1/2" Impact Recomendation For Vehicle..??

[Crow Horse]

I carry both a Viair compressor as well as a 10# CO2 tank for airing up and impact wrench use in my Jeep. I was toting a IR 231 but being that one of my home impacts is sidelined, I'm looking for recommendations and opinions for what would be best to carry in my Jeep.

The CO2 regulator is 150 psi which puts it at about 120 at the tool. The impact wrench would hardly be used, hopefully never. But in an emergency situation where I have to remove a tire, at my age the impact is a wonderful tool. Do you think that a middle of the road (used) impact would fit my needs?

Whatcha think?

 

[Ign]

I was always told the 231C was considered the OBA impact because of relatively low CFM requirements in relation to power. Plus they're pretty damn compact.

Otherwise I'd say a HF Earthquake seems like a no-brainer. Lots of reviews here, they won't break the bank, and you won't cry too much if you lose it or drive over it.

 

[toufue_yang17]

Aircat gets my vote

 

[kctyphoon]

Is cordless an option? Just about any 18v impact driver (or wrench) can handle lugs.. Seems like a better solution being it needs to be portable, and with lithium battereis being able to maintain a charge for so long.. Doesn't have to be anything crazy, even craftsman or porter cable seems like a good solution. A $20 power inverter for mobile charging maybe 2 times a year and your set..

 

[davesnothere]

M18 fuel. Screw air.

 

[Ign]

He's already set up for pneumatic and this is one area where it makes sense: a decent air gun will cost WAY less, can sit in the vehicle forever (note the OP says rare -if ever- use) with no fear of batteries discharging or even theft (relative to the cost of a 2763 and XC battery) and no concerns about exposure to water (granted, mass amounts of water IN the air tool would seize it if not addressed) or even baths in gear oil, engine oil, brake fluid, or whatever else you might do on the trail.

If he's wanting something to leave in the vehicle for emergency OBA use, there's simply NO WAY a cordless impact makes sense financially or in terms of durability.

 

[Crow Horse]

In my particular situation, M18 fuel and cordless really wont be an option as they most likely won't be cost effective. I'm looking for an air impact that might never (hopefully) be used. Cheaper air wrenches might go for $40 on up. A $40 impact might be fine for my needs. I can't see getting a high end one for something that might never be used unless I can get it for cheap.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Even the shittiest *********** impact should remove a Jeep lugnut.

 

[CNGsaves]

Get the $19 set of Husky air tools at Home Depot (impact & ratchet).

Also, I'd have breakover bar and cheater pipe as backup.

 

[kctyphoon]

Get the $19 set of Husky air tools at Home Depot (impact & ratchet).

Also, I'd have breakover bar and cheater pipe as backup.

Ditto - if u don't wanna go cordless than HD had a Black Friday deal on a 1/2 impact and ratchet.. The impact is rated at 300 ftlbs i belive. It started off as a $50 set, but last I saw I was on the $18 mark. Great deal if you can find them. I was considering buying what was left for ebay...

Craftsman also had a composite down to $24 I think..

 

[Crow Horse]

I was thinking of the inexpensive wrenches and they'll probably serve my needs. In the unlikely event of a failure, I do carry 2 lug wrenches as backup.....

 

[Ign]

I was thinking of the inexpensive wrenches and they'll probably serve my needs. In the unlikely event of a failure, I do carry 2 lug wrenches as backup.....

Just keep your receipt and try it in your driveway. Oftentimes these super-inexpensive impacts are so weak as to be effectively useless and no different than flushing your money save for the scrap value.

 

[Gareth68]

I have used cheap impacts....they ****.

Even if you only need it once in a while, you need it to work.


What about something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ingersoll-R...769?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f2f9a641

You are already familiar and comfortable with the venerable 231.....so get another and put the best one at home..lube the hell out of the other one and leave it in teh jeep.

 

[Kjbakke2]

i have an ingersoll 2131qt and the thing is a beast even without taking into account how quiet it is. I have snapped seized 1/2" wheel studs with it and my compressor puts out about 120.

heres one on ebay for a good price but even at that theyre like 200 new

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ingersoll-R...1746619870&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr

hope this helps

 

[kctyphoon]

I have used cheap impacts....they ****.

Even if you only need it once in a while, you need it to work.


What about something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ingersoll-R...769?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f2f9a641

You are already familiar and comfortable with the venerable 231.....so get another and put the best one at home..lube the hell out of the other one and leave it in teh jeep.

I have a different model 1/2" husky that's a few years old.. It's rated at 350ftlbs and has never NOT been able to remove what I needed it to, even after laying dormant for a year or more.. There really isn't much that can go wrong with an air tool.. The one I have is by no means a "good" impact out of all that's available.. But it works when I need it to..

 

[619DioFan]

HF earthquake 1/2 impact. on sale and with a coupon 70.00 out the door.

 

[stikman56]

Stay away from the cheap impact and ratchet sets. The impacts really do ****.

