Best 1/2" cordless impact wrench

[Aussiejake]

Looking at purchasing a new 1/2" impact wrench. Heavy diesel mechanic and over my snap on wrench.

 

[Westozfixer]

Milwaukee 18V fuel compact

 

[kctyphoon]

The Milwaukee fuel high torque model is probably your best bet for big hardware. It has a huge following here. Dewalt and Makita both make competing models now, but the Milwaukee has been around the longest, has the best warranty, the biggest following, and probably the best mechanic geared system when you consider all the other tools available. They also have a rubber boot to help protect the tools.

They have the 1/2" and 3/4" high torque models, the 3/8 and 1/2" smaller m18 models, m12 3/8 and 1/4" impacts, an m12 ratchet, and the largest lighting platform anyone offers.

You'd be hard pressed to find a better option when you consider everything else they offer in their lineup with just 2 different battery platforms.

Ingersol Rand is another option, esp since they just came out with a high powered 3/8" model too.. You should take a look at what the different battery platforms offer as a complete line, instead of just 1 tool.. The IR stuff is obviously geared directly for mechanics. Their hammerhead impact is pretty interesting too.

 

[scissorman]

If you want a cordless I would go with the IR W7150 model. If you want air then i'd go with the IR 2235QTIMAX

 

[stikman56]

I just switched to Milwaukee and am quite happy with them.

 

[CJM8515]

VERY happy with my milwaukee 1/2!

 

[rice rocket]

I've had both the Milwaukee and the Ingersoll Rand, and sold them both. They're just way too big and heavy to use daily.

The one you really want is this (especially being in AUS, where Metabo distribution is MUCH better than US distribution). 325 ft lbs (440 Nm) @ 1.8 kg is incredible power to weight.

And to boot, it's made in Germany and no more expensive, whereas the IR and Milwaukee are both made is China.


https://www.protoolreviews.com/tool...400-bl-impact-wrench-with-lihd-battery/20224/


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nLppSI1IHN4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[kctyphoon]

And the Milwaukee is rated at 700ftlbs... (Which is why people buy it)
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2763-22

Milwaukee's smaller 1/2" is like 180ftlbs, which is pretty respectable..

The Ingersoll Rand 1/2" high torque is rated at 780ftlbs...
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.co...ols/iqv20/w7150-1-2-20v-high-torque-impactool

Their new high power small 1/2", (that also comes in 3/8) is 365ftlbs
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/am-en/products/tools/Iqv-cordless-tools/iqv20/w5152

And their 1/2" right angle impact with 180ftlbs
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/am-en/products/tools/Iqv-cordless-tools/iqv20/W5330-W5350/w5350

IR also makes a similar looking 20v ratchet, and lighting as well.

Again, it's smart to invest in a platform, not just your first tool.

 

[JonnyMac]

Makita brushless is awesome.. comes in 1/2" or 3/4".... 1600Nm break away torque

 

[gdocktor3]

Go to the search bar at top of page and type in cordless impact wrench and about 20 threads will pop up, each saying the exact same thing. Bottom line, there is no "best" impact wrench on here. It's mostly based on personal preference. Very few people can say they've used each brand and can say one is better than the rest. One thing I will say is to go with Dewalt or Milwaukee over a truck brand. Same performance for way cheaper. I own the new 20v Dewalt brushless and have been extremely impressed with it. My best tool purchase in a while. Many argue the Milwaukee impact is better than the Dewalt, but that's just not true. They are nearly identical in power, except that Dewalt has 3 power modes vs Milwaukees 2. The Dewalt also has an angled grip to offset the battery away from the nose cone, providing more clearance. Another good thing is Mac and Dewalt tools/batteries are interchangeable, offering a lot more choices in tools. I can't compare the impacts, but will say the Milwaukee sawzall, impact drivers and drills I've used seem heavier than the comparable Dewalts.

My advice is to watch these videos, then go from there

 

[rice rocket]

And the Milwaukee is rated at 700ftlbs... (Which is why people buy it)
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2763-22

Milwaukee's smaller 1/2" is like 180ftlbs, which is pretty respectable..

The Ingersoll Rand 1/2" high torque is rated at 780ftlbs...
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.co...ols/iqv20/w7150-1-2-20v-high-torque-impactool

Their new high power small 1/2", (that also comes in 3/8) is 365ftlbs
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/am-en/products/tools/Iqv-cordless-tools/iqv20/w5152

And their 1/2" right angle impact with 180ftlbs
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/am-en/products/tools/Iqv-cordless-tools/iqv20/W5330-W5350/w5350

IR also makes a similar looking 20v ratchet, and lighting as well.

