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electric impact

While I don't have any input on electric impacts if I had to use something other than an air impact I think I would choose a battery operated one for portability. I'm going to buy a Dewalt 18 volt at some point in the near future.
 
my boss has that one.. it's ok.. little bulky, not the most snot in the world, but it's certainly helpful...

I agree with Scott, I've had my cordless for about 12 yrs.. absolutely invaluable...

have you tried to run an air? they honestly don't take a ton of air imo.. as long as the unit puts out 90 lb's, they are only working hard for very short periods of time.. not like running an inline sander or blow gun...
 
maybe i should spring for this

http://www.amazon.com/Bare-Tool-Makita-BTW450Z-Torque-Battery/dp/B0014YVA1O

I already have the recip saw, drill, light, mini impact, charger and 2 batts. I just figured the corded would have more umph.


My compressor works but is tired. for example if i air up my tires it wont hold more than 40psi after the first tire and takes about 5 mins to fill to 100psi
 
I personally don't think a plug-in impact is worth much of an investment. I have yet to see one that can really be an "impact", but they are really fast convenient, and quiet for air ratchet-type applications. We've had a couple at work before from various brands. They've all seemed to perform similarly. The big complaint I have is that they're so damn big. They're heavy too, but the big problem is that they're frequently too big to fit in places where you need them.

I picked up the Harbor Freight one and used it for a week a couple months ago. I clipped a coupon out of a magazine and got it for $50. It worked really well for the price, and it handled lug nuts and the 165 ft-lb axle nuts on the IFS truck fronts (I put them on with a torque wrench and ran them on/off and tested a few times, it worked fine but I wouldn't expect a whole bunch more out of it). I wouldn't have hesitated to keep it, but a friend gave me a compressor so I bought a Nitrocat (which totally kicks ass), and I returned the HF one since I wouldn't need it anymore.

If I could afford a good cordless, it would probably be my most heavily used tool. It'd definitely take a load of my favorite 1/2" ratchet. I'd recommend a cordless since you won't outgrow it, but I know that's out of most of our budgets (mine included lol). Really, you can get a good IR impact new for ~$130 online, so I can't really recommend spending that much on an electric. If you found a plug-in electric for under like $80 though, I think that would be a good deal. Like I said, they're a really great tool, it's just that a pneumatic will blow its doors off for pretty much the same price.

I don't know what kind of compressor set up you've got, but you could always just add a portable air tank to it to help it out. I used to use a little 4 gal. $100 unit from Costco (oil-lubed, actually was a pretty good deal and it's small/light enough for the girlfriend to put in her car). If I plugged an 11 gal portable tank in to it, it would run my air hammer, impact, etc. without too much drama.

Wait, what happened to this?
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=289550
That should run an impact just fine. You might have to let it catch up a couple times if you're trying to run 32 lug nuts off and back on as fast as possible, but the compressor I have now is the same size tank and I can hammer the impact on full bore for probably 30 seconds before it gets below 80 and it kicks on. Even the HF Earthquake on that compressor will probably be a lot more useful than even a nicer plug in impact, and it will cost you about the same either way.
 
owenst7 said:
I personally don't think a plug-in impact is worth much of an investment. I have yet to see one that can really be an "impact", but they are really fast convenient, and quiet for air ratchet-type applications. We've had a couple at work before from various brands. They've all seemed to perform similarly. The big complaint I have is that they're so damn big. They're heavy too, but the big problem is that they're frequently too big to fit in places where you need them.

I picked up the Harbor Freight one and used it for a week a couple months ago. I clipped a coupon out of a magazine and got it for $50. It worked really well for the price, and it handled lug nuts and the 165 ft-lb axle nuts on the IFS truck fronts (I put them on with a torque wrench and ran them on/off and tested a few times, it worked fine but I wouldn't expect a whole bunch more out of it). I wouldn't have hesitated to keep it, but a friend gave me a compressor so I bought a Nitrocat (which totally kicks ass), and I returned the HF one since I wouldn't need it anymore.

If I could afford a good cordless, it would probably be my most heavily used tool. It'd definitely take a load of my favorite 1/2" ratchet. I'd recommend a cordless since you won't outgrow it, but I know that's out of most of our budgets (mine included lol). Really, you can get a good IR impact new for ~$130 online, so I can't really recommend spending that much on an electric. If you found a plug-in electric for under like $80 though, I think that would be a good deal. Like I said, they're a really great tool, it's just that a pneumatic will blow its doors off for pretty much the same price.

I don't know what kind of compressor set up you've got, but you could always just add a portable air tank to it to help it out. I used to use a little 4 gal. $100 unit from Costco (oil-lubed, actually was a pretty good deal and it's small/light enough for the girlfriend to put in her car). If I plugged an 11 gal portable tank in to it, it would run my air hammer, impact, etc. without too much drama.

Wait, what happened to this?
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=289550
That should run an impact just fine. You might have to let it catch up a couple times if you're trying to run 32 lug nuts off and back on as fast as possible, but the compressor I have now is the same size tank and I can hammer the impact on full bore for probably 30 seconds before it gets below 80 and it kicks on.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice.

