Cordless Impact Wrench - Worth it?

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
I am tempted to buy a cordless impact wrench to add to my expanding tool box. Currently taking a wheel or two off per week, I intend to tackle some suspension work (ARB drop links and maybe springs if I can pluck up the courage) and also do some restoration work underneath the car by removing and treating surface rust so I might want to take some bits off so there will be plenty of seized bolts.

Is it worth investing in one? They have become relatively cheap and there is plenty of choice, I am considering the Ryobi ONE as it has interchangable batteries (I probably would get the angle grinder further down the line) and delivers a decent amount of torque for the price of the product at 400nm although the batteries are a bit pricey. https://uk.ryobitools.eu/power-tools/drilling-and-screwdriving/impact-wrenches/r18iw3/r18iw3-0/

Open to any other recommendations... or if you think it's not worth buying one then let me know why!
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Definitely but get the big battery or it just does not have the guts.

I have got a 5ah monster battery that cost nearly £100 but it drives my angle grinder, drill, torque gun and torch. The smaller sub 3ah just wont have the guts. I have a couple of 2's that came with the pack and are fine for the drill or the torch.

I have the 400nm version of this:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/hitachi-wr18dsdl-w4-18v-li-ion-cordless-impact-wrench-bare/1826j

Oh, its the Hitachi range and yes, Ryobi are top notch too.

Cheap tools = disappointment!
 

TimR

Member
Messages
2,654
Consider going with air...!
There is a never ending array of final attachments.
An inexpensive investment, they are powerful & versatile....

Grtzz...!
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Consider going with air...!
There is a never ending array of final attachments.
An inexpensive investment, they are powerful & versatile....

Grtzz...!

Your so last decade :)

I do still have my air tools but find the convenience of a compressor to boot up and that snake of a line getting in the way a right pain compared to battery.

Its just easier and quicker.
 

RobinL

Member
Messages
456
Cordless Impact Driver - is that a posh name for 'hammer'

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TimR

Member
Messages
2,654
Your so last decade :)

I do still have my air tools but find the convenience of a compressor to boot up and that snake of a line getting in the way a right pain compared to battery.

Its just easier and quicker.

Fair enough..!
As a part-time, self taught machinist, its great for blowing swarf where you cant get at it ever again ! Same with the pillar drill....!
I like MX , which means disassembling my bike , power washing and then a compressed airline to chase water off, and dry out wiring and such...
I jut restored my Yamaha MTO1 this winter, so good for paint too...
Just so much more useful..Bang4Buck !

Give me a handy sized, drill like screw driver ( not ratchet...too inconvenient and un-ergonomic) but not powerful enough to do damage...that Id like. Electric...small enough to be useful in tighter spaces but mostly to speed up the tearing down, building up process of repetitive assembly. 1/4" drive..so for socket use !
Ive looked on & off...no-one seems to do one !:oops:
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Give me a handy sized, drill like screw driver ( not ratchet...too inconvenient and un-ergonomic) but not powerful enough to do damage...that Id like. Electric...small enough to be useful in tighter spaces but mostly to speed up the tearing down, building up process of repetitive assembly. 1/4" drive..so for socket use !
Ive looked on & off...no-one seems to do one !:oops:

Guessing you have seen this? It has a 3/8 drive which can be converted to 1/4... but it is a ratchet as opposed to a drill with only 45nm torque so not at all what you are after really.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Fastening/2457-21

I do not have space for an air compressor in my garage it is stuffed full as it is, even expanding my power tool collection is tipping the scales a bit. When I buy the house with my dream double garage and plenty of workshop/storage space then I'll consider a compressor but I'm not there yet.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Definitely but get the big battery or it just does not have the guts.

I have got a 5ah monster battery that cost nearly £100 but it drives my angle grinder, drill, torque gun and torch. The smaller sub 3ah just wont have the guts. I have a couple of 2's that came with the pack and are fine for the drill or the torch.

I have the 400nm version of this:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/hitachi-wr18dsdl-w4-18v-li-ion-cordless-impact-wrench-bare/1826j

Oh, its the Hitachi range and yes, Ryobi are top notch too.

Cheap tools = disappointment!

Yeah I was thinking the <4ah batteries would be useless as in the description it says it can fit 100 wheels with the 4ah which is about right no point having any less.

I have a Ryobi corded 400W hedge trimmer I am pretty sold on the quality - I didn't get the cordless as I have some big tree like bushes in my garden and wanted the extra power - the thing performs as good as the petrol one the gardener uses plus more features!

Definitely agree with the turn of phrase "buy cheap; buy twice" but who does not like a bargain especially when you can trust the brand... this seems to be very well priced combination of the body, 5ah battery and charger £179 + free delivery - it's cheaper than anywhere else

https://www.direct-powertools.co.uk/ryobi-r18iw3-one-18v-impact-wrench-c2x17772163

https://www.direct-powertools.co.uk/ryobi-bcl1418h-rb18l50-battery-charger-kit-c2x19001307
 

Corranga

Member
Messages
1,219
What about 240v / wired...?

I'm an amateur / hobbyist so no pro-experience, but have a wired impact wrench which has got me out of a fix on a number of occasions when working on my cars. It's not a tool that I find I use all that regularly, perhaps the most regular thing is for wheel removal, and obviously for tight bolt removal but I prefer to manually torque pretty much anything when refitting.

As has already been said, cheap tools are rarely a good investment, but I'm more than happy with mine, for occasional use.

