air tools

[robmcallan]

just wondering what guys are using for their 1\2 inch to 1 inch impact guns what have they become to trust for brands and why?

 

[Planedriver]

1/2" aircat carbon fiber. Had it for 2 years and still going. The torque is very good but the real benefit is that it's very light. As for a rechargeable, it is a 24 volt Milwaukee fuel.
3/4" aircat again for all the reasons above.
1" CP 797, 6" anvil to reach inside semi wheels. Painfully expensive and requires a real air supply but will twist the nuts off the hubs of hell.

The second most important thing you can do to get top results with any gun is to have clean dry air and lots of it. The first is of course using sparing amounts of pneumatic oil regularly.

 

[Junkyard]

My 1/2" is IR Timax and I'm really happy with it. I'm surprised as what it will bust loose. My 3/4 is Mac but it's identical to an IR, I've had it over 15 years and it's still going although I feel like it's getting weak. I have two 1" guns, Blue Point inline and a Sioux regular. Sioux was a EBAY purchase and it's been a good gun. Before the IR 1/2" I had a snap on and it lasted a good 10 years before it wore out. It had been replaced so many times they didn't offer any rebuilds for it. Any name brand will be a good buy. Look at weight, torque values and air consumption as you make up your mind. I'd spend the most on a 1/2 simply because it's used the most, at least for me anyway. I bought the 1/2" IR because it's light and hits HARD, especially in reverse. Also, it's easy to switch directions but the buttons aren't where they get bumped each time you lay it down which happens often with the Mac.

Junkyard

 

[Jonas302]

I really like Ingersoll rand for air tools last a long time can get parts for them and affordable have never seem any advantages to tool truck brands

 

[td25c]

Air verses electric ?

The older I get the more I hate the noise of an air compressor pumping & air wrench thumping .

One of the best investments I made was a simple 110 volt DEWALT impact wrench . http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-with-Hog-Ring-Anvil-DW293/203070254

Use it everywhere in shop , home , and in field powered of the miller welder on the truck . Pretty impressed with it given what it costs and not depending on a big air supply to operate it .

I see they also offer a 3/4 drive . http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-7-5-Amp-3-4-in-19-mm-Impact-Wrench-DW297/203164048

With the "plug in " electric wrench it's a constant quiet hammer with no pressure drop like with an air tool .

Electricity is far more efficient than air drive in my opinion . Unless I'm standing in water will go with the AC electric drive every time .

Thoughts or other opinions anyone ?

 

[Junkyard]

I have a Dewalt 1/2" cordless. It's not the fancy brushless, it's the cheap one. Had a gift card so that's what I got with it. It's handy as a pocket on a shirt. I use it daily and it often eliminates the need for the air impact. I'd imagine it's similar to your corded one TD. It will strip threads up to 7/16" with a fully charged battery so you gotta watch it like anything else. We can never have too many tool options!!

If we could only get the women in our lives to understand that......

Junkyard.

 

[Tinkerer]

I watched my grandson use his Milwaukee cordless impact. Very impressive tool . Milwaukee claims it has up to 1100 ft-lbs of force. Awful pricey for me at nearly $400.00. That puts it out of my budget. I can always borrow his.

 

[td25c]

Yeah , pretty amazing how far the cordless electric guns have came in the past few years !

Not to take away from proven air impacts as we have them and they work great given you have air supply & pressure for them .
Me and the Old Man were hashing this out and he brought up a pretty good point . " wherever we are at we always have electricity " . Might be from a home , shop , or off the welder on an in field job .
That's what led me to look closer at the electric options .
Pretty happy with my 110 volt cord DEWALT 1/2 inch drive wrench for all around use .
Looking pretty hard at the Makita inch drive model .

