Impact Wrench & Ratchet - Air/Electric/Cordless?
Discussion
Want to get an impact wrench and ratchet. Looked at all the info I can find online and its all about Milwaukee/DeWalt. I dont want to buy rubbish but also dont want to pay over the odds for particular brands.
I have an air compressor and Clarke does a pneumatic impact wrench and seperate ratchet that will be fine with my compressor. Looking for about 450nm on the impact wrench and around 100nm on the ratchet. If I need extra torque I will use a breaker bar and my use of these items is going to be occasional.
Alternatively, Clarke does a corded impact wrench and I could also get an air ratchet.
If I go cordless then Machine Mart offers Clarke or Einhall at around £150 and another £150 for the cordless ratchet.
My gut feel is to go for the air powered options as I feel that cordless is a luxury I dont really need.
Am I making a mistake?
I have an air compressor and Clarke does a pneumatic impact wrench and seperate ratchet that will be fine with my compressor. Looking for about 450nm on the impact wrench and around 100nm on the ratchet. If I need extra torque I will use a breaker bar and my use of these items is going to be occasional.
Alternatively, Clarke does a corded impact wrench and I could also get an air ratchet.
If I go cordless then Machine Mart offers Clarke or Einhall at around £150 and another £150 for the cordless ratchet.
My gut feel is to go for the air powered options as I feel that cordless is a luxury I dont really need.
Am I making a mistake?
With cordless they're fully mobile and useable immediately, if charged, less noise too as no compressor.
Air is great if you're fully set up and would only ever use them in your workshop.
Truck mechanics i see use cordless for full mobility, about the only time i see them on air is with the big guns used for truck wheels etc when the vehicle is static in the workshop itself.
Air is great if you're fully set up and would only ever use them in your workshop.
Truck mechanics i see use cordless for full mobility, about the only time i see them on air is with the big guns used for truck wheels etc when the vehicle is static in the workshop itself.
I have a Dewalt and its great, the trick with any cordless is to buy one brand then when you have a charger and a couple of batteries just buy the bare tools which are much cheaper than the cased sets with batteries and charger.
I just happen to have used Dewalt for years but many other brands are equally as good.
I just happen to have used Dewalt for years but many other brands are equally as good.
Scrump said:
The ease of use of cordless (no airline) should not be underestimated though.
This is what it comes down to. If you're only ever going to use it in range of the compressor and don't mind the hassle of the line then air is a no brainer. Power source is the expensive bit, and you have air...
Scrump said:
Air powered are better value for money and tend to be relatively powerful compared to cordless.
The ease of use of cordless (no airline) should not be underestimated though.
Apart from the compressor required to power them?The ease of use of cordless (no airline) should not be underestimated though.
Cordless all the way for me, and I'll use mine a lot more than most of the people on here.
I wouldn't bother with the ratchet myself, I had a pneumatic ratchet, I don't think I used it once the novelty had worn off.
gazza285 said:
Apart from the compressor required to power them?
Cordless all the way for me, and I'll use mine a lot more than most of the people on here.
I wouldn't bother with the ratchet myself, I had a pneumatic ratchet, I don't think I used it once the novelty had worn off.
OP states they already have a compressor.Cordless all the way for me, and I'll use mine a lot more than most of the people on here.
I wouldn't bother with the ratchet myself, I had a pneumatic ratchet, I don't think I used it once the novelty had worn off.
^^^^
But not how big the air compressor is.
And that's a factor that can't be ignored.
Smaller compressors can't produce enough air at enough pressure to make a rattle gun effective.
I have one which with my compressor - 2hp/50 litre tank - will do wheel nuts & the odd not-too-stuck nut.
Tried it on the crank bolt of my Range Rover V8 & it was a waste of time. Quick burst & that was it. Had to resort to the old method of jamming the starter ring & a long breaker bar.
But not how big the air compressor is.
And that's a factor that can't be ignored.
Smaller compressors can't produce enough air at enough pressure to make a rattle gun effective.
I have one which with my compressor - 2hp/50 litre tank - will do wheel nuts & the odd not-too-stuck nut.
Tried it on the crank bolt of my Range Rover V8 & it was a waste of time. Quick burst & that was it. Had to resort to the old method of jamming the starter ring & a long breaker bar.
I’ve got an Ingersoll rand 1/2” cordless which has never failed to remove a nut. It’s a big weighty though so I then bought a 3/8” DeWalt which isn’t as powerful but much easier to work with.
If you have a suitable compressor though I’d go with air for the amount of time you really need them. That way you can get the impact gun, ratchet and also a right angle impact gun for the hard to reach places, all for the same cost as a single decent cordless. Plumbed in air and a decent selection of air tools really is the way to go imo.
If you do go cordless then same brand is top advice. If you go air, get some extra female fittings to hang them from when not in use.
If you have a suitable compressor though I’d go with air for the amount of time you really need them. That way you can get the impact gun, ratchet and also a right angle impact gun for the hard to reach places, all for the same cost as a single decent cordless. Plumbed in air and a decent selection of air tools really is the way to go imo.
If you do go cordless then same brand is top advice. If you go air, get some extra female fittings to hang them from when not in use.
Compressed air is very expensive and if you are not careful to dry the air and lube your tools then they will seize up pretty quickly.
I found that when I used an air impact tool it was only used once every few months but on buying a cordless it is used all the time as its easier and Im not tripping over airlines.
A cheap chinese 3/8 drive angle cordless angle ratchet saves loads of time as well and I wouldnt be without mine,
I found that when I used an air impact tool it was only used once every few months but on buying a cordless it is used all the time as its easier and Im not tripping over airlines.
A cheap chinese 3/8 drive angle cordless angle ratchet saves loads of time as well and I wouldnt be without mine,
Jim1064 said:
This might sound silly - but the (Lidl) Parkside battery powered impact wrench, rated at 400 Nm, in my experience is excellent both in terms of performance and price: £49.99 when available, including battery). They are for sale on Ebay for significantly more than that.
I really rate the Parkside range. I have their impact driver and a couple of batteries. Battery life is good, they are durable and the impact driver is bloody powerful in my experience. I really want the impact wrench, but am yet to see one in store and I don't fancy paying £80 or so for one on eBay as a bare unit.gman88667733 said:
Jim1064 said:
This might sound silly - but the (Lidl) Parkside battery powered impact wrench, rated at 400 Nm, in my experience is excellent both in terms of performance and price: £49.99 when available, including battery). They are for sale on Ebay for significantly more than that.
I really rate the Parkside range. I have their impact driver and a couple of batteries. Battery life is good, they are durable and the impact driver is bloody powerful in my experience. I really want the impact wrench, but am yet to see one in store and I don't fancy paying £80 or so for one on eBay as a bare unit.I've got a few other Parkside bits too, the tyre inflator I got from Germany is especially good
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