Which battery powered impact wrench should I buy

[Rebeldad1]

Just got a battery pack back from Ridged Lifetime warranty. Internal documentation suggests a limited warranty. 90 Day and 3 year limited warranty. What gives? Are they renegging on the lifetime warranty?

I had lifetime Ridgid tools and called in when one failed. Sorry we have no record of your purchase..
Worthless ..
Dumped all Ridgid everything and went on a Dewalt shopping spree!!

 

[Industrial Toys]

Just on HOLD for a long time, AFTER speaking with my Depot for a while to get all manner of new numbers, old numbers, new SN, Old SN, and OTHER ten digit numbers all required to get the replacement.

Due to unusually high call volumes, blah, blah, blah. But the people are usually nice when you get through.

Scandalous though! Home Depot House Brand! They should warranty that OVER THE COUNTER, at the STORE! BS, making people jump through these hoops! If its gonna be lifetime warranty, MAKE IT EASY!

OR: THEY got your old battery, THEY sent you a new one. THEY have and control the database, so why don't THEY simply update it? Scandalous! ****TTY way to honour a lifetime warranty!!


Between a trip to the depot to drop off the battery, and another to pick it up, both done in conjunction with other trips, in my case, and the time to register, you would need to be pretty happy with this tool line, to make this a selling feature over other brands.

My tools are not heavily used and the line has not let me down. I wish they had a much larger tool lineup though.

 

[crazyal]

I was in the Makita camp but their quality let me down. I had several cordless drills break and the parts made it too expensive to repair. The final straw as a 3 speed 1/2" drill. First the fastest speed stripped out and then the middle speed went. Since they had NiMH batteries I switched to Milwaukee. I've had no problems with my M18 fuel 1/2" impact. It's not light by any means but it does about 90% of what I need an impact for. If you are going to get one I would strongly suggest getting one that can remove lug nuts. I have several trailers with tires of varying ages. None show dry rot but I always take a spare. You never know when you'll get a flat so along with a spare I have my impact wrench.

My experience with "lifetime" warranties is that just the original is covered. If they replace, say the battery, then you've used up the warranty and now just get something short. Not like the good old days with Craftsman. Back in the day Sears would repair or replace it with almost no questions asked.

 

[Industrial Toys]

They are all mostly interested in bashing each others brains in, in these consumer and pro-sumer cordless tool wars! Making stuff that looks more like transformers, with all this over-moulded garbage, rather than making simple looking, high quality tools.

 

[chim]

Many people think that a DeWalt is a Dewalt, Makita is a Makita, etc. It isn't easy to make fair comparisons when looking within a brand, and even more so when comparing different brands.

Being more familiar with the DeWalt line, I notice differences in tools being sold by different vendors. Should be simple to get a Drill/Driver kit for example - but they're not all the same. Looking at the details, things begin to stand out. They may come with different batteries, or even different models of the tools themselves. Here are examples of a kit from Lowes, Home Depot and our company store:

 

[4570Man]

People comparing 20 year old or more nicad battery tools clouds the water even more.

 

[chim]

People comparing 20 year old or more nicad battery tools clouds the water even more.

Big 10-4! Battery tools have come a LONG way since I started working with them around 1970. The first ones I remember were very weak 1/4" drills.

I carried a 3/8" CORDED VSR because of that. I bought bits intended for Yankee screwdrivers for running screws, and cut the female end off a 3/8" extension so I could chuck it in the drill to use sockets. Came in real handy to remove the zillion screws in switchgear so we could climb in and terminate.

 

[5030]

I had lifetime Ridgid tools and called in when one failed. Sorry we have no record of your purchase..
Worthless ..
Dumped all Ridgid everything and went on a Dewalt shopping spree!!

DW is Black and Decker. Overpriced chinesium stuff. I'll stick with my HF Li-ion stuff (Bauer). Use them constantly, no failures yet... (2 years now). Might as well buy HF, I know it's chinesium.

 

[4570Man]

Big 10-4! Battery tools have come a LONG way since I started working with them around 1970. The first ones I remember were very weak 1/4" drills.

I carried a 3/8" CORDED VSR because of that. I bought bits intended for Yankee screwdrivers for running screws, and cut the female end off a 3/8" extension so I could chuck it in the drill to use sockets. Came in real handy to remove the zillion screws in switchgear so we could climb in and terminate.

My cordless circular saw is good enough to build a deck with. It wasn’t that long ago that cutting 5 2x4s in half would be too much for one. I hardly ever use a corded drill anyone and when I do it’s a big one.

 

[WranglerX]

Many people think that a DeWalt is a Dewalt, Makita is a Makita, etc. It isn't easy to make fair comparisons when looking within a brand, and even more so when comparing different brands.

Being more familiar with the DeWalt line, I notice differences in tools being sold by different vendors. Should be simple to get a Drill/Driver kit for example - but they're not all the same. Looking at the details, things begin to stand out. They may come with different batteries, or even different models of the tools themselves. Here are examples of a kit from Lowes, Home Depot and our company store:

I don't by kits because they are not consistent with batteries and many time they contain tools I will ever need.... Only buy singles and specifically a tool I want/need...

Dale

 

[4570Man]

I’ve bought a bunch of singles at Lowe’s when they put them on sale with a free battery and charger.

 

[kenmbz]

I have the Milwaukie M12 2554 stubby 3/8 impact and I love it so far. Taken lugs off the truck and tractor with no problems, light weight too.
When I checked the lugs on the tractor with the torque wrench , it had them around 100ft/lbs which is right where I need them.
I'm sure it would remove up to 150ft/lb so good enough for me. I don;t use it daily, but have used it a few dozen times with no problems.

 

[kenmbz]

I have the Milwaukie M12 2554 stubby 3/8 impact and I love it so far. Taken lugs off the truck and tractor with no problems, light weight too.
When I checked the lugs on the tractor with the torque wrench , it had them around 100ft/lbs which is right where I need them.
I'm sure it would remove up to 150ft/lb so good enough for me. I don;t use it daily, but have used it a few dozen times with no problems.

 

[cdaigle430]

My advice is to stick with what you have....meaning if you have B&D battery tools, maybe a you can get a B&D impact wrench that uses the same battery. That way you dont end up with many diff batteries and chargers to maintain. Hopefully they can offer tool only to save you money.

I have the Milwaukee Fuel M18, 3\8 inch impact and I use impact grade 1\4 inch to 1\2 inch and even 3\4 inch adapters. No complaints and man what power.

I bought my first m18 1st generation tool with charger 5 years ago and I love the fact that even today and the foreseable future I can just by the tool only. My last purchase was the m18 chainsaw. I even have the m12 because my first charger also charges m12 batteries.

 

[5030]

Milwaukee is made in 'China'.

 

[def38]

I am 73 years old and use the Milwaukee Fuel M16 Battery Impact, the weight is no problem. For me the battery lasts a long while. I have it in my truck in order to possibly change a flat tire. I have an Milwaukee electric Impact that is heavy but will loosen anything that I have come across. In the past and now I try to buy something that will do the job and that will hopefully last my lifetime.

So Dan, first of all, thank you for what you did in the USMC. My last duty station was aboard the heavy cruiser USS Newport News, CA 148. There was a marine detachment aboard and their CO was a MOH recipient. Those marines were some of the finest men I have ever met.

Regarding a wrench, I'm looking at Milwaukee, Makita and Kobalt. I think I'll take Eddie's advice and visit the stores to actually feel and touch the various tools.

BTW, I'm 81 and I challenge your to an arm wrestle (Heh-heh).