Thinking about getting a impact wrench/driver for use of taking wheel nuts off cars and doing up general suspension components and other tough bits.
Is there one that I can pick up cheap?
I got the makita drill for $99 from bunnings a few months back so have that particular type of battery already…
Or should I stick to air? Cordless is just alot more convenient
why not just use a breaker bar?
Because if you've already go the compressor and other air tools it's convenient, fast, and the tools are powerful and nearly unbreakable.
Air is definitely my preference over battery powered tools. (And that's even though I can fix electronics myself.) The battery or charger dies and you have to find one or buy another whole tool again.
Be aware you can buy a set of coloured extensions for doing up wheel nuts with a air impact wrench. They "twist" at the different torques required to prevent you over-tightening the nuts. These are particularly useful if you have soft alloy/mag wheels (which can buckle when some nitwit at a tyre outlet drills your wheel nuts on tight without letting go of the trigger and finishing by hand.) Not sure if you could use them with non-air tools - maybe/maybe not!?
some nitwit at a tyre outlet
It my experience it must be an employment requirement at these places to have no idea what you are doing.
Great response. Unfortunately, a 20$ bar is all I can afford…ahahah
Cause im lazy,
Would rather hoist the car up without having to crack the wheel nuts while on the ground, just saves time thats all.
Figured i already have the Makita Hammer Drill with two batteries, might as well put the other battery to use!
I bought this bad boy, http://tinyurl.com/jwdemvy mainly to rotate my wheels around, but Ive recently got a new use for it and that is to wind the stabilizer legs down on the caravan. It was a real pain in the A doing it by hand, now its maybe 3 secs a leg. That alone is worth the bucks! I paid $238 a few months ago from eBay skin only, because I already use Makita cordless tools the choice wasn't hard. The 3amp batt last almost for ever, never let me down. I do have its younger 1/4" brother, but its not quite powerful enough for wheel nuts. The colored wheel sockets that were mentioned above are the best, they protect your wheels and are high tensile steel, wont break. http://tinyurl.com/lq9pckj
They're good for not scratching the mags, and the colours are about the same as the ones I've seen, but they're not the ones I mean. (I don't think they flex at all.)
The ones I've seen at the mechanic I know are like these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-12-torue-limiting-exte…
and these:
http://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tools-TORQUE-Extension-Stick/d…
There's a whole bunch of these on Amazon.
The thinner shaft twists/has give in it when using an air gun. You 'blip' on the air ratchet and they twist so the lug nut only does up at the right torque. Each colour represents a different torque. The one's I've seen came with a backing plate that screws to a wall with holding clips, and it had printing on it listing some common car models you should use that colour with.
If you want shorter ones but still with a torque setting, I found these:
http://www.hsutechairtools.com/products/index.php?type_id=15…
You'd have to search to find the same type of thing here in Australia, but I have seen them… somewhere.
I've seen the guy I know ordering tools out of a Repco 'professional' catalogue. Maybe can you can get them there.
I just bought a Ryobi One 18V impact wrench (with batteries). It's their beefier version, which produces some 270NM of torque.
It's completely awesome. I don't know how I lived without it for so long.
This seems to be the Makita equivalent:
http://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-18v-230nm-cordless-impact-…
You could go for a lower-specced one, which would be fine for wheel nuts:
http://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-18v-li-ion-cordless-impact…
I say go for it. I use mine to undo just about everything. Never use it to do things up though. For that I have an Ozito electric screwdriver, and a torque wrench.
I've been told not to do it but I use my 18v Makita Impact Driver (older non-brushless) to undo nuts on my car.
Even with a slim line battery it has enough grunt.
I think air is better TBH.