impact wrench

[ra64t]

should I get an electric impact wrench? what type (one you plug in, or battery powered)? where should I get it? how much? I want to spend as little as possible.

THanks.

[LHOswald]

get a small compressor with an impact wrench and a good set of sockets. should run you about 200+ but it'll be wayyyy better than getting something fully electric. and if you have to, definitely dont get one with a battery.

[watkins]

Actually, youre wrong.

Get a good Snapon battery powered one and a spare battery. The batteries usually last an hour or two, and its rare that you would have it under that much continuous use.

A plug in one is not much better than air powered because youre still tethered.

[ra64t]

an air compresser just seems too complicated, bulky, noisy and expensive.

how much will a snapon battery powered one cost me?

[watkins]

Your first born.

[eggwich delfiero]

I don't have any experience with the cordless/electric wrenches, but the Dewalt 1/2' cordless impact wrench seems to be the most popular with the folks changing their tires at autocross.

Snapon stuff is badass, no doubt, but unless you're using something to make a living with or you're using it very often, it's hard to justify the price. I'm not saying it isn't great, I'm saying it's unnecessarily great.

[theholycow]

Lots of people are very happy with 12v, cordless, or AC electric impact wrenches. The way they describe it, I think the one I tried once was defective or badly designed. It went "whirrrRRRRR *dink*. ......whirrrrrRRRRR *dink*.", impacting every 5 seconds or so and never actually loosening a nut.

Most people describe electric impact wrenches as being much more like an air impact wrench. Someday I shall invest in one.

For now, I use a regular lug wrench to break the nuts loose, then I use a ridiculously torquey 24v cordless drill to do the rest of the work. A 1/4" hex -> square drive adapter lets me connect any socket to my drill. It zips them right off even when they don't turn freely, I only need 1/4 turn by hand and the drill does the rest.


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[comingbackdown]

an air compresser just seems too complicated, bulky, noisy and expensive.

In that case, you probably wouldn't enjoy my garage very much.

I've used my dad's old, old, old, old electric impact. Torque? What torque? Damn, yes, the socket can bounce right the hell off the nut eight times in the time you can blink. So... Unless it's a really good one, no. Dad's is nice, it's just not suitable for lug nuts... especially not after I've tightened said lug nuts.

[watkins]

especially not after I've over tightened said lug nuts.

Fixed

[ra64t]

For now, I use a regular lug wrench to break the nuts loose

what kind of regular wrenches are you using? I can't loosen jack with my crappy socket wrench or adjustable wrench.

ra64t wrote:
an air compresser just seems too complicated, bulky, noisy and expensive.


In that case, you probably wouldn't enjoy my garage very much.

The issue(s) are I got no money, little space, and I'm afraid the neighbors that live right above me will complain about noise as I might have gotten off on the wrong foot with when I met them as I was moving two dozen tires and random car parts into my garage and they were looking at me funny.

Your first born.

crap, I got some work to do then.

[watkins]

For now, I use a regular lug wrench to break the nuts loose

what kind of regular wrenches are you using? I can't loosen jack with my crappy socket wrench or adjustable wrench.

Lug wrench

[comingbackdown]

For now, I use a regular lug wrench to break the nuts loose

what kind of regular wrenches are you using? I can't loosen jack with my crappy socket wrench or adjustable wrench.

Lug wrench

Yep. I can't carry it with me on the road because I'd end up strangled if it were absent from the garage and happened to be needed. However, the four-way gets used any time a tire is removed on this property. Handy little bugger, I must admit.

[watkins]

1) Go to Walmart
2) Spend $20
3) Possess private lug wrench
4) ???
5) Profit!

[comingbackdown]

1) Go to Walmart
2) Spend $20
3) Possess private lug wrench
4) ???
5) Profit!

If I had $20, yeah.

[theholycow]

$20? Walmart? Someone's living high on the hog!

$5 4-way wrench from discount store works fine, or $10 at Harbor Freight. Failing that, the lug wrench that came with the vehicle is fine, especially if you're just using it to break them loose and then use a drill to do the rest.