Impact wrench questions.

[Coach James]

My son, high school senior, is starting a part time job at the local Toyota dealer in a couple weeks. He is starting off doing oil changes and tire rotations. Service manager told him he would need an impact. The auto tech program at his high school uses Dewalt, as Dewalt sponsors the program, but he prefers Milwaukee. Would a M18, 2962 be enough or should he go with the 2967? He is starting auto tech at the local community college in the fall and plans a career in this field. I want to get him something that will last and have enough power.

Service manager also told him he would need a torque wrench. Icon is available locally and some of the guys at the Toyota dealer use them. Any other suggestions? Are Quinn any good? Dealer has a wrench he can borrow for a couple weeks, but them he would need his own.

I'm just a shade tree guy. My 1/2 impact is a Ryobi and my torque wrenches are Tekton, C-man and Kobalt, so I don't have any personal experience to go by in his situation.

Thanks
Coach

 

[darkzero]

I have a 2962 & it has done evertyhing I've needed it to on my Toyota except for the crank pulley bolt. I've never tried it on axle nuts either, well on 90's Hondas was no problem. I used to have the 1st gen Mid-Torque before that & it also served me well.

Before the 1st gen Mid-Morque Fuel came out, I bought the 1st gen High-Torque. That thing was way to big & bulky to use often. I gave it to my brother when the Mid-Torque came out.

I have no need or desire to get another High-Torque because of it's size. I rarely need that much power. But it depends in what one works on. Nothing I work on here has rust issues. I've been perfectly fine with my 2nd gen 1/2 Mid-Torque, 3rd gen 3/8 Compact, & 4th gen impact driver.

 

[plinker]

The split beam Icon seems to be a pretty good torque wrench, I have a "L" shape non ratcheting torque wrench made for doing lug nuts, Matco branded, but Quinn also rebrands it. Cant go wrong with either one from HF really.

https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-...fessional-split-beam-torque-wrench-57923.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-...ft-lb-preset-lug-nut-torque-wrench-58628.html

I have a 2767 Milwaukee and prefer it over the Dewalt they had at work, but for doing tire rotations I've gone back to using an air impact. Batteres will wear out after a couple years of constant use I've found (5.0ah, will only take 1/2 charge by year three), and IMO torque sticks dont work well with the electric impacts.

 

[MattV]

No input on the torque wrench but the mid torque impact is going to be your best bet. It fits more places and has enough torque to do what he'll be needing it for. He may eventually want something bigger if he continues on his path, but the smaller one will get way more use even then.

 

[rust in the eye]

A friend services buses. He prefers the Milwaukee Fuel (don't know model #)and uses 6ah batteries. He says it rips off lug nuts of those buses no problem.
I once borrowed it as I needed something to remove a very tight crank(300# worth) bolt. His Milwaukee made quick work of it.
The downside is that gun with a 6ah* battery is heavy. For tire changing air might serve him better. Cheaper, never runs out of juice and good power.
*Battery size matters, big amp hr, big power.

 

[finn]

Makes me cringe at the thought of a lube tech with access to a 2767.

It’s what starts nitemares.

Frankly, a Dewalt Atomic is more than adequate for oil changes and tire rotations.

I haven’t used my Milwaukee 2767 in over a year.

 

[darkzero]

Makes me cringe at the thought of a lube tech with access to a 2767.

 

[M635_Guy]

I've done all kinds of stuff with my 2962 mid-torque, to the point that I got rid of my 2767 because I just never used it. As a bonus, it fits in most places my M12 Stubby does:

(in this case, the caliber carrier bracket on the family Mazda 3)

As for torque wrenches, the Icon split beam is pretty great - easy to use, a useful 15° flex head, 90-teeth and has tested as very accurate on the Tools Tested channel over 1K cycles. I have the 3/8" and 1/2" models.

