Need something for the garage AND work. 99% of my career doesn't require a sh!t ton of torque, but when it does my elbow needs ass busting torque. SWMBO just ok'd up to 400$.
I was trying to find something on amazon, useless website. Everything is 1/4". Must be 1/2" drive.
I've recently picked up a Milwaukee M18 on sale for $200 (they're usually $350 or so). Let me see if I can find the link.
If the M18 can't remove it, it's not coming off!
Crap:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-1-2-in-Cordless-High-Torque-Impact-Wrench-with-Friction-Ring-Kit-and-2-Batteries-2663-22P/301113124
Looks like you're out of luck.
In the garage, it should do the heavy bolts of my 8.8 axle, and it needs to be able to bust loose all 18 lug nuts (gonna let you think that one out). At work it needs to crank loose many simple, not crazy tight bolts. All this to save my left elbow, which probably should get checked out
I just bought the Snap-On 14.4 L-Ion impact a month ago.
Best damn gun I've ever bought. Yeah, it was close to $500.00 but I don't drag an air line around anymore.
Fits in tighter spaces than my IR air gun ever dreamed of.
Money well spent if you ask me.
I use a m18 Milwaukee 3/8 drive for almost everything. I bought mine on sale from amazon. I then picked up m12 ratchets in 1/4 and 3/8 from cpo outlets on sale. All said and done I was about 500$ poorer.
18 lugs huh... one end has 5 lug and 4 on the other....
I was looking for a 1/2" cordless impact and already had a couple of other tools (and a charger) in the Makita LXT 18V ecosystem. I snagged this last week on FleaBay (seller was "bishoptools", no affiliation) for $199 with free shipping. Another $109 landed me two extra 18V 4.0a batteries, and I'm seriously considering a spare charger for $45, or the dual charger for $82. That package (even with the dual charger) would stay under SWMBO's budget, and the initial test run at the pick-n-pull has made me a believer. This thing is a monster - 1,180 ft/lbs of breakway torque means you will either remove the rustiest and crustiest bolts, or break them quickly so you can move along to the next contender. 
I'll admit to being a bit of a Makita fanboi, but I really like this thing.
![Makita] (https://cdn.makitatools.com/apps/cms/img/xwt/9b2a2d7f-cea4-4ac6-af2d-0d25742e8790_xwt08z_p_1500px.png?height=800&trim.threshold=1})
Don't get a DeWalt, I have one of their 18V and it has no torque. Maybe 75 pounds on or off. A friend has a Milwaukee that he swears by, about $400 but worth the money in the long run. Buy whatever tool you decide from a reputable tool place and you may get a slightly better quality tool than big box/online purchase. It will likely be a little more expensive but it will last longer. Cheap tools that you really use never last
Just after I bought my POS crapsmens unit 8 years ago now Consumer Reports did an article on them and the Kawasaki came out on top. Now thats old for tools but maybe they've redone it? I've got other Kawsaki tools and drill bits they are nice (none are cordless)
I have a bosch brushless one. It'll remove rusty lugnuts. it's 99% for work then it goes to the track with me. Absolute best part hands down is that it's 1/2" drive AND 1/4" hex.
imgon wrote: Don't get a DeWalt, I have one of their 18V and it has no torque. Maybe 75 pounds on or off. A friend has a Milwaukee that he swears by, about $400 but worth the money in the long run. Buy whatever tool you decide from a reputable tool place and you may get a slightly better quality tool than big box/online purchase. It will likely be a little more expensive but it will last longer. Cheap tools that you really use never last
the 20v is MUCH better.
I like my Lowes Kobalt 24V impact. Was amazing after using the cheap Goodyear ones that Pepboys sell.
I keep coming back to the Milwaukee m18 fuel or the makita (both sound like names for machine guns)
I've been getting crapsman 19.3v stuff as Christmas/birthday gifts for a few years now. My old 1/2" impact is okay. The only thing I don't like about it is that, probably since it was designed before lithium-ion batteries were a thing, it seems to overheat and stop randomly when one is used. Other than that, nice power, and it can R and I 4 tires at the track no problem.
