Cordless Impact Driver vs Air Ratchet

[RAS61]

I'm planning some work on an old car - and probably also just looking for a new toy. Was thinking I could use an air ratchet in addition to my impact wrench, but started having second thoughts when I considered the noise and how many seem to hate them in a home shop. Was wondering if the 1/4 impact drivers could do the same job, not as good for getting into tight places, but much better than a 1/2" impact. But what about the torque, a DeWalt driver for my 18v platform would have 1330 in/lbs, how does that compare to the 50 or so ft/lbs of a standard 3/8 air ratchet (can't be as easy as just dividing by 12 which would equal 110 ft/lbs)?

 

[mike93lx]

The conversion is that easy. It is just math.

That said, most torque ratings are marketing ******** anyway

 

[Wrench97]

There are cordless ratchets available, finding on in the Dewalt 18v platform is going to be tough.
As for air I prefer the mini high speed ratchets and yes they are noisy, normal use is a Milwaukee 12v cordless ratchet.

 

[RAS61]

There are cordless ratchets available, finding on in the Dewalt 18v platform is going to be tough.
As for air I prefer the mini high speed ratchets and yes they are noisy, normal use is a Milwaukee 12v cordless ratchet.

Yeah, and I like the idea of the M12 Surge driver too, was trying not to change platforms but maybe it's time

 

[RAS61]

The conversion is that easy. It is just math.

That said, most torque ratings are marketing ******** anyway

Well that would definitely work for the average bolt. Seems like you hear much more about using an impact drive for screws and lag bolts than nuts and bolts

 

[mike93lx]

Well that would definitely work for the average bolt. Seems like you hear much more about using an impact drive for screws and lag bolts than nuts and bolts

Impact drivers are made for screws, impact wrenches are made for nuts and bolts. It really comes down to the chuck/drive end and how powerful they need to be.

I use my driver for light duty nuts and bolts stuff often, but the big stuff gets the bigger impact wrench. I also use my m12 ratchet a ton. Super useful tool, but not for breaking stuff free

 

[engineer2]

Impact drivers work great for screws, nuts, and bolts, but most are only good to around 120-130 ft-lbs or so depending on what optimistic specs you believe. That will cover most of the fasteners on a car, depending on rust.

You'll need a 1/2" drive impact for stubborn lug nuts, head bolts, suspension work, etc. I would look for at least 500 ft-lbs.
If rust and corrosion are an issue, the big 3 (Milw. Makita, DeWalt) and a few others make 700 to 1000 ft-lb beasts.

In any case, don't invest in a battery platform that is on its way out.

Anything else can be done with hand tools.

Nothing wrong with air tools either. Simple and nothing to go obsolete.

 

[Iridium rand]

Impact driver will have much more torque than any power ratchet, but also not even close for getting into tight spaces, really apples to oranges

air ratchet would be most useful where you don’t have room to swing the handle much and/or save yourself some effort, still probably need to break most bolts loose by pulling on the tool first. driver would be ideal for filling that gap where you need torque and compactness that the 1/2 impact wrench is just a little bit too long for, you’ll also find it to be a very versatile tool for many other applications too I’m sure

 

[dnschmidt]

90% of the time either the Fuel or non-Fuel M12 are my go to tools but don't expect a ton of torque nor should you. These are primarily nutspinners. You break them free using them as a normal ratchet and then speed them off with the battery. The other 10% of the time the SPAir impacting mini-ratchet is the bomb. I hate normal air ratchets as they are wrist breakers but impacting air ratchets, especially the SPAir, are super small and quite powerful. THAT'S THE TICKET.

 

[Handyandy23]

Agree with others that impact drivers will be more powerful than an air ratchet, but due to the size of them they aren't really comparable tools. If you can fit an impact driver then you can fit at least a M12 Stubby Impact that will hit harder than an impact driver. The other issue is even if the driver tool itself is somewhat smaller, most have 1/4" female hex chucks, so you'll need an adapter to use sockets, which makes the tool way too long to fit into any tight spaces.

I've started warming up more to my M12 ratchet, but it is quite low on power. Still useful for under the hood type stuff, smaller bolts, stuff with clearance issues, etc. I pulled a splash shield from under my wife's SUV while it was on jack stands in the driveway, so limited clearance. 12+ small bolts, and the M12 ratchet made fast work of it.

Milwaukee also has a newer M12 right angle impact that might be the closest thing to a "best of both worlds" tool that you're looking for. But even with that don't expect huge power, I believe they test out with lower power output than the M12 stubby impacts. It will be a solid jump in power from a cordless ratchet though, won't snap your wrist, and has quite good clearance.