 

[yellowbox]

For a battery impact get a hercules
For air get an Ingersoll
Personally I would get a Pittsburgh 1/2 drive torque wrench for tires
And Pittsburgh 3/8 for other stuff

 

[Fusion13]

My son, high school senior, is starting a part time job at the local Toyota dealer in a couple weeks. He is starting off doing oil changes and tire rotations. Service manager told him he would need an impact. The auto tech program at his high school uses Dewalt, as Dewalt sponsors the program, but he prefers Milwaukee. Would a M18, 2962 be enough or should he go with the 2967? He is starting auto tech at the local community college in the fall and plans a career in this field. I want to get him something that will last and have enough power.

Service manager also told him he would need a torque wrench. Icon is available locally and some of the guys at the Toyota dealer use them. Any other suggestions? Are Quinn any good? Dealer has a wrench he can borrow for a couple weeks, but them he would need his own.

I'm just a shade tree guy. My 1/2 impact is a Ryobi and my torque wrenches are Tekton, C-man and Kobalt, so I don't have any personal experience to go by in his situation.

Thanks
Coach

Prefers Milwaukee but only in high school haha He don't have much power tool experience to make a decision IMO

 

[Coach James]

Prefers Milwaukee but only in high school haha He don't have much power tool experience to make a decision IMO

He's got enough experience to know he likes Milwaukee over Dewalt. What is the error in his preference?

 

[vssjim]

You can get a good air impact from a company like Astro Thor for a lot less than battery set up and if you oil it they will last a long time and spend money on electric stuff later when he has made some money

 

[jsaw]

You can get a good air impact from a company like Astro Thor for a lot less than battery set up and if you oil it they will last a long time and spend money on electric stuff later when he has made some money

I agree

 

[finn]

He's got enough experience to know he likes Milwaukee over Dewalt. What is the error in his preference?

Get real. He’s succumbing to peer pressure, and doesn’t have enough personal experience to make a valid, unbiased decision.

i have four Dewalt impacts and six Milwaukee Fuels, including impacts and ratchets.

My favorites are the Dewalt Atomics, considering price, ergonomics, and performance. I don’t say that to disparage Milwaukee. They’re both good brands.

 

[dchawk81]

My son, high school senior, is starting a part time job at the local Toyota dealer in a couple weeks. He is starting off doing oil changes and tire rotations. Service manager told him he would need an impact. The auto tech program at his high school uses Dewalt, as Dewalt sponsors the program, but he prefers Milwaukee. Would a M18, 2962 be enough or should he go with the 2967? He is starting auto tech at the local community college in the fall and plans a career in this field. I want to get him something that will last and have enough power.

Service manager also told him he would need a torque wrench. Icon is available locally and some of the guys at the Toyota dealer use them. Any other suggestions? Are Quinn any good? Dealer has a wrench he can borrow for a couple weeks, but them he would need his own.

I'm just a shade tree guy. My 1/2 impact is a Ryobi and my torque wrenches are Tekton, C-man and Kobalt, so I don't have any personal experience to go by in his situation.

Thanks
Coach

Does the Toyota dealer supply air? IMHO there are better values to be had in pneumatics. Especially for a part time job.

2767/2967 would be overkill most of the time for tire rotations in a passenger vehicle environment. It's stupidly big and heavy, as are all the high torques. Modern mid torque should be plenty.

 

[Mike65]

I have 2 CP (Chicago Pneumatic) & 1 Mac impact guns. The CP guns are more powerful. I have a Quinn 1/2" drive torque wrench that I use when needed. It is a 50-250 ft lb wrench. I have a couple others, but I like that one best, it has a long handle for good leverage.

1/2 in. Drive 50-250 ft. lb. Click Torque Wrench

Amazing deals on this 1/2In Drive Click Torque Wrench at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[theoldwizard1]

Would a M18, 2962 be enough or should he go with the 2967?

2962 is fine. Overkill for oil drain pan bolts.

