Smartest choice: Ridgid. It will do many full changes on the same charge (I guess the unknown factor is how tight the lugs have been put on previously, but it's rated at 450 lb-ft), and then the important thing: it comes with a lifetime warranty, which includes new batteries whenever the old ones age out. Otherwise, you're looking at a 3-5 year lifespan for your batteries, at which point it always 'seems cheaper' to just buy a whole new tool/set. Then, 3-5 years later, you'll do it again.

Smarter still, it's way under your budget.

 

 

the milwki 18 volt fuel is a beast and a good price, easily could break your wrist

 

I set myself up with a large assortment of Milwaukee M18 tools. The impact is very good and the Li-ion batteries are robust.

However Jack here makes a compelling suggestion with the Ridgid gear.

 

I finally broke down and got one of these after reading this thread. Best deal was a kit including the drill, and another driver type, and 2 batteries.

My air impact will probably rust away, I have used this cordless one so many times already, and it makes all sorts of jobs much easier not having to
deal with air hoses, etc.

Should have gotten one ages ago!

 

I had this one for 4 years now and never any problems. Batteries are A-OK after all this time.
http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDi...up=IRAW5130-K2

 

The Milwaukee one is a beast. The batteries last forever. It can break loose axle nuts that are spiked... no need to un-spike them. It's nuts.

I took apart and rebuilt 2 different cars.... I think I charged it twice in the last 18 months while doing that work.

 

Milwaukee's new batteries are better than their old ones, which were plagued with problems. Milwaukee still outsources their battery manufacture and they only warrant them for 3 years. So while their impact wrench a great tool, its batteries are still going to have the lifespan of lithium-ion technology. And then you're going to have to shop for batteries again -- currently a 5-amp-hour pack lists for over $200 (although they sell for $130 at Home Depot).

 

 

Going to be odd man out here, but I have the Craftsman c3 cordless impact 19.2V and I love the thing. It's cheap ($140) but cost aside it is smaller overall footprint but can still break lugnuts loose easily and the battery lasts for a long time. Since its smaller but still packs a good punch, I use it under the car all the time in small spaces where the larger impact's can't get in there. I've swapped wheels at the track, loaned it out, taken it home and let it sit for weeks or months even and used it to swap wheels again without charging it. I've had it for ~2 years now.

I've got a big ingersoll rand on air if I need to break anything crazy loose.

 

I have a Snapon 18, Bosch 18, and customer shops I work at use the Dewalt 20 and the milwaukee a crafstman 19. The craftsman was absolute junk so we threw that on a shelf where it has been sitting for 2 years. All of the others are good for doing what you want, you can swap many sets of tires on a battery charge. The snap on unit i have is the oldest, and by far still has the best performance. I did get new batteries last year which is probably why. My Bosch was always a killer with more rated tq than the snap on, but as the batteries have gotten old, it is starting to loose it's hit so I probably need to get a new set of batteries for that. The dewalt out of the box honestly i think is the weakest, still a good gun, but I wouldn't spend the money on it. It struggles to pull lugs at times that the other guns laugh at. The milwaukee is on par with the Bosch when it was new, I have been really impressed with all their cordless tools in the last couple years, I use a ton of their smaller 12v drills/nut drivers and impacts daily in the shop for the smaller stuff.

 

Have you tried to warranty your batteries yet? If not, you will go through the process at some time because they all short out. Then trying to get them actually replaced through Rigid (they will make you take them to a authorized repair center) is a ROYAL PITA. After i went through that once, I threw it in the trash.

 

Unstoppable. OK, probably not, but it's been perfect for two years...hand-held jackhammer. Price hurt at first...until I used it.

 

Except the DeWalt DCF899 with 1,100 ft-lb's of breakaway torque:

It's brushless too, I finally picked one up.

https://www.dewalt.com/products/powe...l-bare/dcf899b

 

Home Depot has been excellent exchanging other RIGID tools that bit the dust on me, my fault never mind..