mac tools gggrrrrr
- Thread starter colin39
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Rosso
Well-known member
Guy at my work who swears by Mac stuff has a Milwauke gun he bought from the Mac guy. It's broken 3 times in two years and each time it's away for repair it's away for at least two months. It seems the Mac warranty process is pretty poor.
For comparison my Snappy 1/2 impact gun trigger went wonky. I dropped it off with my dealer and picked it up rebuild like new a week later.
For comparison my Snappy 1/2 impact gun trigger went wonky. I dropped it off with my dealer and picked it up rebuild like new a week later.
bcradio
Well-known member
Yeah that's it. Do you know what serial number they started putting out the updated units?
Thanks
bcradio
Well-known member
bump
WhiffySpark
Well-known member
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- Oct 22, 2009
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- 6,252
Perhaps the hammer head?
Just so you know, these right angle impacts are NOT designed to be used daily, the entire design is based around making it as small as possible, it is a speciality tool in the eyes of the engineers and many things in the way of robustness are sacrificed in order to make it small, what you have is a fundamental problem because to tool your using is being used beyond what it was intended for unfortunately... So I hate to say it but if this is a daily tool it's no defect, this is what will keep happening.
Finky198
Well-known member
I could right a repair manual but ahh idk that's a lot of work 
There was a major design flaw that if gone un-repaired overtime will destroy the head.
I've used mine for years, and they are built with the same materials and basic designs that there IR TI max impacts are made with. There is no reason it should not last. Other then the one major flaw In the head. It a very well built tool.
It's beyond repair at that point... anyway
There was a major design flaw that if gone un-repaired overtime will destroy the head.
I've used mine for years, and they are built with the same materials and basic designs that there IR TI max impacts are made with. There is no reason it should not last. Other then the one major flaw In the head. It a very well built tool.
It's beyond repair at that point... anyway
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If that were mine when it comes back I'd check the tooth engagement first thing. Those teeth are only engaging on ~30% of the available tooth. See if a bit of shimming and set up won't ger you a better pattern of engagement on the teeth, just as you would set up a ring and pinion. These things are built on the loose side of tolerances so that they can be machined and assembled without problems. A bit of shimming of the pinion should help. I'm not sure if you can shim the bevel gear but if you can then do what you have to do to get better engagement of the gears.
lg
no neat sig line
lg
no neat sig line
Finky198
Well-known member
Your theory is correct, but it can be readjusted in much simpler way. It not foolproof either. In theory the fix could be taken one step further and made semi permanent with user servicability still intact... that said if you don't oil grease clean and repete they won't last.
I just serviced my IR 2115 and a 2135. I haven't cleaned them in 2 year I oil them daily grease once a month. The 2135 I had grease seeping into the air motor had turn the blades black form the slight yellow they look at new. Was not running well. It's a tool, but really a (small machine) and it needs to be serviced it reduces down time failures by preventing them in the first place it didn't take me more then 15min each and 0 dollars in parts just the parts washer and the deep sink. greased oiled and reassembled they should work like new. If parts are worn replace or have a kit on hand...
I just serviced my IR 2115 and a 2135. I haven't cleaned them in 2 year I oil them daily grease once a month. The 2135 I had grease seeping into the air motor had turn the blades black form the slight yellow they look at new. Was not running well. It's a tool, but really a (small machine) and it needs to be serviced it reduces down time failures by preventing them in the first place it didn't take me more then 15min each and 0 dollars in parts just the parts washer and the deep sink. greased oiled and reassembled they should work like new. If parts are worn replace or have a kit on hand...
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mbshop
Well-known member
Late to this. All tools have a limit and when used beyond their intended use will break. I have no problem with the op and his issues but I suspect he is using the tool beyond its designed purpose. As a mac dealer long ago I saw my share of damaged tools and found all of the ones that needed repeated repairs were being used beyond their intended use. For the op I would suggest looking for a tool more intended for his purpose. As an example mac had a strong 1/2 impact. One guy kept breaking his. So one day I got to his place of work, cat dealer, and saw what he was doing. He was using it to try and take out massive bolts and was just standing there letting the impact hammer away forever. Long story short I convinced him to get a 3/4 drive impact for those jobs. No more problems.
tr0n
Well-known member
impacting on bevel gears...yeah. it breaks things. pretty **** design for an impact if you ask me.
anyone think rear ends? what happens when you repeatedly hammer on them over and over?
anyone think rear ends? what happens when you repeatedly hammer on them over and over?
Roberts210
Well-known member
Poor old angle grinder. I'd fail too if I got beat on like that.
Where is this information coming from?
Is there a link to Mac's promo page for this unit?
The IR hammerhead certainly does not claim they are not to be used daily in their promo material that I've seen.
Also you can't compare this to auto differential hypoid gear sets that have a heel and toe contact pattern where contact moves in and out of contact over the contact area. Although they still need to be set up properly off the assembly line they are straight cut and should be harder steel to withstand the rigours or their duties.
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Two Speed
Well-known member
What if your daily job requires confined space usage?
Its not as if the Mac tool was bought at Walmart with the inherent expectation it might break the next time you use it. It is a tool truck tool, in theory intended for professionals, who use their tools daily in the field.
I do agree there is a limit to the capabilities of this thing by virtue of its design, but if it is being sold to do X, then it better do X.
Alex.
Ign
Well-known member
Then they shouldn't sell it on tool trucks 'cause last I knew techs work everyday
meatsis
Well-known member
Oh well nothing lasts forever, and this tool dont last forever, hey ho and its off for repair again
Mac have now had it again for 4 weeks lets see IF i get it back this week
You belong in the zoo. You're an animal
16mm bolt on a merc lorry gear box, and it comes loose and smashes the teeth, on doing up the bolts, and it always comes loose doing things up. So take your miss use idea and go forth and multiply. Lol bot ment to offend, lighhearted remark, I have a 3/4 impact and cant get it in there hence the reason i bought this tool.
@meatsis i cannot deny this. You wouldnt be the first to say this. However im changing volvo fm12, four axle clutches in 3 hours.
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71firebird400
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2016
- Messages
- 142
Clean tools = tool polisher
Dirty tools = abusive
Tough crowd on the forum.
Dirty tools = abusive
Tough crowd on the forum.
Laugh my fcukin rs off. Lol
Schurkey
Well-known member
Thanks for this thread. The "Proto"-branded version of this tool has been removed from my Amazon wish-list.
FMC1959
Well-known member
I don't get comments like this. This was not purchased at HF, Lowes, Sears, or even NAPA. If I buy from and pay a premium from the tool trucks.....which cater to the pro, I would expect it to handle daily use. Especially when it is branded with their name (versus buying Dewalt or Milwaukee off the truck because your driver has them), I think it should be heavy duty/commercial quality, and the expectation is it will be used daily.
If a truck brand is failing that often, they need to change the design, make a heftier model (even if more expensive) or stop selling it.
You can't tell someone working in a tire center "that impact gun is only intended to do 40-50 lugs per day, not 500" or a contractor that buys a drywall gun....I know guys that all they do is hang drywall all day, they never frame and they never spackle, other teams do that. What are you going to tell him, that drywall gun is not intended for that?
@Tom.C
Sorry dude, ill spend nearly £200 od my hard earned pounds to look at a tool? Yea right! If its in my tool box its there to earn me a living not to look good, i buy tool to make my life easier not me work harder.
And as i keep saying this happens wgile doing fasteners up, not tight just doing them up. Im not hanging the imoact in im letting the tool do the job its designed for look at the damage on the teeth its damage is on the clock wise side.
Look when i have a legitimate problem with a daily use tool that i have abused i will not complain, and i abuse the odd tool, but this comes on on ****** jobs only as thats what i bought it for and thats what it fails on every time when reinstalling the bell housing bolts it falls apart.
Shite tool mac man knows the issue and has rung today to say they are yet again replacing it with a new one and a new warrenty of 2 years again.
Well just to be clear I'm not attacking you, I'm simply explaining this from the real perspective, quite frankly it's none of my business what you do with your 200 British pesos I'm just trying to give you the answer to the reason. this is a speciality tool. If you tear that thing apart and look through it you will see that certain things are cut to make it smaller and as a side effect, weaker. I agree with you actually they should be able to hold up, but how much do you want it to cost? The market demands a price point and reengineering something to be better when there isn't a market thats going to pay 2000 dollars for a gun that will last just isn't going to happen, sorry.
That thing looks rough lol, especially for only a year old. I understand though its probably used on nasty heavy equipment like garbage trucks so its to be expected.
What i would do because you got a defective tool or something is going on (maybe its to small), is get with mac and get a 1/2 version if they make one. Id try to trade that in and get a deal on a different unit. cause at this point that things a lemon and only costing you money.