Again, it's smart to invest in a platform, not just your first tool.

If you're down for chasing specs, then go ahead and get the Milwaukee. It does that well, but swinging a 7 lb tool around daily isn't for me when a 4 lb tool will cover 99% of the workload. I've had that compact 18v Milwaukee as well, and it does fine, just the Metabo is 50% more power and has better torque control.


Also the platform argument is how all you guys got sucked into getting a few good tools and then a whole bunch of mediocre tools. There's no one manufacturer that makes the best of all. If you're going to have more than 3 batteries anyways (which most of you do), you might as well get the best tool of each brand.

 

[firebox40dash5]

Also the platform argument is how all you guys got sucked into getting a few good tools and then a whole bunch of mediocre tools. There's no one manufacturer that makes the best of all. If you're going to have more than 3 batteries anyways (which most of you do), you might as well get the best tool of each brand.

There's a little difference between "I have 3 batteries for all my tools" and "I have different batteries for my 3 different brands of tools". I've got a handful of M18 batteries, a handful of dual-voltage chargers, and a bunch of tools. I can use the piss out of one tool and keep swapping batteries on it... good luck there with 3 different systems when you've gotta buy 3 extra batteries to get an extra for each. One battery fails or gets broken (that's what happens to mine, it seems) and you're down a battery on that tool, hope you have a spare.

M18 has given me all I need... though I admittedly haven't looked at Metabo in a while and they may well offer everything you need for wrenching and metalworking by now. But I've seen enough guys in shops buy 'the best' of each tool and end up with a bunch of battery platforms, and it almost always ends up with all but one going by the wayside, and compromising on whichever fits their needs the closest.

Me personally, I'd grab the compact M18 Fuel in 1/2 or 3/8 (I just stick a 1/2" adapter on my 3/8) and the high-torque in whichever size you'll need a lot of power in more often... unless you really think you'd need >200lb/ft very often.

 

[buckwheat_la]

Makita doesn't get enough love in these threads. Look into it and you won't regret it. I love mine, huge power, good battery life, and smaller than others in its class.

 

[MattPersman]

I have the IR and the Milwaukee and had both snap on LION guns. 7850 and 8850 Snap ons are gone. IR is at home and the Milwaukee gets the daily use.
The snap on had the power of the IR. The Milwaukee has more power than all of those. And it's more reliable. The IR didn't even make it the first year warranty. The replacement gun got the same problem so I just brought it home and use it for stuff here occasionally so I don't have to fire up the compressor

I would do the Milwaukee or the Dewalt. The positive of the Milwaukee is the 3/8 fuel gun has more power than Dewalts 3/8 gun.

Milwaukee has a great warranty and they stand behind them not just say they are warranty.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wafrederick]

Milwaukee and I have no regrets when I bought mine.I do watch one you tube subscriber's video and subscribed to his channel,j young.He had a Snap On cordless tool sent in under warranty and got a surprise when he got it back.There was a $95.00 charge put on and his dealer ate that service charge.Snap On said there was oil in it and all this guy does is restore classic tractors.There are you tube videos with the Milwaukee outperforming the Snap On and this is one of them,

 

[Ram Hemi]

I have the Milwaukee 2763 1/2". 1100 ftlb,
It's pretty sweet, haven't got to test it on things to it's full potential but have removed lots of 1" bolts (1 1/2" socket) and lots of track pad bolts off equipment that my cp 7488 usually won't take out, pretty effortlessly. The batteries last a long time (I have the 4.0's) and they have all kinds of other sweet tools you can buy once you have batteries.

 

[neonlazer]

I have the Milwaukee. I used to have the W7150 but I wanted to explain my wireless collection so I sold it for the 2763, almost the same power but MANY MANY more other M18 tools to go with it.

 

[Aussiejake]

Thank you so much for all your input guy's. Been a great help.

 

[slow_mow]

No offense to anyone here, but please try to demo the Ryobi 1/2" impact before you go any further. I Use the 4.0ah lithium batteries, and am beyond impressed. I use this thing professionally daily. Ryobi claims 300 ft lbs, and I believe it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ON...-Speed-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-P261/205885687

Whoops, just realized you're in Australia, do you have Home Depot down under??

 

[Showkey]

No offense to anyone here, but please try to demo the Ryobi 1/2" impact before you go any further. I Use the 4.0ah lithium batteries, and am beyond impressed. I use this thing professionally daily. Ryobi claims 300 ft lbs, and I believe it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ON...-Speed-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-P261/205885687

Whoops, just realized you're in Australia, do you have Home Depot down under??