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-12-Amp-1-in-Impact-Wrench-TW1000/203162025

The Milwaukee 3/4 drive cordless is tempting ?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...ench-with-Friction-Ring-Kit-2764-22/204410428

 

[robmcallan]

I am running a snap on 1\2 but will grab my milwaukee cordless every time before the snap on and if that doesn't do the trick i have been really happy with CP air tools for my 3\4 I bought the CP 7769 but have found that my forman's IR will hit harder. for my 1 inch I picked up a CP7782. just was very interested in what everyone prefers. The way cordless is going a guy might have to try a milwaukee 3\4 if he can find a good deal. does anyone know with how the batteries stand up in the 3\4 milwaukees? and do they around the same as the 1\2 on a single charge

 

[mikebramel]

3/4" and 1/2" cordless impacts are the same. Different anvils

 

[CableDW10cat]

Mac/ir air guns, at least in the half inchers. I had some snappy ones, warranty after warranty. Finally pitched it out in a field and farmed it under. It needed the same air as a 3/4 gun. I really like the snappy .375" guns i have though. I like the cp .75 guns, tapered nose cone fits in tight spaces. And I cannot complain about the ir 1 inch guns I have, lots of money tied up in the regular one, it flat breaks bad bolts. Tire gun is a tire gun, at least the trigger is where its supposed to be. Northern tool style gun is bassackwards...

 

[crane operator]

When I was younger and building steel grain storage bins, we used all electric impacts like td25c has. When you've got 3-4 guys running full bore you can't keep up with air, plus all the sharp steel would eat up air lines.

In my shop I've got a 1/2" IR- not the ti- only 2-3 years old, and it doesn't work as well as a ancient cp 1/2" I've got. Also have 3/4" rodac, and cp 1" and 1 1/2" air guns (I don't own any sockets for the 1 1/2" gun it came with the 1" at a auction).

I've been looking at those 1/2" cordless impacts also, and would like to get one that uses the same batteries as a cordless grease gun, my cordless lincoln gun batteries are shot, and I'd like to get a impact, grease gun, and batteries.

 

[auen1]

I've been looking at those 1/2" cordless impacts also, and would like to get one that uses the same batteries as a cordless grease gun, my cordless lincoln gun batteries are shot, and I'd like to get a impact, grease gun, and batteries.

If you want the best cordless impact, look at the IR W7150http:// To review - install a d...n install another drive and install 10 on it.
I use one on a daily basis and it's a tough gun. Survives a lot abuse and charges quickly.

Then get a Milwaukee M18 grease gun, to start your M18 cordless tool collection.
This is the route I am going to take.

The Milwaukee M18 is the second best impact, IMO and you can share batteries with your grease gun.

 

[DK88]

3/8 and 1/2 dewalt max 20v love them both.
1/2 mac AW612Q.. average power, kinda heavy imo
3/4 max to match the 1/2 very tough and light
1" inline yutani old but better than the 1" guns supplied.

 

[Seabass]

I have a CP 734H 1/2 impact, does most nuts and bolts, but only 425 ftlbs. but if you give it enough time it will do most things, but obviously not the most powerful. Also a 3/4 drive CP 772H, again, does what's required and the more psi the better they perform. But I have found the Milwaukee m18 1/2 and 3/4 fuels to be very handy, lots of power, excellent battery life. No hoes is priceless. But as for air, CP is reliable and well made. I would like to buy some of their newer air stuff. Great reviews.

 

[alskdjfhg]

Good thread.

As the shop gets closer to completion, I'm making a list of the tools I need to get, a good impact is #1.

 

[wrwtexan]

As they are made in Taiwan (good quality import stuff in my opinion) just like the Nitro Cat guns, I bought a Harbor Freight Earthquake XT and am more impressed with it than I was the Nitro 1200K it replaced. It is very well built and finished and was a lot less at $150 than the Nitro Cat. Can't complain about my 1" long anvil Pro from HF either.

 

[crewchief888]

1/2" air IR 231 (been abusing them for years, IMHO the best in the performance/cost department)
3/4" air (old) bluepoint
i rarely use a 3/8" air impact anymore, since a bought a milwaukee 18v fuel 3 years ago.

 

[Truck Shop]

We use two lite weight IR 1" spline drives for wheel and tire work. 3/4's are IR and Snap ON, 1/2 Snap On's. I have a 1" Bluepoint square drive for big stuff but the
air tool used the most is a Napa 3/8 air ratchet. There great when someone is trying to talk on the phone.

Truck Shop