Opinions on Electric Impact Wrenches

[Gordon Gould]

I am considering buying a corded electric impact wrench for work on equipment with rusted nuts and bolts up to about 1/2" or 9/16". When I started reading the reviews available they were way to varied to make sense. Some said they couldn't even remove car lug nuts and some said strut and shock bolts were no problem.
So, I would like to here the trusted opinions given here. What do you think I need ? And will electric do the job ?? I would love to get an 80 gal compressor and a pneumatic wrench but I can't quite justify it.
Thanks.

 

[Gator6x4]

GM Truck wheels are torqued to 140 plus foot pounds. A electric impact wrench removes them with ease. I think the key to not having a problem is not buying the cheapest impact wrench you can find. Electric Impact wrenchs will break 1/2 and 9/16 inch bolts. Now I don't think you will have great success removing the blades from a rotary cutter with an electric impacy wrench. I also don't think you will have any success removing rusty nuts from a 1 inch bolt either. Electric impact wrenchs are made for light duty repair work. They are not made to be used to start repairs on something a 3/4 or 1 inch air powered impact wrench would grunt on. They will usually handle the removal of items below 175 foot pounds of torque.

 

[tessiers]

We use dewalt 1/2" and 3/4" drive electric impacts at work every day, working structural steel, torque 1/2 to 3/4 bolts all day long with no problems. A agree buy junk get junk, buy good quality name brand, happy camper.

 

[Bird]

Gordon, I've owned Black & Decker and Craftsman electric half inch impact wrenches and one of my brothers who is a full time RVer still carries a Craftsman half inch impact. For many years, all the electrics I was familiar with were rated at 210 to 250 ft. lbs. If you go Sears.com and look for electric impact wrenches, I know now they show at least 235 and 350 ft. lbs. They work well and I think last well. Back when I was living in a fifth-wheel trailer, on one trip to Alaska, my brother and I changed out all the springs under his 35' fifth-wheel, using my Craftsman electric impact. Now of course, my IR231 pneumatic impact is rated at 425 ft. lbs.

In other words, the electic impacts are good tools. They're not quite as powerful as the better pneumatic ones, and they're very heavy compared to pneumatic ones. But if I needed one where I didn't have a decent air compressor available, I wouldn't hesitate at all to get another electric.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I was in the same boat as the original poster, I didn't want to buy a big compressor just yet and an air impact. So with me having 18V DeWalt cordless tools already I decided on the 300 ft. lbs DeWalt cordlees 1/2" impact wrench and I have been very pleased. Loosens lug nuts, pulls the bolts off of the blades on my Grasshopper, lug nuts on tractor tires (then torque em down with a 3/4" breaker bar and 6' pipe on it)..... and no having to drag an air hose or listen to a compressor.

Yes I have been happy with it, $130 or something with no batteries. A coworker of mine has the comparable Makita 18V lithium ion and he has been pleased with it as well.

 

[Rustyiron]

I bought a (new) Black & Decker elec. impact about 27 years ago, before I had air. If an elec. cord is more handy than the air hose, I still grab that same B&D impact. Been using it lately mostly for running in lag bolts on some heavy wood framing. Look for a good commercial unit like tessiers said, DeWalt or Milwaukee, Makita. Nor sure what ever happened to B&D, but they used to make good, heavy elec, tools.

 

[k0ua]

I have a Ryobi 18V DC electric impact, I would never have bought it but it was a Christmas gift from the wife, she did not really look at the package very well, and though she was buying a 18V drill:laughing:. I did not think much of it at first, but used it this spring to build some deck, and it really works well to drive screws, if you are not carefull you can twist em off quick.! Also good to disassemble small things like small engines etc. It doesnt have the torque of even a small cheap air powered torque wrench but it takes 1/4 inch accessories and for what it is it really works well. It has become a real time and wrist saver:thumbsup: One nice thing is its small size that can fit into a lot of things, and long battery life. I like it!

James K0UA

 

[XSKIER]

It all depends on your perception of a powerful tool. I have air impacts, 1/2" and 3/8" rated at 1200 ft/lbs and 350 ft/lbs respectively. While inside the shop, I use the 3/8" drive for everything, but it's nice to know that 1/2" is there when I get stuck.

