1/2 cordless impact- Platform question

[Marc Voorhees]

Hi All, back with another question

I currently have the Porter Cable 20V Lithium (what Lowes used to sell) ecosystem. I have roughly 10 tools and 6 batteries. Most everything is going strong and in good shape.

I know that Porter Cable is being discontinued at Lowes, and as such I am anticipating batteries becoming scarce in the future, but for now everything is fine.

I am in the market for a 1/2 cordless impact driver to be used for removing tires mostly, but I suppose it will have uses beyond that as well. Porter cable does offer a 1/2 impact (Can be found here) and I can get a couple extra batteries for the ecosystem along with it for $200, BUT the stats seem kind of..... paltry. 260ft/lbs seems a bit light, I know my lugnuts are only to 93 or whatever, but still, 260 seems light

So my question is this: Should I buy the cordless impact from my existing tool line knowing that eventually it is going to be headed on its way out with the battery technology and that its specs may not be that great? Do I buy the best cordless impact regardless of battery system (any recommendations? Kobalt 24? HF Earthquake or whatever?)? Or a corded option which would be less than ideal, but would get the job done? Or is there another option I haven't thought of?

I do have air in my shop, but no power as of right now, so I can't run the compressor (new house new shop problems), but I would like to avoid an air tool. Call it user error, but I never have any luck with air impact drivers. I also buy cheap ones because this is a tool I would reach for 2x per year at most.

Thanks in advance!

 

[619DioFan]

As a serious DIYer all my cordless stuff is Ryobi. when I decided to add a 1/2 drive cordless impact to the mix I wanted the strongest I could get so I went with the full strength balls out milwaukee fuel ( not the mid torque ) yes it was pricey but the power has been worth it as there have been times when my air impact couldn't remove a fastener , the fuel has never failed. I also bought the 3/8 drive as well. I recommend the fuel impact.

 

[Lucid Moments]

Honestly for your stated usage I would probably go with the Porter Cable. It just doesn't normally take a whole lot to pull lugnuts if they weren't overtorqued to begin with. That is an important caveat though since way too many shops beat the snot out of them when putting them on.

Is there any way you can try one? I don't put much trust in box stats as they are frequently complete ********. Maybe buy it and try to take your lugnuts off as soon as you get it home. If it works then fine, and if it doesn't then it just costs you a trip back to the store.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

As a serious DIYer all my cordless stuff is Ryobi. when I decided to add a 1/2 drive cordless impact to the mix I wanted the strongest I could get so I went with the full strength balls out milwaukee fuel ( not the mid torque ) yes it was pricey but the power has been worth it as there have been times when my air impact couldn't remove a fastener , the fuel has never failed. I also bought the 3/8 drive as well. I recommend the fuel impact.

Is those your only stand alone tools? Do you plan on converting over to the full milwalkee line at some point? Or sticking with Ryobi? Tha ks so much for the input!

 

[Marc Voorhees]

Honestly for your stated usage I would probably go with the Porter Cable. It just doesn't normally take a whole lot to pull lugnuts if they weren't overtorqued to begin with. That is an important caveat though since way too many shops beat the snot out of them when putting them on.

Is there any way you can try one? I don't put much trust in box stats as they are frequently complete ********. Maybe buy it and try to take your lugnuts off as soon as you get it home. If it works then fine, and if it doesn't then it just costs you a trip back to the store.

I can't find it at a sore as Lowes doesn't really sell them a unite. I can always buy from Amazon and return it I suppose!

 

[M635_Guy]

You'd probably have at least two more years, but as a Craftsman C3 refugee, I understand the dilemma. If you don't use all those tools a lot, I'd be tempted to sell them while they have a good usefulness window and value, using the money to replace the key tools with your new chosen platform and build from there.

Between Milwuakee, Dewalt and Ryobi, I don't think there's a big mistake to be made. I have portfolio or longevity concerns about everyone else I can think of (though my brain is ready to crash, so I might be missing somebody). I chose Milwaukee and heartily recommend it to anyone.

