Electric impact wrenches

[PB]

Anyone have a corded or cordless impact wrench? Not the impact drivers, that are all over the place, but the tool you would use to remove lug nuts. Are they any good? The highest ft. lbs I found for corded was 345 in the DeWalt but Milwaukee has 450 ft. lbs in a cordless.

 

[TK]

We've had a oooooold ass black and decker for as long as I can remember, and it worked great. Very very seldom that we had to use a pipe or something to break one free. I'd imagine these modern ones would have more power and work great.

 

[mweba]

I've had the Millwaukee 18v lithium for several years now. It has taken a beating, never letting me down. Heard good things about the DeWalt but no experience with them. Check into the compatible tools before buying as the batteries are over $100 to replace.

 

[PB]

The battery compatibility is what I was looking at. I was thinking of getting a new drill next year and if I go Milwaukee with either the impact or the drill, I could buy the other as a bare tool only and save a couple hundred bucks. Trying to take out shackle bolts made me really want an impact. I ended up cutting them off with a reciprocating saw.

 

[mweba]

I have the skill saw, "sawzall", 1/2" hammer drill, compact drill, impact driver and impact. The sawzall will destroy a battery charge in a hurry but the pros out weigh the cons. I'd call it a good investment.

Be aware, Millwaukee has two different batteries, a standard duty and HC. The sawzall, impact and 1/2" drill take the HC but they work in the impact driver and other tools.....not vice versa.

 

[TK]

Make sure what you buy is made in China. That means the company is owned by someone in the US and you'll be supporting American people.

 

[PB]

Milwaukee actually has 3 batteries now, the compact, the HC and the 4.0 (whatever that is). Thanks for the heads up about the batries. I will make note to get the HC batteries in whatever I do get so future compatibility won't be an issue.

Tom, surprisingly, my Milwaukee reciprocating saw is assembled in the US. Everything else must be assembled in Milwaukee, China.

 

[TK]

I'm impressed, but being assembled in the US probably means by illegal aliens and you're supporting Mexico....

 

[WoodChuck'r]

When I worked at Bristol Mountain we had a corded Milwaukee in the lift department. Half inch drive, rated @ 450lbs.


Was definitely no Snap-On air ratchet but it was pretty ballsy. I have no need for one now but if I ever develop the use for one I'll pick up the half inch Milwaukee without question. :yup:

 

[Termite]

I have the 18volt half inch Milwaukee and it is a good one. I have had very good service out of all my Milwaukee tools.

 

[srcarr52]

I've had good luck with Makita lithium impacts and drills. The race team has been running them for 8 year now, we've broke a few drill chucks, worn out the brushes on one drill but have never had a problem with the impacts.

 

[DSS]

We used to have a corded Makita in the service truck at work. Almost as strong as an air gun and that thing lasted forever. I'm sure it was 15 years old when it gave up finally.

 

[Joe Kidd]

I have the 18volt half inch Milwaukee and it is a good one. I have had very good service out of all my Milwaukee tools.

I've got the compact Makita 1/2" 18V cordless impact, only rated at 170ftlbs it removes standard car/truck lug nuts with ease. My favorite cordless and always on my truck.

 

[Termitebuffet]

I bought one of the small bosch 12volt impact driver for saws, to be so little that thing is stout . TermiteB

 

[Genius]

We have a corded Milwauke, it works good, we have never used it to its potential. When we use it its for tightening 5/16 nuts when we build grain bins. It doesn't get worked hard, but gets used on thousands of bolts and nuts in a day. It's old and keeps going

We have a 18v Dewalt, and that thing is amazing. There ain't much it can't handle. Its had a hard life, its been left outside in the mud numerous times, rides in the back of trucks getting beat around, and it still takes everything we can throw at it.
Granted we don't own Snap-On air impacts, but if that Dewalt won't get something off, neither will our 1/2" air guns. Then it's time to move to the 3/4" or 1"

 

[naked arborist]

The old B&D my dad has is still going. Used it last year out back to pull rusted lug nuts. It don't have super balls but, 40+ years old and still kickin. The new ones have more nutz. Buy a cheap used quality tool. They are very handy when you don't have high pressure 150psi+ air available.

 

[Denis Gionet]

Ditto on the Milwaukee tools, they make good stuff. I've used the little Makita drivers, they work awesome, very small and light, and plenty powerful. As for half-inch, buddy at work had an Ingersoll-Rand for the longest time until the battery pooched out (frikken Ni-Cad's).

ALWAYS get something with Lithium-Ion batteries. Why ? 2 reasons. One, they last forever on a charge and are as strong near the end of their charge as they are at the start. And two, they don't have a charge memory. Meaning whether it's full or half full or 3/4 or empty, when it charges it doesn't develop a "memory" like NiCads can. They don't always charge full once you've charged it from 1/2 or 3/4 charge, and after a few times they won't ever get full charge. Ni-Cads you gotta run them dead every time before charging to get the best and longest life outta them.

We have a 12v Snap-On that's good for about 10 minutes of fooling around, then gets dead quick. Charge it, and in 15 minutes it think it's full, but it isn't.

 

[David Young]

Milwaukee

I have the most experience with Milwaukee cordless. 28v took the lug nuts off our 10 wheel crane truck when we had a flat. But.... The same guns cracked some brass electric fittings and stripped many 3/8s brass bolts. Next we went to v18 impacts. Very handy no where near the same amount of nut.... But never broke anything. We went to m18. Nice and light. These were the 1/4 " hex. My buddy on the line crew uses 1/2" 18v wrench to drill through poles. That is frankly very impressive! A gas powered drill has a hard time.

I have a v18 1/4 hex I am happy.


David

 

[tallguys]

Mastercraft

I've been using a Canadian Tire Mastercraft corded impact wrench to change over tires in the spring and autumn.

Has worked great for the years I've had it, easily paying for itself many times over.

 

[IanB]

Got a cheap Kawasaki 1/2" driver from pep boys for car lug nuts. Goes to only 225lbs but has been fine for even the nastiest of break jobs. Not sure if the ft lbs are different than air, but my corded electric comes out of the molded case and never skips a beat.

Can't complain and spent 60-70 bucks I think.

For smaller impact drills that are battery driven I expect a better quality unit would be better choice.