1/2 inch cordless impact 1200 to 1400 ftlbs

[Vegas Teacher]

So I am sure this has been discussed but we get new memebers all of the time. So I am making my Christmas list and I was wondering what brand was the best or if all of the top brands were pretty much the same.

I want a 1/2 inch cordless impact wrench for Christmas. Who do you all think is the best - I am listing in Alpha order:

DeWalt

Milwakee

Snap On?

By the way after reading the responses from my posting on spray on lube and busting bolts loose I got a can of Sea Foam, Free All, PB Blaster and liquid wrench and put them in my storage on the truck, I figure if I had one of each I have all of the bases covered LOL!!!!!

But not going to buy 3 wrenches. Yes I have a 2 foot break over bar and a 2 foot, 3 foot and 4 foot pipe extension for it.

Later,

Cory O

[Av8r3400]

I have a 1/2" high toque DeWalt.  It is a very nice impact but is definitely not strong enough to break loose a HDT wheel lug.

But--  I will most likely never touch a wheel lug on my truck.  I don't have any of the tools or skills to do anything with the wheel once it's off.  That's what I pay Coach Net or the Tire shop for.

[RickS]

Hi Cory,
I just bought the Milwaukee 2863-20 M18 FUEL High Torque 1/2" Impact Wrench Friction Ring with ONE-KEY this past fall and think it is one of the best ones you can get right now. IMO  I like the fact that I can setup a torque spec in the app on my phone then send it to the tool and it is very very close when checked with my torque wrench. Takes a lot of guessing out when torquing on lug nuts for me. Also easily removes wheel nuts on the Volvo that are torqued on @ 450 lb/ft.

[SuiteSuccess]

Cory,

Depends on the usage.  Like above I don't plan on busting truck tire lugs loose, but I do bust trailer tire lugs.  I have a corded and cordless Kobalt.  Got the cordless on sale at Lowe's for  $149 on sale and it does a great job.  Would I rather have a Snap On, Matco, or high dollar one so I could run around and be in company like GeorgiaHybrid?  Sure but it came down to cost vs. benefit.  I use mine only a few times per year so it does what I want.  If it was daily, I would spend the money for Milwaulkee or higher without question.  Also I know Rick Olsen with Comfort Ride Hitches said he keeps a Harbor Freight  believe it is the cordless Earthquake XT on his truck which he really likes.  Comes down to choices.  BTW I have one of these if I need to break a truck lug and I have a 48" torque wrench to get it back on.  Break it loose with the multiplier then spin it off with impact.

https://www.amazon.com/HOMCOM-E8-0001-HomCom-Torque-Multiplier/dp/B00G3NA6C0/ref=sr_1_2_sspa/144-6652387-2655629?ie=UTF8&qid=1542140536&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=torque+multiplier&psc=1

Cory, on edit re-read your post and missed the 1200-1400 lbs torques.  My Kobalt is only 650 ft lbs. so wouldn't fit your wish list.  Sorry, but it was cheap on sale.

[Vegas Teacher]

20 minutes ago, SuiteSuccess said:

Cory,

Depends on the usuage.  Like above I don't plan on busting truck tire lugs loose, but I do bust trailer tire lugs.  I have an corded and cordless Kobalt.  Got the cordless on sale at Lowe's for  $149 on sale and it does a great job.  Would I rather have a Snap On, Matco, or high dollar one so I could run around and be in company like GeorgiaHybrid?  Sure but it came down to cost vs. benefit.  I use mine only a few times per year so it does what I want.  If it was daily, I would spend the money for Milwaulkee or higher without question.  Also I know Rick Olsen with Comfort Ride Hitches said he keeps a Harbor Freight  believe it is the cordless Earthquake XT on his truck which he really likes.  Comes down to choices.  BTW I have one of these if I need to break a truck lug and I have a 48" torque wrench to get it back on.  Break it loose with the multiplier then spin it off with impact.

https://www.amazon.com/HOMCOM-E8-0001-HomCom-Torque-Multiplier/dp/B00G3NA6C0/ref=sr_1_2_sspa/144-6652387-2655629?ie=UTF8&qid=1542140536&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=torque+multiplier&psc=1

I just looked at it, do you hook it up to your Impact Wrench by using a socket that will fit the back end? If so that matched with an impact, even at a 2:1 advantage you could turn 1000 foot pounds into 2000 foot pounds. I know the ratio is more, just saying........