As a single tool, it's hard to beat the versatility of the M18 Fuel Mid-Torque Gen 2. It's pretty darn small, packs a whallop, has a great tri-light and really useful modes, etc. I love mine.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

Yowza, so I jusst checked prices , holy hell. But fair enough. Buy quality. Seems the 2767 high torque tool is roughly 450

Just as a point of comparison, there is someone in our forum selling a snap on 1/2 cordless impact with 2 batteries for 540 shipped. Is the snap on setup with a look? Or just stick with something like the mil?

 

[shawhite]

To me it would depend on what tools and how often you use them. You can buy adapters to use a lot of different batteries for other manufacture tools. Also I’m pretty sure with a small mod you can use PC batteries in both black and decker and Dewalt tools. I am not a big fan of snap-on cordless stuff I would go IR before I bought snap-on.

 

[619DioFan]

Is those your only stand alone tools? Do you plan on converting over to the full milwalkee line at some point? Or sticking with Ryobi? Tha ks so much for the input!

I have no plans to add any additional milwaukee tools to my collection. I have a large assortment of Ryobi including my weedeater and it all works great for me. my air tools are all hf earthquake and they also work great. at the time though Ryobi did not offer much in the way of a strong 1/2 drive impact and I wanted something that would handle what ever the earthquake could not so I went with the milwaukee for that reason.

 

[MRunabout]

Possibly an unpopular opinion but my Ridgid R86211B has been working without issue for the last several months that I've had it. It's removed and installed my wheels multiple times as well as removing and installing all four struts using the 3aH battery. It's currently sitting around 50% battery life

 

[kbeefy]

I have an older IR 360# cordless that got relegated to home duty and a dewalt 1000# for the real work.
After having a modern 1000# gun the lower power gun doesn't get used very much. I would use it strictly for atv and lawn stuff, but I'm pretty sure my 3/8 stuff is just as powerfull and lighter.

If you don't have plans to update to a newer tool platform, I would get the strongest cheap one I could find. Maybe a HF. No need for a $500 Milwakee or Dewalt that you only use twice a year.

 

[Mandres]

I know, I know, but you're going to need shop air anyway right? The old reliable Ingersoll 231c is dirt cheap and has all the power you'll ever need. I couldn't justify $300+ for a battery that will sit on the shelf. Spend the $ to fix the electrical, imo.

 

[visionguru]

Yowza, so I jusst checked prices , holy hell. But fair enough. Buy quality. Seems the 2767 high torque tool is roughly 450

Just as a point of comparison, there is someone in our forum selling a snap on 1/2 cordless impact with 2 batteries for 540 shipped. Is the snap on setup with a look? Or just stick with something like the mil?

Ingersoll Rand W7152 beats them all, not just specs but the built quality.

 

[finn]

Don’t get hung up on trying to stay with a single battery platform for all of your tools. I had, I think, six different platforms in active use, although the majority of my newer tools were 20v Dewalt, and 12 and 18v Bosch.

I added the Milwaukee 2767 and a compact 3/8” drive impact (don’t remember the number), so now I’m up to seven platforms, although they are spread out between three sites in two states.

Multiple platforms just aren’t an issue to me.

I would suggest you seriously consider the ergonomic drawbacks of a large impact. The 2767 is powerful, but heavy and unbalanced. I find that I rarely use it, much preferring the smaller, well balanced tools. I bought it to get away from air hoses, but a breaker bar to supplement the small air impact, or maybe a mid range gun, would have been a better route for me.

 

[M635_Guy]

Yowza, so I jusst checked prices , holy hell. But fair enough. Buy quality. Seems the 2767 high torque tool is roughly 450

Just as a point of comparison, there is someone in our forum selling a snap on 1/2 cordless impact with 2 batteries for 540 shipped. Is the snap on setup with a look? Or just stick with something like the mil?