Skip the cheapo HF one. It works but it's far from great.
I have a DeWalt cordless drill I got from LowesDepot. It's terrible and broke under very light duty. I wouldn't recommend any DeWalt product based on that experience.
mad_machine wrote:imgon wrote: Don't get a DeWalt, I have one of their 18V and it has no torque. Maybe 75 pounds on or off.the 20v is MUCH better.
Agree! I got the DCF899 with a 4 amp/hour battery and have had no problems with anything I used it on, including a couple bolts that I know were torqued to 150 ft/lb when installed. Also changed wheels on both cars and had ~1/2 the battery left.
I have the Milwaukee M18 fuel high torque impact and it's an absolute beast (1100 ft-lb of torque) but it's a bit bulky and heavy for doing suspension or other work in confined areas.
I just ordered the M18 fuel mid torque impact which is much more compact and offers 600 ft-lb which I expect will serve my needs 99% of the time.
Anyone tried this one yet? I've heard tons of great reviews about the air powered, and it's $100 less than the Milwaukee. I just really not sure about harbor freight lithium batteries.(not concerned about catching fire, that's a good paying lawsuit, concerned about battery life which turns tools to hammers)
I was going to get the rigid one because I already have a bunch of batteries, but it's only rated to 350ftlbs, the same as my air one, and I know that's not strong enough for lugnuts let alone anything rusted on or really stuck.
I have the Craftsman C3 and I love it.
In reply to RevRico:
I don't know if I buy that ad. They are also running a similar format one comparing their generator to a Honda. Not so sure they are in the same league as SnapOn or Honda with respect to performance or longevity.
RevRico said: I was going to get the rigid one because I already have a bunch of batteries, but it's only rated to 350ftlbs, the same as my air one, and I know that's not strong enough for lugnuts let alone anything rusted on or really stuck.
I have the Rigid impact and there hasn't been a bolt that is has failed to take off for me yet, I know it isn't a match for the Milwaukee but don't discount it if you already have the batteries. Lug nuts are easy, suspension bolts and even the dreaded harmonic balancer nut on the front of a BMW M30 (340ft-lbs spec, first time removed in 30 years, I think the heavy 36 mm socket helped) weren't a problem.
Adam
For 99% of my stuff I use a cheap Ryobi impact, when it fails I use a corded HF unit, I'm probably not doing as heavy stuff as some folks, but it's not light work either. Ymmv!
einy wrote: In reply to RevRico: I don't know if I buy that ad. They are also running a similar format one comparing their generator to a Honda. Not so sure they are in the same league as SnapOn or Honda with respect to performance or longevity.
As a general rule, I ignore comparison tests if they're put on by a seller. Cars, tools, beer, whatever it is, because whoever is doing the selling wants me to buy their stuff. Just looking at the spec sheet for it, and knowing that the 2 year replacement is around 50 bucks has me thinking.
280+tax for 20V, 4ah Li-on, with 1200lbs of torque and a 2 year no questions asked warranty is pretty nice.
Compared to Ridgid, 140+ tax, Lifetime warranty, but a 4ah battery is an extra $100ish if I want more than use time my 1.5 and 2ah can provide, and only 350 ft lbs.
Adam said: I have the Rigid impact and there hasn't been a bolt that is has failed to take off for me yet, I know it isn't a match for the Milwaukee but don't discount it if you already have the batteries. Lug nuts are easy, suspension bolts and even the dreaded harmonic balancer nut on the front of a BMW M30 (340ft-lbs spec, first time removed in 30 years, I think the heavy 36 mm socket helped) weren't a problem.
This is good to know. I think why it seems so low on my air tool is the tiny little 4 gallon tank I have, but even full I have trouble breaking lugnuts loose and wind up with a 4 way anyway. I do like rigids grips, the demo unit feels good at the store, and the price is pretty alluring, but I haven't actually used one out in the wild yet.
I was gonna start a thread like this in the next month, so it's good timing.
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