1st Impact Wrench Purchase, please help

Ive used a light duty snap on gun, wich really didnt impress me much for the price they run, and another rather light duty ingersoll rand gun, which worked well. I am still not sure of what kind of duty gun I should be in the market for, but financially I am limited to spending about $130. From what ive read around here and heard from others, IR guns would be my best bet for performance:price. Here are some of the options ive come across, and all of the prices I am listing are from Harbor Freight, which seems to have the best deals.

$80 -
Ingersoll Rand 235
3.75 CFM avg. Working torque range: 25-310 ft. lbs. Ultimate torque in reverse: 425 ft. lbs. Weight: 5.125lbs
***this is the IR tool ive used. It worked well for tires, but didnt seem to have an abundance of power in reserve if i were to need it.

$120 -
Ingersoll Rand 231-H
450 ft. lbs. maximum torque Maximum speed: 8000 RPM, 1200 BPM Weight: 5.8lbs

$85 -
Powerforce by Ingersoll Rand PF800
6 vane motor delivers 1200 blows per minute 8000 RPM free speed
Torque: 450 ft. lbs
***I know little about this gun except the fact that it has different name, but is made by IR. It seems to be priced lower then the rest of their line, anyone with info on this gun please respond.

$88 -
Chicago Pneumatic CP-734H
3.75 CFM avg. Working torque range: 25-310 ft. lbs. Ultimate torque in reverse: 425 ft. lbs. Weight: 5.125lbs
***Ive heard alot of good stuff about this gun on this board.

$90 -
Earthquake 2623-1VGA
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=2623
Twin hammer
Maximum torque: 625 ft. lbs.; Torque range: 40 to 400 ft. lbs.; Impacts: 1200 BPM; Free speed: 6600 RPM forward, 6800 RPM reverse Weight: 6.6lbs
***Cheap sounding company, and although its not stated by harbor freight, the picture shows "centrel pneumatic" on the gun along with the earthquake logo. Big power in the specs, but again I know nothing about it.

So please anyone with some usefull info on these guns, or some advice for me, please respond.

Thank You

Id like to thank everyone for the help they gave me, and I made my decision. I purchases an IR 231c from ebay. Got a very nice deal, 75$ brand new. Again thanks for all the opinions, I think ill be happy with my purchase.

Anyhow, anyone out there got any info on the earthquake gun? Only reason i ask about it is because i saw a post on another forum by someone who said it was just a rebadged IR thundergun. It looks exactly the same in the pictures, has the same specs, etc... But if anyone can affirm this that would be great, i realize tool manufacturers do this sometimes. Also that powerforce gun that is labled "by ingersol rand" is interesting, big price drop when compared to their similarly specd non powerhouse gun.

again thnx for the info everyone

I would agree with a statement that "You don't often get more than you pay for.", but the statement "You get what you pay for." is total BS most often spouted by pushy salemen trying to sell a product or service for far more than it is worth. A higher price does not necessarily mean a higher quality product or service.

Every day all around the world, millions of people get less than they pay for in some way or another.

You might consider asking the same question at Mark Kw's Inside Tools bulletin board at>Link

John>Link

btw, thnx for that other site referal

Again, if you're an auto tech, DON'T get the extended shank for changing tires. When you need to use it pulling a transmission, exhaust manifolds, or cylinder head, that extended shank will probably screw you out of 2" of much needed clearance.

Buy your sockets at Sears. They hold up as well as any other brand and they won't break your bank account.

As a mechanic, I'd never depend on Taiwan tools to help me make a living. They just don't last using them everyday. Maybe for a farmer or homeowner they're ok, but not a professional.

Craftsman markets an IR 2131 with their name on it. I bought mine off ebay, from a guy that seemed to have an endless supply of them. Paided $110 for it. It works very well.

The "classic" 1/2-inch drive pneumatic impact wrenches are the IR 235 and the slightly-stronger IR 244. I believe that they are both still made in the US. I don't remember ever hearing anyone complain about either one of these wrenches; can't say the same about IR's top-of-the-line 2131.

There are some very good "IR clones" being imported, and I hear that Harbor Freight's "Central Pneumatic PROFESSIONAL" model and Campbell-Hausfeld's top-of-the-line model (the one with the three-year guarantee, selling for about $75 at Wal-Mart) are amongst them. Unfortunately, I don't know model numbers for either one of these.

If I was in your shoes, I'd go with one of the Taiwan-built imports and spend the price difference on several (standard and deep in both inch and metric) full sets of Taiwan-made impact sockets.

Harbor Freight's standard delivery is S-L-O-W, but their Pittsburgh Forge impact sockets are one of the best values on the market.

John