Impact gun buying questions

[Robert_in_NY]

Nearly everyone knows you need to put a little air tool oil through the air inlet, but some impact wrenches, such as the popular CP 734, have an oil plug (needs a hex wrench) on the side of the housing. You want it half filled with 20W or 30W non-detergent motor oil. Instead of oil in the impact mechanism, most of the Ingersolls have grease, so you need a needle nosed grease gun to inject grease. The grease fitting on the rear of the 231 and on the side of the composites that I've seen look like a little dimple with a tiny ball bearing in the middle. They will come with plenty of grease initially and you may not need to add any for a couple of years.

Well, that is something I didn't know. Thanks for the info. Hopefully it would have been in the instructions/manual also.

I am leaning towards the 231 now as I think it should do everything I need and if I find a bolt it doesn't like I will either invite a friend to help or buy a bigger tool if it is something that is required. So far I have been able to remove every bolt without an impact so I should be ok. The impact is only to make my life easier now so it doesn't need to be the biggest and best (although it wouldn't hurt).

Is the $120 TSC wants for the 231 a fair price or can I save any major amount buying elsewhere?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Robert,

I made the mistake of buying a Campfeld Hausfield, or some such spelling, for my first impact wrench. It's really a piece of junk without any power. It was cheap, but if it can't do the job, it's not worth having.

I was surfing ebay for impact wrenches to take off the blades on my rotary cutter and needed something rated for over 500lbs. I found a Porter Cable for $80 plus shiping that has been a jewel. Tons of power and not too heavy.

When I bought my dump truck and dozer, I had a few bolts in the hydraulics that needed 3/4 drive sockets. I tried adapters, but they are in the 800lbs range. I bought an Ingersal Rand for these jobs. It's heavy, and I'm underpowered with my compressor and hose, but if I take my time, the compressor will catch up and get it done.

Just as important as a good gun is a good set of sockets. Mine are from Napa and go from 7/16 to 1 1/2 inches. I've had to buy some individual sockets for different things, and pay between $40 to $50 each. The only brand available that I've been able to find is Proto. Good quality, but pricey!!!

For one cylinder on the boom of my backhoe, I had to buy a 1 3/4 inch socket for $50, then grind it down to fit into the space to get it on the bolt. That really hurt, but the mechanics at New Holland said that was what they did and it's the only way to get it off.

Good luck,
Eddie

Thanks Eddie, that is why I didn't mention CH as a brand I was thinking of buying. I have never had much luck with any of their tools and after the first few lessons I quit buying anything with the CH label.

I wasn't thinking about the bolts on the brush choppers. Will the 425lbs the 231 makes take off the blade bolts on a brush chopper or should I spend 50% more and buy the larger IR that TSC sells? Most of my bolts are going to be in the 1/2" and 3/4" (as well as their metric counterparts) size but I always dread working on the brush chopper because those bolts are a pain in the butt so it would be nice to get a impact that will handle those as well. Thanks for reminding me about those wonderful bolts.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Here is a IR lube kit with the little grease pump that BIRD describes. Ingersoll-Rand - Air Tool Lubrication Kit - Ratchet Head Repair Kit - Impact Wrench Lube Kit - Clips - O-Rings - Motor Tune-Up Kit

Thanks for the link. Now I know what I am looking for if I end up buying the IR.

 

[EddieWalker]

Robert,

I honestly don't know if it will handle your bolts or not. It sounds like you are cutting it close, which might work out, or not. My theory is that when I try something like that, it doesn't work out for me. It's one of lifes lessons that I'm always re-learning the hard way.

A good impact wrench is an investment that will last you the rest of your life. A few dollars more isn't all that much when you think of the stress and agrivation over buying something that's too small to get the job done.

Figure out what impact guns will do what you want and then do some searches on ebay. There are still some good deals on there, but you have to look for them. I've found that typing in the model number of what I'm looking for in the main search will find items in the wrong area, or an area that I wasn't looking in. Got my laser level that way!!!!

Eddie

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Robert,

I honestly don't know if it will handle your bolts or not. It sounds like you are cutting it close, which might work out, or not. My theory is that when I try something like that, it doesn't work out for me. It's one of lifes lessons that I'm always re-learning the hard way.

A good impact wrench is an investment that will last you the rest of your life. A few dollars more isn't all that much when you think of the stress and agrivation over buying something that's too small to get the job done.

Figure out what impact guns will do what you want and then do some searches on ebay. There are still some good deals on there, but you have to look for them. I've found that typing in the model number of what I'm looking for in the main search will find items in the wrong area, or an area that I wasn't looking in. Got my laser level that way!!!!

Eddie

I know that lesson which is why I am asking for advice here. I don't want to buy something too small and regret it. I also don't want to buy something too big and basically waste money on something just because it was the biggest one out there.

As to what gun will do what I want, I have no idea as I have never used one before to know what size impact will handle what type of bolt. I do think the 231 will handle 95% of my work based on what I am learning from you guys. But is that 5% enough to justify buying a bigger gun?

That made me start wondering about the weight of these guns and the "bigger" IR gun weighs around a pound less then the "smaller" IR gun. That is something that surprised me and is now starting to sway me towards the "bigger" gun as it is still in my price range and I would think it "should" do 99% of the work I ask of it.

