Question About Impact Wrenches

I have a small Milwaukee 18V and a Porter Cable 3/8 drive air impact my Dad gave me because he doesn't have an air compressor. It was a "bonus" with something else he bought.

My air compressor is only 20 gal and maxes out around 120psi so I can't run any air tools for very long at a time.

Question.....of these two impact wrenches, which has the most bang for a stubborn nut? They both do good on lug nuts, but on bigger stuff like carrier bearings in a differential for example I usually have to get out the breaker bar. Is this common? I really don't do enough stuff to justify a bigger impact.

Just curious.

Thanks.

Steve

 

A 3/8" drive probably isn't rated as high as you want.

 

Is the Milwaukee an actual 1/2" drive impact wrench? Or a 1/4" "impact driver"?

It comes down to the size of the hammers inside the unit. If it's an actual impact wrench, it should pack some punch. If a 1/4" driver, not so much.

The 3/8" unit, as awesomely useful as they are, is more for light assembly/disassembly work than really driving things home.

Check pawn shops or thrift stores for 110v plug-in-type 1/2" impact wrenches. They are great substitutes for the air-driven type.

 

Yes. My Dewalt is a brute and I use it almost daily. It hits harder than my air tools.

 

I have a cordless Dewalt, too, and it hits harder than a 120vac Harbor Freight impact wrench.

 

ITLKSEZ asked "Is the Milwaukee an actual 1/2" drive impact wrench? Or a 1/4" "impact driver"?"



This is the Milwaukee. Maybe "driver" is a better name. It sure is handy for small projects. It does have a little oomph though. When I was first getting the feel of it I managed to twist off a couple 1/4 and 3/8 diameter bolts. It came in a package deal with a hammer drill.

 

That's a driver, they are nice for driving screws and Timberlocs etc. Not an impact. Millwaukee makes a 18v FUEL Impact 1/2" drive, it's a beast with 1100 ft/lbs of braking force!! My "big" 1/2" drive air impact was around 950 ft/lbs to give you some perspective.

18-volt M18 FUEL™ 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench with Friction Ring tool only

 

Thanks windyhill! I will have to check out that link. Looks interesting!

 

I have a compressor, and I bought an impact wrench to work on my car wheels. But I could not unscrew the wheeels, not enough power. I checked at my pro shop, where they work on my car, and their compressor has a bigger power than mine, it is a pro compressor! The lesson is clear.

 

I use the Dewalt cordless version of the Milwaukee linked to above. These new cordless 1/2" impact guns are really nice. It has no problem removing pinion nuts and other stubborn fasteners.

Mike

 

That's an impact driver. Mine gets used 90% for construction and household chores. I have 1/4" and 3/8" socket drive bits for them. They are good for putting mechanical things together, but they definitely need to be properly torqued afterwards.

I also have a 3/8" air impact wrench which has a lot more torque than my cordless impact driver and it works great for automotive needs. But it still doesn't even get close to enough power for the big automotive projects (like carrier nuts etc).

 

Ya Know ... In the old days, it was all about the CFM's. Still is when it comes to air tools . Steve , If you could locate & rig a holding / storage air tank , say 40 gallon , in series & above your 20 Gallon, your air tools would work of that first while your compressor replenished both. It's kinda like an extension. Just say'n ----- Lockman

 

That Milwaukee Fuel is a beast. Not cheap, but a tool you buy once.
Know a lot of people who hammer on them daily and the just want more.
Picked up two Bosch lithium Ion on sale at Lowe's taped together for $50. Great deal.
Have proven to be very useful. One is an impact, the other a drill.
Not as tough as that Fuel, but they haven't faltered.
At the same Lowe's found 2 Metabo 4 1/2" grinders for $60. Looking forward to using them.

The Makita cordless driver drill has not faltered either.

Dave