

Same here, I have 75% of the collection now (got the weed whacker for $10).
My next purchase will be their low power impact for "general" use.
Their 1/2" unit that goes with their +1 system isn't powerful enough for what I would use it for. Looking at the Milwaukee or Bosch to replace my aging Craftsman, which can still take off a lug nut but anything much bigger it's getting tired.

 

My opinion is the total opposite. The quick snap the impact driver breaks the bolt loose as opposed to the slow torquing by using a ratchet. I've not busted a single water pump bolt in a block since I started to use the Mikita to remove them. Don't know how many pumps or years it's been but it's been a lot.

 

Lug nuts are never an issue. It is the stubborn axle nut that is the litmus test for me.