1/2" Drive Impacts

[kams1973]

Let's hear it. Who makes the best pneumatic 1/2" drive impact. Factors to consider: Cost, Torque, Durability, etc...

 

[wafrederick]

Ingersall Rand whom also makes Matco,Mac and Cornwell's impacts,I never killed one yet and run forever.Plus they are real easy to work on and I know how to rebuild them since I have a few on my own.

 

[fr0mastaj]

Re: 1/2" Drive Impacts

Ingersoll Rand.
________
Ffm kissing

 

[sf6669]

Nitrocat = best bang for your buck. Think of a race car engine, loads of power but doesn't last too long. I'd say 1 year and a half to 2 years of hard punishment till they start losing power or seize.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Leaving out your first consideration (cost) it would be a Snap-on MG725. It's a very nice impact with more torque than anything else I have ever seen. After that would be a IR Titanium over the other truck brands on cost alone.

 

[Skin]

Nitrocat = best bang for your buck. Think of a race car engine, loads of power but doesn't last too long. I'd say 1 year and a half to 2 years of hard punishment till they start losing power or seize.

if thats true then i think IR wins in the cost and of course the reliability catagory. No good if you have to replace the thing every year or two. An IR will last you a lifetime with proper maintenance and maybe a rebuild or two.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

IR-231... for value, Id call it the bench mark.

 

[wafrederick]

Snap On's Impacts are junk and it is Snap On's fault.Known for Hammer Mechanisms break for one reason: Snap On casted them way too thin.I see them in my Matco dealer's tool truck as trade ins for Matco impacts including one already rebuilt.

 

[jethro29]

i am a proffessional tech who uses impacts on a daily basis and i've tried then all and currently own a s.o.,i.r., and a nitrocat and the i.r guns a by far the best i've ever seen as far as price and durability.

 

[moparmuscle88]

IR2135 weighs the least for the most power, it sounds awesome, and its reasonably priced with a good warranty and is reliable.

close second is the snap on MG725, but its heavier and vibrates a little bit more, but it does eek out 70 ft lbs more...

the aircat/nitrocats are good, but they are a pin clutch type, and the power doesnt increase as much when you jack up the pressure plus its not supposed to be good for the springs either. a twin hammer (such as my 2135) has been run for the last 2 years, 1 by the previous owner andc the last by me, on unregulated 175 psi shop air with no observable loss of power.

i can take the lugs off of a case backhoe with it with no trouble

 

[JayL]

Anybody here have this one?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002UNR6W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Snap On's Impacts are junk and it is Snap On's fault.Known for Hammer Mechanisms break for one reason: Snap On casted them way too thin.I see them in my Matco dealer's tool truck as trade ins for Matco impacts including one already rebuilt.

You know, your uncle's second lost cousin that heard about a guy living two states over that had a bad SO impact is getting old. Get a life and quit the "my daddy says" or "my Matco dealer says" ****. Have you even handled a MG 725 or MG 325 impact? If you have not broken one, then STFU.

 

[crewchief888]

been using IR 231's for 20 years.
best power to dollar to reliability IMHO

 

[Chris_R/T]

I use an IR everyday and it never skips a beat. Much better value than Snap-On in my opinion, not saying Snap-On's are junk, I just don't think they're anything special.

 

[nikonica]

I love my Chicago Pneumatic CP749. The price was right too (several years ago now).

I also have a beat up old Uryu and a Cleco kicking around here and they are both top notch, but then, I'm weird and those are a little harder to find .

I think that you can't go wrong with Ingersoll Rand or Chicago Pneumatic tools.

 

[wreckercologist]

Just traded my Matco 1769, which had failed twice under warranty, and was getting weak after three years in on a new Cornwell. It's a nice gun bought on sale for $200.00.

It's similar in size, weight, and output of the IR's. We'll see about durability..........

http://www.cornwelltools.com/webcat...d-Blue-Power-1{47}2"-Super-Duty-Impact-Wrench

 

[wellstig1]

If you don't need tons of power or worry about the weight the ir 231 is a tank, I have known plenty of old dudes that have had them for years without problems. For myself I have a 3-4 year old mg725 that gets a lot of use and have not had a single problem. My older xt7100 is my loaner for bigger jobs has also been good to me, its just awkwardly big.

 

[xstubsx]

snap on mg725

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

If you don't need tons of power or worry about the weight the ir 231 is a tank, I have known plenty of old dudes that have had them for years without problems. For myself I have a 3-4 year old mg725 that gets a lot of use and have not had a single problem. My older xt7100 is my loaner for bigger jobs has also been good to me, its just awkwardly big.

