electric impact wrench

orange150

orange150

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Fairfax City, VA
I don't have access to an air compressor where my jeep is parked at our farm so I am looking into electric. cordless would be awesome but do they eat batteries? Corded would be nice but i might have to run one hell of a drop cord at times... depending on what I would be doing. I have family on the farm so I can't keep the jeep near an electric source because it would clutter them. Looking at 18v DeWalt just because that is what all my other cordless stuff is and its nice to have all matching batteries and chargers. input? opinions?
 
I use a kobalt corded 1/2". I pretty much got it b/c it was on sale+ wifes discount and I ended up out the door for around 110 or 120 with a gang of sockets that come with it. I've been fairly impressed with it so far. Btw your name wouldn't be Lee would it?
 
I havent had either one but i hear the battery ones do eat batts. The corded ones get the job done and last alot longer. So if you want reliability go with corded.
 
my buddy has been using my garage space and brought with him a kobalt battery impact gun. its pretty nice. batt seems to last long enough. i think i would prefer a corded one.
 
I got a corded electric -- Crapsman I got prolly 20 years ago. Ones being sold today look just the same (like the Dewalt). I'll pull it out sometimes if the air compressor isn't charged up and ready, but 90% of the time I prefer the air impact. The electric one is good for changing tires, etc...but it's really too big for anything in a tight area.

Used a rechargeable dewalt one time running in 8" x 1/2" lag bolts....not the best application for that....would work good for lug nuts, etc, but that was just too much running...
 
I have a 12v 3/8 drive snap on and a 18v 1/2 drive snap on and love them. Most of the guys at the shop I work at have 18v dewalts with a 1/2 inch drive or the small 18v dewalt that uses the 1/4 inch bits. If you walk around the shop and look the cordless inpact tools get used just as much as the air tools. Just get a second batt and it will be recharged way before you run one out.
 
sam(slim) said:
I have a 12v 3/8 drive snap on and a 18v 1/2 drive snap on and love them. Most of the guys at the shop I work at have 18v dewalts with a 1/2 inch drive or the small 18v dewalt that uses the 1/4 inch bits. If you walk around the shop and look the cordless inpact tools get used just as much as the air tools. Just get a second batt and it will be recharged way before you run one out.
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Really? I never woulda figured the cordless ones would have as much balls as a corded or even air impact. I've never been able to wrap my head around a battery powered tool being work a crap. I guess I need to start thinking differently. I may have to check them out.
 
We all still have air tool for hard to get to spots or for something that is real tight but for most things a cordless works good. Changing tires is one thing I use it for alot at home and if you have a 18v dewalt drill just check out ebay and you can pick up a impact for cheap without the batts or charger.
 
A friend of mine has both the 3/8 and 1/2 inch drives in the Snap on brand. They work great, sometimes too good, they will twist bolts!
 
I have a 14v makita cordless. It's great for driving screws. The impact action lets it drive bolts even better than my 1/2 Milwaukee hammer drill and it takes a lot less effort to operate. I've leaned over on a ladder barely about to keep my balance and driven 3" drywall screws left handed.

In an automotive application it's pretty nice but for the bigger tighter stuff, like lug nuts, it doesn't always get the off while my air cat could probably rip the stud off if the nut didn't budge. It's just a guess but I bet an 18v would handle anything on a car based on the fact that my 14v can handle just about anything.

As for battery life, I've been really impressed. I'd say it's about 10x what I get from a cordless drill. I got it by winning a drill/impact set a while ago so they share the same batteries, making it a pretty reliable comparison.
 
And the snapon's are made in NC, expext for the batteries.
 
If you have A 18v dewalt drill, just look at ebay you can get just the impact for less than $100 without batts.
 
I bought the 28v lithium battery Milwaukee drill and i got the 1/2" impact for free. I take it with me every time I go wheeling and use it at home so I don't have to break out all the air stuff. it has plenty of power and does not go through batteries fast.
kinda pricey but If they still have the free deal its well worth it.
 
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