300 ft. Lbs. ........pretty weak sauce

 

[gdocktor3]

300 ft. Lbs. ........pretty weak sauce

LOL. I feel bad because he was being serious...

 

[marlinspike]

Unless he means he works on locomotives when he says he is a diesel mechanic, the torque difference between 325lb-ft of the Metabo and 700 lb-ft of the Milwaukee is meaningless. Compact size and low weight are king in the world of auto technicians. Go with the Metabo.

 

[gdocktor3]

Unless he means he works on locomotives when he says he is a diesel mechanic, the torque difference between 325lb-ft of the Metabo and 700 lb-ft of the Milwaukee is meaningless. Compact size and low weight are king in the world of auto technicians. Go with the Metabo.

If you're going to go 1/2", you may as well get the cream of the crop. Why spend all that money on a tool that might not be able to remove an over torqued lug nut one day? I think 400 ft lb's is a pretty meaningful difference. A 3/8" can be purchased later on to achieve the compact size and low weight aspect, while using the same battery.

 

[marlinspike]

If you're going to go 1/2", you may as well get the cream of the crop. Why spend all that money on a tool that might not be able to remove an over torqued lug nut one day? I think 400 ft lb's is a pretty meaningful difference. A 3/8" can be purchased later on to achieve the compact size and low weight aspect, while using the same battery.

Because generally you just buy 1/2" impact sockets and you will just about never encounter a bolt on a car that can even take that much torque without shearing. Crank bolt is all I can think of, and it's too tight to get anything in there that isn't an air tool anyway.

What does matter everyday is ergonomics, weight, and vibration.

 

[gdocktor3]

He said heavy diesel mechanic. I'm thinking tractor trailers and dump trucks, heavy equipment type stuff needing a lot of suspension work, chassis work, big *** lug nuts, tracks, buckets, etc etc. If he's working on one ton diesel pickups and small stuff like that, that small Metabo would probably work, but I'd still get one of the big dogs. Especially one like the Dewalt that can do everything the Metabo can on mode/setting #2 aka medium..

 

[slow_mow]

LOL. I feel bad because he was being serious...

For 99% of what I do, this impact is more than capable. Laugh all you want....

I turn wrenches for a living, do you?

Let me put it to you this way, I maintain an entire counties worth of aerial equipment by myself. My Ryobi will tear 160 ft lb torqued lug nuts off of F450's no problem. I use my air in the shop, but when on the road, the Ryobi is priceless. I have over 60 vehicles in my fleet, repaired and maintained by no one but me. There is no cordless impact that will pull the crank pulley bolt out of a D8 46a. Ask me how I know. That's where 3/4 guns come into play. Cordless and heavy equipment don't play well together.

 

[rice rocket]

If you're going to go 1/2", you may as well get the cream of the crop. Why spend all that money on a tool that might not be able to remove an over torqued lug nut one day? I think 400 ft lb's is a pretty meaningful difference. A 3/8" can be purchased later on to achieve the compact size and low weight aspect, while using the same battery.

So you're going to penalize yourself and buy a tool that you can't use in 50% of the places because it's so big? Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face...

 

[kctyphoon]

For 99% of what I do, this impact is more than capable. Laugh all you want....

I turn wrenches for a living, do you?

Let me put it to you this way, I maintain an entire counties worth of aerial equipment by myself. My Ryobi will tear 160 ft lb torqued lug nuts off of F450's no problem. I use my air in the shop, but when on the road, the Ryobi is priceless. I have over 60 vehicles in my fleet, repaired and maintained by no one but me. There is no cordless impact that will pull the crank pulley bolt out of a D8 46a. Ask me how I know. That's where 3/4 guns come into play. Cordless and heavy equipment don't play well together.

While the Ryobi might be "good enough" all impacts and batteries are not created equal. There is a reason why premium stuff is more expensive. I know these are not the same tools - but rather a battery comparison. If you watch "Real tool Reviews" he did a demo on Makita's new compact (almost the size of their 12v) 18v impact drivers. Running their smallest 18v on a 2ah pack, the Makita drove almost the same amount of deck screws into pressure treated lumber as Ryobi's full size driver using a 4ah pack in a separate video. While many people choose to run stuff like Ryobi in a professional setting, (mostly due to cost savings) they really aren't designed for the constant abuse, and warranties might exclude that. (I've read this has been the case with PC for some people) I've watched a few YouTube videos comparing the Ryobi impacts wrench with better brands and the results are pretty clear why the more expensive stuff costs more.

 

[stikman56]

For 99% of what I do, this impact is more than capable. Laugh all you want....

I turn wrenches for a living, do you?