For outside work I have 1/2" and 3/8" 18v li-ion milwaukees, rated at 450, and 180 ft/lbs. The practical limits are a rusty bolt the same diameter as the drive size. Clean bolts can go a little bigger. The 1/2" cordless (2663-22) is awfully powerful for what it is, but for the economics, a small compressor and the 1200 lb gun (air cat 1200k) are about the same money. If I was limited to just one on a budget, definitely go air.

I'm probably beating a dead horse, but buy junk, be stuck working with junk.

 

[whistlepig]

I would go with a the compressor and an air impact tool. I have a lot of electric tools and really like them. But when it comes to brute force give me a 1/2" drive air impact wrench. The bolt will either come loose or be broken off. Not going to spend $100.00 for parts and then piddle around for two hours with a $.50 cent bolt.

 

[Jerry/MT]

I am considering buying a corded electric impact wrench for work on equipment with rusted nuts and bolts up to about 1/2" or 9/16". When I started reading the reviews available they were way to varied to make sense. Some said they couldn't even remove car lug nuts and some said strut and shock bolts were no problem.
So, I would like to here the trusted opinions given here. What do you think I need ? And will electric do the job ?? I would love to get an 80 gal compressor and a pneumatic wrench but I can't quite justify it.
Thanks.

I bought a Dewalt 1/2" corded electric impact wrench a year ago to take apart a wheel line (512 scale incrusted 3/8" nuts and bolts). I used a Honda 1000 generator to power it in the field. Then I put it all back together at the ranch using new bolts and nuts. It never missed a beat. I since have used it to install latches in the gate posts driving 1/4" x3" lag bolts and again it works like a charm. I highly recommend it.

 

[crazyal]

I've got a Craftsman 1/2" corded impact wrench (DeWalt I think). It's big and pretty heavy but it works pretty well. A lug nut is at it's upper range if it's really tight, I think there's been a couple that bested it but 99% I was able to remove. I got it for changing wheels when I use to race a Bear Ridge.

I also bought a cheap one, Chuck Hommer (or something like that). I got it because small stones would get inside the motor if it was set down in the dirt and come flying out. The cheap one had the spring loaded ball that held the socket on come out so it would no longer hold it on. Since it was just for racing I mounted one size socket on it and got another week or two before something inside broke.

Since then I switched to a borrowed Milwaukee 18v cordless 1/2" impact. I swear it has more power than the corded one. If money is not at issue I would get one but they do (or at least the last time I looked) cost about 2 1/2 times the price of the corded name brands.

The last think I used it for was to remove the spindle bolts from the mower deck on my lawn mower. It's about 5 years old and easily removed them. Before that was the large crank shaft bolt holding the harmonic balancer/ pulley on an 02' Hyundai with about 100k on it. I had to soak the bolt with penetrating oil and on the third attempt the Craftsman got it.

1/2" bolts shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

[J_J]

This battery powered impact will do about 450 ft lbs.

Milwaukee 2663-20 18V Cordless M18 1-2-in Impact Wrench with Friction Ring (Tool Only)

 

[Gordon Gould]

Thanks for the replies. You guys saying that they are real tools and not play things is what I needed to here. I was looking at a Dewalt or Milwaukee. Both are about 350 ft-lb rating. The DeWalt draws 8.3 A and the Milwaukee 7 A. Maybe that makes the DeWalt is stronger, not sure ?? . I have tools from both and they are good quality IMO. Thanks again

 

[fredhargis]

I've had a Craftsman 1/2" drive impact for over 25 years, at the time they marketed this one as one of their "industrial" tools. It's worked so well for me I've not had a need to buy an air impact, thought that may change as I do more to my tractor. But they can handle the use you outlined with ease.

 

[gsdavis1]

I bought one of the cheap half inch electric impacts from Harbor Freight. It has been bullet proof and I have really given it a beating. Surprisingly powerful too. I think I paid like $30 for it on sale.

 

[Hughman]

Another vote for the corded DeWalt 1/2". Had mine for 5+ years. I also have a compressor and air impact, but I seem to favor the electric. The only problem is I have no excuse for not rotating tires since it only takes 5 minutes.

 

[77bronco]

I have a 1/2" corded Milwaukee that I've used for the last 12 years, and haven't had a lick of trouble with it. I use it or an air impact gun depending on what I'm working on, and how far from the air compressor I am. Sometimes it also depends on how much noise is going to be made, the electric is a bit quieter than air.