Anybody have any luck with electric impact wrenches?

lastcowboy32

Well-known Member
I have a small air compressor that does fine for tires, but it won't drive an impact wrench.

I've been able to do quite a bit of work without one over the years. I do have one of those old fashioned-hit it with a four pound hammer-hope that it works-twisty kind of impact driver, but I've found its utility to be marginal.

Every once in a while, I find myself craving the ease of a true impact wrench. A couple of times, I've driven over to my brother's farm 15 miles away to use his.

Next week, I'm going to do one of those jobs that would possibly by impossible without one: I'm replacing the strut assembly on my car. The last time I did one of these, I did it at my brother's place, and I needed the impact driver to get the two bolts off of the bottom of the strut.

So; if I occasionally need the power of an impact driver, but I don't want to buy a 500 dollar shop compressor and all of the ancillary equipment to go with it, just to use an impact driver here and there....are there any viable electric options that anybody has had any luck with?

Or should I stick to using my brother's until I bite the bullet and get the real thing for myself?
 
I have a corded Craftsman about 20 year sold and 3 air powered. The Craftsman doesn't get used much anymore just because of the hassle of getting out a cord and putting it away. The air hose is coiled on the wall reel with a crank and just easier to use and put away.
The Craftsman does work and do the job but not as powerful as the air.
My grandson has a battery powered Mac off of a tool truck he thinks is the greatest. He's a mechanic and uses it everyday. My son has a Dewalt that he is well pleased with. You should consider battery powered
 
One thing you can do if you can find one is hook up a bigger air tank to your compressor and make sure it can pump up to at least 120psi. The bigger tank once filled will work an air impact for a few minutes. Ya slow but will work.
As for air impacts they do work and that is what I started with years ago but I also got one cheap at an auction.
 
(quoted from post at 08:58:22 10/15/15) One thing you can do if you can find one is hook up a bigger air tank to your compressor and make sure it can pump up to at least 120psi. The bigger tank once filled will work an air impact for a few minutes. Ya slow but will work.
As for air impacts they do work and that is what I started with years ago but I also got one cheap at an auction.

The tank option would be OK. I'm not looking to use an impact wrench for long periods of time, or to substitute for ratchets and wrenches on everyday fasteners. There are just some stubborn bolts that the hammering action of an impact wrench, even for 10-15 seconds will break them free much better than anything that I can do with breaker bars, extensions and pieces of pipe for leverage.
 
My big compressor gave up this past summer due to motor burn out and I have not wanted to spend $350 plus for a new motor so been getting by with a little junk compressor. I could hook it up to the tank of the big compressor if I need more air but so far been ok with out it. The big trick with an impact is get the tank full at 120 plus and use it to break one bolt loose then wait for the compressor to catch back up and do it again
 
I have a 30yr old B/D 1/2" drive that i use to remove my blades from the lawn mower.

Works good;
Vern
 
I have a Snap-On 1/2" drive 18v battery impact that I would not give up for the world.
I rarely pull my air impact out of the drawer anymore.
The Battery tool is so much more convenient to use ,no hose to pull , no oil , and if i need to take it in the field I just put it in the box and go.
 
Early this summer I bought an electric impact wrench, 1/2" drive, from Harbor Freight for $49. I've seen it recently for $39. At the time I also bought a 13-piece set of sockets for the impact wrench for $25. I have used it several times, particularly for removing rusted-on lug bolts on two John Deere running gears. It worked perfectly. I couldn't have removed those rusty bolts without the impact wrench. For me the price was right and its performance has proven to be a value.
 
I have 2 impact wrenches from harbor freight electric and rated for 240 ftlbs torque--both work great
 
I have 2 different air powered units no longer use. Couple of years ago bought a corded Harbor Freight unit and have used it quite a bit. But month and half ago I had been to a U-Pull auto parts yard and could not get a wheel I wanted off so I decided to buy a Harbor Freight battery unit. I have used it Quite a bit since And not just for taking things apart. You can slow it down that it is about like turning a socket with a spinner handle. After I bought it I also bought the circular saw, reciprocating saw and drill and have 4 bateries and 2 chargers. The cordless is supposed to have 1 1/2 times the power of the corded unit and I do not know how it compairs to the air but I will never be using them again. At times it would be nice to have more power but for a cheap unit works great.
 
That is for the corded wrench, the cordless is rated at 330 ftlbs torque, Harbor freight units.
 

Thirty years ago a friend had an AC impact wrench that I thought worked great. Can't remember the brand.
 
I have a pair of Dewalt 1/2" corded impacts. Bought first one back when a buddy and I were building decks on the weekends. Picked second one up off Craigslist for $25 with a bad cord. Also have a Makita 18v lithium cordless. Two drawers of air wrenches now collect dust...seldom use them. Electrics are nice in the winter too...don't have to run the compressor in the cold.
 
Several years ago I bought a used Dewalt 1/2 " corded electric impact on ebay and I"ve been very happy with it. I haven"t used it on big stuff but I have disassembled and assembled two wheel lines with it. I have a Honda 1000 generator and I can take it out in the field with me and work with it. I have some air powered impacts but I rarely use them unless I have a big job in the shop.
 
I have a HF electric impact got it about 15 years to take off 1 inch lugnuts on the old motorhome dad gave me. The 4 foot cheater bar with me bouncing on it still was not getting them loose. It works great for me.
 

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