Let me put it to you this way, I maintain an entire counties worth of aerial equipment by myself. My Ryobi will tear 160 ft lb torqued lug nuts off of F450's no problem. I use my air in the shop, but when on the road, the Ryobi is priceless. I have over 60 vehicles in my fleet, repaired and maintained by no one but me. There is no cordless impact that will pull the crank pulley bolt out of a D8 46a. Ask me how I know. That's where 3/4 guns come into play. Cordless and heavy equipment don't play well together.

I do. I work on motor coaches, they use the same running gear as trucks do, with heavy suspensions of course. My M18 2662-20 can take lug nuts off. I'm not saying it's a good idea, but it will and I have as well. I don't need air very often working on them and air hoses are a PITA as far as I'm concerned. With the small air hose my IR 258 would not remove them the other day and the Milwaukee did. I think you might be using cordless impacts with lesser torque, when you're speaking of heavy equipment? Cordless 1/2" models are as strong as air now. My Nitrocat 1000M does no better than my Milwaukee, they are pretty evenly matched to be honest. I tested them side by side on a wheel one day out of curiosity,both take about the same time to remove a lug nut that was torqued properly. Go figure. 10 years ago if you were to ask me I'd have said I'd never thought I'd see that day come. There's stronger cordless than the one I have.

 

[slow_mow]

While the Ryobi might be "good enough" all impacts and batteries are not created equal. There is a reason why premium stuff is more expensive. I know these are not the same tools - but rather a battery comparison. If you watch "Real tool Reviews" he did a demo on Makita's new compact (almost the size of their 12v) 18v impact drivers. Running their smallest 18v on a 2ah pack, the Makita drove almost the same amount of deck screws into pressure treated lumber as Ryobi's full size driver using a 4ah pack in a separate video. While many people choose to run stuff like Ryobi in a professional setting, (mostly due to cost savings) they really aren't designed for the constant abuse, and warranties might exclude that. (I've read this has been the case with PC for some people) I've watched a few YouTube videos comparing the Ryobi impacts wrench with better brands and the results are pretty clear why the more expensive stuff costs more.

No offense, but I am fairly certain you are a lineman working for a company very similar to mine (although smaller). I don't care about videos, I don't care about YouTube, I care about results. I've had my Ryobi next to Milwaukee in the field. The difference is dismal. I had the original Ryobi 1/2 impact, and I was sold. I bought the newer version, and swore there would never be a red or yellow cordless tool in my box again. I am extremely satisfied with all of my Ryobi cordless. Why waste money when you don't have to?

 

[slow_mow]

I do. I work on motor coaches, they use the same running gear as trucks do, with heavy suspensions of course. My M18 2662-20 can take lug nuts off. I'm not saying it's a good idea, but it will and I have as well. I don't need air very often working on them and air hoses are a PITA as far as I'm concerned. With the small air hose my IR 258 would not remove them the other day and the Milwaukee did. I think you might be using cordless impacts with lesser torque, when you're speaking of heavy equipment? Cordless 1/2" models are as strong as air now. My Nitrocat 1000M does no better than my Milwaukee, they are pretty evenly matched to be honest. I tested them side by side on a wheel one day out of curiosity,both take about the same time to remove a lug nut that was torqued properly. Go figure. 10 years ago if you were to ask me I'd have said I'd never thought I'd see that day come. There's stronger cordless than the one I have.

Then you have a faulty nitrocat

 

[kctyphoon]

If you're down for chasing specs, then go ahead and get the Milwaukee. It does that well, but swinging a 7 lb tool around daily isn't for me when a 4 lb tool will cover 99% of the workload. I've had that compact 18v Milwaukee as well, and it does fine, just the Metabo is 50% more power and has better torque control.


Also the platform argument is how all you guys got sucked into getting a few good tools and then a whole bunch of mediocre tools. There's no one manufacturer that makes the best of all. If you're going to have more than 3 batteries anyways (which most of you do), you might as well get the best tool of each brand.

I'm not sure that people feel they've got "sucked" into one platform. It's a better investment to have 4 batteries that can run 10 tools then it would be to have 5 different brands, 5 different chargers, and 5 different pair of batteries. If I were a mechanic, I MIGHT have chosen to go with something like IR over Milwaukee, or maybe even both - but I've never felt like I've been short changed with the Milwaukee stuff for home or work. Also, being able to run 3 different impacts with the same batteries does have its advantages, esp when it comes to the space savings of not having to make sure 4 different chargers are always plugged in, and making sure another battery is always charged and at the ready for each. If one charger takes a dump, then you stand the chance or having those tools rendered useless. Having multiple impacts also helps save the tools, since one doesn't have to bear the brunt of all the work - and that same tool doesn't always have to struggle with doing things at the upper end of its capability. Having the big Milwaukee (or something similar) just to do lugs on a big truck is probably enough to justify its purchase.

