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[grifter]

I was looking at getting an impact gun one of these battery ones, can anyone recommend a good all round one that doesn't cost the earth? Say something around 200-250 with 1/2" drive.

If I had the cash I'd probably buy the milwaukee M18 which has up to 800nm torque but it's pricey, costs anything from 500 upwards.

Thanks

Andy

[iansoutham]

I use the Ryobi one with a 5aH battery

[TheBoy]

I use an older DeWalt one, mainly because it matches the rest of my cordless tools, but also because its small bodied, so can get in tighter spaces.

It's claimed to be something like 185Nm, but tests with my torque wrench put in nearer 150Nm.  Most of the others I've tried that claim 10,000,000Nm achieve about the same, or less.

Obviously, I can't recommend mine as its no longer made, but I'd say you want:

A genuine >150Nm - this may not be enough for everything, so you may have to crack some bolts with a ratchet first, but enough for most.
A small body - to get in tighter areas
A variable trigger - essential for doing stuff back up without cross threading or over tightening.

[Nick W]

If you already use cordless tools then you should match an impact with what you already have.


You're looking at the lower end, and should consider your expectations: a 250Nm impact wrench is a muscle saver for big bolts, but is likely to struggle on the really tight bolts that a long breaker bar does with ease - crank bolts, driveshaft nuts etc. I think every DIYer should have 1/2" drive ratchet that is at least 600mm long before they decide they need an impact wrench.


The newer adjustable Ryobi is effective and good value for DIY, and opens up a range of similarly useful tools - I find the 4.5" angle grinder is very useful for most car work, the circular saw is ideal for my rare woodwork jobs, and I keep looking at the jigsaw/router/orbital-sander for the same reasons.


Whatever you buy, you need several batteries: one in each tool that's actually in use, and another on charge. That means you need at least two, even if you only have one tool.

[grifter]

I use an older DeWalt one, mainly because it matches the rest of my cordless tools, but also because its small bodied, so can get in tighter spaces.

It's claimed to be something like 185Nm, but tests with my torque wrench put in nearer 150Nm.  Most of the others I've tried that claim 10,000,000Nm achieve about the same, or less.

Obviously, I can't recommend mine as its no longer made, but I'd say you want:

A genuine >150Nm - this may not be enough for everything, so you may have to crack some bolts with a ratchet first, but enough for most.
A small body - to get in tighter areas
A variable trigger - essential for doing stuff back up without cross threading or over tightening.

Most I've seen claim about 250nm, something smaller as you say to get into tighter areas would be handy, but that would compromise on torque, although I'm really just looking for something to run bolts in and out, I prefer tightening most bolts to specified torque, so torque rating not so important, but hopefully the best part of 150nm to remove most nuts and bolts.

Thanks all for suggestions so far.

[LC0112G]

I bought one of these before Christmas : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234199171649

DeWalt DCF901. If you put it in your 'watch list' and leave it there for a week or two, they will send you a special offer - I think I paid £159 in the end.

For occasonal use it's fine - small and will get into places the larger guns won't. Only 12V, but a 5Ah battery gives it enough grunt for what I want. I only really use it for undoing things - stuff like wheel nuts - which it spins off no trouble at all. Doubt it would do a crank bolt, but then I doubt any of the 250Nm guns would. I don't like doing things up with impact guns - I prefer to know how tight I'm doing them up.

One thing I will say is that performance is much better with good real impact sockets, rather than normal ratchet sockets. Impact sockets are much more rigid, whereas normal sockets are quite 'springy'. The springy-ness absorbs some of the 'impact' and makes them less effective. So budget for a decent set of deep impact sockets too.

[redelitev6]

I bought this , seems to be Ok
 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09B42D98L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
although it's currently out of stock by the look of it

[grifter]

I bought one of these before Christmas : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234199171649

DeWalt DCF901. If you put it in your 'watch list' and leave it there for a week or two, they will send you a special offer - I think I paid £159 in the end.