Really it's not ideal to hear if you're trying to save money, but there are situations for each of these tools. And situations where only that tool will work, and the others won't.

 

[Under_Pressure]

I use a cordless impact driver as my "zip off smallish nuts and bolts" tool, similar to how an air (or cordless) ratchet would be used. Yes, a powered ratchet provides access advantages that an impact driver does not, but otherwise, when you just need a tool to buzz out not overly tight fasteners, they work great. I am a zealot about not using chrome sockets on impact wrenches, but I do use the impact driver with chrome. I figure it's not that powerful to begin with, and by the time you put the 1/4 hex to whatever square drive adapter in and account for the significant losses there, it's not going to damage anything, unless maybe you get really stupid.

 

[Walkers]

I have and use battery impact drivers and wrenched, as well as pneumatic ratchet, butterfly impact, and impact wrenches that can do things battery wrenches cannot. All are great tools and all have the place where they shine.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Its not cordless, but it’s inexpensive and powerful. Is it worth buying for home use?

 

[GeoBruin]

Don't forget an impacting air ratchet! More torque than a standard air (or electric) ratchet but great for tight spaces where an impact wrench won't reach. Home Depot (Husky) and Harbor freight both sell one that I believe is the exact same model.

I bought it because I needed to drive a bunch of lag screws into the header of my shop to secure some beams. I couldn't fit an impact because of the roof, and I could barely swing a ratchet because the rafters were in the way. It would have taken forever to sink them all swinging the ratchet a few degrees at a time.

Anyway, it works great and I've since found similar uses for it. All that said, the new Dewalt atomic impact wrench and impact driver have way more guts and are pretty small for all but the tightest spaces.

 

[619DioFan]

My powered ratchets are all air. my favorite is the HF earthquake impacting ratchet. just a DIYer and don't mind the air line. over 8 years of use and zero issues. adding a swivel connection helps .

 

[mike93lx]

Its not cordless, but it’s inexpensive and powerful. Is it worth buying for home use?

Better than nothing, but not anywhere near as good as many of the brushless cordless offerings. Plus that damn thing is huge

 

[Jswain]

+1 for air if you already have the compressor. If you are looking for something with a little more power then an air ratchet but ok with the size of an impact driver then a 3/8" or 1/2" compact impact would fit the bill with 300+ ft/lb.

1/4" air ratchets are pretty torquey for their size, throw a swivel on either to get into almost anywhere you would need to.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Better than nothing, but not anywhere near as good as many of the brushless cordless offerings. Plus that damn thing is huge

Problem is … i need to do some work on daughters car out of state. She does not have an air compressor … well she has a 1 gal for airing up tires. I could take my hose and impact wrench, but not my compressor. And i don’t want to spend big bucks for a powerful cordless for one weeks work.

 

[mike93lx]

Problem is … i need to do some work on daughters car out of state. She does not have an air compressor … well she has a 1 gal for airing up tires. I could take my hose and impact wrench, but not my compressor. And i don’t want to spend big bucks for a powerful cordless for one weeks work.

You really would never use a cordless impact after?

 

[Lucid Moments]

I like using my air ratchets still. They just fit in so many places. When I need more power than an air ratchet is going to give me I have one of Astro Pneumatic's compact 3/8" impact wrenches that has become my go to for tough nuts or bolts. Honestly it is powerful enough that I almost never need to use my 1/2" impact.

 

[RAS61]

I like using my air ratchets still. They just fit in so many places. When I need more power than an air ratchet is going to give me I have one of Astro Pneumatic's compact 3/8" impact wrenches that has become my go to for tough nuts or bolts. Honestly it is powerful enough that I almost never need to use my 1/2" impact.

The AP is actually high on my list, especially with their lower volume/decibals.

 

[rsanter]

I have gone to the dewalt 20v impacts for most of my work on cars in the shop.
I have the big 1/2 dr and the 3/8 drive and love them.

For bigger really tight stuff I still have to break out my air drive.
I really don't use air ratchets anymore

For the dewalt stuff you have a couple of options.
I have the older small 1/2 drive in 18v that I have debated about selling. I also have a couple drills and a bunch of batteries and chargers I could make a deal on all of it.

Or, at some point you can upgrade to the 20v platform and get the adapter to use the 2v batteries in the 18v tools. I am doing this right now and it works great, however I can tell you that the 20v impacts are stronger than the older 18v versions.
If you do this you can buy what you want in 20v and not throw out any of your 18v stuff

 

[Mr_B]

If go air go newer technology reactionless nano ratchet, game changer for professional use as torque to tool size is superb , they fast and no winding your knuckles into obstacles .