Yeah i still have that compressor just wasnt sure if it had enough umph. Guess i figured an impact would take more than it could give.


Just did a test and it took just shy of 3mins to fill from 80psi to 100psi
 
NorCal_Chris said:
Thanks for the advice.

Yeah i still have that compressor just wasn't sure if it had enough umph. Guess i figured an impact would take more than it could give.
Click to expand...

Your motor/head combo there probably doesn't put out a whole lot more than my little compressor (the 4gal I was talking about), but obviously the tank is way bigger (which is more important anyway). And my little 4 gal. will run my Nitrocat just fine, I just can't force it and be in a hurry. It's still a hell of a lot faster than a ratchet and breaker bar lol. Honestly, my impact uses less air than most of my tools. I think it only uses about 4cfm @80psi when you hold it wide open. It's really not much more drain than airing up my 40s lol.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with electric impacts and they're way better than the more primitive alternatives. I just think for a shop, they'll always get set aside for even a poorly set up pneumatic.

One thing I really like the plug in ones for (and this is what we have them for at work) is for when they're going to be used remotely a lot and you can't depend on batteries to always be charged. The plug in ones can be left out in the cold and drug next door without moving a ton of heavy air hose, or they can be sent to the jobsite where there may not be a compressor nearby or hooked up yet.

I didn't realize you could get a good cordless that cheap. I might have to think about that, although I have a compressor on the trial rig so it's not really necessary I suppose.

If you get a pneumatic, getting the air to it is way more important than building the supply. A 1/4" hose will barely let even a strong 1/2" remove lug nuts. A 3/8" hose is pretty much a necessity. I am just using 1/4" automotive-style fittings, which are not helping, but I can still do axle yokes and stuff with that setup. I struggled with my 14 bolt crush sleeve though, but my local driveline shop says they use the 80 ton press for that because the 20 ton struggles.
 
based on my tank being 20g as you calculated earlier that amount of time to air from 80-100 puts my compressor at 1.21cfm :(
 
NorCal_Chris said:
based on my tank being 20g as you calculated earlier that amount of time to air from 80-100 puts my compressor at 1.21cfm :(
Click to expand...

I wouldn't let that stop you. That also sounds about right too, as mine is a 1hp 2 cylinder and it's stamped at 5.4cfm I think.

You should still be able to hammer on the trigger for the same ~30 seconds that I can before it even kicks on (my switch turns off at 120psi and the feed is regulated at about 90psi). I can pretty much run mine wide open with the pump running and it will hold around 75psi. You'll have to slow down when it kicks on, but it's not like your running pit at Nascar in your garage.

A decent impact will spin a lug nut on/off with pretty much just a bump of the trigger. The other night I specifically paid attention and I ran the 16 lugs back on my 14 bolt (working on it in the garage) and removed all 14 cover bolts and the compressor never even kicked on. So your tank's the same size, you should be able to do about the same depending on the efficiency of whatever gun you might be using.

If you really decided you wanted a little more out of that compressor, like I was saying, you could always run an extra tank. They're cheap, hell they even sell them at wal mart. My only 20 amp circuit is in the back of the garage (rental), and obviously the shortest hose possible is best for supplying the tool. I have been planning on running a hose across the ceiling to my 11 gal. portable tank next to the garage door. I'll run a 3-way on that tank and just plug my hose in there instead of at the compressor. I'll have 50% more capacity, and I'll have an extension that also acts as a buffer (kind of like a capacitor). Plus, having an aux tank is surprisingly useful at the junkyard (it will actually remove a couple 14 bolt yokes before it gets below 80 and too weak), and is great on the trail for seating beads and stuff, or taking to your buddy's apartment to plug his flat tire.

BTW, the IFS chevy 2x4s have really nice ~1" tall bumpstops for putting on the bottom of your compressor like I told you about before. I think before we used a shock bushing or something in the past because those were the only bumpstops I could find that didn't tip the crankcase way back. The 2x4 bumpstops had a little bolt molded in them that fit through a 3/8" hole and don't let the vibrations roll it around on the wheels like it will if you tip it too far back.
 
owenst7 said:
I wouldn't let that stop you. That also sounds about right too, as mine is a 1hp 2 cylinder and it's stamped at 5.4cfm I think.

You should still be able to hammer on the trigger for the same ~30 seconds that I can before it even kicks on (my switch turns off at 120psi and the feed is regulated at about 90psi). I can pretty much run mine wide open with the pump running and it will hold around 75psi. You'll have to slow down when it kicks on, but it's not like your running pit at Nascar in your garage.

A decent impact will spin a lug nut on/off with pretty much just a bump of the trigger. The other night I specifically paid attention and I ran the 16 lugs back on my 14 bolt (working on it in the garage) and removed all 14 cover bolts and the compressor never even kicked on. So your tank's the same size, you should be able to do about the same depending on the efficiency of whatever gun you might be using.

