Good Impact Wrench for Working on Tractors

[ray66v]

Question for you professional mechanic guys: what pressure do you consider normal line pressure? My nailers and spray guns specify working inlet pressure, but not my 1/2" impact wrench. I usually run it a around 100psi.

Most tools are designed, with a working pressure of 90-100psi.

Nailer's are very susceptible to damage, when exceeding working pressure.

Other tools can handle it, though it may shorten their life some.

Dirt getting inside a tool, damages it far more than anything else.

No manufacturer designs an air motor to allow for any dirt. The clearances are very tight, and even small amounts of debris, tare up the end plates, and reduces the power.

For that reason, theoretically, you should have an inline particulate filter, as close to the tool as possible.

The average person will not use a tool enough to see the results of this. But, if you saw the inside of tools, used all day in factories you see it clearly.

I myself do not use filters on my tools.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Question for you professional mechanic guys: what pressure do you consider normal line pressure? My nailers and spray guns specify working inlet pressure, but not my 1/2" impact wrench. I usually run it a around 100psi.

150 to 160 PSI. The pressure at the tool in use will be less depending on hose size and length, and number of connectors. Due to the high flow required by, say, a 3/4" impact you can only get about 100 PSI at the tool using 50' 3/8 hose with 150 supply pressure. A 1/2" tool, using less flow may see 115 - 120 PSI in use.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I need to repair my air impact, air is just flowing thru it. I had to replace the air valve on my nail gun once, that was easy, not sure about the impact. I haven't used it in years since getting an 18V battery impact, it does about everything I need it to do.

 

[Scooby074]

Question for you professional mechanic guys: what pressure do you consider normal line pressure? My nailers and spray guns specify working inlet pressure, but not my 1/2" impact wrench. I usually run it a around 100psi.

Line pressure is wherever the compressor cuts out at :laughing: Usually thats 130-150ish psi. By the time it gets through all the lines and fittings, you might have 110-120psi at the hose end while in use maybe more/less.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I'm very happy with my Milwaukee Fuel M18 1/2" impact. I haven't used my air impacts since I got it!

 

[Mace Canute]

Brian,

I have a Ryobi P261 that uses their new Lithium-ion batteries and I love it. But it only produces 300# of torque. After that I pull out a good wrench if I want it tighter or if its too tight to break loose. When that's the case I clean up the threads good and use thread compound upon reassembly. Permits the little wrench to run up tight and then break loose easier later. I especially enjoy using it to remove and reinstall my zero-turn mower blades. And the new One+ batteries last a looooong time but recharge pronto. My palm sander, drill, and screw/nut driver also use the same batteries.

If you already own a bunch of DeWalt cordless tools that use the same battery configuration and chemistry and you're happy with them I suggest you stick with them. Or Milwaukee. Just don't expect a lightweight cordless electric to have the punch an air tool does.

That's exactly what a buddy of mine does. Just a month ago i picked up a used cordless 18V Dewalt 1/2" impact driver for him. We tried it out on an old John Deere 40 taking a couple of nuts off and it didn't hesitate a bit on them...seems to have lots of jam. If anything needs more oomph there's always the torque multiplier.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have multiple 3/4" pneumatic impacts that I'd like to sell. One piece of advise, you have to have a 1/2" air hose and couplings in order to get the full potential. And they are heavy, but when you need to break over the bolts on a big bushhog, they are great.

I've noticed that even my 1/2 Aircat doesn't like smaller air lines so I have it set up with 1/2" hose and the largest (flow) Milton quick disconnect fittings I could find.

... Yeah couplers are a real issue. Large ones flow well, but often enough will inhibit freedom of access if the large coupling is at the tool. ... A hose whip is one solution. Another is finding the highest performance small couplers. ... The Milton is a good coupler but Ive switched to others over time and finally came to a point that I wanted to test them all against one another.