 

[Half-fast eddie]

You really would never use a cordless impact after?

At home i have an air impact, don’t need the cordless.

 

[mike93lx]

At home i have an air impact, don’t need the cordless.

Might be worth trying one at some point. No hose, less noise, tons of power

 

[Handyandy23]

The AP is actually high on my list, especially with their lower volume/decibals.

I have the Astro stubby 3/8" impact wrench and it is great. It is honestly much more powerful than the cordless stubby impacts, just with the "inconvenience" of needing the air hose.

I also have the M12 3/8" cordless stubby impact, and usually grab it first since it's just easier without the hose. I was changing the half shaft in my truck and had to zip off 6 bolts in a tight space. The factory torque on them is only 60 ft-lbs, but these of course had 10 years of salty winter roads corroding them up. The M12 would only take 2 of the 6 out, and that was even after several seconds of rattling.

Grabbed the AP air stubby and it zipped all the remaining bolts out without even having to ugga ugga at all. The AP stubby is also slightly "stubbier" than the cordless, but maybe 0.5" or so.

I love the portability of the cordless, but kinda makes you re-think what is "easier" to grab in the shop first, if you have to end up going back to the box for the air version anyways.

 

[RAS61]

I have the Astro stubby 3/8" impact wrench and it is great. It is honestly much more powerful than the cordless stubby impacts, just with the "inconvenience" of needing the air hose.

I also have the M12 3/8" cordless stubby impact, and usually grab it first since it's just easier without the hose. I was changing the half shaft in my truck and had to zip off 6 bolts in a tight space. The factory torque on them is only 60 ft-lbs, but these of course had 10 years of salty winter roads corroding them up. The M12 would only take 2 of the 6 out, and that was even after several seconds of rattling.

Grabbed the AP air stubby and it zipped all the remaining bolts out without even having to ugga ugga at all. The AP stubby is also slightly "stubbier" than the cordless, but maybe 0.5" or so.

I love the portability of the cordless, but kinda makes you re-think what is "easier" to grab in the shop first, if you have to end up going back to the box for the air version anyways.

What model is that? How loud is the Astro stubby, I've heard good things about their build quality? Would only be using it on dedicated occasions so not too concerned with having to drag out the hose. Also considering the HF Earthquake/Husky reaction less because of their low cost and lower noise

 

[Yankeefarmer]

For Christmas I received an M12 non-fuel 3/8” ratchet. It’s fast becoming one of my most used tools. I’m working on a Model A, which uses fine thread on just about every fastener. I can break loose or tighten by hand, and use the cordless power for running the fasteners between the just started and snug positions without fear of over torquing.

 

[ptgarcia]

For Christmas I received an M12 non-fuel 3/8” ratchet. It’s fast becoming one of my most used tools. I’m working on a Model A, which uses fine thread on just about every fastener. I can break loose or tighten by hand, and use the cordless power for running the fasteners between the just started and snug positions without fear of over torquing.

I have the same one and it sees a lot of use in my motorcycle mechanic side gig. I use it just like you describe.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Its not cordless, but it’s inexpensive and powerful. Is it worth buying for home use?

By the specs, its barely better that the milwaukee stubby, but with HF writing the specs, it probably isn't really.

OP, Im a bit confused by your question, If you are looking at a air ratchet, wouldnt the comprable electric tool be a powered ratchet,
Ft lbs isn't what that tool is after, but they are super nice where you have to reach between the fender and timing cover to remove twenty 10mm bolts.

 

[RAS61]

OP, Im a bit confused by your question, If you are looking at a air ratchet, wouldnt the comprable electric tool be a powered ratchet,
Ft lbs isn't what that tool is after, but they are super nice where you have to reach between the fender and timing cover to remove twenty 10mm bolts.

A cordless ratchet would be great, but would be a lot more money - the cordless tool is a lot more expensive than the air counterpart, plus having to buy new batts and charger for a new platform. I can get an outdated DeWalt 18v driver relatively cheap, but while handy it's not a real substitute. It's also a tool I won't use a lot, so just exploring options with an eye on the wallet

 

[ChevyEFI]

Yeah, and I like the idea of the M12 Surge driver too, was trying not to change platforms but maybe it's time

No. A Surge does not act like a light-duty impact. The spring-loaded inertia mechanism makes it very wood-fastener friendly, at the expense of being able to use it like an impact (M8 stuff is about as far as it goes.) I have an M18 Fuel Surge.

