impact wrench, what are you using

[Chef818]

I was wondering what impact wrench you were using

[Sgt.Gator]

1/2" Air: Astro 1822 1/2" Nano Impact Wrench. Crazy small and light.

1/2" Battery Powered: Craftsman C3 19.2-Volt Cordless. The key, it is weak with the regular NiCad batteries, but with C3 19.2-Volt XCP High Capacity Lithium-Ion batteries it rocks. With the NiCad battery it won't take off a lug nut. With the XCP LI-Ion it rips them all day. The friggin XCP battery costs more than the wrench. Every once in while they go on sale though.

[STiPWRD]

1/2" Air: Ingersoll Rand C231, should be available at sears
Love it!

[Hindsight]

The cheap small Harbor Freight 1/2" one. Works great for me.

[tirod]

Hi Lift jack handle usually can git er done.

After that a HF Earthquake impact, which can rip Subaru cam bolts out on a junk 5 gallon compressor.

We try to sell IR tools but HF has the local market ten to one in impact guns. They are tough and cheap enough to just toss on the scrap pile when broken - try finding IR rebuild parts to keep your expensive gun going and you discover you can get the HF for nearly the same costs and use it Right Now - not next week when the wrong parts show up for that $400 gun that keeps being redesigned.

I have tried electric drill drivers and impacts - you trade off the smaller tool size powered by air (and the tangly hose) for a bulkier one that isn't always as powerful and doesn't always fit into cramped spaces. For the most part it's a wash.

Power tools are nice but spinning bolts and nuts on a hobby level the costs take away from the project budget and reduce the options to buy better parts. What you save is a few seconds on loosening or tightening the fastener, which is no real savings at all. For the money I'd rather wear out a ratchet and spend another 5 minutes an hour doing the work than have the expense of higher priced tools. It took me 15 years to wear out the first 3/8 drive Craftsman ratchet and I picked up a better one half price at a flea market.

Todays power tool is tomorrow's planned obsolescence as my collection of 9, 12, 14.4, and 18 volt ni cad tools has proven in less than ten years. Off they go to DAV or Goodwill with the bad battery packs and in comes the new lithium set cheaper than buying batteries and a charger.

Because of that I won't buy electric for mechanical work - my oldest air tools are still functioning after 25 years and no problemo.

[flynntuna]

I have a Milwaukee m18 fuel 1/2" my son uses an Ingersol Rand w7150 1/2". The convenience of battery power out weigh the what seems like now the hassle to set up the compressor and hoses.

[redfogo]

Nothing my HF earthquake has not been able to take off. Axle nuts, came bolts, crank bolts, etc earthquake I have had it for 5 years and it has been nothing but great.

[xxguitarist]

Aircat 1150 for air, and Dewalt 20v (1200 ft-lb) battery.

[phil1734]

Have to agree with tirod on pretty much everything.

I'm certainly not putting anything back together with an impact, so right of the bat it spends 50% of it's time collecting dust. And since I don't work on many semi-trucks there aren't many places that even a 3/8 cordless dewalt fits into.

[erlihemi]

Lots of good air wrenches out there. Hard to go wrong unless you pay too much for snap on. I like my cordless M18 fuel but be aware there are about 4 variations. Part # starting with 27XX Is newest and XC 5.0 battery the best. 3 different sizes of 1/2" with various torque and weight. I have 2. One compact and one beefy. I like the M12 stuff for tight places and working over head. 3/8" M12 is a handy zip gun. Dewalt is good also. Ryobi not so durable...
I used to wrench it manual, drywall manual, frame it manual, whatever. Save your joints and rotator cuffs. Get mpact gloves and power tools with adjustable torque settings.

[Sgt.Gator]

Have to agree with tirod on pretty much everything.

I'm certainly not putting anything back together with an impact, so right of the bat it spends 50% of it's time collecting dust. And since I don't work on many semi-trucks there aren't many places that even a 3/8 cordless dewalt fits into.

Yes there is:
Astro 1822 1/2" Nano Impact Wrench

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[adubbelde]

I'm using my 45 year old Chicago Pneumatics CP74

[mikeinatlanta]

Don't just look at brand, look at model number. Although they carry the same label, the industrial quality American made tools are far superior to the cheap Chinese ones. Also cost a bunch more, so it's hard to argue the disposable factor. No offense to the hand tool crowd, but nothing will remove a corroded bolt or drive a long wood screw like an impact. For the Cobra, I use the impact to make threads in the frame. Driving a self tapping bolt through soft steel makes much cleaner and tighter tolerance threads than a tap, and trying that with hand tools will snap the bolt.

Heavy hitting: Old American made CP 1/2". Old, can't get new anymore, will rip apart anything.
Lighter work: American made 2900 series IR 3/8". Cost about $900, only good if you plan on using it for a few hundred hours a year.
Day to day: Dewalt 14V industrial 1/2" Model DC830KA (Mexican). Cost about $250. This one has pretty much retired my 3/8" IR. Easy to rebuild batteries if you want and a must for driving deck screws. .

[first time builder]

I have a no name that I found on clearance at Advance auto a few years ago has the extended shaft and after 50 yrs working with impacts, its the best I have ever had.
I looked and they don't have it anymore its red/ black in color.
Kenny

[svanlare]

I have the Ingersoll Rand and a Dewalt 20v cordless. The Dewalt was a new purchase for me when I started this project and it has been an amazing workhorse on the project. It won't deal with a rusted exhaust bolt or suspension bolt whereas the air one made quick work of the job. But after dealing with the subie parts, the Dewalt has been the goto for all but the biggest jobs.

[xxguitarist]

Steve, they have a bigger one. Half inch drive, 1200 ft-lb loosening. Brushless motor.
I have the little one too, and it's handy, but mostly I just use the big one!

[svanlare]

Oh, I need to go search amazon then and look for the bigger one! I saved a cheap socket adapter that the dewalt twisted on a stuck bolt. Was the moment the dewalt became one of my favorite tools