Battery impact wrench

[chessie4905]

I was in Cliffs favorite store today. Harbor Freight.😁  I took a look at the Earthquake XT battery impact wrenches. I happened to notice that the 1/2 and 3/4 drive models appear almost identical, except the 3/4 drive model has a black nose and is rated at 1400 lbs. ft., whereas the 1/2" model is rated 1200 lbs. ft. Interesting... fire away Cliff.lol

[oltrunt]

Ah.  Halbol fleight.  The smell of China's industries and home of mostly dangerous tools.

Just my opinion based on the average number of busted knuckles per tool use I have suffered.

But I'm a cheap SOB and I always convince myself that THIS time the tool will actually work and I'll shed no blood.

Your experience may vary.  Jack

[chessie4905]

Hey, look at this:

https://www.zoro.com/milwaukee-cordless-impact-wrenches-li-ion-180v-2864-20/i/G6313041/

  (Bottom line) Country of origin: China

Notice the similarity to the HF one.

[dtcerrato]

For $70 more I own the real deal. Chicago Pneumatic 3/4" air impact. It is 35 years in the tool box like the day we bought it. The buses life system runs this gun. We do have a Milwaukee 110 Volt 1/2" drive for handy work. The two tools I mentioned above are vintage made in the USA...

[chessie4905]

I have a Chicago Pneumatic 3/4 drive impact with extended shank and a 1 inch drive model that worked fine. The 3/4 model blew out something inside and only puts out about 250 lb.. ft. now. They don't  list any repair kits for it. Both wrenches are getting heavier every year. That's  why I've  been looking at battery units. Milwaukees are nice, but their battery price is insane. Haven't  decided yet.

[richard5933]

Living in the Milwaukee area, I've always gone to Milwaukee tools. If they are registered the company is great about doing repairs at their main location here in the area under warranty. If you have a Milwaukee repair facility (not a third-party site but an actual company site) near you then maybe that would help with the choice.

[chessie4905]

The battery goes for $159.00. Their new h.o. battery is $200.00

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200725793_200725793?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Power%20Tools%20%3E%20Power%20Tool%20Batteries%20%2B%20Chargers&utm_campaign=Milwaukee&utm_content=71756&&gclid=Cj0KCQiA89zvBRDoARIsAOIePbCyZ9PUkj2cPQ7stZDHy1D04KkktMI9MTpQcBVsPDUFcYt8u9bbW0AaAnJtEALw_wcB

I see they make the World's first first 1" battery impact now. Couple of reviews felt the 3/4 was more powerful.

[luvrbus]

I have some H/F wrenches they fit so loose they are great for removing rust from nuts and bolts so you can use a good wrench,Battery impact wrenches I don't care for and  don't care who makes it   

[chessie4905]

Be nice out on the road if you change your own. Also, sometimes it is a pita to drag out the hose a distance from the air supply.

[luvrbus]

Be nice out on the road if you change your own. Also, sometimes it is a pita to drag out the hose a distance from the air supply.

I find those sometimes will remove the lug nuts but run out battery before you get the wheel back on

[brmax]

Cordless is and likely brushless are movin in. Although I haven't stepped on the tool truck in several years, I know many cordless impacts are getting serious use.

Awhile back I thought it a smart response a respectable salesman told me in a home depot. He replied after I mentioned battery size, as I had been in consideration, and as you all know some have size options in same volt.
I said the larger battery size is ok but, Im thinking its sure handy using the smaller one.
He said exactly his thinking also, and a recharged extra is likely always there!

So someday I may get something above the 1/4"cordless impact driver I have had for 3 years. After I cool off, as I just! paid an extra 130.$$ for after warranty repair of it. 

And yes it had, what I thought respectfully! And told them in a hardaz way both letter and phone, the tool had a very very cushy workload. ( it would die just after triggering, so they replaced all in the above section less impact head ) about 90.00 Plus shipping and tax. They listed the line items done, one was tested it. Honestly it really wasn't the repair cost, nor the return of it guys, it was literally the cushy life the tool had. This may have been the smart time to move back from my first hilti to my usual Milwaukee.

And in all that, I sent it back the same day they returned it, going through again all the phone calls and getting authorization paperwork. As upon and through acceleration of this impact driver it surged and wobbled like a dropped on the floor armature was installed. I was Furious, twice. ( let me say though service was indeed speedy. )

Moving on!
I helped look at some yellow brand impact cordless kits with my sis several years ago, she picked up a kit for my brother-in-law, and he's liked it for several years.

Im in the mood for a regular drill, but not a hammer drill, this is both a need and want, so excuses are with me 

Theres some good reading in the above post others linked too, so will take another look.


Sorry for the rant/hijack, but do try and have a great day and big thanks for the links!

Floyd

[Nova Eona]

I'm still fairly new to the bus work, but for automotive work my air impact has taken a backseat to my Ryobi 18V impact for just about everything.  I've yet to encounter a bolt it couldn't remove but which the pneumatic could, and I have several batteries (since all my other battery tools use the same) if I run down the first one.  It also makes a great car jack when paired with a bolt-driven scissor jack.

I'm sure I'd feel differently if I was a mechanic using it every day, but it sure is handy.

[Dave5Cs]

When al my Dewalt battery tools were done years ago for some reason Because they had just come out I switched to Milwaukee Fuel 18 M Hammer drill. It lasted 2 years with 3 batteries and then it started only working in reverse. Took it in and they had to replace the switch and it worked for a year and then the same thing.

Took it apart and a guy on youtube said to file down the right side of the stop on the switch and that helped but still have to shake it to use forward. Its one of the brushless type and noisey. I hate it and will go back to Dewalts. Anything like grinders I get from HF because when they stop working I take them back and they give me a new one. In one year I went through 11, 4 inch grinders doing tile work, LOL

I bought a dual action polisher sander HF and took off the head, clean out the crap grease they put in them and loaded it up with a good tool grease and its been quit and works great now.

[Iceni John]

I bought a dual action polisher sander HF and took off the head, clean out the crap grease they put in them and loaded it up with a good tool grease and its been quit and works great now.

That's also what I do to anything made in China.   Clean out all that stinky dog-poop grease in there and pack it with some good stuff, then it will work for a decent time.   And I always buy anything Chinese rated at twice what I need it for, i.e if I need to lift 10 tons I use 20-ton bottle jacks and they're OK.

Like it or not, the cheap end of the market such as HF is getting better each year, and sometimes the "better" brands don't always work much better or last much longer.   However, as others have said, I would not buy SCUBA gear, parachutes or heart pacemakers from HF.

John

[buswarrior]

Those products could be marketed thusly?

"never had an in person warranty claim"

Employee suggestion plan?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior