Cordless Impact for Mechanical Disassembly

[BigE]

I'm ready to pick up a cordless impact gun and I've just been reading all of the threads about them. My intended use is general mechanical disassembly, ie. automotive work. I'm tired of literally turning wrenches and I want to automate the process. I have a 1/2" Dewalt cordless impact from the old 18v NiCad line up. It doesn't have enough oomph for the lugnuts on my truck and it's very large and heavy so it doesn't really fit well in any of my applications. I procured a corded 1/2" impact later on that takes care of the lugnuts now, but it too is big and heavy. I do have a recip saw and a drill that utilize the old Dewalt batteries. That being said, I'd like to upgrade to the new Li Ion batteries so I don't feel married to the Dewalt NiCad batteries. I do like the Dewalt brand, though.

All of that being said, I feel like a 20v Li Ion 3/8" impact would fit what I'm looking to do. For those of you that have used these tools for that kind of work, would you agree? Any particular recommendations?

 

[James-W]

Not trying to change your mind about cordless impacts, but the mechanics I know use an air impact for things like lug nuts and other things that take quite a bit of torque to turn. They do, on occasion, use a cordless impact to loosen and turn small nuts and/or bolts, but not for anything big. You mention trying to loosen lug nuts with your current cordless impact, and it wouldn't work. I don't recall ever seeing one of my mechanic friends using a cordless impact for lug nuts. I am not saying they never do it, I am not with them all that much while they are working, but I have never seen them doing it.

I am sure some of the professional mechanics here will be able to give you a much better insight into this and hopefully they will chime in sometime tomorrow. I suspect they are in bed sleeping now, which is where I should be, but for some strange reason I don't feel tired.

 

[ocloc24]

A lot of mechanics use cordless these days, theres still a place for air, but there isn't a ton that a cordless cant handle. Check out milwaukee if you're looking for impacts. They definitely are a league ahead of the other brands when it comes to impacts. They have everything from super high torque to stubby and a couple options in between. Plus it's a huge battery platform.

Dewalt makes great stuff as well, they just dont have many competitive options when it comes to impacts.

 

[Firebrick43]

Things have changed recently that many professional mechs use cordless impacts. Even lug nuts are within the relm of midsize ones and truck/tractor tires with the larger ones. I don't really understand the ops attachment to dewalt, companies ebb and tide in the market and the Milwaukee m18 has the markets share, innovation, and a huge product line the makes them tops.

Their fuel (brushless) line not only has insane power for their size but extreme run time as well.

Sort of sad that dewalt has fallen so far from thier glory days of the 18v line.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Not trying to change your mind about cordless impacts, but the mechanics I know use an air impact for things like lug nuts and other things that take quite a bit of torque to turn. They do, on occasion, use a cordless impact to loosen and turn small nuts and/or bolts, but not for anything big. You mention trying to loosen lug nuts with your current cordless impact, and it wouldn't work. I don't recall ever seeing one of my mechanic friends using a cordless impact for lug nuts. I am not saying they never do it, I am not with them all that much while they are working, but I have never seen them doing it.

I am sure some of the professional mechanics here will be able to give you a much better insight into this and hopefully they will chime in sometime tomorrow. I suspect they are in bed sleeping now, which is where I should be, but for some strange reason I don't feel tired.

I work as a consultant in car shops. I see 70% of the techs using cordless impacts vs 30% still using air. Snap on and Milwaukee are the most common brands with the occasional Dewalt and Makita around. Most of the techs I see using air impacts are the lube techs who are rotating tires all day.

My 3/8" M12 stubby impact (250 ft/lb) has no problem with lug nuts on a car, I haven't tried on my truck yet but I suspect it wouldn't be an issue. The 1/2" M18 impact (450 ft/lb) is as powerful as my old IR air impact from 20 years ago, it doesn't blink at the lug nuts on my truck. The M18 big impact is rated to 1000 ft/lb and would have no problems doing any kind of automotive work, but it's big and heavy so many of the techs are opting for the mid torque.

Almost every tech has something from Milwaukee on their cart, many M12 ratchets and impact/screwdrivers, and plenty of M18 impacts. Most of the techs that have a cordless impact from Snap on are kicking themselves for having that huge thing compared to the smaller M18. Milwaukee is taking the auto tech market by storm. Sure, I'm a fanboy, but their tools wouldn't be in every bay if they didn't work.

