Buying a great cordless impact wrench? Here I will be groing through 3 great choices. The Hitachi WR18DL, the DeWALT DW059K-2 and the Milwaukee 2662-22. I'm not sure what your financial allowance it for buying a new impact wrench, but I really do desire to caution you that with cordless impact wrenches, you receive everything you purchase! If you purchase a good one from the start, it'll be with you for quite a while, in which a cheap one will rapidly take the trash!
The first, and most expensive cordless impact wrench could be the Hitachi WR18DL at $259.99. The standard specs from the manufacturer are:
- 1/2" drive
- 1,950 in-lb torque (or 162.5 ft-lb)
- 2,600 RPM without any load
- 3.5 lbs (shipping weight is 12.2 lbs with wrench, 2 batteries, charger and carrying case)
- Hitachi HXP lithium ion batteries
This can be a pretty lightweight impact wrench, 3 lbs and 4 lbs lighter compared to other wrenches which were tested.
With that said, it's also got minimal level of torque, and it struggled a little with the lug nuts on a friend's F-150 (I did see analysis someone saying that on a totally charged battery they got 710 in-lbs, or 59 ft-lbs).
It comes with a funny little work light, but it really works surprisingly well if you learn yourself employed in a black place!
The lithium ion battery is very good too.
Overall this is a great quality, light cordless impact wrench, and as long as you don't need to torque down anything a lot more than 80-100 ft-lbs, this is actually the torque wrench for the smaller tasks.
The following impact wrench could be the DeWALT DW059K-2, choosing $232.25. Here are the specs:
- 1/2" drive
- 3,600 in-lb torque (300 ft-lb)
- 1,650 RPM without any load
- 7.55 lbs (15.4 lbs shipping weight with wrench, 2 batteries, charger and carrying case)
This wrench is an intensify in power (300 ft-lbs), and has plenty of for working on cars and light trucks.
The battery life is great, and can last a complete weekend out at the track, but they're Ni-Cad batteries (which accounts for this being the heaviest impact wrench in this article)
This can be a quality wrench. The downsides worth mentioning are that there's no variable torque, no electric brake, and it's a little heavy, but there's no mistaking the fact that is a well developed, quality tool.
The last impact wrench could be the 2662-22 from Milwaukee, choosing $320.00. Here are the specs:
- 1/2" drive
- 450 ft-lb torque
- 1,900 RPM without any load
- 6.7 lbs (shipping weight is 13.9 lbs with wrench, 2 batteries, charger and carrying case)
One of many things that is included with this wrench is just a "pin retent", which will be more or less a rounded pin that's there to keep your sockets from falling off. It works, and it keeps your sockets on there, but it's a bit of a pain if you have to alter sockets frequently.
The 450 ft-lbs of torque spec seems reliable, and it's removed bolts which were tightened right down to 330 ft-lbs and 375 ft-lbs.
The lithium ion battery held its charge, and there's variable speed/torque which will be nice.
Here is the high power wrench of the bunch.
Overall, the most crucial thing about buying an impact wrench is obtaining the torque you need. If you're looking for a great wrench for anyone smaller tasks, the Hitachi WR18DL is a great choice. If you will need a lot of torque, the 2662-22 from Milwaukee would be a great addition. And if you're searching for mid range power, with enough to work with the cars but not overkill, DeWALT's DW059K-2 is a great choice, that'll last you an extended time.
DIY Car Repair - Understanding Torque Values
Sometimes when torquing a fastener, whether it is a lover or a bolt, it is vital to accomplish an amount of accuracy. If you are attempting to fix your vehicle yourself there are some basic techniques that can save you both time and, in the future, money. By understanding and applying some basic car repair techniques the typical average person will probably increase their chance at performing an effective car repair.
Car repair tools are something to think about - they could either provide a remedy or, if used improperly, or in case of Torque related tools, if not used at all, could make the vehicle problem worse. May very well not realize it but you could already own torque related tools. Have you ever wondered why the 10mm wrench is shorter than the usual 14mm wrench? Why does the ¼" drive ratchet typically only have sockets up to about 15mm? There is a great reason for both. If you are using a 10mm wrench to tighten down a 10mm fastener, and aren't over "torquing", you are likely to get the correct torque. If you used a wrench that is doubly long to complete a similar thing your chances of over torquing, breaking or compromising the fastener are vastly increased. Utilizing a ¼" drive ratchet to tighten a 10mm fastener is a lot safer than using a ½" drive ratchet to tighten exactly the same 10mm fastener. This can be a simple matter of understanding the forces of leverage and torque, the longer the tool the more leverage you receive and the easier the torque is applied. As a principle, use a ¼" drive ratchet to tighten fasters if the bits are available. In most cases there is no reason to use a larger ratchet to tighten the fasteners below 15mm.
