Impact Wrench Recommendations?

[NCL4701]

Home Depot

I looked at the same one Saturday at the local Welding Supply.

Bare tool, as I have batteries, etc.

Home Depot had the best price on it by about $50 in this area. Their normal price beat Northern Tool’s “sale” price. And free shipping to store or my door. The comparable DeWalt was exactly the same price there. Of course you’re looking at the bare tool since you already have batteries so may be different for what you’re looking at.

 

[trial and error]

Nice @NCL4701, I'm sure it'll serve you well

 

[RCW]

Home Depot

Home Depot had the best price on it by about $50 in this area. Their normal price beat Northern Tool’s “sale” price. And free shipping to store or my door. The comparable DeWalt was exactly the same price there. Of course you’re looking at the bare tool since you already have batteries so may be different for what you’re looking at.

Thanks. I got all my other Milwaukees from the local welding supply. They don’t match prices always, but close. I know the owner and most of the employees.

I bought a Lincoln 210MP mig/tig/stick welder from them years ago. Price was very competitive. Was a new product for Lincoln at the time.

3-4 weeks in it went “POOF”. Wouldn’t start without tripping the breaker.

Took it back to Bill. He had one of his guys put it on some diagnostic equipment for testing. Results were DEFINITELY NOT GOOD.

He told me to just take a new one off the shelf…..no paperwork, phone calls. I just grabbed the box off the shelf and left. I did leave the old one, and had to bring back the torches, cables, etc. from the old one.

He has my business for the foreseeable future……

 

[mcmxi]

I know it has been a while but my new impact showed up yesterday. It’s the high torque version so I’m looking forward to the extra power compared to my old pneumatic unit. Seriously considered its DeWalt twin but I already have a bunch of red tool cases and wasn’t sure the yellow wouldn’t clash. That and I’m not using it commercially so I suspect the bearings will be sufficient for my use.

Thanks to all for the excellent information. View attachment 105580

Awesome! I used mine yesterday afternoon on the 1-11/16" nuts that hold the blades on the Land Pride RCR1884 rotary cutter. It was the experience last year with an IR pneumatic impact on those nuts that prompted me to buy the model shown above. It made fast and easy work of the nuts yesterday so changing blades out is no longer an ordeal.

 

[6869704x4]

I know it has been a while but my new impact showed up yesterday. It’s the high torque version so I’m looking forward to the extra power compared to my old pneumatic unit. Seriously considered its DeWalt twin but I already have a bunch of red tool cases and wasn’t sure the yellow wouldn’t clash. That and I’m not using it commercially so I suspect the bearings will be sufficient for my use.

Thanks to all for the excellent information. View attachment 105580

Only downside to that thing is it will bust a bolt off in a heartbeat. Ask my son in law how he knows.

 

[Tughill Tom]

Only downside to that thing is it will bust a bolt off in a heartbeat. Ask my son in law how he knows.

Use these Amazon.com: EWK 10 Pcs 1/2" Impact Torque Limiting Extension Stick Set, 65-150 Ft-lbs (90-200 Nm) Torque Limiter Bar Set, Color-Coded : Tools & Home Improvement

I do a lot of work on Alum. grouser bars on snowcats and the bolts will strip out or snap off in the heart beat without using these.

 

[Daren Todd]

Use these Amazon.com: EWK 10 Pcs 1/2" Impact Torque Limiting Extension Stick Set, 65-150 Ft-lbs (90-200 Nm) Torque Limiter Bar Set, Color-Coded : Tools & Home Improvement

I do a lot of work on Alum. grouser bars on snowcats and the bolts will strip out or snap off in the heart beat without using these.

I have a couple that stay in my tool bag with my 1/2" impact. One is 100 ft/lbs, the other is 150 ft/lbs.

My 16" trailer tires torque to 150. The 15" tires torque to 100. I also have the socket for my scissor jack and the lugnuts in the bag.

Saves me time when on the side of the road with a flat. I only have to unlock one door, and grab the bag, versus digging through a tool box to find the sockets I need, while having to worry about traffic.