 

[ocloc24]

Things have changed recently that many professional mechs use cordless impacts. Even lug nuts are within the relm of midsize ones and truck/tractor tires with the larger ones. I don't really understand the ops attachment to dewalt, companies ebb and tide in the market and the Milwaukee m18 has the markets share, innovation, and a huge product line the makes them tops.

Their fuel (brushless) line not only has insane power for their size but extreme run time as well.

Sort of sad that dewalt has fallen so far from thier glory days of the 18v line.

I am a die hard Milwaukee guy, I have probably close to 50 cordless tools(m18/m12). I agree that overall they are the best(not by a ton) on either platform and when it comes to automotive/mechanic type tools they absolutely dominate. But dewalt is still a great company, they're just more geared toward construction and wood working

 

[equitiesguy]

You have to look at these company's offerings from four categories: weight, warranty, power, failure rate. Prioritize them in the order most important to you.

Almost everyone, including Snap-On, is a one year warranty. That's fine on my CT6850 where it's a switch, two giant wires, a motor and a hammer/anvil, but the newer lineups from Snap-On, Mac/Dewalt/Stanley (all same company), Ingersoll Rand, and Milwaukee are all computer controlled, and even the lithium batteries have built in circuit boards prone to failure. That puts Milkwaukee's 5 year warranty way ahead of the curve.

The one hesitation I have on Milwaukee is regarding the warranty restrictions. On my Snap-On, I can disassemble the cone with 4 screws, and re-grease the hammer/anvil/planetary setup in ten minutes, drop oil down the armature, and seal it up. My unit shows no wear even after all this time.

Does Milwaukee allow you to service the unit, or does it violate the warranty? Once those gears start to wear, the power in the unit drops considerably, and I've seen videos of these units (even Snap-On) where they're delivered new almost bone dry.

Most of these impacts are overpriced, and over marketed. If you're that concerned about weight, you might want to seriously look at Snap-On's CT761 even though it's made in china. At 2.5 lbs, it's stupid light for the amount of power it puts out for 3/8 drive.

 

[zendriver]

When I got tired of "turning wrenches" doing automotive dissembly I just went with a 3/8 cordless ratchet.

Just bust the fastener loose without power and then run the fastener out.

I use the earthquake cordless but Milwaukee and many others make similar.

I use a 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch hex drive craftsman 19.2v impact for the other stuff.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tonyuk]

If you just want 1 tool that will handle most things then i would recommend the mid-torque from Milwaukee;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Milwauke...h=item590d0db8af:g:JTQAAOSwoyVbiRh5:rk:2:pf:0

This is a good balance between power and size, it'll do wheel bolts & nuts easily unless some idiot has ran them in far too tight. Plus the majority of other fasteners on a car, including driveshaft bolts etc..

However its not exactly compact, and you'll have trouble fitting it into a lot of places especially if your not working with the car on a lift. I use my compact most of the time because of this;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Milwauke...=item4d42fd8bfe:g:6P8AAOSwIUNXF465:rk:13:pf:0

Its a good bit smaller and lighter, and paired with a set of swivel sockets will reach most places, it has enough power to take properly torqued wheels off easily, for a car anyway.

If you have a good air set-up however nothing beats a proper compact air impact for power to size and weight. My best is my compact facom, which has more power than the Milwaukee mid-torque and feels about half the size.;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Facom-NS...h=item2133fc45e4:g:SZsAAOSwm3paLnYb:rk:2:pf:0

You need good air pressure for these tools however, i use mine at work so air isn't an issue.

Some fasteners just accept that you need hand tools to get to.

 

[DFB]

3/8" you say" Get the HF Earthquake with a coupon it's like $129 and comes with a 4.0 amp hr battery 370 ft lbs rated

I give one of these to my helper at my flea mkt tool tent to use for his demo derby circuit as sponsor I am really impressed with it. I told him beat the snot out it cuz if you kill I'll just return it 90 days He been beating on it for two months hasn't missed a beat. Even loans it out to the other guys as needed seems their batteries are often dead He raves about the battery charge. He had a Dewalt impact wrench before this not quite sure what one it was but again the battery was the problem. If you et the full replacement warranty they'll just swap it out if there is ever a problem after the original return period


Its not a electronic 3 or 4 mode like all my Milwaukee's I have most versions the impact wrenches to use on my jobs, compacts, the mid and high torques and 12v models too. And I kind of wish their compact 3/8" had the same power rating as the Earthquake it's really closer to the mid torque for power.