There's another car repair tool that'll allow you to get the correct torque each time; provided the tool works properly. It's the torque wrench. What does a mechanic have that you don't? Well, for the most part, experience. Gaining a sense for how tight a bolt needs to be could be the first faltering step to getting the correct torque. That is simple to apply, and it is easily gauged with a torque wrench. You can find certain instances that using a torque wrench is incredibly important. Rotating parts is one of them. You don't want a spinning part to loosen the nuts or bolts that hold it in place. So torque your axle nuts and flywheel bolts. Anytime there is a gasket or a lover or bolt that is a "Torque to Yield" it is vital to have out that torque wrench to make sure proper installation and operation.
Make sure you replace a the bolt or nut if it is recommended with a Car repair manual. The reason being that bolt or nut needs to be, and has been, torqued to yield. Which means the fastener is obviously getting stretched to it's proper torque. It also means that after that particular bolt/nut is removed you won't manage to reassemble using that previously torqued bolt and achieve exactly the same required torque that assures both fit and function. Now whenever we are talking torque, let's consider some other factors. When the vehicle repair manual says to oil the bolt before torquing they're further modifying the way that bolt gets torqued. The friction is reduced from the addition of the oil and which means that more force is now being placed on the bolt for that set torque value. Now let's think about a dry bolt at exactly the same torque - it is not going to have turned enough to complete what the manufacturer meant to do at that torque. What is worse is if you have a number of dirt, rust or any contaminants on the threads. So now that there's a number of dirt on the threads, you are increasing the friction and ultimately under-torquing your bolt. Do that on a new hub bearing assembly and you are likely to have a separated wheel bearing that has an excessive amount of play.
To get a better knowledge of the importance of following torquing guidelines let's consider a situation like replacing a gasket that holds oil or coolant - a good example is just a valve cover gasket; the factory wants you to use 10 foot pounds of torque to "most" valve cover gaskets. What are the results if you over-torque? You squish the gasket an excessive amount of and that produces the possibility of oil to flee, this compromises the gasket and the mandatory seal.
Listed here are a couple of charts to provide you with a concept of the relative torque values that are typically placed on different sizes of bolts. They are guidelines only and this information hasn't been verified.
Bolt Assembly Torque (ft-lb)
Values are on the basis of the usage of lubricated threads
bolt size Grade 8.8 Grade 10 Aluminum
M6 5 10 4
M7 9 14 7
M8 17 25 14
M10 33 50 25
M12 60 85 40
M14 90 133 65
M16 140 200 100
M18 200 285 135
The above chart is for lubricated threads and only provides typical torque values - This chart is not to be followed for almost any torque to yield bolts or nuts and doesn't provide proper torque values for a bolt or nut that is holding a gasket surface. Gaskets are made of different materials and the manual pertaining to the actual application is the sole source that ought to be found in determining the correct torque for these gaskets.
Note: size: 10mm doesn't make reference to the bolt head it describes the diameter of the shaft. Typical 10mm bolts have a 13mm or 14mm heads.
The following chart shows slightly different torque values, and is not based on lubricated threads. M8x1.25 can be an 8mm diameter with a 1.25 thread pitch - the lower the number the finer the threads.
Hex head Cap Screw
bolt size Grade 8.8
M4 x 0.7 1.65
M5 x 0.8 4.13
M6 x 1.0 7.1
M7 x 1.0 12.0
M8 x 1.0 18.0
M8 x 1.25 17.0
M10 x 1.0 39.0
M10 x 1.25 36.0
M10 x 1.5 34.0
M12 x 1.25 65.0
M12 x 1.5 63.0
M12 x 1.75 59.0
M14 x 1.5 102.0
M14 x 2 94.0
Anther consideration is that proven fact that torque specification depends upon the sort of material used - 8.8 grade steel is the most typical, but metal fasteners are a tougher alternative, whereas, aluminum is a smoother metal and will require a different torque. Check always the manufacture's manual for proper torque specs. No chart that is provided in this document has been validated for accuracy. Most factory service manuals will show a torque specification chart simply based off how big is fastener, however this would only be referred to if the particular torque application is not provided.
After scanning this you ought to feel a bit more confident and a bit more worried. Continue steadily to do your research and accept the vehicle repair jobs within your means. Ultimately, it is the experience that is required and some failures may be great learning experience so practice first and take your time.
