So, i bought fuel impact driver, and drill combo kit from Home Depot. I was about to do a brake job, and as soon as i was about to loosen the caliper pin bolts, my impact driver would not take it off. It just kept hitting but it couldn't loosen it, I tried loosening it with a ratchet and it wasn't even that tight. So, i was wondering if something was wrong with my tool. It was at the max speed, fully charged battery.
Something wrong with my M18 fuel?
- Thread starter SoDoodoo
- Start date
kiatech
Well-known member
You using this?
or this?
or this?
dnschmidt
Well-known member
You said impact driver not impact wrench. A 1/4" hex drive impact driver has much less torque than a 3/8" square drive version of the same exact tool. I know as I have both. The hex to square adapter acts like a torque stick and flexes which steals power. Also the sloppy fit of the hex to square adapter into the hex quick release socket steals power as well. Hex impact drivers are for driving screws. Impact wrenches are for driving bolts.
As I stated I have both versions of this exact tool. The 3/8" impact wrench version has 200ft-lb of torque all of which gets to the bolt. I would be surprised if the impact driver with the adapter can do more than 50ft-lb. One thing that will definitely help is using the Milwaukee shockwave hex to square adapter. They are shorter than most and seem to be more resistant to twisting which aids in torque transmission.
As I stated I have both versions of this exact tool. The 3/8" impact wrench version has 200ft-lb of torque all of which gets to the bolt. I would be surprised if the impact driver with the adapter can do more than 50ft-lb. One thing that will definitely help is using the Milwaukee shockwave hex to square adapter. They are shorter than most and seem to be more resistant to twisting which aids in torque transmission.
chrisbowles
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
- Messages
- 35
Mine played out this week installing self tapping torx screws in a lowboy floor. It would turn under no load but wouldn't do anything but make noise when it met resistance. I took it back to home depot. Traded for another
kctyphoon
Banned
My 1/4" hex impact driver removed the axle nut from my Honda crv, with 1/4" hex to 1/2" square adapter and 37?? Mm socket.. I know this isn't a very scientific test, and I only did 1, so I have nothing to base it off.. Just wanted to see if it would.. I tightened it with a 1/2" milwaukee corded impact to re-install it.
Just to throw this out there, cause I was on the milwaukee site last nite, the difference in torque ratings from the 3 speed fuel, and the non fuel version, is only like 7 or 8 ftlbs
One thing I can tell you, Is that there is a difference between a pack just off the charger and one slightly used.. But I have had other bolts the impact driver couldn't remove too.. I'm no science major, but I'd imagine you will loose a lot more torque in the joints from extensions/adapters/sockets than you will from the adapters flexing.. The loose joints will just bang around inside each other since the torsion is constantly being applied and removed, as that's the nature of an impact.
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When i had the 20v Dewalt brushless, it was able to take off lug nuts torqued to 80ft/lb using the hex to 1/2" square adapter, plus a 3" extension using flip sockets. My co worker's 20v Porter Cable was able to do the same thing.
I was only trying to remove a caliper pin bolt off a Rav4, that has torque specs of only 30ft/lb. I had the hex to 3/8" adapter using a 14mm shallow socket, it kept hitting and would not loosen it. Loosened it with a ratchet like it was nothing. I used my co worker's Porter Cable on the other bolt, and it zipped it right off.
You using this?
or this?
Yes, i'm using the tool in the picture.
rlitman
Well-known member
I've got that driver. It should have plenty of torque for caliper pin bolts, but probably not enough for the caliper bracket bolts.
Did you have the power level set to 3? With a socket adapter on there, that's pretty much the only useful setting (I'll limit it to 2 with #2 philips screws). Even on the highest power setting (3), it is still a little less powerful than my Snap On IM31, which is a 3/8" air impact that weights half as much as the Milwaukee.
Did you have the power level set to 3? With a socket adapter on there, that's pretty much the only useful setting (I'll limit it to 2 with #2 philips screws). Even on the highest power setting (3), it is still a little less powerful than my Snap On IM31, which is a 3/8" air impact that weights half as much as the Milwaukee.
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"meant for driving screws"
while the impact kit comes with adapters for 3/8" and 1/2" square drive for sockets, as well as drill bits for drilling.....
i think somebody misinformed you about a few things, i use mine all the time at work for bolts, nuts, concrete anchors, etc.
because only construction workers deal in screws? you son sound like some kind of special smart that only ron white could describe accurately.
whether its a hex head bolt, or a hex head lag, a hex head is a hex head and a driver drives. if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, i'm sure you'd call it a moose.
truckdriver
Well-known member
As obvious as it seems, I would check which power setting it was on. I bump mine every so often and change it. Needs to be on 3.
kctyphoon
Banned
Why? Just because it has a different drive style? No, it's not as powerful as the fuel impact wrench, but neither are other cordless impacts..
