When to use the impact gun???

[Nealcrenshaw]

I had a few cases of breaking off bolts when trying to remove them with an impact gun,calling myself being efficient and fast,put the impact on first and snap.

Now had i just put a ratchet on them,they probably would not have broke.Probably is the key word,i broken plenty of bolts off with just the ratchet.

I'm learning that sometimes its better to forgo the impact gun and use a ratchet first,especially on bolts,nuts don't seem to give me that much trouble.

So the moral of this story is put a ratchet on first if it doesnt budge then you can always fall back on the impact gun that way if it still breaks you won't get to down on yourself.

 

[seth_man]

yeah, thats what i do. use a ratchet first and if you have to bust out the big tools then go for it. sometimes a broken bolt is the only way to get stuff off. big nuts and bolts like 17mm and larger ill just go for the impact right a way if it fits in the location i need it.

 

[fourfeathers]

If it is truly an iffy bolt, a lot of times I use a ratchet or wrench and smack it with my hand instead of slowly snapping it with the wrench and pressure.

 

[speed bump]

I tend to break more bolts with a ratchet than an impact gun because I don't crank the impact gun up so far. If you try to take stuff off with a Thundergun set at max then you tend to break stuff. If you use an impact gun set fairly low you don't break stuff and it ussually comes out better than a ratchet.

I tend to use the impact gun because the impact action breaks bolts loose rather twisting the bolt like I do with a ratchet.

 

[kartracer55]

I tend to break more bolts with a ratchet than an impact gun because I don't crank the impact gun up so far. If you try to take stuff off with a Thundergun set at max then you tend to break stuff. If you use an impact gun set fairly low you don't break stuff and it ussually comes out better than a ratchet.

I tend to use the impact gun because the impact action breaks bolts loose rather twisting the bolt like I do with a ratchet.

Bingo. People talk all kinds of **** about using an impact gun, when you should use a ratchet. Its fine if you don't go and blast away at everything. for smaller bolts, especially with the 3/8 gun, I slowly hammer at the bolt for a while and then zip it off. Works way better than by hand, where the heads of a smaller bolt usually just twists off. Be mindful of your trigger and your power settings and you'll be fine.

 

[eschoendorff]

Not me. I go balls-to-the-walls on bolts with my gun. Sure, I break stuff, but I like the "ping" sound bolts make when I snap them and they bounce around the garage.

 

[Danglerb]

I'd say it all depends on what the downside is of breaking a bolt. If you get fired around the third one maybe not such a good idea. If the boss is on your back from taking too long, keep the impact handy and use it anytime you think you can. Just don't use it because its handy when you don't think its the right tool.

I've never broken a bolt, but I'm backwards using a ratchet even when I really should be using an impact (and its a BIG difference in time with a lot of bolts). I don't go to an air impact first either, just the little Bosch impactor which wouldn't break a #6 bolt unless it was already damaged, but does spin off things pretty well. Next step up is 3/8 butterfly mini air impact.

 

[Fedwrench]

Are we talking about using an impact on rusty corroded fasteners? I don't understand how you're breaking more fasteners with the impact versus hand tools. I've had the opposite experience. The impact frees fasteners quickly while I've twisted studs and bolts off with hand tools. Of course, I'm a big fan of a 3/8 impact. Your results may vary. Maybe a little PB Blaster applied first would help.

 

[Deafautotech]

i has to use impact wrenches all time to fix but when do final tight, i use torque wrenches... i love MG31!!! i has 2!!!

 

[IDASHO]

The only thing I use my impact for is suspension hardware, and removing, and seating lugs. Final tight is always with a torque wrench.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I tend to break more bolts with a ratchet than an impact gun because I don't crank the impact gun up so far. If you try to take stuff off with a Thundergun set at max then you tend to break stuff. If you use an impact gun set fairly low you don't break stuff and it ussually comes out better than a ratchet.

I tend to use the impact gun because the impact action breaks bolts loose rather twisting the bolt like I do with a ratchet.

Agree 100%

Charles

 

[nissan_crawler]

Impacts break thing less (used properly). Just set them at a low torque and let them rattle. I've gone so far as to just zip tie the damn trigger down and walk away from it and let it pecker tap. I often use my 1/4" impact for this. Let it go wide open, zip tie the trigger, walk off and do something else. If you hear a *ZING*, the bolt came out. I've had bolts that the 1/2" wouldn't budge come out with the 1/4" and some Kroil after time. Sometimes I'll change direction (with the 1/4" one) and let it tap in the tighten mode, too.

 

[autoace]

If its a bolt that could get you in trouble, if it breaks, an impact gun is not always the best choice. You don't have much feedback with the impact. If in doubt, I use a ratchet or wrench to see if they all move, then use an impact gun or air ratchet to speed them out.

 

[Skyline]

I rarely use my 3/8 impact, but the 1/2 gets lots of use. For 3/8 I generally use my S-O air ratchet. It's not so much the issue of not needing the torque of the air impact for smaller bolts, (sometimes the air ratchet needs a bit of a shove to get started), it's more a matter of access. The air ratchet gets into more places, and with a really high power one, it makes jobs go faster.