Which impact wrench?

[Mark Bolam]

A recent conversation with @Blah on a mini loader thread got me thinking about an impact wrench for quick wheel changes.

 

It’s definitely a want rather than need item, I’ve got by for over half a century without one.

 

I’ve got Makita gear already, so just buying a bare unit is appealing.

 

Prices go from about £90 up to north of £300.

 

I think the torque settings on my Worky Quad wheel nuts are about 135Nm, but need to confirm this.

 

The cheaper models top out at 190Nm, which SHOULD be plenty, but I would like to be sure.

 

The pricey ones go up to 1000Nm, but I’m not working on CAT dozers.

 

Any input welcome, or bargain other brand suggestions.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Hank]

I bought the cheapest bare Makita one a few years ago, think it was £99 and have abused it at work ever since, still as good as it was when I first got it. Definitely not a must have tool but bloody useful nonetheless, especially for wheel changes!!

[GarethM]

If you've a Makita, either bare or one of the chinesium clones for £20 (says 330nm, even at 1/2 that it's enough) same with the angle grinder.

 

But very little can beat a breaker bar as a backup, just remember you need the impact rated socket set or they can and will fall apart unless you've been to the tool truck for posh socket sets.

 

Plus if you're needing 1000nm, slap the daylight out of whoever tightened it up previously. Flogging is too good for em.

Edited Saturday at 16:46 by GarethM

[waterbuoy]

Like Hank I have the cheapo base unit from Makita which has been used/abused for about five years.   I tend to use it just for changing wheels on the Land Rover (only 145-150Nm) and rope grips on cableways etc.  It can save an hour or so when changing a set of four wheels, just remember to set them to the correct torque afterwards.

IN other jobs I tend to use it more for undoing than tightening up - unless it is something really repetitive.

[woody paul]

I run bosch stuff and bought a impact nut run with 300nm use it on everything that needs undoing from wheel nuts to chipper blades, 

Just because you run Makita doesn't mean you have to only rub it, you can get battery adaptors. 

[Mark Bolam]

Of course.

 

Happy to consider other brands.

 

I’m fully trisexual.

[Mark Bolam]

Does anyone use torque sticks to get the right setting quickly?

I have a decent Teng torque wrench to check things.

[Bob The Dog]

I have the Makita DTW1002 1/2” impact driver (bare unit). All my other kit is Makita so have batteries already. Great for wheel changes etc, but definitely use a torque wrench for the final nip up. It has far more grunt than I need in reality, but after all, overkill is underrated! 

[tree-fancier123]

a mistake a few people have made, myself included, when going from breaker bars to impact wrench

pick the machine up for a rush job, in my case whizzing off the bolts on a rusted through leaking diff pan, without checking the bloody direction the machine was set to - 50% chance of it being right and 50% chance of shearing the head off a bolt

[Dan Maynard]

I'll have to check in the garage which one I bought, not the huge Makita but one down.

 

Agreed you don't absolutely need, but it is a really good tool, there is stuff it won't undo but so much it will, and makes quicker and easier. Wheel nuts are ok, some of the brake caliper bolts I've tried it didn't shift. Chipper blades much easier. Chainsaw clutch one quick buzz, no excuse to leave them on for years to take root.