SOT: Cordless impact wrench issues

[Jay 535i]

A while back I bought a cordless impact wrench on ebay. It's my first one, and it's 19.2V, which I understood was enough for just about anything you'd find on a car.

My first time trying to use it was to change the wheels, and it wouldn't budge the wheel nuts, which I know were torqued properly. It seemed to be working hard, making lots of noise and stuff, but would not move any of the wheel nuts. That's primarily what I bought it for.

So what gives? Is 19.2V not enough, or is this thing porked for some reason? Could it be a worn-out battery?

Thanks in advance.

[Jr ///M5]

The cordless models are ok for light work and can save your wrist if there is room to use them, they will work for taking the top nut off the strut where a regular ratchet won't work. But even a corded impact will have trouble with wheels torqued down to 80 ft. lbs. but they will work. The drawback is that they are heavy, unlike the pneumatic counterpart. Save up and get a good compressor that will run an impact or a paint sprayer without cycling too often to keep up. Over time you will aquire the tools you need and within the next 10 years, you'll be looking at lifts....=)

[fkong777]

Even corded electric impact wrench it doesnt work well with heavy torque situation.. Like wheels and suspension bolts.

[nizmainiac]

24v no less , and brand name only , ie snap on or mack, but they are only good for light work as fkong777 said

[Bill R.]

19.2 volt 1/2 cordless impact day in and day out for over a year now. It will produce 240 ft.lbs of torque, I can take off about 80 lug nuts on a charge, Tight lug nuts like a ford f350 8 lug wheel , with the wimpy little bolts and low torque that a bmw uses i can remove at least 120 on a charge, The only nuts i haven't been able to loosen with it are the 36mm nuts that honda uses on the cv axles and some harmonic dampers such as bmw. For anything up to 150ft lbs its a breeze.

I take it with me on stuck customers cars and it works great. Its a cheapy that i got from harbor freight for about 150 if i recall. I have a post on here somewhere from about 2 years ago when i got it, still on the original battery pack and i haven't broken it yet.

The snap on i had was 3 times the price and it was junk compared to this cheap chinese one. Milwaukee also makes a fairly light weight 28volt lithium ion impact that puts out 325 ft lbs of torque but you'll pay accordingly for it.

Even corded electric impact wrench it doesnt work well with heavy torque situation.. Like wheels and suspension bolts.

[kyleN20]

air guns have never let me down

[Bill R.]

bottom drawer of one of my rollarounds, I don't think i've had any of them out once since i got the cordless, its that much more convenient. If they had had
cordless impacts like this 30 years ago i probably wouldn't be wearing a hearing aid now.

air guns have never let me down

[kyleN20]

the only cordless i used was a brand new snap on and i wasent impressed

[shadowpuck]

I've got the Harbor Freight one and it works well sometimes and poorly others. I have no idea why.

I have friends with the previous gen Milwaukee and it works flawlessly. We use it at track events all weekend, 5 or 6 of us and it never runs out.

[Tiger]

Wow... I never realized they are good enough. Yeah, I remember all about those freaking loud air guns... My friend has the Snap-On air impact... WHOA!... super loud.

I got the cheap Harbor Freight Earthquake Impact gun... they works great but super heavy... don't oil too much or otherwise, they can't get a lugnut off... once excess oil are blown out... it is super powerful.

The quietest and lightest one I have seen and used is the Ingersol Rand one... about $200 or so.