Impact Wrench Recommendations

daleks · 07-25-2010, 02:05 PM

For those of you that have home shops with an impact wrench, what CFM and torque ratings do you recommend? I just bought a compressor with a 3.2CFM @ 90PSI rating for interior trim work, but am now tempted to get something that would be usable with an impact wrench for working on the car. It looks like that at 3CFM the tools provide ~200 ft/lbs of torque.

And, yes, I realize that I should be careful with an impact wrench. This would mostly be for taking things off or doing an initial tightening. A torque wrench would be used to bring things into final spec.

m4a1mustang · 07-25-2010, 02:17 PM

Look into electric impact wrenches if you don't really want to replace your compressor. I have a Kobalt electric and am very happy with it.

kenchan · 07-25-2010, 02:50 PM

for smaller work the cordless dewalts work wonderfully.

daleks · 07-25-2010, 04:29 PM

I have a Makita impact driver that I can use for the smaller stuff. Also, I was looking at the pneumatic ones since the unit is smaller and you can get it into tighter spots without having to resort to an extension. I'll take a look at how big the other electrics are though.

m4a1mustang · 07-25-2010, 04:33 PM

The one downside to the Kobalt certainly is the size. It's a big gun. The Dewalt one that was at Lowe's is a good bit smaller (though about $50 more ).

cotizi · 07-25-2010, 05:02 PM

when i was installing my suspension i got the best I could find at Home Depot (Husky) for my air compressor, and right off the bat, even after being oiled, it was leaking and couldn't move the suspension bolt holding the shock in place. I then returned it, went to sears, and got a nice Ingersoll Rand impact driver, and i never looked back. The thing is a beast. Be weary of the marketed numbers, the one at home depot was supposedly a 600ft lbs driver, that couldn't move a supposedly 90 ft-lbs bolt. My 550 ft-lbs IR impact has conquered everything i've thrown at it so far, and its quiet to boot.

spearfish25 · 07-25-2010, 09:42 PM

I've become a big fan of McMaster Carr. They sell just about ANYTHING you could ever want with respect to tools, fittings, fasteners, bolts, taps, etc etc etc. Excellent quality too. Hell, they just saved my butt when I picked up a 1 1/16" crowfoot wrench this weekend. And I may be getting a 7/8"-14 tap to fix a fitting...good luck finding those at Home Depot, Sears, or Lowes

axio · 08-06-2010, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cotizi

when i was installing my suspension i got the best I could find at Home Depot (Husky) for my air compressor, and right off the bat, even after being oiled, it was leaking and couldn't move the suspension bolt holding the shock in place. I then returned it, went to sears, and got a nice Ingersoll Rand impact driver, and i never looked back. The thing is a beast. Be weary of the marketed numbers, the one at home depot was supposedly a 600ft lbs driver, that couldn't move a supposedly 90 ft-lbs bolt. My 550 ft-lbs IR impact has conquered everything i've thrown at it so far, and its quiet to boot.

That sucks. Maybe yours was an unlucky random bad one... I bought a $100 Husky that has served me well... took off a few stubborn crank pulley bolts off a few Hondas that my big giant DeWalt electric impact could not take off.

But since you have an Ingersoll Rand, even nicer!

Jeffblue · 08-06-2010, 01:01 PM

from looking at the electric impact wrenches, online, i can't seen to find how to change the torque setting. where is this setting located on the dewalt/kobalt

axio · 08-06-2010, 01:15 PM

On my DeWalt, i didn't think there was one...

Jeffblue · 08-06-2010, 02:30 PM

thats weird. How do you make sure you don't overtorque something?

daleks · 08-06-2010, 02:44 PM

You can use torque sticks or estimate the torque by a graph that's usually available in a manual. It shows time vs. applied torque. So you can just tap it for a second or so. It's far from accurate however.

Ideally though you'd use an impact wrench for removal and a torque wrench for tightening. With a torque wrench you can set it to the desired ft/lbs and just rotate until it clicks.

That said, most people just zap it with the impact wrench and call it a day.

Jeffblue · 08-06-2010, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daleks

You can use torque sticks or estimate the torque by a graph that's usually available in a manual. It shows time vs. applied torque. So you can just tap it for a second or so. It's far from accurate however.

Ideally though you'd use an impact wrench for removal and a torque wrench for tightening. With a torque wrench you can set it to the desired ft/lbs and just rotate until it clicks.

That said, most people just zap it with the impact wrench and call it a day.

yea, i have a torque wrench. I guess i could just use that for the final tightening

jpmotor · 08-06-2010, 03:16 PM

Harbor Freight had some electric Impact Gun on sale for ~$50
Rated at 240 ft/lb

Mike · 08-06-2010, 03:27 PM

FYI, I bought an electric DeWalt at Lowe's last week for 299. It comes with 2 18v batteries, but they are having a special where you get a 3rd battery for free. The batteries are 89 each, so its quite a deal.