I'm on my second IR231 in 25 years ? Its beat to sh**, and lubed regularly, and couldn't count how many times other techs have dove into my tool box to borrow it. The second one, Ive had for at least 15 years, I don't remember when I bought it, but its been long enough that I cant remember, and its my only 1/2 impact, I don't have a 3/4, and I sold my 1' because I no longer work on large trucks, so it gets 99% of my impact work. I do have a 3/8 and a 1/4 but barely use them.

 

[LincolnCont.]

You know, your uncle's second lost cousin that heard about a guy living two states over that had a bad SO impact is getting old. Get a life and quit the "my daddy says" or "my Matco dealer says" ****. Have you even handled a MG 725 or MG 325 impact? If you have not broken one, then STFU.

Georgia ,that was awesome, you crack me up.

 

[Diesel-Mech]

Leaving out your first consideration (cost) it would be a Snap-on MG725. It's a very nice impact with more torque than anything else I have ever seen. After that would be a IR Titanium over the other truck brands on cost alone.

This is pretty much what I was going to say so I'll just quote it instead.

 

[kab00m]

I got this one for 161.99 before tax.

IR 2132g

 

[jteck75]

I agree,a 231 IR is about as tough and hassle free an impact as you'll ever own. I used mine for several years in heavy industrial repair and it never failed me. I gave it to an old buddy of mine who had got a job at a Toyota dealer. He didn't have a whole lot of tools and was trying to feed his family,so I gave it to him and bought a MG725 for myself. He loves it,and with the exception of replacing a broken anvil ring,he hasn't done anything except run the hell out of it.

 

[wisconsin_cowman]

Snap-on guns are the best there is one gun that is junk and that it a XT7100. I had way too many problems with IR air tools. Would buy CP before I buy IR I buy new impact guns every two years they shouldn't break down in a month. Some people in the shop have those new IR guns for get the number and they have a hard time loosening some bolts that my MG725 gets off no problem. When I buy an impact gun I want one that has some balls.

 

[Simplespeed]

Iv put my IR 2135 Titanium through hell and its still going strong. I used it in a shop that had so much water in the lines that the gun would literally be pouring water out of the exhaust like a water faucet. I used it like that aaaaalllll day, daily for a year. Couple guys at workhave MG725s and they are badass guns, we switch around often just to change things up a bit. I like the look and killer sound of my IR though. Plus, its a tad smaller.

 

[Radio Flyer]

we have 6 IR231's in our shop. No one ever oils them or takes care of them. we occasionally send one out for repair, but other than that they just keep taking a beating.

 

[crewchief888]

I agree,a 231 IR is about as tough and hassle free an impact as you'll ever own. I used mine for several years in heavy industrial repair and it never failed me. I gave it to an old buddy of mine who had got a job at a Toyota dealer. He didn't have a whole lot of tools and was trying to feed his family,so I gave it to him and bought a MG725 for myself. He loves it,and with the exception of replacing a broken anvil ring,he hasn't done anything except run the hell out of it.

the current IR 231 i have was bought in '94. my guns get badly abused in my service truck, with extremes of temp (100 deg + to -40 deg) and humidity. ive had this gun freeze solid in cold weather, had to lay it on the floor of the truck for several minutes for it to warm up, to tighten a couple of lug nuts, and repeat the process several times before i got all 4 tires on and off.
ive had this gun so hot in the summer, that it was hard to hold (150deg), and it still works everytime i pull the trigger.
the anvil is so worn it barely holds a socket anymore, but i cant fault the gun for that
and for $150 i dont think it can be beat

 

[Flash21]

Best bang for the buck: IR 231

Best: Personal preference choice between IR 2135QTiMax and SO MG725

 

[t100]

I run IR 231 at home out of 110psi CO2, never had a problem with it. paid $45 for it(CL).

 

[AidanN20]

We all have nitro cats in our shop.....

neighboring shop has borrowed one more than once when they IR Ti "bad ***" gun wouldnt take something off....nitro cat worked like a charm.

We compared it to a top of the line snap on that was over double the cost and it was barely under the performance.

 

[spazzer]

I have an IR 2131. Its 12 years old, 10 of that in a shop environment. Only bad thing is the direction buttons are loose but otherwise no problems. The backup gun is an IR 241 that is the same age as the 2131 but was never used until last year. I also have the 3/8" version of the 2131 (can't remember the model) and it's been a tank for the last 8 years.

 

[mrholeshot]

IR2135TI absolute best and powerful. (been a pro all my life) Best bang for the buck when you don't need mega power but still plnty of *** IR 231. I use to buy IR231's for my tire guys. Tough and plenty powerful and fairly inexpensive. Great Value.

 

[lipadj46]

IR2135TI absolute best and powerful. (been a pro all my life) Best bang for the buck when you don't need mega power but still plnty of *** IR 231. I use to buy IR231's for my tire guys. Tough and plenty powerful and fairly inexpensive. Great Value.