 

[livinloud11]

Get the $19 set of Husky air tools at Home Depot (impact & ratchet).

Also, I'd have breakover bar and cheater pipe as backup.

For the price this can't be beat at the moment. I picked this up today for a backup as well just in case.

 

[fourtythree]

I have a $20 impact I bought years ago. It's the same cheapo impact every store includes in their inexpensive air tool sets. It's a turd plain and simple and won't take off lug nuts. If you're going to go cheap, at least spend 40-50 bucks and get something a little better.

 

[espyking83]

Even the shittiest *********** impact should remove a Jeep lugnut.

Yeah, as long as he's not doing it for 8 hours a day virtually any impact will do the job.

 

[mechanical turk]

I have one of those $20 HF impacts laying around somewhere. It's a real piece of junk, failed to take a 12mm lug bolt (17mm head) off my car after I had just torqued it on. Compressor set at 120 psi, 3/8 fittings, etc, just wouldn't do it. I don't know how they made it so bad, or maybe I got a bad one. Either way I wouldn't waste my time with one of those again. Earthquake or ebay would be my choice for something decent and low cost.

 

[GTA Matt]

Had a new kid show up at work with one of those husky or kobalt sets. Pos wouldn't touch the lugnut on a Buick. Most pathetic thing I've seen.

 

[Crow Horse]

Now this doesn't happen often. I solved my dilemma without costing me a dime. I had been gifted with a cheapo air impact a number of years ago and I never really used it much. It was a CH air impact that whose style is familiar to everyone. Maybe 250 ft#'s on a good day. I dusted it off, oiled it up and it spun the lugs off my Jeep without any issue. Good to go.

Now the biggest problem I face is where to mount the tank in the rear of my XJ. That will take some noodling....

Thanks for all the recommendations.....

 

[Kracin]

Yeah, as long as he's not doing it for 8 hours a day virtually any impact will do the job.

that really depends on who put it on last...

 

[Hpozzuoli]

My vote is Napa. I got one of their 1/2 guns for $30. It holds its own with my MG725.

The model # is 6-767. It looks very similar to an IR.

*****the $30 price was with my credit of $50ish and a discount of 20%. Even at that it isn't very expensive.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

My vote is Napa. I got one of their 1/2 guns for $30. It holds its own with my MG725.

The model # is 6-767. It looks very similar to an IR.

*****the $30 price was with my credit of $50ish and a discount of 20%. Even at that it isn't very expensive.

I have the 3/8" version; I think Florida Pneumatic makes them.

 

[wild cowboy]

if you don't want to carry the bulk associated with a compressor, a 1200W inverter + Kobalt 8.5A corded 1/2" impact would work fine.

if you decide to stick with air, the $75 (after coupon) HF 1/2" earthquake will bust any lug nut you will ever encounter!

 

[Crow Horse]

that really depends on who put it on last...

That would be me. I make sure the wheels are torqued properly. I did have an experience once some years ago when a tech socked them down so tight I couldn't get them to budge. Never again. I always check them periodically just to be sure. Being on the road and needing to remove a tire is the last place one wants to discover that a mechanic overtorqued the wheels and you can't get it off...
I'm going to keep my eye out for another IR231 for cheap. That gun had got some serious ***...

 

[Ign]

Now the biggest problem I face is where to mount the tank in the rear of my XJ. That will take some noodling....

Thanks for all the recommendations.....

Plenty of guys have crammed Yorks in XJ engine bays! Can't beat it for infinite, free air

 

[Kracin]

That would be me. I make sure the wheels are torqued properly. I did have an experience once some years ago when a tech socked them down so tight I couldn't get them to budge. Never again. I always check them periodically just to be sure. Being on the road and needing to remove a tire is the last place one wants to discover that a mechanic overtorqued the wheels and you can't get it off...
I'm going to keep my eye out for another IR231 for cheap. That gun had got some serious ***...

thats good peace of mind there. not too good of a sight when you see people jumping up and down on a 4x4 or a lug bar trying to get their wheels off, you know some jackass at a lube shop torqued them down til they stopped turning at that point.

 

[Crow Horse]

Plenty of guys have crammed Yorks in XJ engine bays! Can't beat it for infinite, free air

Not really free air, but every system has it's assets & liabilities. When I decided as what system I was going to use, I had certain requirements and certainly budget being the most restrictive. I didn't want anything in the engine bay or to run off the motor so that tossed out the AC compressor conversion. Being that I already had the CO2 setup from my old Zook, I was going to use that pretty much just to run an air impact and only to air up if time is a consideration. If time allows, I have the Viair compressor to fill tires. The down side is that the motor must be running while in use, just like the York. Obviously, CO2 doesn't require this and is totally portable and can be used remote from the vehicle as well as transferred into another vehicle. These were some of the major points that pointed me to where I am now. It's not perfect, but should suit me well.......