The new Bosch Beast GDX18V-1860CN is 1860 in-lb , with 3 settings, new light, and the 1/2" square anvil w/ 1/4" hex built in. I have the 1800 in-lb model GDX18V-1800CB25. It takes lug nuts off of light duty stuff. If you're going to use an impact driver as a light-range impact, try the new Bosch.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Chevy ... that bosch beast/freak is $160 at lowes, tool only. 1860 in-lb power. The HF tool is $90 power included, and 1050 ft-lb power. Half the price and 6 times the power. The HF lacks the convenience of cordless, and it’s not as compact, but power to cost ratio is significantly better.

For the occasional user, electric is the way to go. Wish i could justify a powerful cordless.

 

[RAS61]

Chevy ... that bosch beast/freak is $160 at lowes, tool only. 1860 in-lb power. The HF tool is $90 power included, and 1050 ft-lb power. Half the price and 6 times the power. The HF lacks the convenience of cordless, and it’s not as compact, but power to cost ratio is significantly better.

For the occasional user, electric is the way to go. Wish i could justify a powerful cordless.

You can actually get the HF Earthquake or Husky reaction-less version brand new in the box for under $50 on Ebay. Cordless is great but you definitely pay for it

Also looking hard at the compact Astro 1128 for about $100. The Milwaukee M12 compact ratchet is about the same price for tool only, but is only rated for 35 ft/lbs, and the 55 ft/lb regular ratchet is over twice as expensive for tool only

 

[mike93lx]

Chevy ... that bosch beast/freak is $160 at lowes, tool only. 1860 in-lb power. The HF tool is $90 power included, and 1050 ft-lb power. Half the price and 6 times the power. The HF lacks the convenience of cordless, and it’s not as compact, but power to cost ratio is significantly better.

For the occasional user, electric is the way to go. Wish i could justify a powerful cordless.

That HF gun couldn't do 1050ft lb if it was struck by lightning

 

[Half-fast eddie]

That HF gun couldn't do 1050ft lb if it was struck by lightning

Hey! That’s a true number. The same team that wrote the advertising for Sears tools back in the 80’s and 90’s said so.

It’s probably inflated. But if every tool is inflated, then you look at relative numbers.

What is a reactionless impact?

 

[RAS61]

What is a reactionless impact?

Reactionless ratchet, has a small impact device inside. Helps bust loose bolts, and doesn't smash your fingers with the torque

 

[ChevyEFI]

Chevy ... that bosch beast/freak is $160 at lowes, tool only. 1860 in-lb power. The HF tool is $90 power included, and 1050 ft-lb power. Half the price and 6 times the power. The HF lacks the convenience of cordless, and it’s not as compact, but power to cost ratio is significantly better.

For the occasional user, electric is the way to go. Wish i could justify a powerful cordless.

I can agree(?) with you it's not 100% clear what tool the OP wants / needs. But he seems to be fishing for something in smaller impact style, and not ratchets. Then, since he makes reference to a 1/4" driver in M12, I figured I'd share my experiences in the M18 line. The Bosch does a good number of different tasks. I read a fair number of reviews before going Bosch (over the 2000in-lb non-Surge M18 Fuel driver.) And a deal on the drill / beast combo at Lowes made it a very logical choice.

I don't think he was looking for an absolute max torque for min dollar ratio, since he's considering cordless ratchets. Saving time with all the small bits leaves time to get the 1/2" tools out and work on those.

Years ago, I used to think corded should be acquired and used first, and cordless was a secondary tool, due to lower capability. I was younger then. The corded leafblower and corded drill haven't found use since I picked up quality cordless stuff. You may reevaluate your choices. The guys going cordless are saving time and getting more done.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Resurrecting an old discussion …

I need a cordless impact wrench, and for my purposes a harbor freight quality tool will suffice. One use will be lug nuts … I don't mind breaking them loose with a lug wrench, so i don’t need super high torque.

Here’s the question : I have a dewalt 20v LiOn impact driver, how do i tell if that will work with any of the 20v HF tools?

 

[mike93lx]

Resurrecting an old discussion …

I need a cordless impact wrench, and for my purposes a harbor freight quality tool will suffice. One use will be lug nuts … I don't mind breaking them loose with a lug wrench, so i don’t need super high torque.

Here’s the question : I have a dewalt 20v LiOn impact driver, how do i tell if that will work with any of the 20v HF tools?

It won't, without buying an adapter, if one even exists, which I doubt