Milwaukee Conversion - is it worth it

[Flattie]

Hi all

I have a first generation 1/4” hex Milwaukee 18v impact driver.
Is it worth converting to 3/8 drive. I just don’t want to sell it off for next to nothing. I got a new brushless kit with the 4.0 and 5.0 batteries. So I don’t need another 1/4 hex driver. But they are not worth a lot used.

Thanks crew

 

[donthelegend]

Is there something you need/want to do that your current tool won't do? The newer stuff is incredible and has made huge increases in performance, especially compared to first gen non brushless tools... You'll definitely notice the difference if that's what your worried about.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[ThatSickRip]

^ Its not a matter of the tool not performing and not doing what he wants; its a matter of he now has (2) 1/4" impacts, and wants to repurpose one instead of taking a loss on selling it. I think there was a thread here where someone used a 3/8" anvil on the 1/4" for this, but I have no idea how to find it

 

[Tonyuk]

Could just use a 1/4" to 3/8" adaptor for the driver, although you'll probably loose a bit of torque.

 

[kythri]

Isn't the torque on an 1/4" impact driver severely lacking to operate as a 3/8" impact wrench?

 

[DerekV]

The correct way to do it is to get the whole gear case assembly from the corresponding impact wrench and swap it in, but that's not necessarily cheap. It may be worth it if you can find the correct anvil, but the economics start to go down if you need to guess and check a few times. You'll also need to bore out the anvil opening if you go that route, which if done with little attention will be oversized allowing dirt/grime to get in.

I don't know, it "may" be worth it.

 

[ngk22r]

Keep in mind that if it is still under warranty, modifications will void it.

 

[Flattie]

Thanks for the reply. Looks like I will sell on here, with a charger. Then put that $ towards a 3/8.

 

[MattT]

Isn't the torque on an 1/4" impact driver severely lacking to operate as a 3/8" impact wrench?

A lot of the 1/4" hex and 3/8" square impacts are same guns with different anvils.

The correct way to do it is to get the whole gear case assembly from the corresponding impact wrench and swap it in, but that's not necessarily cheap. It may be worth it if you can find the correct anvil, but the economics start to go down if you need to guess and check a few times. You'll also need to bore out the anvil opening if you go that route, which if done with little attention will be oversized allowing dirt/grime to get in.

All the Milwaukee parts schematics are online. Just have to compare the gun you want to convert to it's 3/8" drive equivalent. When I looked into doing a V18 only the anvil was different IIRC. Definitely didn't require the entire gearcase assembly.

 

[DerekV]

A lot of the 1/4" hex and 3/8" square impacts are same guns with different anvils.







All the Milwaukee parts schematics are online. Just have to compare the gun you want to convert to it's 3/8" drive equivalent. When I looked into doing a V18 only the anvil was different IIRC. Definitely didn't require the entire gearcase assembly.

This is not the case with any of the M12 or M18 Fuel impacts (with the exception of the M12 Fuel 1/4" hex and 1/4" sq drives). The drivers have totally different gearcase assemblies from the wrenches.

I haven't looked into non Fuel models or older tools like the V18s.

 

[Odd-job]

This is not the case with any of the M12 or M18 Fuel impacts (with the exception of the M12 Fuel 1/4" hex and 1/4" sq drives). The drivers have totally different gearcase assemblies from the wrenches.

I haven't looked into non Fuel models or older tools like the V18s.

Might not need an entire new gear case but a nose cone. Swapped the anvil on my 2nd gen however the anvil flops around in original nose cone without a shim. Was able to use the original gearbox. I found some o rings that minimize the flopiness because I am lazy. So far so good for me, but I have low standards.

 

[DerekV]

Might not need an entire new gear case but a nose cone. Swapped the anvil on my 2nd gen however the anvil flops around in original nose cone without a shim. Was able to use the original gearbox. I found some o rings that minimize the flopiness because I am lazy. So far so good for me, but I have low standards.

Lol. Guys. Take a look at the gear cases. Just LOOK at them. They are different!

Different RPMs and IPM too. That's not from an anvil. Not magic either.

Didn't say an anvil swap couldn't be done - see above posts [emoji41]

 

[Odd-job]

Lol. Guys. Take a look at the gear cases. Just LOOK at them. They are different!

Different RPMs and IPM too. That's not from an anvil. Not magic either.

Didn't say an anvil swap couldn't be done - see above posts [emoji41]

I see what you are saying now. We need to collectively make a definitive parts/anvil swap thread on this. Cross referencing with part numbers etc. Too much confusion here with a lot of folks interested.