Impact driver

[Mpower]

I tend to do all car maintenance myself and recently replacing an alternator on our mini.
There's a lot of removing trim and components just to get good access to remove faulty part and I find unbolting so many nuts and bolts tiresome and I've decided to invest in an impact driver but which one?

As I can see there are many buddy mechanics on here must use an impact driver to make work a lot easier and would appreciate if you could share which make and model you use ?

Lee

[jonsteele]

I use this one

https://www.tool-net.co.uk/p-372731/cla ... 0wodFigCoA

It can struggle with some alloy wheel bolts, but copes well with all but the tightest bolts.

It got good reviews when it came out (which is why I bought). There are better out there, but cost a lot more.


Sent from the dark side by the power of the force!!

[Steamyrotter]

Same here.
Some nuts may take time to shift, but shift them it will.

[Mpower]

I've looked at that one purely it's a good price,what sort of usage time per fully charged battery?

Seen the Milwaukee brands that have some serious torques but as you guys have mentioned a lot of money!

[jonsteele]

I mainly use it for removing wheels, and it gets left without charging for months, only to work perfectly next time!

The battery that's on it at the moment has probably been used for at least 5 wheel removal/fitting, over the space of 8 months, and is still going strong.


Sent from the dark side by the power of the force!!

[Mpower]

When I have suspension work I always wish I an impact driver with enough grunt to wizz off the nut that holds the springs at the strut rather using a Allen key and a spanner which not always undo because the Allen key always rounds off[emoji35]

I'm tempted to go for higher power as when work like above rises I have the right tool and maybe a smaller setup for confined areas.

[X5Sport]

I've got a little DeWalt one I got from Amazon on a deal.  It won't undo 140Nm wheel nuts but it will cope with not far short of that and isn't too heavy.

[Mpower]

Thats one of the main jobs for an impact wrench,I know that its a expensive lazy option.
I've seen a Milwaukee rated at a whopping 610NM but with a price tag to match too @ £300!

[X5Sport]

TBH I always release my bolts 1/2 turnwith a socket on a long bar with the car in the ground and then lift it.  Then whizz em off.  Same in reverse but just torque them up once the car is down again using a proper torque wrench.  The DeWalt is perfect for that.

None of your KwitFit 'torque em till they stretch' from me. 

[Mpower]

X5sport what sort of money the dewalt ?

[X5Sport]

It was a kit, I'll try and find it and update this reply.......


UPDATE:  It's this one.  Probably cheaper if you shop around and I paid about £115 on a deal.

[Mpower]

[quote="X5Sport"]
It was a kit, I'll try and find it and update this reply.......


UPDATE:  It's this one.  Probably cheaper if you shop around and I paid about £115 on a deal.
[/quote]

Richard,cheers for the info!

[Slick]

I bought this after trying a cheaper one.......and I'm impressed with it though as others have pointed out its expensive, http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/tools ... 3&0&t5_349

[Mpower]

Thats [emoji24] exspensive

[shadrack]

just to point out the ones richard has linked to are not 1/2" drive and are not as heavey duty as the 1/2" ones, i have both sizes in makita i have the 1/2" drive automotive one and the smaller one actually has a hex drive head on and is more suited to putting screws into wood etc, i only have the auto one in makita as it runs on the same batterys as all my other makita stuff i use in my job