Electric or cordless impact wrench

Looking at a cordless or an electric impact wrench. Anyone have any experience with these. Just some light use around the garage and when we are on the road. What are the minimum torque requirements? Need it to work with RAM 3500 torque specs. My current one will not break the lug nuts loose.

Jamie

Electric will have more power than the cordless but then you need a generator

How much do you want to to spend?

What cordless brands do you have now?

I have a Snap On 18Volt LiO that I keep in the truck. Ford DRW's are at 165 ft lbs and the gun works fine to loosen.
Pricey though.

My SnapOn cordless has more power then my Mac 1/2" air gun

Several years ago I started switching all of my tools over to Milwaukee's 12 and 18 volt line ( i have a whole slew of them now ).
So, if I was to buy now it would be the new Milwaukee Fuel 18 volt 1/2" impact. 700 ft lbs

http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/milwauk...pd.html?start=1&cgid=milwaukee-m18-fuel-tools

The Milwaukee cordless tools are the best I have ever used. And, apparently Milwaukee knows it, they have suits against multiple manufacturers for patent infringement on their battery technology.
The batteries are good enough that Dewalt and Makita IIRC are now licensing the technology for their respective cordless tools.

This is what I use.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-c3-1...prdNo=8&sellerId=SEARS&blockNo=8&blockType=G8

It had no problems removing pin box bolts when I replaced it. They were torque at 150 Ft Lbs, loosened them easily.

I have a Sears 1/2" drive that has a cord. It has 350# of torque and has done everything I needed it to do. I also have a 20 volt 1/4" drive Dewalt cordless but it's a smaller unit. I use it a lot but don't think it would do lugnuts, although I haven't tried it. They are great to use....Don

Wouldn't mind the cordless and willing to part with a few $$. I'm just concerned with the longevity of the battery. What is the typical shelf life of the Li battery. Replacements are expensive. Also wanted to make sure it can handle the heavier torque.

Remember for cast wheels the impact wrench should be set to low torque and final tightening be done with a torque wrench!

Jamie, I leave a battery in a charger in the camper all the time, so I have at least one fully charged all the time.

This is the one I bought. I use it mostly on farm equipment. It's a real nut buster

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006GFQMAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

codycarver said:

This is the one I bought. I use it mostly on farm equipment. It's a real nut buster

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006GFQMAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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WOW!!! I'll say its a nut buster, mercy!! Lol

VMooreSR said:

WOW!!! I'll say its a nut buster, mercy!! Lol

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And a wallet buster too. A little to much $$ for the small amount I would be using it. But if you had the need, that one seems like it would handle just about anything!!

I carry a breaker bar and a piece of pipe to go over the handle that extends the amount of leverage in order to bust the lugs free. Any lug nut that was installed by any tire store or dealer will normally be installed to tight. Even if you adjust and torque them to specs, after a few months rust and other factors can make it harder for any impact to bust the lug free. I do carry a rand air impact gun for use with my air compressor but I have had to use the breaker bar to bust a lug nut free in the past.

Just for safety sakes. I buddy of mine is a first responder medic. 3 years ago he responded to a call on I-79 (north of Pittsburgh). a younger guy changing a flat tire jacked his pick up truck up only to find it difficult to bust the lug nut free. his truck slipped off the scissor jack while he was rocking the truck trying to bust the lug. The tire came down on the back of his ankle, shattering it. remember to bust those lugs before jacking. First lesson my sons learned when I started to give them driving lessons. In fact I made them rotate the tires with the scissor jack and hand tools.

JWalker said:

Wouldn't mind the cordless and willing to part with a few $$. I'm just concerned with the longevity of the battery. What is the typical shelf life of the Li battery. Replacements are expensive. Also wanted to make sure it can handle the heavier torque.

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Do you have a single brand of cordless tools now? If so, look for a "tool only" for that brand, preferably from Amazon so you can return it easily if it doesn't work.
The Milwaukee impact I linked to in a tool only kit is less then half cost of the tool, batteries and charger kit.

Going on 4+ years with my first pair of Milwaukee Lith batteries.

As far as the coins go, you'll get what you pay for. And although the Ingersoll looks pretty good for the price, the 1100 ft lbs claim seems to be a stretch.
The problem with one off $400+ dollar tools is they sit way more then ever get used, which makes it harder to justify the price for the tool kit and the replacement batteries.

porthole said:

Do you have a single brand of cordless tools now? If so, look for a "tool only" for that brand, preferably from Amazon so you can return it easily if it doesn't work.
The Milwaukee impact I linked to in a tool only kit is less then half cost of the tool, batteries and charger kit.

Going on 4+ years with my first pair of Milwaukee Lith batteries.

As far as the coins go, you'll get what you pay for. And although the Ingersoll looks pretty good for the price, the 1100 ft lbs claim seems to be a stretch.
The problem with one off $400+ dollar tools is they sit way more then ever get used, which makes it harder to justify the price for the tool kit and the replacement batteries.

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My dad is a big Milwaukee advocate. He has been using their tools for decades. He spent 35 years in heavy construction and contracting. A firm believer. I have a plethora of both corded and cordless wood and construction tools in my arsenal. Some brands make a better tool for specific job than others. I just want to make sure that when I do spend the money, I'm getting a tool that can do a specific job properly. Overkill is always good. But with overkill comes a typically higher dollar amount. I need to find the balance.

You say you have 4+ years on your batteries right now. How long do you think they will last? That is my main concern. I have had a medium duty cordless drill/impact set for about six years now. Battery life is only about a third of what it used to be. It is the old NiCad battery. I just replaced with a new set of 12 V and 18 V Lipo drill/impact last year. What a difference.

I have had my 20v 1/2 Dewalt for about a year and use it all the time around here. It busted all 8 and put them back on the flat I had on my dual tandem trailer. I've only found 1 thing it wouldn't take off. It was a bolt in the axel hanger on my car hauler so I got out the 3/4 IR and it broke the bolt. We've used it on the rotary mower, tractors and I replace a tensioner seal on a JD track loader and that's what I used. The tools around here don't lay around much and if they don't cut the mustard we get rid of them.

JWalker said:

You say you have 4+ years on your batteries right now. How long do you think they will last? That is my main concern.

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Time, no idea.

But, I rotate the batteries (they are numbered), keep them charged and don't notice any difference between the oldest and the newest.
LiO batteries are way ahead of the old NiCads.

What I find surprising is the leah blower drains the batteries the quickest.

The M's may be overpriced or just too expensive for most. But, there is a reason the HD Ryobi kit is under a $100 and the equivalent Milwaukee kit would be over a grand. The cost is way I got all my M stuff piece by piece an usually when on sale. I'm not against buying recondition stuff as well.

porthole said:

Time, no idea.

But, I rotate the batteries (they are numbered), keep them charged and don't notice any difference between the oldest and the newest.
LiO batteries are way ahead of the old NiCads.

What I find surprising is the leah blower drains the batteries the quickest.

The M's may be overpriced or just too expensive for most. But, there is a reason the HD Ryobi kit is under a $100 and the equivalent Milwaukee kit would be over a grand. The cost is way I got all my M stuff piece by piece an usually when on sale. I'm not against buying recondition stuff as well.

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You definitely get what you pay for. I'm am working on my Santa list. The main Santa gift has 6 points and levels, but won't come till spring. 😁

JWalker said:

You definitely get what you pay for. I'm am working on my Santa list. The main Santa gift has 6 points and levels, but won't come till spring. 

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Sounds like LevelUp