cvcman
Well-known member
I have a Chicago phnematic 1/2”drive but it doesn’t seem to have a lot of power
Don’t want to spent a ton of money
Whacha think
Don’t want to spent a ton of money
Whacha think
What’s a decent 1/2”air impact ?
- Thread starter cvcman
- Start date
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I have an Ingersoll Rand 231C and love it; I haven't found anything it can't do yet. As long as I'm in the shop I'll use it instead of the high torque Milwaukee. They run about $130-150 but I've seen them on Scamazon for around $100.00 before.
Last edited:
Harbor Freight Earthquake gets high marks.
1/2 in. Composite Ultra Torque Air Impact Wrench, Twin Hammer, 1500 ft-lbs https://share.google/pRg8sTf9rRaSvA6TA
Or this IR is on sale on Amazon.
Astro Thor G2 somewhere in between.
1/2 in. Composite Ultra Torque Air Impact Wrench, Twin Hammer, 1500 ft-lbs https://share.google/pRg8sTf9rRaSvA6TA
Or this IR is on sale on Amazon.
Astro Thor G2 somewhere in between.
same here. I bought a nearly new still with stickers on it from a pawn shop for $50 ( had to go back on my posts to see what I paid )
Firebrick43
Well-known member
231C is probably the most durable choice, they are the energizer bunny of impacts. They definitely are not the most powerful however. They used them in tear down cell for the reman engines in the factory for years and years without issues, even though they were being thrown around.
2235TiMax is much more powerful (and lighter) than my 231C. Its as or more powerful than the ingersol 261 3/4" impact.
I have not used the astro thor.
scooby074
Well-known member
2235TiMax is a beast
jsaw
Well-known member
Thor G2 is a beast
5ubtle
Well-known member
Chicago pneumatic makes some powerful impact wrenches. You need to tell us what model you have before we can suggest a more powerful impact.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I've always referred to it as the small block Chevy of impacts; it's been around a long time, basically unchanged, for a reason. There are definitely more powerful options out there, but with the OP not wanting to spend much money, I don't know of a better option for the price even though I'm sure there are plenty that I have no experience with.
I'm actually happy to see the thread hasn't turned to the latest & greatest battery option(yet anyway) 
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Give it a little more time....I'm actually happy to see the thread hasn't turned to the latest & greatest battery option(yet anyway)
cody1325
Well-known member
Mine's the mid-tier McGraw from Harbor Freight. Does the job decently.
Agreed. I wonder if the OP's wrench needs cleaning, lube, or some other service.
Or more air.
Try high flow fittings/couplers. If you want to go a step further, a 1/2” hose with an adapter + high flow fittings will unleash any air tool.
I have the compact HF gun that’s been relabeled by Capri, Hazet and others and I love it. It’s small and smooth, really a delight to use. Not the regular Earthquake that comes in like 6 colors, but this one that only comes in green:
As much as I love Astro in general, the Thor gun is not one of their best products. It’s heavy, ergonomics are not great, and the forward/reverse selector Is finicky. Also the power has been underwhelming for me. Yeah it’s more powerful than my HF but not as much as I would have expected.
Once my HF wears out I’d probably go with the the IR 2231 or the Aircat, whatever their top model is. Probably leaning towards the IR bc I’ve heard mixed reviews on the Aircats durability
sz0k30
Well-known member
I/R 231's have always been the best you can get
I bought the 2135 around 2006. It's been a great gun.
Busted it out the other day and it out the M18 to shame in speed and weight.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
A 3/8 should be plenty if it isn't too long. Mine runs off of 50' of 3/8 hose just fine. I did upgrade to 1/4" high flow fittings a few months ago because of Garage Journal. That made a difference but not as much as I thought it would after reading about how great they are. It might be time for a rebuild of the impact, it might be easier to replace it.
nicks78camaro
Well-known member
IR or Aircat
bwringer
Well-known member
Agreed on the Harbor Freight earthquake ST.
Bang for the buck ($119) is off the charts, and it's on the shelf at any HF, no waiting, in a color you like.
Your old Chicago Pneumatic may or may not be worth saving. They made a lot of ****, and a lot of good stuff as well. But air tools have just plain gotten a lot better in the last several years.
That said... once you go cordless, well...
Bang for the buck ($119) is off the charts, and it's on the shelf at any HF, no waiting, in a color you like.
Your old Chicago Pneumatic may or may not be worth saving. They made a lot of ****, and a lot of good stuff as well. But air tools have just plain gotten a lot better in the last several years.
That said... once you go cordless, well...
four.cycle
Well-known member
Full disclosure: I don't use air tools. Wouldn't have a clue as to which "brand" is better than another.
I just watch sales flows and trends.
AIR TOOLS are going the way of the wagon wheel - pawn shops almost can't give 'em away. (same with pipe wrenches.)
Battery-powered tools is where the market is going.
IF I was in the market for one, pawn shop would be the first place I'd look.
micromind
Well-known member
If there's enough hose and fittings, 140PSI at the compressor could easily be 90 at the tool.