07-25-2010, 02:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
daleks Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: St. Louis Posts: 424 Drives: 2011 Evo X MR Rep Power: 16	Impact Wrench Recommendations For those of you that have home shops with an impact wrench, what CFM and torque ratings do you recommend? I just bought a compressor with a 3.2CFM @ 90PSI rating for interior trim work, but am now tempted to get something that would be usable with an impact wrench for working on the car. It looks like that at 3CFM the tools provide ~200 ft/lbs of torque. And, yes, I realize that I should be careful with an impact wrench. This would mostly be for taking things off or doing an initial tightening. A torque wrench would be used to bring things into final spec.

07-25-2010, 02:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6963	Look into electric impact wrenches if you don't really want to replace your compressor. I have a Kobalt electric and am very happy with it. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

07-25-2010, 04:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6963	The one downside to the Kobalt certainly is the size. It's a big gun. The Dewalt one that was at Lowe's is a good bit smaller (though about $50 more ). __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

07-25-2010, 05:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
cotizi Enthusiast Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 391 Drives: 2012 VW GTI 6MT Rep Power: 218	when i was installing my suspension i got the best I could find at Home Depot (Husky) for my air compressor, and right off the bat, even after being oiled, it was leaking and couldn't move the suspension bolt holding the shock in place. I then returned it, went to sears, and got a nice Ingersoll Rand impact driver, and i never looked back. The thing is a beast. Be weary of the marketed numbers, the one at home depot was supposedly a 600ft lbs driver, that couldn't move a supposedly 90 ft-lbs bolt. My 550 ft-lbs IR impact has conquered everything i've thrown at it so far, and its quiet to boot. __________________ Past - 2009 Silver 6MT Sport 370Z Current - 2012 VW GTI 6-Speed

07-25-2010, 09:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1857	I've become a big fan of McMaster Carr. They sell just about ANYTHING you could ever want with respect to tools, fittings, fasteners, bolts, taps, etc etc etc. Excellent quality too. Hell, they just saved my butt when I picked up a 1 1/16" crowfoot wrench this weekend. And I may be getting a 7/8"-14 tap to fix a fitting...good luck finding those at Home Depot, Sears, or Lowes __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z Last edited by spearfish25; 07-25-2010 at 09:45 PM.

07-25-2010, 02:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	for smaller work the cordless dewalts work wonderfully.

07-25-2010, 04:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
daleks Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: St. Louis Posts: 424 Drives: 2011 Evo X MR Rep Power: 16	I have a Makita impact driver that I can use for the smaller stuff. Also, I was looking at the pneumatic ones since the unit is smaller and you can get it into tighter spots without having to resort to an extension. I'll take a look at how big the other electrics are though.

08-06-2010, 01:01 PM	#9 (permalink)
Jeffblue A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NY Age: 37 Posts: 9,192 Drives: Z32TT & 335xi Coupe Rep Power: 38	from looking at the electric impact wrenches, online, i can't seen to find how to change the torque setting. where is this setting located on the dewalt/kobalt

08-06-2010, 01:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
axio Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 271 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 17	On my DeWalt, i didn't think there was one...

08-06-2010, 02:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
Jeffblue A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NY Age: 37 Posts: 9,192 Drives: Z32TT & 335xi Coupe Rep Power: 38	thats weird. How do you make sure you don't overtorque something?

08-06-2010, 02:44 PM	#12 (permalink)
daleks Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: St. Louis Posts: 424 Drives: 2011 Evo X MR Rep Power: 16	You can use torque sticks or estimate the torque by a graph that's usually available in a manual. It shows time vs. applied torque. So you can just tap it for a second or so. It's far from accurate however. Ideally though you'd use an impact wrench for removal and a torque wrench for tightening. With a torque wrench you can set it to the desired ft/lbs and just rotate until it clicks. That said, most people just zap it with the impact wrench and call it a day.

08-06-2010, 03:16 PM	#14 (permalink)
jpmotor Base Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 243 Drives: BNR 16G'd Legacy GT Rep Power: 16	Harbor Freight had some electric Impact Gun on sale for ~$50 Rated at 240 ft/lb __________________ http://jpmotor.net/images/Signature2.png 【Exclusive】Five:AD S5:F Stealth Chrome! 370Z Fitment 19x9.5 \| 19x10.5【Exclusive】 David \| (626) 789-5229 david@jpmotor.net \| AIM: jpmotor

08-06-2010, 03:27 PM	#15 (permalink)
Mike The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Loganville, GA Posts: 5,944 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 2187	FYI, I bought an electric DeWalt at Lowe's last week for 299. It comes with 2 18v batteries, but they are having a special where you get a 3rd battery for free. The batteries are 89 each, so its quite a deal. __________________ NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

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