Hey just a thought, maybe you can do some testing on impacts? I would like to see how the HF earthquakes stand up to the big boys. They seem (from my home use) to be good guns for the money. The 3/8 drive is the cat's ***. It may get you stoned though if you start comparing HF to snap on and IR though and give a positive review.

 

[09-JK]

The slight increase in power of a MG725 over the IR Titanium tool does not justify the difference in weight and bulkiness. Also you need to consider air consumption, depending on your air supply the IR using less air may outperform the higher consumption MG725.

 

[HandyManny]

IR is the way to go. Everyone uses them.

 

[psychoclaw84]

My first Impact wrench was a used Mac Tools AW434M from Ebay. It is a magnificent wrench From the weight and build to the sweet sound. Also the Proven Bullet Proof Twin Hammer Ingersoll Rand design. But when I could not remove a crank pulley bolt from a 1998 Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinder engine it was time for a new one. (I thought it the AW434M was too week based on specifications compared to other wrenches. I retrospect, it is just as powerful as the other wrenches listed below).

The replacement is a Mac Tools 1/2" Composite Impact Wrench Model Number AW480Q, which is a Nitrocat impact wrench. I have not gotten use to the feel and it doesn't seem as powerful as the AW434M. Which can be attributed to the noise and the twin hammer versus Twin clutch design.

Personally, the Nitrocat did not feel as powerful as a Twin Hammer Impact. This is my observation, not based on specific data to back up this claim, however I think this is due to the feel of the Dual Clutch vs. Twin Hammer operation. Also the Mac Dealer said that it is more sensitive to water vapors in the compressed air line than the AW434M. But the AW434M is a bullet proof IR design so it is hard to compare sensitivity. A positive trait for the Nitrocat is the quiet operation.

Based on the feel and sensitivity to water vapors, I sold the nearly new wrench on ebay with the original packing with the warranty paperwork.

The replacement impact wrench is a Snap On MG725 which is a twin hammer design and which I like very much.

The 2135TiMAX, is a outstanding impact wrench with a lot of happy owners, it has more positive reports/use than the Nitrocat owners report.

I have tested the three Impact wrenches on a Crankshaft Bolt removal and all three failed to remove the crank bolt. ALSO THE REGULATOR ON MY AIR COMPRESSOR WAS CRANKED TO THE MAXIMUM OUTPUT AT 150PSI WITH A 3/8 FLEXZILLA HOSE USING THE RED LEGACY COUPLERS. The trick is to lubricate the crank bolt with a penetrant oil and let soak for an hour before trying to remove the bolt. (NOTE: THESE CRANK BOLTS HAVE NEVER BEEN REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE AND ARE OVER 6 YEARS IN SERVICE.)

Not sure if a more powerful impact gun/wrench will remove a crank bolt without lubrication.

OR a HVLP fittings on my air lines would improve the performance.

 

[wafrederick]

I have read about Snap On's impacts breaking on Facebook,sent in for repairs 3 times every 6 monthes.You could not get me to use a Snap On impact.I have used bluepoint impacts made by Snap On,not powerful to me.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I have read about Snap On's impacts breaking on Facebook,sent in for repairs 3 times every 6 monthes.You could not get me to use a Snap On impact.I have used bluepoint impacts made by Snap On,not powerful to me.

If you say the ones that broke were XT7100's I might believe it but those have not been sold for several years and were the ONLY bad 1/2" impact that Snap-on sold that I am aware of. I don't take a bunch of complaints on Facebook at face value. I can create multiple accounts and create hell with a product all by my lonesome.

I do rely on guys that I know and their experiences with tools. I have used IR impacts (I currently have three of them) and Snap-on/Blue Point impacts (Three of those also…) I have never had a problem with any of them if I keep them lubed and run a clean air supply. None of the other techs I know and talk to have had any major problems with any of them if they are taken care of.

Instead of just reading about them, try getting out and USING the damn things on a day-to-day basis, you might get a different opinion of them. Try TALKING to techs in your area that use them daily, drive by shops where the owner buys the impacts and then go by the shops where the techs buy them. You might be surprised.

The tire shops tend to use IR impacts and the techs that need the power tend to use IR Titanium’s and Snap-on MG725’s or NitroCats. They might have a preference but I doubt that ANY of them will call a MG 725 “junk”.

 

[Dewaynep]

I'll be the lone wolf here. I have a Craftsman (3 or 4 years old, made in usa) 1/2" impact that has done all I've asked and more. I have 2 1/2" impact guns, the CMan and an old unknown brand. The CMan has proven effective for everything I've thrown at it. I don't wrench 40 hours a week but do have a small shop that I wrench in after hours, about 20 hours a week. For the money it was well worth it.

 

[wafrederick]

My father tried a Snap On impact once and the dealer he had talked him into it.It broke most of the time and sent in for repairs.Told the dealer he had to give his IR231 back and never went back to Snap On impacts.