Impact wrench

Hi,

Could anyone recommend a impact wrench for general/occasional home use for the car. It will be used for removing wheels, strut nuts, and suspension work here and there. Got a few wishbones to change, the struts...ball joint, track rods mainly been putting it off for a while but as the weather is fair it could be time I get on with it before the colder months where I stupidly end up leaving it to sometimes. I'm evolving this year :)

I stupidly bought one of those 12v jobbies thinking it would be handy, bit the thing takes and age to spool up and is probably ok for emergency wheel changes or then again it would be quicker and easier/less frustrating to use the tyre iron.

I'm not sure what I should be looking for spec wise or power but thought you chaps are always pretty knowledgeable.

If possible I'd like to keep it under £100 but thats not fixed.

Thanks

Reply to
Matthews
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You can get a perfectly usable half inch impact wrench for about thirty quid. Aldi lidl often have them, so get their newsletter. screwfix have one 29 quid. you do of course need a compressor and hose, but once again aldi or lidl or screwfix will do fine. and you do need impact rated sockets or they can burst and injure you or others.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

or then again get yourself a longer bar (24") and a set of hex sockets. By far a cheaper option than a compressor and impact wrench for occasional use.

usually Aldi compressors are too small, good for pumping up tyres :)

General purpose I will use an air ratchet instead of an impact wrench.

Reply to
Rob

I have a 12 volt one same as I'd guess yours is and it does just what it says on the tin. If you're thinking you'll get a cordless one which is equally as powerful - forget it unless you have very very deep pockets.

FWIW, the only time I want an impact device is where you can't lock the part being undone easily - like say a crankshaft pulley bolt. For everything else a breaker bar is quicker. And cheaper. And doesn't have a flat battery every time you want it...

A power/impact driver is great where you're doing the same repetitive task where there is plenty room, like say screwing down floorboards. There's nothing like that on a car.

If, of course, you work in a tyre shop undoing wheels all day, it might well be worth the cost of such a device. But if you did you'd not be asking here.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

for quite a few years I used a home built silent compressor: a fridge compressor, a large propane cylinder plus a pressure switch and a few odds and ends. The large capacity pumped up to 150 psi did simple air tools fine, mainly the impact wrench. A small compressor will be fine for an impact wrench, much less so for an air ratchet or drill. The airtool I would like to get is an impact air ratchet, but they are all too dear at present.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

You can get a perfectly usable half inch impact wrench for about thirty quid. Aldi lidl often have them, so get their newsletter. screwfix have one 29 quid. you do of course need a compressor and hose, but once again aldi or lidl or screwfix will do fine. and you do need impact rated sockets or they can burst and injure you or others.

I should have mentioned I was just looking for something for the drive way as I have no air compressor, so I guess that limits me to a rechargeable one or an electric.

Reply to
Matthews

or then again get yourself a longer bar (24") and a set of hex sockets. By far a cheaper option than a compressor and impact wrench for occasional use.

usually Aldi compressors are too small, good for pumping up tyres :)

General purpose I will use an air ratchet instead of an impact wrench.

I wonder if that is a better idea, it would only be used rarely a imp[act wrench. A breaker bar and some hex sockets might prove more helpful.

Stupidly I used to use my ratchet for things that needed a breaker bar, got away with it without issue but obviously thats a lot more stress on the ratchet mechanism than intended. Although given hindsight I should have bought a breaker bar a long time ago. That job I attempted was on a bank holiday so everywhere was shut and I just made do as I was passed the point of driving anywhere lol.. Like a many sunday morning mechanics if I can even class myself as that I don't have a vast majority of tools, just the usual socket, ratchets and small extensions and other simple hand tools, albeit they have served me well and have saved me £100's over the years. A lot of it is from halfords and is really great quality to be honest.

Although the socket set is a halfords vortex which is ok, but I want to upgrade my kit to a normal 1/2" set and a 3/8" socket set. I was going to buy the I think 150 piece halfords set when its reduced to £99 but I have resisted and am probably going to just buy a 1/2" pro ratchet, 3/8" racthet a 16"/24" breaker bar and some sockets for the ratchets :) probably amount to a few quid might even work out cheaper getting that halfords set. I guess I'm probably waiting for the vortex set to pack up but it hasn't touch wood and does all I ask.

It suprising how many jobs on cars you can get done with a basic kit, haynes and forums. If I'm honest I quite enjoy working on the car till something shears lol luckily haven't had that issue.

From the sound of it sounds like I could well save the money for a impact wrench and invest in a bit of leverage. A few reviews on the 24" breaker bar on the halfords sits, people can undo hub nuts, gulp they're on pretty good as well.

Reply to
Matthews

Yup. I've not come across anything on a car a 2 ft breaker bar won't shift.

I have one of those 12 volt (from car battery) impact drivers and it's very good once you get used to it. I've used it for undoing a crank pulley bolt (auto, so can't just put it in gear) and for undoing cross head set screws on door hinges. It will produce far more usable torque as it whacks it than my Makita cordless one which was several times the price.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

you need to spend quite a lot to get something that is hefty enough to be useful if you want it to be electric , either mains or battery.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

you need to spend quite a lot to get something that is hefty enough to be useful if you want it to be electric , either mains or battery.

Yeah it seems. I did spot this

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But a few reviews suggest its quite a beast and ferocious at its job.

I decided to go with a breaker bar. Might have to start lifting some weights :) the tv remote is not doing enough for my upper body.

Reply to
Matthews

Makita make them, not cheap but a good tool

Reply to
steve robinson

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Reply to
Duncan Wood

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its cheap, but will it do the job?

Reply to
Mrcheerful

They're allright, didn't seem any worse than my Milwaukee V28, not as go= od =

as the IR but that & the 3Hp compressor where more than 10 times the pri= ce.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

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You must have read the testimonials on the web page :)

Reply to
Rob

Well it was mainly running M16 Nylocs onto studs, using the cordless was=

rather pricey in battery life & an airline's far more of a pain 25' up than a 240V extension lead.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

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you baby, I got the airline up to my chimney stack easily enough !

Reply to
Mrcheerful

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