[SuiteSuccess]

4 minutes ago, Vegas Teacher said:

I just looked at it, do you hook it up to your Impact Wrench by using a socket that will fit the back end? If so that matched with an impact, even at a 2:1 advantage you could turn 1000 foot pounds into 2000 foot pounds. I know the ratio is more, just saying........

Hmm, haven’t done that.  Just used the handle.  To be honest I’ve only used it once as a test but it broke the lug loose.  Hone Eagle used it at one of the ECRs, maybe he will chime in.

[Moresmoke]

You dont want to drive a torque multiplier with an impact.

My opinion is the Milwaukee M18 fuel is the best. Make sure to get the friction ring.

[Big5er]

1 hour ago, Moresmoke said:

You dont want to drive a torque multiplier with an impact.

My opinion is the Milwaukee M18 fuel is the best. Make sure to get the friction ring.

What is the friction ring? I see no mention of that here or here. Does that mean they don't have it? Is it something extra or is it standard on the 2863?

[RickS]

Hi Phil,

I have a Dewalt impact with the detent pin and it is more secure but a real pain to change sockets with. The friction ring is what is on the model number I listed above. Didn't even look to see if Milwaukee made a detent version when buying this one.  Here is one with the detent pin

[rickeieio]

I have the Milwaukee M18 Fuel with the friction ring. Love the tool, the friction ring is a pain in the butt. Sockets fall off.  Other than that it's great, but large and heavy.  But, nothing small or light will get the job done, given today's technology.

just remember what an old timer told me long ago, "anybody can work with tools, it takes a mechanic to work without them."  Hone your skills before spending a bunch of coin.

[hatrack]

1 hour ago, Big5er said:

What is the friction ring? I see no mention of that here or here. Does that mean they don't have it? Is it something extra or is it standard on the 2863?

Big5er,

Here's one with it included.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2763-22-Torque-Impact-Friction/dp/B01J05SWI2/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1542159358&sr=8-8&keywords=friction+ring

[Pappy Yokum]

51 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

.......just remember what an old timer told me long ago, "anybody can work with tools, it takes a mechanic to work without them."  Hone your skills before spending a bunch of coin.

 

Words of wisdom!

Teach - you may spend all that coin on something you may never use......or can get by with - for far less $$ -  and still get the job done if you only need it "once in a (long) while"

Ask Santa for tools you *know* you will use *frequently*!!.

However -  if you plan on swapping HDT wheels/tires - make sure the school district  has good iLTD (long term disability) insurance!.

BTW - that pipe extension = a "breaker bar"

 

 

 

 

O

[RKMoezee]

I also have the high torque Milwaukee and I really like it. Did a brake job on the front of my 630 I broke the wheels loose and the frozen shock bolts that a air 1/2 inch wasn't even thinking about taking off. it's a beast and I thought it was cheap at Home Depot without battery it was on sale for just a little over 230.00 with a free 12ah battery so I actual guess it did come with battery. Iddy

[rickeieio]

After you buy the tool, then you nerd sockets.  Lots of expensive sockets.  Deep, shallow, inch, metric............  And if you buy a 1000 lb/ft impact, don't buy cheap sockets.

All of which is heavy stuff to tote in a camper,  just case you might need it some day.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Well, to be honest about it, you are not going to find a 1/2" cordless impact capable of 1200 to 1400 ft-lbs of torque in both directions. I happen to have a few Snap-on impacts and like them more than the others but the Milwaukee ones are also good.

I don't trust any torque setting on an impact however and always stop well short of where the bolt should be torqued and then use the appropriate torque wrench to finish tightening them.

Whatever you do, get some impact sockets for use with your impact wrench and don't use chrome sockets on them. Hardened chrome sockets will grenade at the wrong time and send shattered pieces everywhere. Impact sockets are softer and will deform slightly but not shatter.

[noteven]

Snipe: ( Oilfield English n.)  piece of pipe or tubing that fits over the handle of a socket tool that has no questions assed free replacement. Also fits load binder handles. 