It's an unbranded cheapo eBay one which set me back <£30 a few years ago from a company in Germany. It is identical (same shape, appearance, specs, included sockets etc. but different colour) to the Machine Mart Clarke one:
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cew1000-electric-impact-wrench/

Just had a look and they seem to have gone up a bit, but this sort of thing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Electric-I...kets-450nm-Torque-1010w-Heavy-Duty/8004286405
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-Du...V-1-2-Dr-In-Case-17-22mm-Sockets/232346295176
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HAWK-TOO...POWER-BUZZ-RATTLE-GUN-DRIVER-SET/291666566110




If I was doing more, I think I'd be looking at Milwaukee as a good balance of quality to price.
 

TimR

Member
Messages
2,654
Indeed, I am just an amateur in a shed, not working to your levels.
Funny...I am slow and make alot of mistakes !
Right tools for the job is a golden rule. Disregard it at your peril I reckon !

Guessing you have seen this? It has a 3/8 drive which can be converted to 1/4...
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Fastening/2457-21

I have..Im sure it's the dog's danglies. I still hanker after a unit that has a straight drive inline with the handle...

The thing about having space is that , however much you have, you end up filling it with junk...!
:)
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
What about 240v / wired...?

I'm an amateur / hobbyist so no pro-experience, but have a wired impact wrench which has got me out of a fix on a number of occasions when working on my cars. It's not a tool that I find I use all that regularly, perhaps the most regular thing is for wheel removal, and obviously for tight bolt removal but I prefer to manually torque pretty much anything when refitting.

As has already been said, cheap tools are rarely a good investment, but I'm more than happy with mine, for occasional use.

It's an unbranded cheapo eBay one which set me back <£30 a few years ago from a company in Germany. It is identical (same shape, appearance, specs, included sockets etc. but different colour) to the Machine Mart Clarke one:
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cew1000-electric-impact-wrench/

Just had a look and they seem to have gone up a bit, but this sort of thing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Electric-I...kets-450nm-Torque-1010w-Heavy-Duty/8004286405
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-Du...V-1-2-Dr-In-Case-17-22mm-Sockets/232346295176
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HAWK-TOO...POWER-BUZZ-RATTLE-GUN-DRIVER-SET/291666566110




If I was doing more, I think I'd be looking at Milwaukee as a good balance of quality to price.

Something to consider for sure... even the clarke one from Machinemart at £70 is pretty cheap - especially as they come with a few impact sockets too but it does look heavy and bulky

I also spotted on machinemart the cordless clarke version which comes with 2x 4ah batteries has 450nm of torque, brushless motor at £215 and is more compact than the Ryobi (400nm Torque not sure if it has brushless motor don't think it does) https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cir18li-18v-brushless-4ah--impact-wrenc/

I own a 1/2" and 3/8" torque wrench I would never torque up using an impact wrench, my reasoning behind the high torque rating is that it will have that force in reverse in order to undo rusted nuts and bolts.

How much am I going to use it? Probably more and more moving forwards so I want something that will be quite flexible too.

I can barely call myself an amateur "mechanic" but I did train as a mechanic for a year at a MG Rover garage before I went off to uni (17 years ago, best job I ever had!)... I used various air tools back then but it was just as these cordless impact wrenches were hitting the market and I did not get a chance to try one out. Half of my tools are from back then, the other half I have bought in the past 3 years lol :)
 
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Ozmurc

Junior Member
Messages
91
I've got the DeWalt:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-d...r-brushless-cordless-impact-wrench-bare/4660j

I've got other tools from DeWalt. Use the 5ampH battery. I've used it on old alfa suspension and v6 crank bolts. Not needed it on the Maserati yet.

If I was buying only tools for cars, I'd have probably gotten the Milwaukee version, as they also do the 3/8" cordless ratchet (DeWalt don't do this, but I already had a angle grinder, jigsaw and driver drills).
 

2b1ask1

Special case
Messages
20,220
I have the 450nm 1/2” Makita 18vLiIon unit and use it all the time, they are worth the cost for sure if you have the need.

Would never touch DeWalt after I got really stung by them some years back.

Milwalki get great reports at the moment, I’m just sticking with the one brand of battery.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
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jasst

Member
Messages
2,313
Guessing you have seen this? It has a 3/8 drive which can be converted to 1/4... but it is a ratchet as opposed to a drill with only 45nm torque so not at all what you are after really.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Fastening/2457-21

I do not have space for an air compressor in my garage it is stuffed full as it is, even expanding my power tool collection is tipping the scales a bit. When I buy the house with my dream double garage and plenty of workshop/storage space then I'll consider a compressor but I'm not there yet.

I have one of these as I already had the battery packs and charger, great bit of kit, not a lot of torque but the ability to get into places where there is no room to turn anything is great, they also do a 1/4" version, also have a monster Dewalt 18v for wheel nuts etc, 950nm of torque if I remember, don't know how I managed without it.
 

RobinL

Member
Messages
456
I'm sure I got into this elsewhere once but it's interesting to hear all this talk of torque.

What holds our wheels and stuff together is actually bolt or stud tension - and torque is a practical way of applying that tension.
Torque values merely approximate the applied tension.
Nothing new there.
However in the oil, gas and nuclear industry we are very focussed (anal) about such things. We know the tension we need to very fine limits and use tools which pull the stud or bolt to impart tension, spin the nut up, release tools and there you go.
Only where we can't do that do we use torque.
But we use hydraulic torque spanners which have no impact at all.
Impact on a torque wrench, even momentary impact changes the whole torque/tension equation. Just something to think about.
As tension (torque) stretches the studs or bolts we also have a good idea about how often we can do that before changing out the stud or bolt.

I'm sure once or twice on a wheel stud is fine - but how many times is 'not fine' - anybody any ideas on when you use new bolts on wheels (I can hear it now - when rusty?)

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