Anything you buy at harbor freight eventually becomes a hammer.
kctyphoon
Banned
quick, tell milwaukee their pictures are deceiving, they seem to be using this impact driver in combination with a socket and hex key to tighten these lugs!
kctyphoon
Banned
Well hey there Jimmy Paul Bob - what in tarnation do ya'll do with thism her thingy??
Has anyone even checked to see if the motors are these are forward biased? Since they are marketed for *tightening* screws, they may not have nearly as much power in reverse, and they don't have much to begin with. Got any real specs?
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rice rocket
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2011
- Messages
- 3,175
quick, tell milwaukee their pictures are deceiving, they seem to be using this impact driver in combination with a socket and hex key to tighten these lugs!
There's no corrosion in that box though (at least I hope not).
I tried using this for a while around the garage too, and sold the 2653 and stepped it up to a 2654. Almost nothing stops it now except rusty things on the exhaust.
It was on three, i went through all the speed settings
kctyphoon
Banned
My prior post reads better if you do with a redneck accent and imagine a guy missing teeth.
true, unfortunately for some people like scimmia, they assume that theres only one tool for one job. if a hex impact won't loosen something, grab the next step up. i don't expect a 1/4" pneumatic or 3/8" pneumatic to loosen everything either, nor do i expect them to be able to tighten everything as well.
also, scimmia, just to entertain you, i haven't had any issues loosening anything thats been fully tightened by that driver, it would be great if you provided some kind of experience, but you are basically going on the kind of knowledge obtained from a pamphlet on an airplane, while trying to give advice to people who build the airplanes.
kctyphoon
Banned
If I place a spade drill bit inside my impact driver, am I also misusing the tool? What if I place a phillips bit into my drill??
sorry for all the junk in your thread sodoodoo.
put a socket on it and grab it with your hand (make sure its not a chipped socket either, could tear your hand up), and see if you can feel if its actually putting out any power. i know it's a bit tough to try to stop it from turning, if yours has a defective hammer mechanism inside you may need to just send it in for repair, or return for another unit if you recently bought it. if you could loosen the bolt easily by hand, theres no reason why it shouldn't have zipped it off.
don't put an auger into a 1/2" impact with a hex adapter... you're asking for trouble.
it has to do with any hex driver. not any specific brand.
85camaro
Banned
I own the 18V Milwaukee impact driver, not the fuel, but the standard one with brushes. When I bought it, I toyed around with it to see how it would perform for automotive purposes. Turns out, I much prefer the old fashion air impact wrench.
With that said, the Fuel should have enough power to remove caliper pin bolts. Caliper bracket bolts no, but pin bolts, yes
With that said, the Fuel should have enough power to remove caliper pin bolts. Caliper bracket bolts no, but pin bolts, yes
kctyphoon
Banned
The fuel impact wrench is rated at 200 ftlbs vs the drivers' 133 ftlbs.. The non-fuel is 125, so not much difference there.. Nobody is saying the driver is just as strong as the wrench - just merely stating how the drive of the tool doesn't limit it to only one purpose. I, myself am not a professional mechanic, but I work on my own cars - so if going to choose between buying 1 of 2 tools - the choice will be in favor of what gets used more, and then using an appropriate adapter to make use of it somewhere else. That in no way, is a misuse of the tool.
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SuperSheep
Well-known member
Should have used a Makita....
LoL I'm joking.
LoL I'm joking.
The brakes were done not too long ago, i believe it was less than 1k miles ago. The last tech installed the pads on incorrectly. And as i said, i removed it with a ratchet easily not putting a lot of pressure.
kctyphoon
Banned
If I were you I'd just try it on some other things..lugs.. Lags.. Find some hex drive 3 or 4 inch screws and have at it..
Sorry, I didn't notice head said impact driver....that said, now you've made not just one connection that has slack like you do on an impact wrench, you've made two. YOU'RE going to lose some torque for any joint that has slack in it on an impact, the slack defeats the impact blow, more slack, less impact. Try to pound a nail in a 2x4 with it on a pile of cardboard, then put it on concrete and try....
Like i said before, when i had a Dewalt 20v i had the adapter, plus a 3 inch 1/2" extension with a 21mm flip socket, and it took off lug nuts torqued to 80ft/lb.
if the milwaukee has better specs than the dewalt, i would expect it to atleast remove a caliper pin bolt torqued to 25-30 ft/lb
It might have had it all but loose right as you gave up and grabbed a ratchet. Did you put a bolt in something and torque it and then try the driver on it. Then you know what you have, or what you don't have.
No, but i was hitting for around 5 secs and wouldn't move, and when i did another bolt, i just used my ratchet with the same effort.