Get him a set of Sunex flip lug nut sockets. Sunex also make good impact sockets.

 

[CJM8515]

id get the gen 3 mid torque and an air impact. astro has some nice ones.

 

[Sweetcorn]

Get real. He’s succumbing to peer pressure, and doesn’t have enough personal experience to make a valid, unbiased decision.

i have four Dewalt impacts and six Milwaukee Fuels, including impacts and ratchets.

My favorites are the Dewalt Atomics, considering price, ergonomics, and performance. I don’t say that to disparage Milwaukee. They’re both good brands.

So you have an opinion, and the kid has an opinion.

Personally, I'd let the kid get what he wants.

The vast majority of people on this board want to use the tools and brands they prefer. Who are you to say this kid's opinion is wrong?

 

[M635_Guy]

Would a M18, 2962 be enough or should he go with the 2967? He is starting auto tech at the local community college in the fall and plans a career in this field. I want to get him something that will last and have enough power.

Just to follow up on the pic above, the 2962 is more than enough for most tasks. I've done multiple full suspensions, dropped subframes and all kinds of stuff with mine. The High Torque is huge and heavy. Not much can say "no" to it, but it's size is a disadvantage in a lot of situations.

Get real. He’s succumbing to peer pressure, and doesn’t have enough personal experience to make a valid, unbiased decision.

i have four Dewalt impacts and six Milwaukee Fuels, including impacts and ratchets.

My favorites are the Dewalt Atomics, considering price, ergonomics, and performance. I don’t say that to disparage Milwaukee. They’re both good brands.

Get over yourself. It's not like he's trying to pick a fringe brand.

 

[finn]

Just to follow up on the pic above, the 2962 is more than enough for most tasks. I've done multiple full suspensions, dropped subframes and all kinds of stuff with mine. The High Torque is huge and heavy. Not much can say "no" to it, but it's size is a disadvantage in a lot of situations.



Get over yourself. It's not like he's trying to pick a fringe brand.

Guess you missed the part where I said I own both. In fact, more Red than Yellow.

It’s hard for the Red fan boys to accept that Yellow is now ever bit as good, if not better than Red, I guess.

 

[Tall dude]

Totally agree. Air impact guns - I have an Ingersol Rand but there are other good brands - totally blow away electric impacts. I have the larger Milwaukee electric 1/2" drive impact and it struggles / fails at most lug nuts.

A 3/8" electric impact might be fine for an oil pan plug.

 

[M635_Guy]

Guess you missed the part where I said I own both. In fact, more Red than Yellow.

It’s hard for the Red fan boys to accept that Yellow is now ever bit as good, if not better than Red, I guess.

You're missing the point entirely. IDGAF about Team Red vs. Team Yellow - they both make great products.

The part you should be paying attention to is "Get over yourself"

 

[swsman]

So a dealership wants him to use his tools, being a part time position can he write off the cost of tools? 1099 gig or W2?

If latter I would get HF for both, an air impact and cheapest 1/2" torque wrench they carry. Warranty it out as needed.

Save good tools for when he finds a less crooked employer.

 

[Wrench97]

I would tell him to buy air, like a IR 231 to start out.
It's cheaper, he doesn't have to worry about batteries being charged or buying replacements.

 

[richfinn]

I think he is going to want a 1/2" torque wrench for lug nuts and a 3/8" version for drain plugs/spark plugs etc.

If you buy a cordless Impact your going to want a kit with at least two batteries and a fast charger.

Also consider a good quality 1/2" air impact wrench for a dealership, they will survive the abuse for decades.

 

[Sweetcorn]

Guess you missed the part where I said I own both. In fact, more Red than Yellow.

It’s hard for the Red fan boys to accept that Yellow is now ever bit as good, if not better than Red, I guess.

Nah, it's more about you just being a blowhard about it.

If the kid wanted a Dewalt instead and you were going on and on about him not knowing what he wants (lol, who are you again?) I'd say the same thing. Let him get what is exciting to him that he'll take pride in.