Unless you're working on big rigs or crazy-rusty stuff, I'd stick with the mid Gen 2 - not nearly as big/heavy/expensive and still packs a whallop. I just finished doing the suspension on my Mini and it didn't blink at anything.

M12 Stubby --> Gen 2 Mid --> Gen 1 Mid


To give you an idea how much bigger the 2767 is... (2767 --> Gen1 Med --> M12 Stubby)

I don't know why I didn't take a pic of the 2767 and the Gen2 Mid before I sold the bigger one. (I still need to sell the Gen 1 Mid)

 

[Marc Voorhees]

I know, I know, but you're going to need shop air anyway right? The old reliable Ingersoll 231c is dirt cheap and has all the power you'll ever need. I couldn't justify $300+ for a battery that will sit on the shelf. Spend the $ to fix the electrical, imo.

It is on the list and not an issue of funding. The electrical is major surgery that is going to require several months lead time for an electrician. The house panel needs to be replaced as well. If it was just running off of a modern box, I would have done it already. Even if I did though. I still don't like air impacts.

Don’t get hung up on trying to stay with a single battery platform for all of your tools. I had, I think, six different platforms in active use, although the majority of my newer tools were 20v Dewalt, and 12 and 18v Bosch.

I added the Milwaukee 2767 and a compact 3/8” drive impact (don’t remember the number), so now I’m up to seven platforms, although they are spread out between three sites in two states.

Multiple platforms just aren’t an issue to me.

I would suggest you seriously consider the ergonomic drawbacks of a large impact. The 2767 is powerful, but heavy and unbalanced. I find that I rarely use it, much preferring the smaller, well balanced tools. I bought it to get away from air hoses, but a breaker bar to supplement the small air impact, or maybe a mid range gun, would have been a better route for me.

So yeah, seeing the pictures of the relative sixed, the midrange might be my go to choice here. That is massive. and the mid range seems like it might be more useable anyway in more applications. Thanks!

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I have the dewalt high torque 899 and I really like it. If ryobi would have came out with there new impact sooner I would have went that way. The pc impact might work fine for you but a220-250ft lb impact to me works pretty hard to get lug nuts off. Atleast here in Michigan

 

[Marc Voorhees]

I have the dewalt high torque 899 and I really like it. If ryobi would have came out with there new impact sooner I would have went that way. The pc impact might work fine for you but a220-250ft lb impact to me works pretty hard to get lug nuts off. Atleast here in Michigan

Also in michigan, so I assume I might have some similar issues

 

[SamuraiJack]

For a tool you only plan on using 2x a year could you get by with a breaker bar? I have the MKE high torque 1/2" impact it was $250 tool only (it is awesome), but already had the batteries/charger for other more used tools.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

For a tool you only plan on using 2x a year could you get by with a breaker bar? I have the MKE high torque 1/2" impact it was $250 tool only (it is awesome), but already had the batteries/charger for other more used tools.

I can, but I have some suspension work coming up as well, so ideally I would have a tool that will assist with that as well (Like the smaller mid torque model)

I have gotten by with a breaker bar thus far in life, and could probably continue, but hey, looking for a glow up

 

[M635_Guy]

I can, but I have some suspension work coming up as well, so ideally I would have a tool that will assist with that as well (Like the smaller mid torque model)

I have gotten by with a breaker bar thus far in life, and could probably continue, but hey, looking for a glow up

Breaker bars are mighty hard to get in all the places you want to get when you're doing a suspension.

The Mini requires dropping the front subframe to do control arms and swaybars, and for that and all four corners I needed nothing more than a couple lengths of extension and I think maybe a wobble in one spot. The 2767 wouldn't have fit everywhere I needed to go for that job (the damn Mini is an origami car...), but the Mid was fantastic. With the 3Ah battery (which shockingly doesn't rob it of any power) it feels pretty effortless. Anyway, my $0.02 on that area.

