Q: Electric Impact Wrenches

[BMWDriver]

I've seen a couple, electric cord, and battery operated electric impact wrenches. They show a torque of 1000-1400... can you really change tires with those ?

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I've seen a couple, electric cord, and battery operated electric impact wrenches. They show a torque of 1000-1400... can you really change tires with those ?

I think we visited this a few years back and it all depended on the brand.

Cheapo no name ones failed, and the high priced brands seemed to do better.

But nothing beats a good pneumatic wrench for speed and reliability.

[632 Regal]

Bill R got lucky and found a good one, I ordered the thing and they changed something over time and it was junk.

heres a good one http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1866914/snap_on_mother_or_all_cordless_impact_wrenches_sal vage_video/

[Mordan]

I bought a cheapo one to do the bolts for the crankshaft pulley.

no problem. good DIY tool. but only max torque of 130. I would need to buy the Dewalt with a massive 430 torque for the crankshaft bolt.

[shogun]

I have the upper one from Chicago
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?CategoryID=108
once it was on sale and i bought it. Enough for most cases, lugnuts etc.
Last week I used it for my spring compressor for the rear shocks, nice and easy work with that.
I have another one with battery. battery is nice as long as it lasts, and new batteries are expensive. And you need at least 2 battery packs for 1.
For serious/heavy work air tools are number 1.
Problem is where to keep the compressor and stuff if you live in a small appartment and have to repair your car on the parking lot.
Always depends on the circumstances what is best.

[Bill R.]

A number of the lithium ion impacts are as good or better than the air tools out there now. I have the nitro cat 1000 ft. lb. air impact and the 3/8 ratchet that they make. My newest lithium ion powered makita's , I have all 3, the drill driver impact the small 1/2 inch impact and the large impact make short work of just about anything and i don't have to drag an air hose around with them.

They run an amazingly long time on a charge and do most of the work that i need. You can find them on sale fairly cheaply sometimes. I already had 2 battery packs and charger so the bare tools small and large impact were around 129 each on sale. Even my large nitrocat won't break a lot of crank bolts loose so i have a snap on torque multiplier for that now. But for everyting else these newer cordless tools work fine, Air is on its way out.






I have the upper one from Chicago
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?CategoryID=108
once it was on sale and i bought it. Enough for most cases, lugnuts etc.
Last week I used it for my spring compressor for the rear shocks, nice and easy work with that.
I have another one with battery. battery is nice as long as it lasts, and new batteries are expensive. And you need at least 2 battery packs for 1.
For serious/heavy work air tools are number 1.
Problem is where to keep the compressor and stuff if you live in a small appartment and have to repair your car on the parking lot.
Always depends on the circumstances what is best.

[repenttokyo]

bill - do you have the exact model of the battery-powered impact wrench you like so much? I am in the market for one.

[BMWDriver]

As for me, I'm only looking to change the wheels. I can't do any serious work to it since I lack the proper space to work. Nevertheless, I saw a corded one from Mastercraft for 99$ CAD, which could be good for that. So far I've seen a cordless kit from Mastercraft at $249. There are less powerful ones, but I'm not conviced they can do the job. They all seem to be at around that price.

[shogun]

for the wheels you can buy the one I linked above from Harborfreight for abt $ 50.00, and that is till too strong for tightening the nuts again.
But for wheels only I would not buy a power tool. A good wrench is enough. You do not change wheels every day. Spend the money for tools which you use more often.

[repenttokyo]

for the wheels you can buy the one I linked above from Harborfreight for abt $ 50.00, and that is till too strong for tightening the nuts again.
But for wheels only I would not buy a power tool. A good wrench is enough. You do not change wheels every day. Spend the money for tools which you use more often.

some of us go to the track and change tires twice in one day, two days a weekend.

[Bill R.]

some of us go to the track and change tires twice in one day, two days a weekend.

If your going to need to change a lot of tires this one works well and runs a long time on a charge, it frequently goes on sale for a new one bare tool for 129. (http://www.cpomakita.com/drivers_and_fasteners/impact_wrenches/btw450z-r.html)I paid 129 for a new one on sale not a refurb.

You'll have to buy a battery and a charger though which is quite a bit more.
I bought a combo pack for the drill, driver, saw , sawzall, angle grinder and light with charger and battery packs. So i already had a charger and batteries. When these new 1/2 inch impacts came out i bought both of them. The small one only does about 110 ft. lbs of torque but its really small and light, i wouldn't use it on tires all day, The big one will remove lugs all day long and it rapid charges really quick.


For 227 you can get this refurb with charger and 2 batteries (http://www.cpomakita.com/drivers_and_fasteners/impact_wrenches/btw450-r.html)

[repenttokyo]

thanks Bill, I appreciate it.

[nirvana19]

I second the Harbor Freight option, cheap and corded and will remove virtually anything without a problem.

[Bill R.]

I currently have the ones pictured here and have had at least 6 other cordless tools in the past. On the far left is the harbor freight that used to be one of my favorites but now the lithium ion tools stomp all over the nicad tools so the ones that get used all the time are the bluegreen makitas , high output and the charge lasts a very long time, and the Red Skil 1/4 ratchets, biggest bang for the buck easily goes to the lithium ion. I've also had in the past the first snapon cordless, not the mother of all cordless impacts, the much earlier one, doesn't cut it by todays comparisons,
The florida pneumatic 1/4 ratchet which was supposed to be a production duty and is a piece of crap for a pretty high price. The 20 dollar skil ratchets are much better. At least 3 other harbor freight ones which were all pretty much junk.

[paul p (chi-town)]

And again, Bimmernuts save me a couple hundred bucks.
Best part is, I already own a Makita charger and a couple batteries.

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[BennyM]

I agree. I've got the same Chicago one that Shogun has (also from Harbor Freight) and it's never failed me, but I don't use it to tighten anything unless I'm trying to break rust.


for the wheels you can buy the one I linked above from Harborfreight for abt $ 50.00, and that is till too strong for tightening the nuts again.
But for wheels only I would not buy a power tool. A good wrench is enough. You do not change wheels every day. Spend the money for tools which you use more often.

[Russell]

for the wheels you can buy the one I linked above from Harborfreight for abt $ 50.00, and that is till too strong for tightening the nuts again.
But for wheels only I would not buy a power tool. A good wrench is enough. You do not change wheels every day. Spend the money for tools which you use more often.

I got the harbor freiight tool and seems to work fine for wheels-to remove them ONLY. Torque wrench to tighten.

As I have gotten older, It has gotten harder to loosen the lug nuts without drama so the electric assist.

[BMW4LIFE]

I'm going to throw this out there on a whim....

but have you checked out Costco? They sometimes have these combo packages with drill, saw, and what not

Just a thought...and being Costco...you could use it till it breaks..clean it ad then return it! :p;):D

[paul p (chi-town)]

for wheels-to remove them ONLY. Torque wrench to tighten.


While you don’t want to fully tighten lug nuts with an impact, you can ‘bump’ them on if you use a light touch. Start the threads by hand, give the gun a quick split second blast and then there’s usually a half turn with the torque wrench left before the click.*
A seasonal tire swap is a total of 40 fastener operations. I like it to take no more than 15 minutes.

*This worked with an air setup. We'll see if it applies to 'lectric.

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than to those attending too small a degree of it."
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[Tiger]

With a long solid flex breaker bar... no bolt is hard to remove. I am really tempted to buy a battery operated 1/2" impact driver... it is the only impact driver I don't have...