If I was to recommend Milwaukee to you I say go with Mid Torque first and then maybe that new 12v in 3/8" for a smaller tool.

I di have a Gen 1 High Torque fail on me after 4 year but was till under the wire warranty took care of it. Needed new brains


And if money was no object there is always the IR 3/8"

https://shoptoolreviews.com/automotive/ingersoll-rand-w5132-cordless-impact-review/25301/


beats them all IMO

 

[jonshonda]

I have an 18v impact driver (rated 125ft/lb torque) (designed for screws mostly I would imagine) that I use a fair amount on regular nuts and bolts that are free of corrosion and would be turned fairly easily with a wrench. While it doesn't have the torque of a big impact, it does just fine for most applications where I don't want to turn a wrench 30 times to tighten a bolt, is pretty small, and I use it a lot for other things.

While it's corded, I have a big Dewalt that is what I use for the big or rusty stuff. It is too big to be considered fun to use in tight areas, but it has the power I need. What I am getting at, is there is more then likely no "jack of all trades" impact that will cover all your torque needs. My thought would be a small portable impact for most occasions, and a bigger fella for those stubborn b@stard bolts.

 

[Mr_B]

IR is nice and not getting deserved credit for impact line but battery shape and offset could be designed better for access clearance, lack of tool range makes battery platform seem not so worthwhile for the expense .
Just don't buy anything too bulky or it not very useful as struggle get on fixings or forever faffing about with extension and uj's which waste time and sap the power .
I use nano air for all heavy stuff loads of power and throttle control in tiny light package, 12vimpact driver for small fixings as small and light, 18v is mainly yard work and mobile
If you likely be buying other battery tools in near future be good match the battery platform as cheaper and tidier so that may hold some influence on the choice .
Make sure warranty decent as this stuff can fail just sat on a shelf and it too much of an outlay be total loss 12 to 24 months down the road .

 

[DFB]

Definitely no "one size fits all" with battery impacts. What's small enough for underhood work or for small engine OPE repair is not really going to double up as a good lug nut wrench and vise versa what will grind away at rusty frame mount bolts or will free up 100+ ib truck lugs without hesitation is usually pretty big and clunky not too mention very heavy.

Because of a more positive bit retention I do like to use 1/4 hex drive tools often with impact rated sockets and have numerous socket adapter extensions in varying lengths up to 12" and even some with wobble ends now. I also like using magnetic 1/4 hex nutsetters where pass thru clearance is not needed.

Let us know what you decide on

 

[GrayFlattop]

The Milwaukee mid-torque M18 Fuel has plenty of power - but honestly I almost never use it. Before buying the Milwaukee, I picked up a 1/2" brushless Bosch impact IWMH182. Although it is rated at 185 LbFt, I have yet to come across lug nuts that it could not remove (probably because I'm only working on my own fleet). The LiIon battery lasts a long time and the Bosch is very light and compact. Not as compact as the new stubby Milwaukee impacts are, but comfortable enough to use easily for hours if need be.

The Bosch was purchased to replace an older 18V NiCad Milwaukee impact I had that weighed three times as much, was three times larger and battery life stunk. The Milwaukee was great for track days, but I do not miss it at all. Gave it to a kid at work. BUT honestly since buying that OLD cordless Milwaukee (2002 or 2003 maybe?) I rarely fired-up the compressor at home to do work on the car. Since buying the Bosch brushless, my ol' IR impacts have not seen any use.

The Bosch bare tool was on sale at Menard's several years ago - and I've got a lot of Bosch 18V tools, so the decision was easy. That all of this was before Milwaukee came out with a decent compact impact sealed the deal.

I still have a lot of Milwaukee and Makita cordless tools, but the Bosch just seems to fit my hand correctly. Bosch makes other models, but the specs aren't quite as good with respect to torque. I have their combo 1/2" drive and 1/4" hex driver that just doesn't have the oomph. It too sits on the shelf.

Also picked up a standard "non-brushless" 3/8" impact from Bosch a bit lighter smaller still - handy for a lot of things.

YMMV, of course.

