Harbor Freight 1/2" electric impact wrench....?

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I have one, eh, it's ok I guess. Definitely not as strong as it's rated.

My brother and I rotated the tires on his jeep and used it to tighten the lug nuts last week. We checked the lug nuts later and they weren't very tight.


The lug nuts need to be final tightened with a torque wrench, not any kind of impact. You do not want lug nuts under or over tightened.

 

[stephen9666]

I don't have the HF one, but I have a corded Makita.

They're big and heavy, but they're good for quickly zipping off lug nuts, which is 90% of what I've used mine for.

I've used it also for suspension parts, but they're so bulky that there are lots of things it can't get to for size reasons.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I have one, eh, it's ok I guess. Definitely not as strong as it's rated.

My brother and I rotated the tires on his jeep and used it to tighten the lug nuts last week. We checked the lug nuts later and they weren't very tight.


The lug nuts need to be final tightened with a torque wrench, not any kind of impact. You do not want lug nuts under or over tightened.



I know, but this thing is supposed to be 230 ft lbs, and it cant even do 80 ft lbs for lug nuts.

And it isn't the extension cord I had it on, I use that plug and extension cord all the time with the welder, plenty of juice.

 

[Vikas]

Some batch of HF must have been better because mine could not even take off lug nuts unless they were torqued freshly. The heavy unbalanced gun with no proportional speed control or brake felt ery crude. Once you handle a decent one, you would hate the HFT one. With coupon, I had paid about $25 and I did not feel like I got my monies worth.

Come up with your budget for an impact wrench. If it is $30, just don't get any.

 

[bchannell]

I too, have had one for quite a while, and love it. I got it on sale for $39, and it will zip off lug nuts and suspension parts with authority, never misses a beat. My neighbor borrowed it and didn't know to hand thread lug nuts on first, before zipping them in and using a torque wrench. He suck the nut in the socket and went to zip it on and cross threaded it. I know one thing, the thing is powerful enough to cross thread a lug nut with no regard whatsoever for the threads!!!!

 

[sciphi]

I used one on a suspension rebuild many moons ago. It worked, if it did need some extra time on stuck bolts.

Good for passenger car lugs, not so good for much else due to the size.

 

[SOHCman]

Not bad at all, especially for the price.

Avoid extension cords if you can, but if you must work out in the driveway or something, a 50Ft 10 gauge heavy duty extension cord will help these still make maximum power, since you lose power over distance with small gauge wires.

I have a Craftsman 8Amp one as well, and it seems a bit more powerful.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04

What would be other options? Someone sold a used DeWalt here on this site, but missed out on it.

I'd sell you my IR 8049 for 100$ + actual shipping
Its in excellent condition.

I switched to air tools and cordless.
(love my retractable flex-zilla air hose)

http://www.drillspot.com/products/73470/Ingersoll-Rand_8049_Heavy_Duty_Impact_Wrench

Was used for tire rotations on personal vehicles for a 4 years or so.

 

[mr_boring]

I bought one last week. I tested it on a lug on my Escape. First one I hit the trigger on - well - I have to out a new stud in that hole. It spun the other 4 off no problemo. Yesterday, I pulled the blades off my mower. I was shocked at how quick in spun those rusted up fasteners off. Maybe 3 seconds of the hammers beating on each one. Heavy, ugly, cheap, and will only get used twice a year.

 

[Rand]

No way should it break a stud. was it ever crossthreaded or way overtightened?

 

[thescreensavers]

I have one it cant break free lug nuts that are torqued over ~80ft/lb so its pretty much useless and its annoying to use since you need an extension cord and its physical size is huge.

I don't use it any more since I bought my cordless Milwaukee with 1000 ft/lb

But I use my impact frequently for infrequent use, if the tool works for them its worth it since the coupon makes it cheap.

 

[ryanschillinger]

Mine works awesome for what it is. Busted all the lugnuts off anything I've tried. Even over tightened ones thanks to a tire shop. We used it on flywheel bolts and other stuff too. Only reason I might be selling mine is because I finally got a decent compressor that should be able to run an impact without much trouble.

 

[WillsYoda]

I have the red HF 1/2 inch impact, and it has worked great for the last three years.

 

[Doc8404]

I have the older orange one, has worked great.

 

[RMBC73]

Just this evening i used it to remove the axle nut off a '99 (rusty) Wrangler set at 175 ftlbs from the factory. Piece of cake! Worth every penny.

 

[ryanschillinger]

Used it just now to swap pulleys on my new alternator. Worked quickly.

 

[Traction]

When it comes to real power in any tool, it always comes down to $$$

 

[mr_boring]

Doubt it was crossthreaded, but it probably had a defect. Don't know how tight it was.