 

[icspots]

I already had some other Milwaukee M18 tools so a couple of years ago when I needed a battery impact that was the logical product line choice.

For years I have been using a good quality IR 3/4 pneumatic impact that has served me well but I finally ran into a situation where it didn't have enough force to break loose a fastener. I have used it for years for the blade bolts on the midmount mower under my Deere 955. I always use anti-seize on the bolts and tighten by hand but one absolutely refused to break loose and the IR was being fed by a large stationary compressor with a short length of large diameter hose so it had all of the air it wanted. Normally all three spin out easily but this time that was only true for 2 of the 3.

After trying a breaker bar with a cheater on it without luck along with a little heat, I decided it was time for a battery impact gun. I came home from Farm and Fleet with a Milwaukee 3/4" rated at 1,500 pounds of force in reverse, it was on a nice sale that week. I was really going to be pissed if it didn't break the blade bolt loose! I put it on the bolt and tapped the button and the bolt instantly spun loose like it had never been stuck.

Having had good luck for years with both corded and corded Milwaukee, I picked up a M18 grease gun while it was on a promotional sale last month. A squeeze grease gun is fine most of the time but there are places where it is awkward to hold the gun while providing the grease pressurizing action.

Rodger

I made due with breaker bars and brute force for years before ever getting an impact. Finally got mine and wish I’d done it years ago. When I got the tractor and went looking for grease guns I ran across a number of similar comments about manual vs. power grease guns. Knowing how that felt with the impact I went ahead and jumped straight to the powered grease gun. No complaints from me so far.

 

[NCL4701]

Only downside to that thing is it will bust a bolt off in a heartbeat. Ask my son in law how he knows.

Good point. I did consider a mid-torque for that reason but I’m not a professional using it for efficiency trying to beat a book time so when I go to the impact it’s normally for some big stuck thing such as a bush hog blade. I may pick up a set of those torque limiting bars just so I can use it on smaller stuff it might otherwise overpower. If I was making a living with it more likely would have a variety of these things.

 

[RBsingl]

I am not sure which Milwaukee impacts have the feature, but the One Key equipped ones like my 3/4" M18 allow you to limit maximum torque developed. It is customized by the phone app and you can save four torque profiles to the impact that are selected via a button on the tool once you have programmed them via the app.

Rodger

 

[NCL4701]

I am not sure which Milwaukee impacts have the feature, but the One Key equipped ones like my 3/4" M18 allow you to limit maximum torque developed. It is customized by the phone app and you can save four torque profiles to the impact that are selected via a button on the tool once you have programmed them via the app.

Rodger

That would be a really nice feature. Reading through the manual on mine, it has 4 modes to control max RPM and IPM but nothing to limit max torque. I’m sort of guessing that allows a choice of efficiency with battery life and allows better control in some situations to opt not to have it in full on beast mode at all times. Somewhat oddly, the OM makes no mention of torque at all. Model 2767-20.

 

[RBsingl]

Fortunately the tool is MUCH better than the manual

Connect to the tool using the app, you will have to tap the button on the tool near the battery to enable its wifi linkup. Then when you go to customize tool in the app for one of the 4 tool mode memory presets, it should show precision mode at the bottom of the app page. Touch the toggle button to turn on precision mode and choose 1 through 20 to set the torque output limit.

It doesn't allow specifying torque directly but the steps are supposed to be pretty linear with 20 indicating 100% maximum available torque and the lower steps giving you roughly the percentage available in steps of 5% (i.e. 10 on the scale is 50% of max torque).

Rodger

 

[NCL4701]

Fortunately the tool is MUCH better than the manual

Connect to the tool using the app, you will have to tap the button on the tool near the battery to enable its wifi linkup. Then when you go to customize tool in the app for one of the 4 tool mode memory presets, it should show precision mode at the bottom of the app page. Touch the toggle button to turn on precision mode and choose 1 through 20 to set the torque output limit.

It doesn't allow specifying torque directly but the steps are supposed to be pretty linear with 20 indicating 100% maximum available torque and the lower steps giving you roughly the percentage available in steps of 5% (i.e. 10 on the scale is 50% of max torque).