I dont get the abuse comments, its an inanimate object. Are you supposed to use your ratchets heads to give a rusted bolt a tap to knock it out of a hole? Nope. Do i do that sometimes? Yep. should i expect my 300 dollar snap on ratchet to hold up to that? you bet your ***. if i had an ******* truck guy that wouldnt warranty my stuff, he would no longer see any of my money. long gone are the days of sears, harbor freight and truck guys. we have internet now. i can have just about any tool i desire next day for an extra 20 bucks. amazon has great warranty.
I dont care because it means nothing to me. it might not even be professional use but some of the tools and boxes i see posted on here look unused. How would a deep chrome socket not have a single scratch on it? the tips of the pliers are perfect. i understand the difference between clean and unused and understand some people just collect this stuff. that ugly pic in ops post is very common though, its just heavy daily use and for the price the stuff should hold up.
What i would do because you got a defective tool or something is going on (maybe its to small), is get with mac and get a 1/2 version if they make one. Id try to trade that in and get a deal on a different unit. cause at this point that things a lemon and only costing you money.
I dont get the abuse comments, its an inanimate object. Are you supposed to use your ratchets heads to give a rusted bolt a tap to knock it out of a hole? Nope. Do i do that sometimes? Yep. should i expect my 300 dollar snap on ratchet to hold up to that? you bet your ***. if i had an ******* truck guy that wouldnt warranty my stuff, he would no longer see any of my money. long gone are the days of sears, harbor freight and truck guys. we have internet now. i can have just about any tool i desire next day for an extra 20 bucks. amazon has great warranty.
I dont care because it means nothing to me. it might not even be professional use but some of the tools and boxes i see posted on here look unused. How would a deep chrome socket not have a single scratch on it? the tips of the pliers are perfect. i understand the difference between clean and unused and understand some people just collect this stuff. that ugly pic in ops post is very common though, its just heavy daily use and for the price the stuff should hold up.
It isn't that it isn't meant for daily use. It's that it's designed to apply torque to hard to reach hardware by using a less robust design (the head) to do it. It is a trade off that isn't the tools fault.
It's like the difference between a 3 foot 1/2" breaker bar, and a proper 36 inch long 3/4" breaker bar. Yes you can use the lighter and easier to hold 1/2" bar, but if you truly need that amount of leverage, consistently and regularly, you really should be jumping up to 3/4" drive tools.
Or in this case using a proper impact gun like every other transmission tech does for the majority of the bolts, and when you need that special tool to squeeze in for the last one or two you use it, instead of needing to use a ratchet like techs normally would have.
Dimitri
I should get pics of the scratches on my ratchets for proof I use them.
have you seen the new compact 1/2" impacts? might be a better idea to trade that in and see if these will work. (600 ftlb, and 2 year warranty. AWP050M)
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Coach James
Well-known member
Perhaps you could line all your tool box drawers with dirty 40 grit sand paper to make sure they have that "well used" patina.
Coach
I dont understand what you are saying,so a company as big a MAC tools are going to sell an item for weekend work only? Dont be so stupid! Firstly we are talking a 16mm bolt head 10mm thread and doing it up tightening it not loosening it? Im only taking it to its seat before being tourqued up tight.secondly as i stated before we buy tools off theae trucks for them to earn a living to too look good feel good and polish up well.
Welcome to the real world, the world of an engineer of 34years in the trade and not looking for a desk job pushing pens and numbers yet and a guy who still has a passion for work, getting work done and enjoying his job with the tools he buys to do this job.
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Yes i have the facom version, but i would use it in this situation if it worked the gap around the bell housing is too small, hence the reason i bought the impact ratchet.
Hey ho
WittHay
Well-known member
Its almost like you need to buy 1 more Mac angle impact and stagger the usage. so they will always be under warranty and have one to use, while the other is being fixed.
Usage and quality of the tool is relative. example: my 3/4" Milwaukee Fuel impact will hopefully last me a long time but if used daily in a truck tire shop, I doubt it would last 6 months
I am not sure who they are marketing these right angle impacts to. They seem too bulky for automotive use but are not quite strong enough for HD work
Usage and quality of the tool is relative. example: my 3/4" Milwaukee Fuel impact will hopefully last me a long time but if used daily in a truck tire shop, I doubt it would last 6 months
I am not sure who they are marketing these right angle impacts to. They seem too bulky for automotive use but are not quite strong enough for HD work
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