It isn't like he's taking a $30K loan out on an empty toolbox. It's a damn impact, for crying out loud. Are the prices really that different between yellow and red for comparable models?

You're making assumptions about this kid that aren't fair, and honestly, a little insulting. You said he's succumbing to peer pressure and hes uninformed, yet here you are, applying pressure and saying he's wrong. That's not hypocritical at all...

This young man wants to work, with tools, and he's picked out something he's excited about. That's awesome. I'm happy for him and any other young person that finds fulfillment working with their hands.

You routinely post **** like this here, though. You can't accept that others have opinions that don't align with yours. As a wise poster said, get over yourself.

 

[dnschmidt]

And thus we have the reason nobody with a brain wants to be an auto mechanic. They pay you ****, you work your balls off and the cheap bastards that are making all of the money from your labor want you to buy your own tools. **** THAT! In and Out Burger starts you off at $22 an hour here in Phoenix and they pay for your red apron and safety pin to hold the apron up. If you truly are a coach James coach him into doing something else instead of that worthless job.

 

[908Jim]

Did the dealership manager actually say/imply a cordless impact? I can't see beating up cordless impacts and batteries for high volume tire work. A $125 231c impact would get him moving and allow paychecks to start rolling in.

 

[tyyost]

I read the replies, and I’m on the fence too. I only have the high torque Milwauke, haven’t dipped into the mid-torque offerings. In your shoes I’d probably buy the same for my son and move on. But I’m a Milwaukee guy…

Honestly, the guys suggesting a nice air impact are probably right. A nice IR would be a great tool for this job, and leave a few bucks in the pocket for some impact sockets and the torque wrench. You could probably grab a Tekton Clicker torque wrench and set of 1/2 impacts and be well on the way for the Milwaukee kit price. The only reason I do cordless now is that I’m not in a shop with air at home. I’d almost even consider going full Hf on all of it if he wasn’t thinking this as a career.

If the job goes well he can use his first few paychecks to buy a cordless kit of his choice for when he gets to college.

 

[Fedwrench]

As others have pointed out, unless specifically required by his job, I would opt for a pneumatic gun for tire rotations with a 3 inch 1/2 drive impact extension, an a few flip sockets in the sizes needed over a cordless impact but, that's just me.
As for the torque wrench, I'd opt for just about anyone's 1/2 drive flex head split beam torque wrench. The split beam is more rugged than a micrometer or digital type and will handle being dropped better. Lastly, he needs a good digital tire inflator. I like Astro's because it uses AAA batteries.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

When did it become more commonplace for techs to use torque wrenches when installing wheels? When I was growing up that never happened, it was air impact to "feel" and whether that was snapping the lug nut or overtorqueing it, so be it. I started refusing shops rotate my tires a part of a service even if it was free.

Now it seems more commonplace for shops to actually use torque wrenches, but I dont know what happened in the last 20ish years or when the change occurred, or if it's just geographical whether they're going to do it properly or not?

 

[jsaw]

When did it become more commonplace for techs to use torque wrenches when installing wheels? When I was growing up that never happened, it was air impact to "feel" and whether that was snapping the lug nut or overtorqueing it, so be it. I started refusing shops rotate my tires a part of a service even if it was free.

Now it seems more commonplace for shops to actually use torque wrenches, but I Bdont know what happened in the last 20ish years or when the change occurred, or if it's just geographical whether they're going to do it properly or not?

Back about 30 years ago GM started having problems with rotors warping . That figured out that so many miles after tires were rotated that the rotors would become warped due to inconsistent / uneven torque. That was when they started requiring torque sticks be used. Unfortunately, torque sticks are not really that accurate. By the time you adjust your impact so that it does not overtighten the wheel nuts or if the airline pressure happens to be low, or if your impact looses power, You are farther ahead to final torque with a torque wrench.
I have tightened wheels with the impact like I always do. And then checked with a torque wrench and found they were not as tight as they should have. That is how I found out that My impact was looking power.

