best 1/2 impact

[lgammon]

i am looking for a good 1/2 impact. i am not a mechanic. but would like to have something that will get the job done and not waste my money. so what are you guys using? kinda want to spend less than 200 if i can.

 

[rare ss]

Try and find a second hand MG725 snapon one.. theres afew on ebay for around 150/200 second hand

 

[mitch504]

Ingersol-rand 2131, or, second best 231

 

[excavator]

I never thought I would say or do this, but, I went to my local Harbor Freight store and for about $70.00 I bought a 1/2 inch drive Central Pneumatic Earthquake air gun. I was working in a customers shop and asked to borrow his gun. When he brought his Central Pneumatic I laughed and made some remark about the peice of Harbor Freight junk. But his 2 year old "peice of junk" took out the center bolt holding the planetary assembly to the axle shaft on a John Deere axle. I've always bought I/R or C/P air tools but hey, for $70.00 I thought I'd give it a try. I also picked up a 3/4" gun from them and for the 2 guns it was under $300.00. We'll see how long they last.

 

[willie59]

My fave...CP 749.

 

[koldsteele]

I like a IR 244 yeah its heavy but for bangin power thats my weapon of choice..
IR 231 is a good gun I've got several....Oh remember air pressure plays a big part in perfomance of air tools ...I run 175 psi in the shop and on the truck ..

 

[lgammon]

just checking Chicago pneumatics are good and central pneumatics are the crap...right?

 

[CAT793]

I have been exposed to both the Snap-on & IR (The Best in my opinion). The Snap-on has more BALLS but exploded after 12 months. The IR never missed a beat for 7 Years. The Compressor is in the opposite end of our shed to the Tyre Bay so the entire workshop has 135 Psi of pressure in the Manifold. All our RATTLES have heaps of BALLS but limited LIFE!!!

 

[Mike L]

IR 2135 ti. almost indestructable.

 

[WaterDoc]

+1 on the IR 2131.

Mine's been going strong for almost 10 years now. Never had to send in for repair. Looks a bit rough now, but still pulls like brand new.

 

[RobVG]

I've got a 20 year old Craftsman that's still going strong.

 

[chevota84]

IR 2135 ti. almost indestructable.

X2 tough and very powerful.

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[smittysrepair]

When it comes to comparing air guns in the 3/8'' to 3/4'' range. I do not know about anyone else but I have been using some of the Nitrocat air guns that are built by Aircat and I have been impressed by them especially considering the cost. I bought 3/8'', 1/2'', and 3/4'' Nitrocat air guns to replace my composite IR air guns and my Snap-on air guns with and I have never looked back. The Nitrocat air gun web site claims they are the quietest air guns for the power they produce that you can buy and they may be. But after using mine for a year or two I went ahead and removed the muffler material from all of them and it is scary how much stronger they are with very little increase in noise. Ever since I have bought them I notice that I now tend to grab the next size smaller air gun then I would usually grab when removing stubborn bolts, and I have not been disappointed by them yet! The next best air guns to my Nitrocat air guns that I keep for spares or to loan out are my Snap-on MG325 that is an amazing 3/8'' air gun for power, an IR 2135TI 1/2'' air gun that has been a very strong performer and an all around good air gun, a Snap-on MG725 1/2'' air gun that has been a good air gun but a disappointment to me when compared to my Nitrocat and IR air guns that I already have, and an IR 2141 3/4'' air gun that is a very strong and tough air gun for its weight. I keep several other air guns in various sizes from several different manufacturers but the ones I have already noted are my personal favorites and top performers. I would really like to hear everyone else's thoughts on what brands they like and why. I am sure this is one of those topics that can draw a lot of opinions and info that will be interesting to hear.

 

[chevota84]

A buddy of mine had a thundergun it had a lot of power but it was freaking loud! He eventually went to an aircat and liked it, mostly because of noise. I think he has the 2131q now.

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[DBarron]

MG725, first series of Snap-On guns that are worth a F*#>. Excellent gun and strong as an Ox, Mac has a new one coming out that is suppose to be even better than the MG725

 

[Ross]

Am a CP man my self ... Althou the best 3/4 I ever used was the I.R Ti jobby with the compound body.

All depends on the budget ... Av Always been issued with CP through the company ..

 

[akroadrunner]

Worked Oil Refineries for years doing turnarounds. Impacts were a daily thing. Ingersoll Rand was always the best. All the way up to the 2 1/2 inch monster we rattled the 6" nuts with. Hung that one off a crane, and still took 2 men to operate in most situations. One on each handle. You could hear the guys on the opposite shift using her when you drove by on the highway.

 

[tuney443]

Mechanic friend of mine just showed me his new Snap-on 1/2''.1150 lbs tq loosen power.Sounded different than any gun I've ever heard.

 

[tcsalvage]

had a nitrocat and gutted it twice and just gave it away in another forum. use a mg725 and like it because it works even in the cold not so with my ir's that are also nice guns but freeze up in the cold.

 

[backwoodsman]

1/2 drive impact gun

for $70.you can't go wrong with a harbor freight 1/2 drive earthquake gun-looks just like the thunder gun.