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[henryd]

they are like a bloody sweet shop those snap on vans. Way to easy to sign your wages away in monthly instalments before any money has even been earned.
Avoid general browsing in there it's lethal.

Couldn't agree more, mate. I see absolutely no reason to buy Strap-on; well, not hand tools anyway.

The school awarded some ratchets to kids who'd done well last year. They had their names engraved on them which I thought was a nice touch. However, before the engraving each ratchet cost somewhere in the £80 range  For kids essentially starting their careers shortly after college I would have thought a full Halfords tool kit would have been more appropriate for around the same money!

I bit the bullet some 25 years ago and bought snappy spanners and sockets,never damaged a spanner but have split a few sockets,all replaced foc,I have the snappy leccy impact gun too,it's the only gun I've had that will undo Transit wheel nuts with ease

[TheBoy]

How about this?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cir220-24v-cordless-impact-wrench-2

Tested here, came out ok. Comes with 2 batteries (Ni-Cad) so suits my use, case and some sockets.

Not bad for price?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/65787/clarke-cir220

For the body size and price, the similar, slightly more expensive 450Nm one (which is what I had), seems to make more sense.

Is a Vat free day due?

We were posted out vouchers a week or so ago. Can't remember the dates.

You'd also need to invest in some deep 17mm impact sockets, ideally with plastic outer covers to protect alloy. MM do some for about (£20).

[TheBoy]

As to air versus cordless for hobbyist, my old air compressor, 8mm ID hose and my selection of air guns were approx as powerful as chrisgixers Hitachi cordless whizzy. My cordless whizzy was a tad stronger, but still not enough to undo a wheel bolt that had been on a while.

For a more professional setup, a lot more money needs to be spent, whichever route you go down.

I will be replacing my Clarke cordless, as I have a spare battery for it that was in the house when the fire happened. If I had the money and could justify the cost, I'd buy a Snap-Off one, as they are a lot better.

[Nick W]

The big Snap-On one is easily £600 and Li-on batteries are more. You need two if you're actually going to be using it, and at those prices you'd need it in your hand pretty much all day.

As for occasional DIY use, air tools are a pain. Although they're cheap to buy, by the time you've drained the expensive to buy compressor, fired it up, sworn at the noise, found the hose, waited for it to fill, and reminded yourself(once again) that it's a bit small for what you're going to do, you could have done most jobs. Plus, the tools aren't exactly quiet in use either. Which would you rather pay the electricity bill for; a 600watt grinder(for instance) or a 3hp motor? The hose is always a nuisance, and a cordless tool puts that out of the way. Or is just me that has the charger screwed to the wall?

Instead of an impact wrench a 2foot-long 1/2" drive ratchet is well worth considering. I've a Snap-On one that was expensive, but has proved to be much more useful in the truck than the cordless impact was.

 

[Webby the Bear]

The big Snap-On one is easily £600 and Li-on batteries are more. You need two if you're actually going to be using it, and at those prices you'd need it in your hand pretty much all day.

As for occasional DIY use, air tools are a pain. Although they're cheap to buy, by the time you've drained the expensive to buy compressor, fired it up, sworn at the noise, found the hose, waited for it to fill, and reminded yourself(once again) that it's a bit small for what you're going to do, you could have done most jobs. Plus, the tools aren't exactly quiet in use either. Which would you rather pay the electricity bill for; a 600watt grinder(for instance) or a 3hp motor? The hose is always a nuisance, and a cordless tool puts that out of the way. Or is just me that has the charger screwed to the wall?

Instead of an impact wrench a 2foot-long 1/2" drive ratchet is well worth considering. I've a Snap-On one that was expensive, but has proved to be much more useful in the truck than the cordless impact was.

That is actually a really good point! Although I suppose if you're undoing bolts in an awkward position getting that in may be a problem? 

[chrisgixer]

As Nick says, and my point earlier. Re wheel nuts, the torque wrench has to come out anyway to tighten the wheel bolt. So it's no biggy to undo the bolt with it as well first. Then wiz away with your Orgazma gizmo, which just saves do much time and elbow grease.
I use my 300nm halfords torque wrench for most jobs involving leverage of any sort.

So Halfords 150pc socket set(with screw driver bits ) Halfords torque wrench and Hitachi Orgazma gizmo are the first things to come out or go in the boot.

[chrisgixer]

To add, for Tunnie. For the amount of use v cost. The makita in the first link is best. IMO.

But for heavy use.... Well, I'm repeating meself now.

[tunnie]

Trouble is I don't think the batteries I have fit, they look different from ones I have. (On Matika)

I'm swinging more to the beefier Clarke one, although I've had not a vat voucher

I asked for other things for Christmas, this is a present to myself 

[chrisgixer]

Trouble is I don't think the batteries I have fit, they look different from ones I have. (On Matika)

I'm swinging more to the beefier Clarke one, although I've had not a vat voucher

I asked for other things for Christmas, this is a present to myself 

Thing to do then, is search tools that fit your set, if not done already...?

