12v electric impact wrench for car

[jblachly]

I am looking for a corded 12v impact wrench for my wife's car

My initial google searches have been disappointing in that everything seems to be a no-name brand with poor to mediocre reviews at best.

Do any of the large, reputable tool makers have a 12 v electric impact wrench?

 

[Drew_flux]

I haven't seen any that wern't toys. Went to a 4x4 show and put a salesman to the test. Not one of his could remove lugnuts @110Nm. half flat 5year old used and abused snapy wiped the floor with them all.
best case,buy a cheapy, used anti-sieze so the wife can get them off later down the road. there are a few cordless rechargable ones around,if you want to go in that direction. Mine will hold a charge for 3 months without use.

 

[Ed_EOD]

Why not put a cheater pipe or a long breaker bar in the trunk? I'm guessing this is for wheels?

 

[coldfusion21]

They have 24v ones I think, robo impact maybe? Something the mil truck guys use (so high torque)

 

[pipsters]

I have a different experience with them. I had an older car that had lived up north for quite a while. Several of the lugs were frozen on, I couldn't get them off with a regular 4-way tire iron. I bought one of the cheapie 12v units at Wal-Mart for under $30 and it got them off no problem. I was really impressed.

It looks like they've been improved, here is one that gets really good reviews for only $40

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00544EZQ2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[csmitty]

I'd imagine the car would have a inverter in it if you were looking for corded. and this was for changing flats. I was going to go to HF and get a long breaker and socket for this one i've been seeing. She's gone through two in the past few months I have no doubt she could do it herself its just getting the lug nuts off, and probably getting them torqued enough afterwards thats the issue.

 

[Notwerk]

Perhaps one of those extendable 1/2 ratchets from HF for the trunk?

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-extendable-ratchet-98831.html

At 17 inches, it should have enough leverage for most lug nuts (assuming they're not salt-encrusted and completely rusted).

 

[Danglerb]

Get your wife a AAA card, much more reliable than 12v tools left in the trunk.

Safely jacking the car up and getting the wheel on and off is the hard part. Lug nuts are easily managed with a 25" breaker bar, or use a torque multiplier.

 

[porcupine73]

The problem with 12V, if you want it to plug into an accessory power outlet, is that it can only get maybe 10A or 15A out of there, so that's only like 120 to 180 watts, hence all the 'toys like' units in that range.

 

[SCscoutguy]

I took a HF 18 volt cordless impact and just put two leads on the tabs where the battery hooks up and put alligator clamps on the other end and connect it directly to the battery. It works pretty well that way.

 

[sunshine1639]

I have a 18V Dewalt that is over a year old and it does a great job. Use it a lot. Light and handy.

It's not 12v but does the job.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Black & Decker Industrial used to make one, it was identical to the 120 volt model except for the voltage and the 20 foot leads with clamps on them. I would love to find one as that I have the 120 volt model which has served me well.

TheGrooveking