Dakotadadv8
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 30, 2021
- Messages
- 1,496
IR 2135QXPA is not bad and is quiet.
jsaw
Well-known member
140 is probably Your static pressure. You need to connect a gage at the impact and measure the pressure while pulling the trigger and make sure the working pressure is 90 psi.
tiredoldironworker
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2024
- Messages
- 244
2235TiMax is a great option. Pawn shops let them go cheap.
rooster59
Well-known member
make sure there's no obstruction in the air inlet, screen with gunk, etc. Use lots of air tool oil and low air, spin just a little and let it set for a day or 2. Maybe the air motor need a clean out. Check that the trigger is giving full air.
Another vote for the IR 231C. I used it professionally for 8 1/2 years then sold it to my neighbor when I left the field and it’s still going strong. The only thing I ever had to do to it was replace the small O-ring for the trigger. It was trouble free and did everything I needed it to.
Wrench97
Well-known member
231C gets my vote keep it oiled.
Schurkey
Well-known member
WHICH "Chicago phnematic"? How old? The improvement in air-impact wrenches since the 1970s is phenomenal. If you're dealing with a "Chicago Phegmatic" CP 734, you're in for a real treat.
Oh, please. The 231 is enormously outdated. They--along with the CP 734--were industry standards...a lifetime ago. Now they're antiques: Durable but weak. They don't make enough power to hurt themselves. About the equivalent to a top-notch modern 3/8" air impact wrench.
I have 135 psi in the tank, which equates to about 90 psi at the wrench, when the wrench IS RUNNING.
True story: I was trying to remove an oxygen sensor on a 4.2L six-popper Trailblazer, going through the fender-well with my impact wrench, a short extension, and a deepwell, six-point impact socket. Had no luck--wouldn't come out. This impact was once a class act, the most-powerful 1/2" impact at my former employer--it made "company supplied" 1/2" impacts from CP and IR look sickly. It was "used" when I bought it from The Mac Man, it was no spring chicken by this time. But it had been losing power over the last few months. I called The Snap-On Man, met him at his next stop, and "replaced" my elderly Snap-On IM510B with a new MG725.
Got back home, and was pulling the whip-hose off the '510B to install it on the '725. I happened to look into the air inlet fitting on the '510B, and discovered that the screen in the handle was about 1/3 plugged with debris. I cleaned the screen, put the whip-hose back on the '510B, and the '725 went out-of-warranty sitting in the bottom drawer of my toolbox.
I eventually sold the '510B years later, on Craigslist. This was a silly move, because I'd come to appreciate having a "beater" impact wrench along with the very-powerful "new" MG725. I bought an IM6100 off of eBay for dirt-cheap, put a new vinyl cover and a new cushy handle skin on it. The thing looks and works like new. I only take the '725 out for the REALLY tough jobs.
So, that in effect is my recommendation: Verify the inlet screen on your CP, and if it's plugging, clean it out. Maybe some light solvent in the air motor to free-up potentially gummy vanes, followed by genuine air-tool oil. But if that doesn't get you the power you need, find an old Snap-On IM510 or newer, perhaps a IM6100 or 6500HD (very similar tools, the '6500 is just a lightly reworked '6100.) Any one of Snap-On's (not Blue-Point) 1/2" impact line-up newer than the IM5 (NOT recommended) should be low dollars for a fairly-stout air impact wrench. Give it some lovin'--I bet you'll be pleased.
Last edited:
jblnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I’ll give the GJ answer and say it may be time to step into the 1” world and upgrade plumbing to 3/4”. Or a setup like this with an 80gal tank feeding the 3/4” airline and impact. This $125 Vevor 1” impact puts out close to 2,000ft/lbs measured with a fat guy on a long pipe not being able to tighten a big nut any more than the gun did. Sure is nicer than listening to the 185cfm trailer compressor rattling away outside.
Do some YouTube’ing on the Torque Test Channel and you’ll find something you like in your price range.
Do some YouTube’ing on the Torque Test Channel and you’ll find something you like in your price range.
Unless you need an air hammer.
90 psi means dynamic pressure, i.e when the tool is running free speed. Your 140 psi with hose and fittings is likely getting you less than 90 when the tool is running free speed.
I've had this for 10 years. It's $70 more than I paid then. Not sure if they have a newer model. If it won't break a fastener loose, it can't be tight if it's liquid.
driftpin
Well-known member
A found in the gutter I-R 231C, in Miami:
www.garagejournal.com
and a short distance away, a 3/4" deep impact socket.
Before this I had a Builder's Square (A K Mart line, I believe) 1/2" drive which did OK for the tire/wheel changes for which I used it. The 231C works for my needs these days, just maintaining my fleet of personal things. I have a Saylor-Beall 705 upright feeding it and my other pneumatics.
Today's Road Find
I was up in Sanford today, and as I was moving into a turn lane, I spotted a ratchet in the lane. I drove past it, checked to see no cars around, and hopped out and picked it up. It's a Stanley 89-817B, 1/4" "black" chrome. It's scuffed up pretty good, but works fine. I know it's not a high...
www.garagejournal.com
and a short distance away, a 3/4" deep impact socket.
Before this I had a Builder's Square (A K Mart line, I believe) 1/2" drive which did OK for the tire/wheel changes for which I used it. The 231C works for my needs these days, just maintaining my fleet of personal things. I have a Saylor-Beall 705 upright feeding it and my other pneumatics.