Milwaukee's latest Impacts vs Old School Air

[Denwood]

Sunday was tire swap day (winters to summers) so of course I fired up the hoist and did all the inspections, brake servicing, and tire swaps on our two EVs, and the ICE Highlander. On the last run of Black Friday there was some good deals on the Gen2 M12 Stubbies, and the M18 High torque. I compared them all vs my 2O year old IR 231 air impact clone for both speed and noise levels.

This is today's vid, about 6 minutes long, comparing them on the tire swap with wheel nuts torqued in the fall to 90 ft lbs.

This is one I did in December, testing at 250 ft lbs on a trailer hitch ball (3 minutes)

The M12 Gen 2 stubbies are very impressive at just over 2lbs with the 5 Ah HO battery. They come quite close to the big guns in speed, but are a bit louder.

 

[Jetfixr320]

I have a M18. It's impressive. I haven't broke the air impact out since buying the M18.

 

[Denwood]

I think the pick of the litter (for me) has to be the M12 1/2" with the 5Ah HO battery. It's small enough to get back behind the brake calipers for service work, weighs just over 2lbs, but also has enough power to remove a 250 ft lb trailer hitch ball with no issues. The M18 HT will likely only see use for things like axle nuts, subframe bolts etc. as it's a heavyweight, and pretty bulky....but crazy powerful at 1600 ft lbs. My brother picked up the 2.5 Ah HO battery for the M12 which shrinks down the size/weight factor yet again while keeping performance consistent.

 

[Skellyii]

I picked up the M12 Gen 2 shortly after it was released with the 5Ah Ho battery.

"air Impacts"?? Pfft.

 

[pbon]

The only advantage of air impacts is the size and weight. They are lighter and smaller for the same power. I have not used an air impact in 15 years but I am just a DIYer. I have the range of Milwaukee M12/18 and usually start with the M12.

 

[Beerhippie]

I bought the mid-torque M18 this winter. I haven't even thought about hauling a hose around since. I've yet to find anything that will defeat it--including a ball hitch and the 350 ftlb rear axle nuts on my Vanagon. Rusted caliper bracket bolts? Pshaw.

 

[Diesel Dan]

The only advantage of air impacts is the size and weight. They are lighter and smaller for the same power. I have not used an air impact in 15 years but I am just a DIYer. I have the range of Milwaukee M12/18 and usually start with the M12.

Long term cost savings sides with the air tool. I have 30 yr old air tools that have not been rebuilt. How many batteries will an M18 tool go through? Also, air tools still rule for extended run duty cycles. Intermittent use favors air as well. Don't use my 3/4" IR impact often but can sit in the drawer for years without issue.
Now, since buying electric impacts the air stuff has been used less but I can't say it 100% replaces it.

Wouldn't mind comparing a M12 impact ratchet vs my old, large body, snap-on air ratchet. That SO ratchet would break head bolts loose or smash your knuckles....it wasn't picky lol.

 

[pbon]

Definitely true on long term costs. No useful 20+ year old battery tools. I have some that are 10+ that are still useful.

 

[Pinne]

I own a bunch of Milwaukee stuff, it's awesome and there are a lot of jobs that those tools enable or massively speed up. There are some tools that really only exist via air - spray guns, air hammer, etc. And I think air impacts are often more powerful than their battery counterparts in actual use.

The M18 mid-torque is my go to. It's rated at 650ftlb but it's still very compact and pretty light. I also have the M12 stubby with the 550ftlb rating - while it's great for its size it's not even close to the actual power of the M18 mid-torque. Maybe the M12 gets there if you want to listen to it wail for 30+ seconds while simultaneously beating up your wrists - but the point of the tools is to reduce fatigue and workload compared with doing everything manually.

There is much more to the usability and real world results than just the "peak torque" numbers, imo.

 

[Denwood]

Long term cost savings sides with the air tool. I have 30 yr old air tools that have not been rebuilt. How many batteries will an M18 tool go through? Also, air tools still rule for extended run duty cycles. Intermittent use favors air as well. Don't use my 3/4" IR impact often but can sit in the drawer for years without issue.
Now, since buying electric impacts the air stuff has been used less but I can't say it 100% replaces it.