 

[radman1]

My brother and I use a 1/2 IR and 3/4 IR. 1/2" will take care of most stubborn nuts up to 1". The 3/4" takes care of the big stuff. Both get little attention other than the occassional oil. Very reliable and no issues. Great for changing out parts on planters and other farm equipment. Beats turning a wrench and much faster than a rachet.
Idea of a composite seems interesting to reduce the weight. However, the weight probably decreases the repetitive impact of the air gun.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Robert, I always wrenched with my hands and never even thought of using any power. And keeping my CJ7 as a daily driver required a lot of wrenching before it got to the reliable level. During the process - after 6 years or os - I started using battery screwdriver to take out oil pan bolts - there are quite few down there and pain to loose them all - and eventually realized I don't have to do it by hand if I don't want to.
I bought an air compressor and set of tools from Costco - cheap and usable except for the extreme stuff - and never looked back. Now for any wrenching, first thing I do, I start the compressor.

I even got a reel with hose (costco)above the door of my shop to comfortably reach whatever I am working on outside and also air distributed in copper pipes to my working bench for taking apart transmission and such.

That said, I think you will use your impact wrench more than you can imagine now.

MY $0.02 of course

 

[Bird]

I had to buy a 1 3/4 inch socket for $50, then grind it down to fit into the space to get it on the bolt.

Eddie, we all have to improvise occasionally. When my brother was a Matco Tool distributor, one of his good customers was a machine shop, and they ground down some sockets for him for other customers who had the same problem. And while mine didn't have to be ground down, I had to buy a couple of those high priced sockets to use on nothing but the rotary cutter blades.

Robert, I've repaired several 3/4" impact wrenches, but never owned one. It wasn't easy to find, but I found an adapter to go from my half inch 231 up to my 3/4" sockets. There are lots of adapters to go from bigger wrenches down to small sockets, but not the other way. So I used my half inch impact with 3/4" sockets to remove the big bolts on my rotary cutter. Naturally, there are more powerful impacts, but as I mentioned, there's been more 231s sold than any other half inch impact. There's a reason for that. It's tough and it'll last you a lifetime. You may notice that many of the 231s have a letter after the number; e.g., mine is a 231H. Very slight differences that may or may not be important to different people. For instance, do you want the exhaust to blow out the front just ahead of and above the trigger, or do you want the exhaust to blow out the handle just in front of the hose connection? Your price at TSC of $120 sounds about right; same as Northern Tool gets for the 231HA.

 

[WTA]

In all the years I was a mechanic the two impacts I had, and still have that outperformed all the others were a cheap 1/2 inch drive from walmart that I got almost 15 years ago, I know the quality isn't quite the same now but I do have a new one too and it's working fine. Also a IR plastic looking impact wrench that is by far the strongest one I've ever had. It easily breaks loose over 600 foot pound torqued bolts that are rusted tight on the farm equipment. I've even gotten big truck wheels off with it after our hydraulic one inch drive wrench wouldn't budge them.
I've never had a tool truck impact that would even come close to even the old walmart one I have in terms of power or longevity. In fact I had a whole drawer full of broken mac and snapon air tools that broke long ago and were not cost effective to fix. They all got tossed last time I cleaned my shop. That plastic IR wrench I really like came off a Matco truck.

My compressors have almost always been sears units and the biggest ones they have. I've had 3 different 60 gallon ones with oilless pumps. They plain sucked. Too loud and the pumps didn't last a year before needing at least new rings. The newest one I have is the big black one from sears with a 80 gallon tank and a 6.6 hp oiled motor. This thing even runs my blast cabinet for hours on end without messing up.
I did have a problem with it right after I brought it home, within a week, were it suddenly took forever to build up pressure. The service guy that came out was about worthless in diagnosing it but he listened to me when I told him it probably broke a ring. It did. Two of them in fact. I asked if he's get me a whole upper end rebuild kit and it was here in two days via fedex. The bone heads that packed it didn't do very well in cushioning things so all of the piston rings except the two that I actually needed were broken in the kit but I do have a lot of left over new parts like connecting rods and bearings ad gaskets in case any of that fails again so sears did take care of me on it I guess. I did the work myself to fix it in only about 20 minutes and it's been running strong ever since. All I replaced was the two broken rings.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Eddie, we all have to improvise occasionally. When my brother was a Matco Tool distributor, one of his good customers was a machine shop, and they ground down some sockets for him for other customers who had the same problem. And while mine didn't have to be ground down, I had to buy a couple of those high priced sockets to use on nothing but the rotary cutter blades.

Robert, I've repaired several 3/4" impact wrenches, but never owned one. It wasn't easy to find, but I found an adapter to go from my half inch 231 up to my 3/4" sockets. There are lots of adapters to go from bigger wrenches down to small sockets, but not the other way. So I used my half inch impact with 3/4" sockets to remove the big bolts on my rotary cutter. Naturally, there are more powerful impacts, but as I mentioned, there's been more 231s sold than any other half inch impact. There's a reason for that. It's tough and it'll last you a lifetime. You may notice that many of the 231s have a letter after the number; e.g., mine is a 231H. Very slight differences that may or may not be important to different people. For instance, do you want the exhaust to blow out the front just ahead of and above the trigger, or do you want the exhaust to blow out the handle just in front of the hose connection? Your price at TSC of $120 sounds about right; same as Northern Tool gets for the 231HA.

I don't know if the air outlet is going to make too much difference but I guess out the handle would be a better spot as most of my equipment is dusty and I don't want to be blowing the dust all over where I am working.

So your 231 handles the blade bolts just fine?

Unless something changes my mind between now and when I get to TSC I am most likely going to buy a 231 and if for some reason I need a bigger impact in the future I will address that need then (most likely I will just borrow one of my friends as I doubt I would need it for more then one or two bolts at the time).