I do have both the Milwaukee fuel and Dewalt brushless versions of their 7/16 hex drive impact wrenches. The performance is very similar, but the Milwaukee just feels a lot better to use, and the Dewalt seems a bit more clunky. Also - Milwaukee offers a lot more tools that cover a wide range of professions, esp when it comes to lighting which is something that makes my life easier. The heated jackets are another big plus, and dewalts power source is just stupid big for them, esp for their 12v batteries.

If it were a better investment to buy single power tools from different brands, and have chargers and batteries for each - then more people would that. With the big gains that have come with new motor and battery technology, that's not really much of an issue anymore. If it were - then all you guys would still be using air tools.

To be clear - I'm not saying that Metabo isn't a good choice. Just saying its a benefit to have multiple tools run off the same batteries.

 

[kctyphoon]

No offense, but I am fairly certain you are a lineman working for a company very similar to mine (although smaller). I don't care about videos, I don't care about YouTube, I care about results. I've had my Ryobi next to Milwaukee in the field. The difference is dismal. I had the original Ryobi 1/2 impact, and I was sold. I bought the newer version, and swore there would never be a red or yellow cordless tool in my box again. I am extremely satisfied with all of my Ryobi cordless. Why waste money when you don't have to?

Well, all I can say is my corded IR's are rated at 300ftlbs, and my Milwaukee is rated at 500ftlbs (200 LESS than the 1/2" drive version). The results are quite clear to me. Also - it's the platform I invested in. If Ryobi ever makes towers lights, lights I can drop into manholes like the lanterns and original m18 floodlight, cable cutters - maybe I'd reconsider. But getting half the runtime from Ryobi's 4ah batteries compared to a premium brand is not something I can ever overlook. (besides the fact that Ryobi doesn't make a 7/16 hex drive impact) the 5 year tool warranty is another benefit. Brushless motors are another.

 

[gnxtc2]

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[rice rocket]

Billy T.
[email protected]

Why is this dude yelling.

 

[stikman56]

Then you have a faulty nitrocat

Really? Cause I built this one myself, it's a big rotor wrench now and is as strong as Allan's new Napa 6-1123 impact. His is rated at 1200, mine 1000. I don't think so.

 

[slow_mow]

Well, all I can say is my corded IR's are rated at 300ftlbs, and my Milwaukee is rated at 500ftlbs (200 LESS than the 1/2" drive version). The results are quite clear to me. Also - it's the platform I invested in. If Ryobi ever makes towers lights, lights I can drop into manholes like the lanterns and original m18 floodlight, cable cutters - maybe I'd reconsider. But getting half the runtime from Ryobi's 4ah batteries compared to a premium brand is not something I can ever overlook. (besides the fact that Ryobi doesn't make a 7/16 hex drive impact) the 5 year tool warranty is another benefit. Brushless motors are another.

I'm sure nearly any cordless impact will work fine for driving a lag into a pole.....

 

[kctyphoon]

I'm sure nearly any cordless impact will work fine for driving a lag into a pole.....

I use a hammer for that, but I'm curious how you maintain the fleet for an entire country by yourself though. I work for a pretty large company and just about all our construction garages have 2 fleet mechanics.

 

[slow_mow]

I'm sorry you misread, I said "COUNTY". And I'm positive AT&T is larger than Verizon....
I also don't have the luxury of a union, so I actually have to work for a living.

 

[kctyphoon]

OP - something that might actually be helpful - Torque testing results. The results of the tested models are all in reverse torque..

IR - Dewalt - Milwaukee

Makita -

I'll save you the watching - results are as follows for the 1/2"

IR W7150 (brushed I think) 869 ftlbs (1 year warranty) protective boot available
Dewalt Brushless 1,014 ftlbs (3 year warranty)
Milwaukee Fuel 1,012 ftlbs. (5 year warranty). Protective boot available
Makita Brushless XWT08Z 1,055 ftlbs (3 year warranty)
Ryobi p261 (not tested), rated at 300 (3 year warranty)
Ridgid brushed - (not tested) rated at 325 (lifetime w/registration)
Koblat 24v brushless (not tested) rated at 650 ftlbs (break away) 5yr warranty

What's nice about Milwaukee and Dewalt, is their chargers also do their 12v batteries as well. However the Milwaukee has 1 slot for each, so their 18v chargers can do one of each for both their 18v and 12v.. Dewalt holds only one battery at a time, but it will do either since they are both a slide pack.

I don't have the IR or Makita - so I dont know if their chargers do both.