 

[unslow1]

Are you sure you have a good battery on the Dewalt? I changed a truck water pump and and some other things with a Dewalt 18V Nicad a couple of weeks ago. It took off all but a couple of bolts that required a long ratchet to break lose. I used a Nano on the lug nuts. The Dewalt did do the lugnuts and most bolts when I did the struts on a Corolla a few weeks ago. I've been wanting to buy a new battery tool also but just couldn't when what I have works pretty well. I don't know which Dewalt impact you have but mine is pretty small. DC820

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VWK5QO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If you want to see some of the HF stuff watch some South Main Auto videos.

 

[WittHay]

Things have changed recently that many professional mechs use cordless impacts. Even lug nuts are within the relm of midsize ones and truck/tractor tires with the larger ones. I don't really understand the ops attachment to dewalt, companies ebb and tide in the market and the Milwaukee m18 has the markets share, innovation, and a huge product line the makes them tops.

Their fuel (brushless) line not only has insane power for their size but extreme run time as well.

Sort of sad that dewalt has fallen so far from thier glory days of the 18v line.

DeWalt is no. 1 up here and Milwaukee is a distant 2nd tied with Makita. Most people do not work on their daily drivers on a regular basis if ever. They need a drill, impact driver and saws.

DeWalt has a DCF890 brushless 3/8 impact. The new batteries with a adapter will work on the old 18v tools

 

[Dakkyz]

I have some Chinese one lasted since 2013 work on early 2000 tucks, trailers, and lorries
Rated for 375 foot-pounds I highly doubt it though, these trucks come with factory lock thread, nylon locking nuts and a whole lot of rust it does most jobs fine, only lasts 10 minutes with battery power.

So I dont think you need anything crazy powerful.

If anyone knows of a good makitia branded one that isn't crazy expensive but middle range power, I already have batteries and chargers so it'd be easier.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Sounds like a 3/8 is the tool that'll take care of a range of items for you. I use Dewalt. I have the 885 1/4" that I use like crazy, lightweight, compact and packs a punch. Its tough but obviously its at the lower end of the weight range. That's where the 3/8" would pick up and work great. Between those two you'll cover a lot of tasks. I picked up a 899 1/2" to do large suspension/drivetrain work. Its big, heavy and not intended by me to be dragged around.

The 3/8" units are generally compact and easy enough to be moving around. Its my next purchase.

I can't comment on other brands, haven't used them. But the cordless market is competitive. I have a buddy that swears by Milwaukee, he's trying to turn me. Gave me one of them sharpie-type pens "here, start with this"

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I vote for the high torque, because it does the ones you really don't want to do by hand.

 

[decableguy2000]

I just picked up a screaming deal on a Dewalt high torque 899. This is a beast had no problems with lugs on a tractor or F450 in the medium setting. The down side is the weight. I have an older 20v brushed 3/8 that does most of what I need. Pick your battery platform and build from there.

 

[txvwnut]

If your budget shopping don’t be afraid of Harbor Freight. I’ve got the earthquake 20v 1/2” impact and that thing is crazy strong. While I haven’t given it a full on test of what I need it to do, so far it hasn’t balked at what I’ve asked it to do.

 

[scg]

I have had the HF 3/8 Earthquake 20 volt for over a year now and it works great.

 

[rmsg0040]

Did 2 hub assemblies on my sister's car in 3 hours flat using 2 cordless impact wrenches, cordless ratchet, 3/8 breaker bar, and only had to use my 1/2" 24" ratchet for one bolt.

Save your body

 

[WittHay]

I'm ready to pick up a cordless impact gun and I've just been reading all of the threads about them. My intended use is general mechanical disassembly, ie. automotive work. I'm tired of literally turning wrenches and I want to automate the process. That being said, I'd like to upgrade to the new Li Ion batteries so I don't feel married to the Dewalt NiCad batteries. I do like the Dewalt brand, though.

All of that being said, I feel like a 20v Li Ion 3/8" impact would fit what I'm looking to do. For those of you that have used these tools for that kind of work, would you agree? Any particular recommendations?

Other popular DeWalt tools up here are the 12V Max. Sold through Napa and most tool stores. Fasteners on newer vehicles are threaded into lots of plastic and aluminum. These small cordless are light weight and easy to control the power as to not strip out fasteners