- - At the time I was using a coupler from Lowes that was a bit difficult to disconnect. ... Its a Brass 1/4" "Universal" coupler that will accept Industry std shape or ARO shape plugs. I bought 5 from Lowes. It turns out that it is quite high flow for the Industry Standard shape.

I dug out a test jig I made years ago and used it to flow qualify all the 1/4" coupler socket types I have. Here are the results:

,,,All tests were done thru a 50 foot 3/8" air hose fed straight from a 60G tank at 150psi -- NO regulator or coupler at the tank. - The output of the hose was the 1/4" coupler socket mating with a 1/4" industry standard shape plug on the test jig. The jig was contrived so that there was no flow across the pressure gauge port.

The Lowes [brass] universal presented 92psi to the 0.215 open exhaust orifice of the jig. This means flow is somewhat above 60 CFM

,,,The Oetiker coupler [insert and swivel] provides a straight thru flow. Test jig flow pressure was 90psi.

The Prevost composite push button release coupler gave 88psi.

,,,The classic Milton [brass] coupler gave 78 psi.

The Milton composite push button safety release coupler gave 77 psi.

,,,Three other Mfg unidentified copy/ clones of the Milton brass coupler gave pressures clustered tightly around 78.

As you can see, the best of these flow quite well in comparison to the legacy couplers.

I am going to settle on the Prevost coupler for everyday use at the tool. - The Oetiker is slightly better flow but its swivel engagement and tool retention has given me trouble in the past. It is great for the wife though because couple/decouple do not require much strength.
,,, I will use my Lowes universal coupler sockets at wall and tank plug ins and for extensions where repetitive change is rare.
The Miltons et al will wait for requirements where only modest flow will ever be needed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,I do have a 3/8" Milton I havnt tested. If youre interested I could adapt it and make a comparative test.

 

[N80]

I purchased a Kobalt 18v over the DeWalt. It got better reviews and I hate rocker switches like on the DeWalt and most others. The Kobalt has a trigger just like a typical drill. I think it is all a matter of what you are used to. The Kobalt is large but not unmanageable. I think this model has been replaced with a 20v.

It is not as strong as an air impact. Reviewed comparably with the Snap-on, but I have no experience there.

Mine has failed, once or twice, to remove a lug nut off of my track car. Lug nuts go on at 100 pounds but are exposed to extreme heat on the track. Each time this has happened it required a breaker bar to remove the lug nut.

Otherwise it has been flawless. Great for working on fences, building deer stands, etc. It will drive a 16" OlyLog fastener through treated lumber, logs and trees with little effort.

It has great batteries and the charger is excellent.

Cost is its most attractive feature.

 

[joefromga]

A good tip for impact drivers us to use impact sockets and impact u joints only. The standard ones have play in them and that causes heat.

If you can't get the socket to break a nut try some pliers on the socket to keep the rotation steady. You can even just use your hand but applying steady pressure in the reverse direction makes a lot of difference.

 

[dickfoster]

I am looking for a good impact wrench that does not have me with a lone set of batteries for it. I know snap on and Ingersol rand make good ones, but are they better than Dewalt or Milwaukee? I just cannot see that they are that much better other than priced higher. I want something to remove tires, add duals, and complete anything that might invole the repair of an older tractor, including possibly splitting it.

Leaning to the Dewalt mostly due to this article.

Dewalt 20v MAX XR Brushless 1/2? Impact Wrench Review | Workshop Addict - Wood & Metal Forum

What do you gentleman have and use or think of the Dewalt?

I don't have one yet but that looks like a good one for me because I have some DeWalt 20V Max tools that use the same battery already. Thanks for the thread. It may be my next purchase. My cheap Harbor Freight quality 110V impact is starting to fall a bit short of my needs.
So far the highest torque fasteners I have on the tractor are some 600 pounders on the backhoe so this sentence "A max tightening torque of 700 ft-lbs and a max breakaway torque at 1,200 ft-lbs are numbers that you would expect from a 3/4″ impact wrench" do the deciding for me.