Wouldn't mind comparing a M12 impact ratchet vs my old, large body, snap-on air ratchet. That SO ratchet would break head bolts loose or smash your knuckles....it wasn't picky lol.

In the comparison on the 250 ft lb trailer ball, the air impact took that off pretty much instantly, but the m12 hammered away at it for 8-10 seconds. You’re right though in that my 20 year old IR 231 clone is 20 years old and still going strong with just occasional oil. Now, the two compressors in my shop..not quite as low maintenance. Thing is, I still need air for a pile of other stuff so that is not going anywhere

 

[Denwood]

I own a bunch of Milwaukee stuff, it's awesome and there are a lot of jobs that those tools enable or massively speed up. There are some tools that really only exist via air - spray guns, air hammer, etc. And I think air impacts are often more powerful than their battery counterparts in actual use.

The M18 mid-torque is my go to. It's rated at 650ftlb but it's still very compact and pretty light. I also have the M12 stubby with the 550ftlb rating - while it's great for its size it's not even close to the actual power of the M18 mid-torque. Maybe the M12 gets there if you want to listen to it wail for 30+ seconds while simultaneously beating up your wrists - but the point of the tools is to reduce fatigue and workload compared with doing everything manually.

There is much more to the usability and real world results than just the "peak torque" numbers, imo.

Yes exactly. When I first tried the m12 on a 250 ft lbs nut it removed it but not after hammering away at 105db for 10 seconds. The M18 high torque took it off in about a second, as did the air gun.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Haven't used my Bosch GDS 18V-750 C a ton, but glad I got it. My 1800 Freak has been great, but the new GDX18V-285 18V is probably a better compact light impact to carry.

Y'all carry on now. lol

 

[nicks78camaro]

We only have to break out the air impact (1/2" AirCat) every once in a while, notably to press out really stuck truck ball joints. Otherwise, the M18 high torque 1/2" does the job.

 

[Denwood]

Used it tonight on a nicely rusted 2015 Subie...it is a beast! Given our winter salt situation, I should have grabbed one years ago.

 

[Gangly]

The difference between air and electric for me boils down to mobility. I can't haul a sufficiently sized air compressor with me on job sites, hauling trailers, or doing teardowns in the field. The M12 and M18 work everywhere, and I dont need to have a compressor with me to use them.

 

[Denwood]

The difference between air and electric for me boils down to mobility. I can't haul a sufficiently sized air compressor with me on job sites, hauling trailers, or doing teardowns in the field. The M12 and M18 work everywhere, and I dont need to have a compressor with me to use them.

100%. Perfect application for the battery impacts.

 

[Wrench-Polisher]

In our frozen hellscape nightmare cold rust belt truck salvage yard you had to fire up a box van with a diesel air compressor.
Its 17 degrees out there and maybe you are lucky enough to start the box van. If you win the lottery the diesel air compressor will fire up too. After getting stuck in a rut in the junk yard you get the loader to push you out.
You park your truck all stupid to make the air lines reach, your air lines now leak because you dragged them across a rusty frame. You gotta fix the air lines. You wasted 2 productive hours.
You come to complain to the main office. There sits an accountant who does some napkin math and spends 1,200 dollars on a Milwaukee 1"impact gun with some good batteries. 2 hour job becomes 15 minute job.

 

[Denwood]

In our frozen hellscape nightmare cold rust belt truck salvage yard you had to fire up a box van with a diesel air compressor.
Its 17 degrees out there and maybe you are lucky enough to start the box van. If you win the lottery the diesel air compressor will fire up too. After getting stuck in a rut in the junk yard you get the loader to push you out.
You park your truck all stupid to make the air lines reach, your air lines now leak because you dragged them across a rusty frame. You gotta fix the air lines. You wasted 2 productive hours.
You come to complain to the main office. There sits an accountant who does some napkin math and spends 1,200 dollars on a Milwaukee 1"impact gun with some good batteries. 2 hour job becomes 15 minute job.

The 1/2" HT M18 has your name written on it

I think we might be as "deep in the rusty rust of rust belt" as you are..ha.

 

[Wrench-Polisher]

The 1/2" HT M18 has your name written on it

We have the M18 1" beast with extended anvil to get the 18 wheeler dually wheels.