Reasonable ratings for a 1/2" impact wrench?

Quality of fit and finish, and quality of the casting. You can buy the $29 cheapie, and it'll work for most things although it will not be as effective as a higher quality unit with the same force rating because it won't be able to deliver that force for quite as long an impact. But it will probably be okay for occasional use, until one of the castings fragment and shoot pieces of metal all over the place.

For the most part, I am very, very wary of inexpensive impact tools, because the Chinese just seem unwilling to use decent alloys and to inspect their castings. But I would be MORE wary of an air-powered cheapie than an electric cheapie because the consequences of a failure are worse.

--scott

IMO, all the ones you suggested are junk. Get a good one. Actually 2 of them. Get a 1/2" trigger type and a 3/8" butterfly. You will probably end up using the

3/8" a lot lot more than the 1/2". Get IR or CP.

I would tend to agree with Paul... The cheaper units may take a lot of air and not put out much "grunt", and they may not last long either. Ever notice how Harbor Freight sticks with a

30 day warranty?

I bought a 3/4 inch 115vac Hitachi unit via Ebay for less than a hundred bucks. It has done everything I have ever called on it to do. I went electric because I dont have compressed air yet (and have little space in my workshop to put in what I would like to have.)

I think the "catch" to the cig powered ones is the low number of beats per minute. Yes each impact may be 250ft/lbs but due to the limited power at 12V you don't get that many "hits" per minute. A real unit will deliver 250 ft lbs each impact with many impacts per SECOND. When you are removeing a stuck lug nut it may take many many impacts at 250 ft lbs so it would take forever with the 12V unit.

I have a 1/2" 120V electric unit and it is OK for medium jobs, it can take a minute or two of "hammering" to get a stuck lug nut off. If you want it for those really stuck bolts, you should get a beefy unit.

If your compressor has a limited CFM rating then again that translates into limited beats per minute and not limited ft/lbs.

Mark

Ditto on that, and my personal 1/2 is an IR--don't recall max torque, but guessing around 350. Buy this quality ONCE and wear out the larger compressors that you buy over the years. Should you opt even after these advices for the cheapie, air-op'd. of course, be sure to wear safety goggles--good idea even w/the good IR/CP! (I also have a no-name yet good one, a gift, that I've used intermittently for 30 years, but it never had the torque my IR has. Believe it is American-made as I got it in 1975.) That elec. imp. for $150 will be too big and bulky. That cig-lighter one is likely a gimmick. And why consider that over-rated 14-volt for $270 when this known good IR/CP can be had for ~$125? Just fyi, most lugs only torque to ~90 ft-lbs. s

Right, 75-100 pounds usually. But if I catch anyone on my lugs with an impact wrench, I will beat them in the ass with it. Even with Tork Stix.

Been there, done that, been bitten. Only a torque wrench for tightening my lug nuts.

YEP! s

No where near big enough to run an air powered impact gun.

Buy from a trusted name brand, the cordless impacts marketed towards the professional are quite powerful, some of the 3/8" versions have enough snot to remove lug nuts, though that is a bit beyond the anvil size for expected longevity. The disadvantage to any electric impact gun is they get hot if used continuously, hot = burned out faster than you can believe (DAMHIKT) so buy according to your expected use. Cordless; Snap-On, Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt Air powered; Ingersol Rand

You don't have enough compressor for an air powered one. I've got a

40 gal unit with a direct drive compressor.. basically not a cheapie but still cheap. I spend more time waiting for air than I do using the tools. I would be looking at the electric with that small of a compressor.

Also realize there is a big difference in specs for low and high end tools. High end tools have a decent chance of meeting the specs they claim and do it on a consistent basis. With the cheapies one test model might have come close to those specs once in the test lab when they launched it at the bolt using a linebacker and a potato gun.

Steve B.