The whole battery-platform thing is a matter of preference I guess. The idea of having three or four chargers (or more), a bunch of non-compatible batteries to keep track of/charged/etc. is nightmare fuel for me. Across the M12 and M18 stuff I own, I have less batteries than I do power tools and just one fast-charger. That makes putting stuff in a bag to go to a car show, to go help somebody with something, etc. a lot simpler, and I highly value simplicity. But that's just me.

When I realized Sears/Craftsman had abandoned the C3 line, I was way too late to do anything life-extending for my tools. I had just one good battery left. I got rid of all of it and took the opportunity to upgrade a bit too. In your case, I'm not sure I'd invest in any new tools from PC, but you certainly can keep what you've got going for however many years it takes your batteries to die or even add a couple fresh ones.

Or get value for them now and move to new stuff.

 

[shawhite]

Air is still king. Size vs power it’s unmatched also usually cheaper. That said I would stick with your current PC tools and see about getting an adapter where you can use your current batteries on a different tool (Dewalt or Milwaukee) and get one odd bare tool for the impact and as your tools fail switch over. Not buying the batteries and charger will save some $$$. I’m pretty sure there is a way to use Dewalt tools with PC batteries.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

Also in michigan, so I assume I might have some similar issues

Ya. Good ol rust belt. I had the craftsman c3 impact and that was 300 ft lb and 3000 ipm and that struggled a bit to get the lugs off my 94 chevy but it did work. Honestly for your $ it’s tough to beat ryobi, hart and kobalt. Dewalt and Milwaukee is everywhere so that’s really nice to

 

[ptgarcia]

Ryobi is about to release a high torque impact wrench that puts out 700 lb-ft fastening and 1,170 lb-ft loosening torque. The newer Ryobi brushless line of power tools are very good quality at the price point.

 

[M635_Guy]

Ya. Good ol rust belt. I had the craftsman c3 impact and that was 300 ft lb and 3000 ipm and that struggled a bit to get the lugs off my 94 chevy but it did work. Honestly for your $ it’s tough to beat ryobi, hart and kobalt. Dewalt and Milwaukee is everywhere so that’s really nice to

Hart and Kobalt are not brands I'd personally trust long-term - I feel like I'd be buying throw-away products. Ryobi does have great bang for the buck and stability.

 

[Nthill93]

you’ll be safe with Ryobi, Milwaukee, dewalt or Ridgid. I personally own all Milwaukee stuff but I hear a lot of good about the Ryobi stuff. We have dewalt at work and I’m less than impressed but I don’t use them often. I would get the 2767 1/2” impact. I have that one and the m12 stubby and if you live anywhere with salt the m12 is going to have issues. It barely got mower blades off a brand new Wright stander last week using a fully charged 6.0 battery and 15/16 impact socket.

 

[engineer2]

Don't forget Makita. They have excellent impacts as well and their 18V battery platform is still going strong after 16 years. Not likely to be orphaned soon. I believe they are the only major power tool company that is still family owned.

 

[GrantCee]

you’ll be safe with Ryobi, Milwaukee, dewalt or Ridgid.

I think it's fair to say he'd be just as "safe" with Makita, since I believe they were producing cordless power tools more than a decade before any of those other companies.

 

[merkyworks]

Have a dewalt DCF899 and it handles anything I throw at it but might be a little overkill for just busting lug nuts off. Stubby/Mid-torque might be better option. If I was starting over again I would go with current Milwaukee M18 platform.

Also my advice is look into battery platform converters. I have few and they work great, example Ryobi nail gun powered by a dewalt 20v battery.

 

[Nthill93]

I think it's fair to say he'd be just as "safe" with Makita, since I believe they were producing cordless power tools more than a decade before any of those other companies.

when did I say he wouldn’t be? Don’t have experience with makita or Bauer or craftsman or any other brand so I won’t suggest those. Haven’t seen any makita cordless tools on job sites and never hear them talked about.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

Hi All, thank you for the suggestions! I am thinking of going the mid torque route as it seems the appropriate size to get in for the suspension work as well!
Will keep an eye out as i have a week or two before I have to deal with this

 

[shawhite]

when did I say he wouldn’t be? Don’t have experience with makita or Bauer or craftsman or any other brand so I won’t suggest those. Haven’t seen any makita cordless tools on job sites and never hear them talked about.