[tunnie]

Trouble is I don't think the batteries I have fit, they look different from ones I have. (On Matika)

I'm swinging more to the beefier Clarke one, although I've had not a vat voucher

I asked for other things for Christmas, this is a present to myself 

Thing to do then, is search tools that fit your set, if not done already...?

Problem is my current set is a rather budget drill battery set, it suits my needs though. But I don't think those batteries are man enough.

What puts me off Clarke setup is I remember it being quite large & heavy, compared to your one. Which I thought was considerably lighter.

Tbh your setup is exactly what I'd like, but I think your setup was around £200?

[chrisgixer]

Trouble is I don't think the batteries I have fit, they look different from ones I have. (On Matika)

I'm swinging more to the beefier Clarke one, although I've had not a vat voucher

I asked for other things for Christmas, this is a present to myself 

Thing to do then, is search tools that fit your set, if not done already...?

Problem is my current set is a rather budget drill battery set, it suits my needs though. But I don't think those batteries are man enough.

What puts me off Clarke setup is I remember it being quite large & heavy, compared to your one. Which I thought was considerably lighter.

Tbh your setup is exactly what I'd like, but I think your setup was around £200?

The original deal was £200 for the circular saw, drill, and torch with two li ion batteries and charger in a bag. To which I added the impact wrench body at extra cost. There are numerous heads/tool only additions that could be added. Chop saw, jig saw, impact driver(as opposed to the impact wrench we're discussing) to name a few.

But, my battery set has been discontinued, again in favour of the slide in design. So once my batteries die, that's it. Replace the lot. Hence I keep the batteries topped up.

The Clark is more powerful, but I can use mine in more scenarios due to the small body and light weight, like caliper carrier bolts etc, as you saw. Not sure the Clark would get in there. And I'm not sure it would undo them from bft anyway. So, again, crack them off with the t wrench, then wizzy the rest. T wrench to do up.
 Clark one is too big to get on loose w bone bolts and again, not sure it will undo them from bft anyway. Too long and too heavy for donut bush bolts, but it would undo those.


Sadly, sounds like you have the wrong cordless set to start with

[chrisgixer]

How about this?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cir220-24v-cordless-impact-wrench-2

Tested here, came out ok. Comes with 2 batteries (Ni-Cad) so suits my use, case and some sockets.

Not bad for price?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/65787/clarke-cir220

For the body size and price, the similar, slightly more expensive 450Nm one (which is what I had), seems to make more sense.

What sort of bolt torque setting will the 450nm undo?  Does it do wheel bolts? And calliper carrier bolts? For example.

[tunnie]

Trouble is I don't think the batteries I have fit, they look different from ones I have. (On Matika)

I'm swinging more to the beefier Clarke one, although I've had not a vat voucher

I asked for other things for Christmas, this is a present to myself 

Thing to do then, is search tools that fit your set, if not done already...?

Problem is my current set is a rather budget drill battery set, it suits my needs though. But I don't think those batteries are man enough.

What puts me off Clarke setup is I remember it being quite large & heavy, compared to your one. Which I thought was considerably lighter.

Tbh your setup is exactly what I'd like, but I think your setup was around £200?

The original deal was £200 for the circular saw, drill, and torch with two li ion batteries and charger in a bag. To which I added the impact wrench body at extra cost. There are numerous heads/tool only additions that could be added. Chop saw, jig saw, impact driver(as opposed to the impact wrench we're discussing) to name a few.

But, my battery set has been discontinued, again in favour of the slide in design. So once my batteries die, that's it. Replace the lot. Hence I keep the batteries topped up.

The Clark is more powerful, but I can use mine in more scenarios due to the small body and light weight, like caliper carrier bolts etc, as you saw. Not sure the Clark would get in there. And I'm not sure it would undo them from bft anyway. So, again, crack them off with the t wrench, then wizzy the rest. T wrench to do up.
 Clark one is too big to get on loose w bone bolts and again, not sure it will undo them from bft anyway. Too long and too heavy for donut bush bolts, but it would undo those.


Sadly, sounds like you have the wrong cordless set to start with

I just checked, none of my current Makita stuff will fit the impact sets, my stuff is not 18v. So I'm starting from scratch.

Matika set, with batteries ect more like £350. Not really what I want to spend, given what is on the horizon.

Clarke one fits price range, but not sure on how useful it would actually be. 

Where did you source your set from?

[chrisgixer]

Screw fix.

But the deal, I found out two years later, was to clear the old battery type stock to make way for the new slide on type. And they don't seem to have that particular set, although there are others.
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do?fh_search=Hitachi+kits&fh_view_size=20

[chrisgixer]

And the body only
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Hitachi-WR18DL-1-2-Cordless-18V-Battery-Impact-Wrench-18-Volt-WR18DLP4-HXP-/360772936939

Actually, I need to check that is correct when I get home.