Are they any good? Are they powerful enough to remove lug nuts? If so, whats a good brand? I am looking at the DeWalt 18V 1/2" Impact Wrench - DW059.

 

Ive seen them used in construction mostly for driving lag bolts and such. One guy I know is a garage door installer and he likes it.As far as lugs I don't know if they have the torque neccesary to be safely used. IMHO

 

i have the dewalt 14.4, i use it all the time for lags, it wont touch a lug

 

Ive seen alot of guys use them at junk yards to remove parts that are torque tight like suspension parts. I dont know if I would use it on my car that I drive in. But I thought about getting one when I go to the junk yard.

 

They are becoming popular at amature races (autocross) as well. I'm considering one for this reason as I plan to switch tires when I get to the event location. No replacement for a torque wrench, though...

 

I work for a large chemical company, over 1000 people. All our mechanics are issued a Milwaukee 18 volt impact along with one being issued to each production foreman for crew use. I am a foreman so here is my run on the Milwaukee 18 volt 1/2-inch impact, lug studs it probably can snap them in two, it's rated at 220 ft. lbs. of torque. I have personally seen them remove galled 1 1/8-inch bolts that a big man on a long handled 1/2-inchwrench couldn't even begin to break loose. I bought a Nikota 1/2-inch wrench because Iwas so impressed with what the Milwaukee could do, (I didn't have Milwaukee money). The Nikota I have is a 14.4volt and is rated at 87 ft. lbs. which is more in line with lugnut work. Battery life is plenty with either unit and the Nikota is a lot lighter than the Milwaukee for general home shop work. I think i paid around 140 for the Nikota and the Milwaukees run in the 300+ range w/ two batteries, oh and the Nikota came w/ only one battery. If you want the baddest 18 volt impact around get the Milwaukee we have been using them for 2-3 years and I only know of one failure, dropped tweny feet to the concrete and busted to pieces.

 

I am an amateur racer, and have used the Milwaukee for a couple years now. The racecar lugs get torqued to 90lbs, and I use anti-sieze on the studs, so it isn't a huge task. However I have also used them on the tow vehicle, the trailer, and the everyday cars and it has never met a lug it can't remove. It is so convenient that even when there is air available I'll use it first. Watching the SCCA runoffs on SpeedTV this week I noticed a number of them sitting around in the background of shots of the Paddock. I got mine here: www.thetoolwarehouse.net
Brandon

 

When you lubricate threads you reduce the bolt's torque rating.

For instance engine oil lowers torque by about 40%, graphite by >50%.

Clean or replace the bolts and chase the threads.

Reg

 

as far as cordless impacts, I would love to have one. Im holding out for now and saving because shortly milwaukee is coming out with a 28 volt unit that puts out 325 ft lbs and lasts 2x as long 18v units. awesome!

FORDS_FORLIFE

 

Is there one that can run off 12v and remove lugs

 

I saw a similliar post on Pirate the other day and I think people are confused when this question is brought up. There are two different tools thsat have been mentioned in this thread, a cordless impact driver and a cordless impact wrench. The driver probably makes around 1000 in/lbs of torque as opposed the the wrench, which make around 250 ft/lbs of torque. Big difference. While the driver is perfect for things like lag screws, it ouldn't be much good for lugs. The cordless impact wrench would be great for lugs, but complete overkill for most construction applications.

 

Hey guys..I use a 18 v dewalt 1/4 in drive impact..and it will take off lugs at 90 ft.lbs or less...that is the 1/4 in drive! I hade torqued the lugs myself before hand....On a job, a pipe fitter was using the 1/2 inch drive dewalt to snug up his 7/8 inch bolts with a big smile..... not cheap! but now i use mine for all the small fittings and hose clamps ...and with the phillips bit it ha impressed me with removing rusty trim screws.....would buy another ..and they offer a 90 day free trial..... but then i'm just a tool freak...

 

Be that as it may, have you seen the size of that thing? Its almost as big as a reciprocating saw!

 

have you seen the price too .they had it at a local tool show last year with a projected retail price of 411.00

 

I was at the U-Pull-It one day and heard an air wrench. I wandered over to see what a 1/4 mile air hose looked like, but they were running it off a scuba cylinder! The first stage of the regulator (the part screwed into the tank) puts out 140 PSI. Of course, it won't run very long on a fill. The tank holds 80 cu ft., so we're talking 10-15 minutes continuous, depending on the tool. Just something for your 'gee whizz' file.