For occasonal use it's fine - small and will get into places the larger guns won't. Only 12V, but a 5Ah battery gives it enough grunt for what I want. I only really use it for undoing things - stuff like wheel nuts - which it spins off no trouble at all. Doubt it would do a crank bolt, but then I doubt any of the 250Nm guns would. I don't like doing things up with impact guns - I prefer to know how tight I'm doing them up.

One thing I will say is that performance is much better with good real impact sockets, rather than normal ratchet sockets. Impact sockets are much more rigid, whereas normal sockets are quite 'springy'. The springy-ness absorbs some of the 'impact' and makes them less effective. So budget for a decent set of deep impact sockets too.

I usually use impact sockets as much as I can,especially anything over 13mm that I think is going to be a tight wad to get off, and would definitely use them on a gun. Will have a look at that one, thanks for the recommendation

[johnnydog]

In my opinion, these are one of the best and most powerful cordless impact wrenches currently available. Not a compact, but still very versatile.
Milwaukee however tend to label their impact wrenches similarly across the range, so thoroughly check the spec before buying.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Milwaukee-M18ONEFHIWF12-502X-18v-ONE-KEY-Li-ion-Fuel-1-2in-Friction-Ring-Impact-/232667934108?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

I also still have a lot of Dewalt 18v cordless tools with the post type batteries, now all Li-on rather than Ni-Mh, and they take a lot of beating, despite being now quite old, but are still one of the best cordless tools they have ever made.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I bought one of these before Christmas : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234199171649

DeWalt DCF901. If you put it in your 'watch list' and leave it there for a week or two, they will send you a special offer - I think I paid £159 in the end.

For occasonal use it's fine - small and will get into places the larger guns won't. Only 12V, but a 5Ah battery gives it enough grunt for what I want. I only really use it for undoing things - stuff like wheel nuts - which it spins off no trouble at all. Doubt it would do a crank bolt, but then I doubt any of the 250Nm guns would. I don't like doing things up with impact guns - I prefer to know how tight I'm doing them up.

One thing I will say is that performance is much better with good real impact sockets, rather than normal ratchet sockets. Impact sockets are much more rigid, whereas normal sockets are quite 'springy'. The springy-ness absorbs some of the 'impact' and makes them less effective. So budget for a decent set of deep impact sockets too.

Forty quid is forty quid....

[TheBoy]

I think every DIYer should have 1/2" drive ratchet that is at least 600mm long before they decide they need an impact wrench.

This is top advice.  The wrench will undo anything, though a bit tiresome on long tight threads.

And impact wrench will undo non seized stuff, but is easy.


Hence the long wrench should be bought first, but that doesn't make an impact tool redundant.

[TheBoy]

Most I've seen claim about 250nm

I had 2 Clarke/Sealey/<insert brand> 400Nm guns.  Neither would pull the skin off a rice pudding, and no chance of undoing a wheelbolt that hadn't been undone for 3 months.

I swear, like consumer compressors, they just make up numbers.

[TheBoy]

This piece of crap, also available branded as Sealey, Parklife and similar

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cir450b-1-2-drive-cordless-impact-wren-2/

Defo ones to avoid.

[Viral_Jim]

I have a Makita one, mostly because I already had some 18v stuff of theirs. I think it's rated to 750nm, I don't know of it actually does that, but it undoes everything I point it at so I'm happy.

I think you need to consider what you really want it for. Because big torque invariably makes for a bigger unit that's harder to get on bolts. If I had my time again (and Makita made one, which afaik they don't) I'd get a stubby one like this:

Milwaukee stubby

It's reportedly got good torque and will fit in lots more places than mine.

As others have said, I'd also invest in a 600-1000mm breaker bar before an impact.

[biggriffin]

This piece of crap, also available branded as Sealey, Parklife and similar

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cir450b-1-2-drive-cordless-impact-wren-2/

Defo ones to avoid.

 I've got one of those, early Sealy type,works fine no problems, as Nick says breaker bar then spin off with gun,, for stubborn types I've got old fashioned CP windy gun.