 

 

[Vegas Teacher]

Sorry all when I typed the title to begin with I put in 1200 to 1400 ft X lbs of torque, that is the maximum loosening power of torque one of the impact wrenches is advertised to have to loosen bolt but is said to run at 1000 ft X lbs. I do sincerely appologize if it messed anybody up when reading this.

[hone eagle]

I used Carl's torque mulitplyer,It took two of us spelling each other and I felt like I just took a treadmill EKG test.

 

panting like I just run the kentucky derby

[Vegas Teacher]

1 hour ago, hone eagle said:

I used Carl's torque mulitplyer,It took two of us spelling each other and I felt like I just took a treadmill EKG test.

 

panting like I just run the kentucky derby

So once again I looked at it and really liked it. I just wondered if I could hook it up to a drill, by using s socket big enough to fit the correct end and multiply that amount of force. even if I used my little impact screw driver that only has about 100 foot pounds of torque, one of those torque multipliers I saw was 56:1 so that would equate to about 5600 foot pounds if I am doing my math correctly.

Later,

Cory O

[Lance A Lott]

Cory if yours is like mine 68 to 1 multiplyer you dont wont to use a impact on it the hammering is saposed to brake the gears. I too have wondered about a drill once they are loose. I just hitch my air impact to the truck air and spin them off after braking them loose. I also have a 4 to 1 multiplayer to retork them with.

[hone eagle]

4 hours ago, Vegas Teacher said:

So once again I looked at it and really liked it. I just wondered if I could hook it up to a drill, by using s socket big enough to fit the correct end and multiply that amount of force. even if I used my little impact screw driver that only has about 100 foot pounds of torque, one of those torque multipliers I saw was 56:1 so that would equate to about 5600 foot pounds if I am doing my math correctly.

Later,

Cory O

no- a cordless ,impact or otherwise is not going to work, the load and friction of the mulitplyer is too great .Are you sure the impacts you are looking at aren't inch pounds instead of foot pounds?

It takes like 80 turns to achieve one rotation ,80 high drag, arm deadening rotations , friction of the dirty threads and friction of the mulitpyler itself make it a heartattck in waiting.

The load of braking the lug loose is just the beginng ,80/1 is not free, add dirty fine threads ........ ,good work out though.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Another trick to help break lugs nuts or other bolts loose is to add mass to the socket that you are using on your impact wrench. I made a 19mm one for Honda crank bolts from a piece of pipe that I welded to an impact socket. I used to get out the 3/4 air impact but with that heavy socket, a 1/2 gun will remove them easily. Obviously, you can't do that to every socket but you could make up one just for your lugs on the truck to take them off.

[chirakawa]

Milwaukee on sale

[Vegas Teacher]

21 hours ago, hone eagle said:

Are you sure the impacts you are looking at aren't inch pounds instead of foot pounds?

Mr. Eagle being a school teacher, in the science department I have the opportunity to talk to the physics teacher and get his help on conversions on stuff like that. Yes my driver was measured in, inch pounds however to give an apples to apples comparison I had him help me convert inch pounds to foot pounds. Now I know what many are thinking right now............. What he is at a school which probably has an auto shop program and an auto shop teacher (yes we do) why doesn't he ask that shop teacher for use of the equiptment or have the auto shop kids get some hands on experience on his truck. It would cost him a lot less if it was for educational experiences anyway. Well yes I did think of that and yes I did and ask and yes I did hope that it would work out that way but........... NO was the answer. O.S.H.A. says absolutely not. I thought they could change out my brakes and shocks - NOPE! OSHA will not let high school kids work anywhere near the air brake systems, and will not let them get near the truck in general. I also can't take school equiptment home or work on a Semi in the school shop, it is just not easy. I do understand, rules are in place to protect every body. Also for some odd reason our auto shop teacher did not want to lose his job, go figure. LOL, he is a good person though, I do go to him for advice on stuff and his opinion on tools just like I ask on the forum, it is fun to compare answers. I guess that is my science background coming out. 

Later,

Cory O

[rickeieio]

Cory,

Is there a vocational school associated with your school?  Reason I ask, my oldest grandson is taking diesel mechanics as a junior, and he can work on trucks.  

Might be worth a shot.......