[Shop-talk] Impact wrenches (heavy duty)

Mon Feb 25 13:53:20 MST 2019

Oh gosh. I didn't even think about cordless.

So...maybe fifteen years ago I had a whole slew of Milwaukee 18v tools,
among them an impact wrench. It didn't suck, but it wasn't impressive
either. The batteries weren't anything to write home about and I lost
several quickly and was always replacing them and they were expensive. I
kind of wrote off the whole idea of cordless except for a (very) light duty
drill/driver...which I never need, so I don't have one.

Then, about a month ago when we got Snowpocalypse(TM) here (that's three
inches in this area, for the uninitiated) my F250 rear tire just...exploded
on the interstate. It was more the cold and the wind than the snow, and
while I'm grumbling and crawling around the cab gathering tools (the jack
and some of its tools live under one rear seat, other tools live under the
other rear seat, the key for the spare wheel hoist is under every insurance
card I've ever had--except the current one, of course--in the glove
compartment, etc.) Triple-A pulls in in front me.

I hadn't called Triple-A. I was perplexed.

Dude jumps out, snatches a race jack and a plastic box from the back of his
truck. Before I can say anything, he says, "looks like you're havin' some
trouble, huh?" I nod. He yells, "I do this all day! Why don't you get the
tire and I'll get your wheel off!"

I'm already freezing my ass off, so I just grab the tire winch tools and
get at it. Literally before I have the handle in the gear, he's got the
jack under the axle and the truck is in the air. He pops open the plastic
box and it's a Milwaukee Fuel impact and a set of sockets.

My heart sinks--I'm already feeling bad for this guy in the cold trying to
help, and how he's going to have to screw with this lightweight cordless
impact on the F250--

The wheel's already off. It was like watching a NASCAR pit stop. Seriously.
My 2131 can lag a little on those lug nuts before spinning them. The Fuel
cordless just ripped them RIGHT THE HELL OFF. Damnedest thing I've ever
seen. My jaw dropped.

So now I'm cranking on the winch because we're waiting on *me* and he's got
the rim in the bed and is trying not to look like I'm the limiting reagent
here.

I get the spare, he pops it on, and the damn thing zips the nuts on just
about as fast. No lagging at all. No slow BAP-BAP-BAP as it snugs up.
Sounded like a woodpecker, if the woodpecker was ten feet tall and angry at
something.

It's freezing, but I'm staring at The Impact Wrench of The Gods, just
standing there. He sees me staring, grins, and says, "yeah, I love that
thing! Have a great afternoon!"

And then he was gone. The whole thing happened so quickly I was left
wondering if it even happened at all.

Anyway, I made a note to myself--which I forgot until now--to go out and
buy one of those things, because goddamn was that thing amazing. I have no
affiliation with Milwaukee, and I wasn't even aware there was a 'Fuel' line
of cordless tools, but I will have that impact wrench. It was UNREAL.

On Mon, Feb 25, 2019 at 9:31 AM Joe Szwed via Shop-talk <
shop-talk at autox.team.net> wrote:

> I know you said air impact but you may want to look into the Milwaukee M18
> Fuel cordless impact.  They claim 1400 ft-lbs of torque breaking and 1000
> ft-lbs tightening.  I follow a couple heavy duty mechanics groups and this
> cordless impact gets high scores with many guys preferring it over their
> pneumatic.  There is even a 3/4" version available.  I know I plan on
> replacing my 18V DeWalt with one once I have the spare cash.
>
> Joe
>
> On Sun, Feb 24, 2019, 9:15 PM eric--- via Shop-talk <
> shop-talk at autox.team.net> wrote:
>
> > Ok,  I know this is a new religious topic here, but I'm looking for a
> tool
> > recommendation.  Stay with me.
> >
> >
> >  So I ended up buying a new (to me) dump body F350 with a powerstroke
> > diesel. It only had one owner, and was well maintained (he gave me every
> > single record for it.)
> >
> > So I am starting to do my "once over" before I put it in service.  One of
> > the thing is removing the wheels and checking the brakes.  Well, the
> > mechanic that did this last had a really HD torque wrench.  I managed to
> > eventually get every nut off, but it made it clear that I need a more
> > powerfully impact wrench.
> >
> > So I come to the experts.  I'm looking for a heavy duty air impact
> > wrench.  I prefer 1/2, but I'm willing to listen to any advice on moving
> up
> > to 3/4.
> >
> > I'm looking for a tool to use when my 'normal' impact can't handle to
> job,
> > so it will not be used a ton.
> >
> > Any ideas?  Price isn't much of a concern as it seems even the top end
> > ones aren't outrageous.  (Note- I'm not a Snap on junkie that likes over
> > priced brand names.)
> >
> >
> > Sent from my Commodore 64 on a 2400 Baud Modem.
> > Tech Viper
> > "Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational
> > being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph
> > Waldo Emerson
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