Makita is used a lot by cabinet makers and finish carpenters in my neck of the woods.

 

[shadetree_mech]

You should check out Torque Test Channel on YT. They test lots of impacts including air, battery, and even corded.

 

[david3921]

I have that impact and bought it 4 years ago specifically to take lug nuts off. I'm also in Michigan and have the PC platform. I run the impact with at least a 4 amp battery and haven't had any issues with getting any nuts off that haven't been improperly torqued. I've also used it for suspension repairs with good success. It's pretty big, though, so I haven't been able to get it into spots I wish I could have.

 

[mrvm]

Got the Gen 2 M18 2962 mid-torque powerful enough for a variety of tasks which means the monster M18 2767 only comes out for the real tough nuts. The M18 2767 has awesome torque/power but is usually too big and bulky for most applications. OP look at the Ryobi impact wrench which is super versatile, relatively inexpensive and can get the job done too. The Ryobi 18V lineup is impressive and wide coverage for auto, construction, lawn+garden etc.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

The cells in the battery packs can be replaced. Porter Cable, like Craftsman , and Dewalt are all Black&Decker Stanley brands, you would think the batteries would interchange.

If I can get a air hose there, I'm using my IR Titanium . I know, I'm a wimp, but using a electric is like using 3/4" .

 

[Torque Test Channel]

You should check out Torque Test Channel on YT. They test lots of impacts including air, battery, and even corded.

Those guys are a bunch of hacks

 

[Xcursion88]

Hi All, back with another question

I currently have the Porter Cable 20V Lithium (what Lowes used to sell) ecosystem. I have roughly 10 tools and 6 batteries. Most everything is going strong and in good shape.

I know that Porter Cable is being discontinued at Lowes, and as such I am anticipating batteries becoming scarce in the future, but for now everything is fine.

I am in the market for a 1/2 cordless impact driver to be used for removing tires mostly, but I suppose it will have uses beyond that as well. Porter cable does offer a 1/2 impact (Can be found here) and I can get a couple extra batteries for the ecosystem along with it for $200, BUT the stats seem kind of..... paltry. 260ft/lbs seems a bit light, I know my lugnuts are only to 93 or whatever, but still, 260 seems light

So my question is this: Should I buy the cordless impact from my existing tool line knowing that eventually it is going to be headed on its way out with the battery technology and that its specs may not be that great? Do I buy the best cordless impact regardless of battery system (any recommendations? Kobalt 24? HF Earthquake or whatever?)? Or a corded option which would be less than ideal, but would get the job done? Or is there another option I haven't thought of?

I do have air in my shop, but no power as of right now, so I can't run the compressor (new house new shop problems), but I would like to avoid an air tool. Call it user error, but I never have any luck with air impact drivers. I also buy cheap ones because this is a tool I would reach for 2x per year at most.

Thanks in advance!

I hate to say this...i really do...but I'd start over with Makita, Milwaukee or Dewalt.
It doesn't matter which one but all three will be around for a long time I can confidently predict.

 

[engineer2]

Haven’t seen any makita cordless tools on job sites and never hear them talked about.

Makita tools are great but they do a mediocre job of marketing them to the average consumer and small contractor in the USA. Guess what tool brand has the smallest and worst selection at Home Depot? They are rather tone-deaf and stingy when it comes to sales and promotions. For Father's Day their main promotion was for Makita-branded clothing. Who the **** wants that?? They rarely have sales on stuff people really want, it's usually stuff they are overstocked on or low-end kits. The occasional free battery deals are nice though. They seem to ignore the consumer market to focus on more profitable professional construction tools. They are family run, and all of this smacks of elderly ownership. End of rant.

 

[liliysdad]

I am a DeWalt guy...mainly because DeWalt is the most popular contract brand in these parts, and I can get great deals at pawn shops.