 

[tak1313]

Agree with those saying pneumatic if air is available. For tires/oil changes, I would even say a compact pneumatic like an Astro Nano or Aircat/Nitrocat. I have an Aircat 1057-TH, and it's RATED for 700 ft lbs of loosening torque. I also have an older CP7732 RATED for about 500 ft lbs. I don't know what they ACTUALLY do, but you will never get that kind of power in that size/weight in a cordless.

He won't be doing crankbolts - or even wheel bearings anytime soon, so even that is overkill for power - I have used the CP on the crankbolt of our old Xterra and it had no problem.

Another BIG advantage of a compact pneumatic - his arms/wrist will appreciate swinging it all day.

Although I pretty much only use my M18/M12 impacts these days, it's mostly because I'm just DIY, and airing up the compressor just to do lug nuts isn't time efficient for me. If I had air easily available, I'd be using pneumatic all the time because they are so much lighter and easier to handle. I can't imagine swinging even my mid-torque if I had to do it all day, every day. Plus with that much use, batteries will likely need replacement more often, and at least GENUINE Red batteries don't come cheap.

 

[chevy.stroker]

I would chase a 20% Zoro coupon and purchase the USA made Precision Instruments torque wrench.

Precision Instruments Split Beam" Torque Wrench W/Flex Head (40-250 Ft./Lbs), 1/2" Dr " PREC3FR250F | Zoro

Order Precision Instruments Split Beam" Torque Wrench W/Flex Head (40-250 Ft./Lbs), 1/2" Dr ", PREC3FR250F at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

He can grow slowly and purchase a mechanical torque to angle gauge to extend its use. Then when he makes good money he can get a digital.

Edit: if he gets in with a Snap On dealer he will probably calibrate it as needed for his business.

 

[FigN⋅m]

I would chase a 20% Zoro coupon and purchase the USA made Precision Instruments torque wrench.

He can grow slowly and purchase a mechanical torque to angle gauge to extend its use. Then when he makes good money he can get a digital.

I finally got around to acquiring a split beam and am surprised this isn't the vastly preferred/recommended type of tw,
especially with new techs who may try to use tools in a less-than-designed fashion. It can't be used as an impromptu
breaker bar, and can be left at any setting without issue. With decent sub-$200 offerings, they seem perfect for this.

 

[chevy.stroker]

Second recommendation:

If he goes with a Pneumatic impact then get some torque sticks. I have a HF set I have used for 15 years.

If he goes electric torque sticks don't work because the hammer motion is to fast.

 

[tak1313]

I would chase a 20% Zoro coupon and purchase the USA made Precision Instruments torque wrench.

Precision Instruments Split Beam" Torque Wrench W/Flex Head (40-250 Ft./Lbs), 1/2" Dr " PREC3FR250F | Zoro

Order Precision Instruments Split Beam" Torque Wrench W/Flex Head (40-250 Ft./Lbs), 1/2" Dr ", PREC3FR250F at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

He can grow slowly and purchase a mechanical torque to angle gauge to extend its use. Then when he makes good money he can get a digital.

Edit: if he gets in with a Snap On dealer he will probably calibrate it as needed for his business.

The OP is asking about IMPACT wrenches - but I do like my PI torque wrenches.

 

[dchawk81]

The OP is asking about IMPACT wrenches - but I do like my PI torque wrenches.

He asked about both.

 

[chevy.stroker]

The OP is asking about IMPACT wrenches - but I do like my PI torque wrenches.

Second to last paragraph in the original post:

Service manager also told him he would need a torque wrench. Icon is available locally and some of the guys at the Toyota dealer use them. Any other suggestions? Are Quinn any good? Dealer has a wrench he can borrow for a couple weeks, but them he would need his own.