Rodger

Thanks! I’ll definitely give that a try.

And yes, the OM is more like a postcard wrapped in useless legalese BS.

 

[chim]

Only downside to that thing is it will bust a bolt off in a heartbeat. Ask my son in law how he knows.

A comment I've made many times is that most of the people I encounter have no concept of trigger control. You can even see this on videos of "professionals" using various drills, impact guns, etc. They just mash the trigger at the start and keep it floored till they think they're done or something snaps off. Then they completely release the trigger. Instead of feathering the trigger when tightening the fastener is nearing completion, they frantically mash and release the trigger - ERRT ERRT ERRT ERRT

With some common sense and minimal dexterity you can tighten 6-32 screws with a 1/4" impact without damaging anything. Done it many times. The beefy DeWalt 899 can be used on 3/8" fasteners without destroying them. It can also twist much off larger stuff. It seems that easing into the trigger when removing stuck nuts/bolts often allows the impact action to loosen things up so they can be removed rather than snapped off.

 

[6869704x4]

A comment I've made many times is that most of the people I encounter have no concept of trigger control. You can even see this on videos of "professionals" using various drills, impact guns, etc. They just mash the trigger at the start and keep it floored till they think they're done or something snaps off. Then they completely release the trigger. Instead of feathering the trigger when tightening the fastener is nearing completion, they frantically mash and release the trigger - ERRT ERRT ERRT ERRT

With some common sense and minimal dexterity you can tighten 6-32 screws with a 1/4" impact without damaging anything. Done it many times. The beefy DeWalt 899 can be used on 3/8" fasteners without destroying them. It can also twist much off larger stuff. It seems that easing into the trigger when removing stuck nuts/bolts often allows the impact action to loosen things up so they can be removed rather than snapped off.

Putting up metal roofing with a 1/4" impact. Told a guy to "feather the trigger". He buried it. I told him I think we have a different definition of feather the trigger.

 

[Sparky Prep]

Putting up metal roofing with a 1/4" impact. Told a guy to "feather the trigger". He buried it. I told him I think we have a different definition of feather the trigger.

If you are not used to them, there is a learning curve to those impact drivers on screws. Easy to over drive, especially if you are used to using a screw gun.

 

[icspots]

Putting up metal roofing with a 1/4" impact. Told a guy to "feather the trigger". He buried it. I told him I think we have a different definition of feather the trigger.

 

[The Evil Twin]

I know it has been a while but my new impact showed up yesterday. It’s the high torque version so I’m looking forward to the extra power compared to my old pneumatic unit. Seriously considered its DeWalt twin but I already have a bunch of red tool cases and wasn’t sure the yellow wouldn’t clash. That and I’m not using it commercially so I suspect the bearings will be sufficient for my use.

Thanks to all for the excellent information. View attachment 105580

Get the correct size 6 point socket for your car/ truck and keep that thing in the trunk. Beats using the "tool" kit they give you. Takes me longer to wheel the spare down from under the truck or camper than it does to change a tire.

 

[6869704x4]

1/2" M18 I carry in my truck with a fresh battery on trips with my 14k gooseneck. Changed a tire on the trailer in west TX in Aug in about 15 minutes. Pulled the trailer up on a ramp that I also carry with the good tire which lifted the flat. That impact paid for itself right there.

Ran across a picture of described event.

 

[jimh406]

I use a Ryobi nut driver for metal roofing with the self-tapping screws. I do have a 1/2 impact and 3/8 impact. All of my battery tools are Ryobi 18V. So far, the 1/2 has been good to take off 150 ft/lb nuts. I have had to update the batteries every few years, but I use them inconsistently.

That being said, 150 ft/lbs about my limit for holding the impact wrench, so that's good enough. If I need anything more, I have a very long handle 250lb rated torque ratcheting torque wrench.If my hands/arms were stronger maybe I'd need something different.

I don't know about the other brands, but the Ryobis have 3 speeds. I find the speeds useful for different purposes. The highest speed is good to get stubborn nuts to spin all of the way off instead of being stuck on the thread part way. YMMV.