Good impact wrench?

[Heimkehr]

I’d keep the electric ratchet over all others if I could only keep one

I purchased a Milwaukee e-ratchet after convincing myself that I needed one.

And...I'm just not reaching for it very often. Not at all, really, unless I do so just to do so, which is rare.

It seems that a ratchet is the one tool where I prefer the analog tactile feedback that only hand operation can provide.

To each our own.

At least my purchase passed the QC check.

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[WontonJLUR]

I purchased a Milwaukee e-ratchet after convincing myself that I needed one.

And...I'm just not reaching for it very often. Not at all, really, unless I do so just to do so, which is rare.

It seems that a ratchet is the one tool where I prefer the analog tactile feedback that only hand operation can provide.

To each our own.

At least my purchase passed the QC check.

To each their own indeed! The fuel high speed ratchet is my favorite tool, and I have quite a few

 

[txj2go]

It seems that a ratchet is the one tool where I prefer the analog tactile feedback that only hand operation can provide.
To each our own.

I worked 6 years in my dad's repair shop, mostly I preferred hand tools for the feedback. I used air tools for suspension work, and for motor disassembly (we did a lot of engine work). I've never owned an impact wrench of my own until recently. I bought it partly because I wanted one, and for changing tires and for Jeep suspension work. An impact tool can save a few seconds here and there, but sometimes they won't fit where you need them and messing with that can erase some of the time savings.

 

[Rockdog]

i just picked one of these up at Lowes for $150. 700ft/lbs and it made short work of my lca bolts. For reference- i couldnt loosen them woth a 2 foot breaker bar, and im no lightweight. This thing has all the torques!

 

[WannFly]

I do prefer loosening the bolt with hand tools if I can before I reach for my impacts. Last thing I want is to break the bolt head and make a 30 second job - a 3 day affair

 

[Zandcwhite]

I do prefer loosening the bolt with hand tools if I can before I reach for my impacts. Last thing I want is to break the bolt head and make a 30 second job - a 3 day affair

Depends on the bolt. Things like body mounts I agree. LCAs? If it comes out in 2 pieces that means it was ready to fall and needed replaced anyway.

 

[Shellbird01]

Cry once.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I went with a milwaukee m18 mid torque. It has enough torque to easily remove our jeep and pickup lugs. It will also remove trackbar bolts, but control arms are outside its capacity. My first one fried. Took it to the milwaukee service center in Buena Park for repair. Meanwhile I bought another same model in a kit with a smaller one. I thought about getting a large enough one for suspension bolts, but i would not use it much, and an impact that size is not as handy for wheel lugs as a mid size.

Pick a brand and stick with it.

I had a lightweight drill and a 1/4" drive impact 12v Dewalt set for household chores that i find handy for small fasteners on the Jeep. I read that the 12v Dewalt 3/8" drive ratchet is a top contender in that class and the batteries fit my set above, so I got one. After using it, I can't say im a fan of power ratchets. It's just rarely handy enough to be a better choice than a manual ratchet or one of the other impact tools i have. IMO, put that money towards a compact size impact that you don't have.

 

[melendez69]

I like Milwaukee. I use Tekton and Milwaukee Impact sockets for my 18 volt impacts but will use good quality regular sockets sometimes with the 12 volt tools. Maybe not the best idea. Some good discussion her just in case you didn’t already see it. Several good brands out there.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/more-powahhhh-impact-wrench-ah-ah-ah-ah.141554/

Although impressive, this photo shoot setup simply would not work for us DeWalt guys & gals.

 

[Pape]

I went with DeWalt as I wanted a strong impact. As other mentioned this pushed me down the DeWalt path for other battery equipment.
I have no issue with the equipment but in retrospect I would have go probably with Milwaukee as they are more mechanic oriented than DeWalt who is more builder oriented.

 

[txj2go]

I went with a milwaukee m18 mid torque. It has enough torque to easily remove our jeep and pickup lugs. It will also remove trackbar bolts, but control arms are outside its capacity.

How old was that tool? The current M12 stubby achieves 550 ft-lb and should be capable of removing trackbar bolts. It's a fairly new model and significantly upped the power from the 2 or 3 year old model that it replaced. In recent years new models typically will leapfrog previous models by a significant amount and become king of the hill temporarily.

Here is another data point- I put Rubicon takeoff tires on my Jeep, my first set was put on almost 4 years ago. I found a local small tire shop for this kind of work, I don't think the major brands will mount used tires. My shop uses beat up looking Harbor Freight impacts and they seem to remove the lug nuts easily enough.

 

[roaniecowpony]

How old was that tool? The current M12 stubby achieves 550 ft-lb and should be capable of removing trackbar bolts. It's a fairly new model and significantly upped the power from the 2 or 3 year old model that it replaced. In recent years new models typically will leapfrog previous models by a significant amount and become king of the hill temporarily.

Here is another data point- I put Rubicon takeoff tires on my Jeep, my first set was put on almost 4 years ago. I found a local small tire shop for this kind of work, I don't think the major brands will mount used tires. My shop uses beat up looking Harbor Freight impacts and they seem to remove the lug nuts easily enough.

Yeah, first one is at least 5 years old, second one is now 2 years old, my stubby is also about 2 years old. I think all of them are rated well above lug nuts (140 lbs/ft ). I take the ratings with a grain of salt. In practice, I want about 1-2 seconds to loosen a lug. That means the rating is around 2-3 times the lug tighten value.

 

[roaniecowpony]

...

Here is another data point- I put Rubicon takeoff tires on my Jeep, my first set was put on almost 4 years ago. I found a local small tire shop for this kind of work, I don't think the major brands will mount used tires. My shop uses beat up looking Harbor Freight impacts and they seem to remove the lug nuts easily enough.

A friend mentioned that they were working on his Cat excavator and his help brought a Lowes

 

[KevinM60]

If you are looking for a deal. Good reviews on HD. First time owning an impact so I can’t compare. I already had the other Ryobi tools so it worked for me. Used it on a bumper and a set of steps with great results. Bought some tekton sockets and Bates adapters and reducers to complete the set.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-O...h-4-0-Battery-and-Charger-PBLIW01K1/316879157

I have this one. I went with highest power Ryobi they had because I already had the Ryobi electric drill with screwdriver attachments and they use the same batteries and charger. They also had a sale going for a 4h and 6h battery combo for $99 so I jumped on that.

 

[flick2614]

I do prefer loosening the bolt with hand tools if I can before I reach for my impacts. Last thing I want is to break the bolt head and make a 30 second job - a 3 day affair

Agreed, especially 30-40 miles out on a trail.

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