If you really decided you wanted a little more out of that compressor, like I was saying, you could always run an extra tank. They're cheap, hell they even sell them at wal mart. My only 20 amp circuit is in the back of the garage (rental), and obviously the shortest hose possible is best for supplying the tool. I have been planning on running a hose across the ceiling to my 11 gal. portable tank next to the garage door. I'll run a 3-way on that tank and just plug my hose in there instead of at the compressor. I'll have 50% more capacity, and I'll have an extension that also acts as a buffer (kind of like a capacitor). Plus, having an aux tank is surprisingly useful at the junkyard (it will actually remove a couple 14 bolt yokes before it gets below 80 and too weak), and is great on the trail for seating beads and stuff, or taking to your buddy's apartment to plug his flat tire.

BTW, the IFS chevy 2x4s have really nice ~1" tall bumpstops for putting on the bottom of your compressor like I told you about before. I think before we used a shock bushing or something in the past because those were the only bumpstops I could find that didn't tip the crankcase way back. The 2x4 bumpstops had a little bolt molded in them that fit through a 3/8" hole and don't let the vibrations roll it around on the wheels like it will if you tip it too far back.
Click to expand...


Well that sounds more promising. It makes sense to me to use air tools if you have a compressor. I guess i will just sack up and buy one and see what happens. I currently have 1/4 in line on my compressor so i will have to run up to 3/8.

I think i have a 20% of thing for HF i will have to go down and grab one of those earthquake 1/2 impacts.

Bad thing is my wife saw me browsing that electric impact and she went christmas shopping a few days ago and i think she may have grabbed it. So i guess i need to do some recon on that haha.


I will have to keep an eye out for some of those rubber bumpers. right now it is just sitting on that rubber mat but it would be nice to have it up and a little more mobile.

And thanks a ton everyone for the advice.
 
NorCal_Chris said:
Well that sounds more promising. It makes sense to me to use air tools if you have a compressor. I guess i will just sack up and buy one and see what happens. I currently have 1/4 in line on my compressor so i will have to run up to 3/8.

I think i have a 50% of thing for HF i will have to go down and grab one of those earthquake 1/2 impacts.

Bad thing is my wife saw me browsing that electric impact and she went christmas shopping a few days ago and i think she may have grabbed it. So i guess i need to do some recon on that haha.


I will have to keep an eye out for some of those rubber bumpers. right now it is just sitting on that rubber mat but it would be nice to have it up and a little more mobile.

And thanks a ton everyone for the advice.
Click to expand...

If I remember, I'll grab you a pair of those bumpers next time I'm at picknpull. They didn't even charge me for them and you live pretty close. We should try to run the Rubicon or Fordyce or something next season.

I've heard nothing but good things about that earthquake. It would be worth $40 just for a spare. I've heard it's loud though. If you have the money though, I'm all giddy about my Nitrocat. I can use it in the garage at night without waking up my girlfriend. It's really not any louder than my compressor.
http://www.amazon.com/NitroCat-1200-K-2-Inch-Composite-Mechanism/dp/B002Q8A98M
:D
 
I used the Dewalt one once and it seemed to have good power.

It was at a NASCAR tire chance competition, but a wayyyy different feel than air
 
I wonder if the electric ones just don't have as much rotating mass. The motor is already adding so much weight that the rotating assembly probably has to be lighter or people would just hate them. You could technically have the same momentum and impulse by increasing velocity, but I think in practice you'd have more apparent frictional losses and it would definitely "feel" different.

Anyone by chance sell/fix/design these things for a living? lol
 
I have an 18v cordless Dewalt impact. Seems to have plenty of power. Its big and bulky so I dont use it that often.

With the dewalt cordless tools just be sure they have the XRP batterys. The regular ones dont last long.
 
Question for you, I have the Dewalt 18 volt Li-ion drill and want to know if those batteries are compatible with all of the 18 volt listed tools, i've looked on Dewalts website and can't find any info about it. I know there are other 18 volt batteries that aren't Li-ion. Also is the XRP battery once again different than the Li-ion?
 
far as I know all Dewalt batteries will work with their tools. Just has to be the same voltage. also the Li-ion use a special charger.

They have the Xrp batteries in ni-cad and li-ion.
 
bronc3buster842001 said:
Says here the Li-ion is compatible with all Dewalt 18 volt tools.

http://www.dewalt.com/tools/cordless-batteries-dc9180c.aspx
Click to expand...

Have to be careful with that claim, sometimes companies don't take into account that guy that has a 6 year old cordless drill. I know our lithium batteries carry too much amps for the standard trigger and motor in a pre-lipo era gun.

Cordless is better than cord, and almost all the cordless ones now make 350 or better ftlbs of torque. Get one with 2 batteries, lipo or nicad or nimh, whatever, you will always need a 2nd battery at some point, and it's usually cheaper to buy the kit with 2 batteries, than to buy it with one battery and add another later. If you're doing lug nuts, use a deep socket rather than an extension and shallow socket because you lose torque with every connection you make.

Post up and show us what you get!
 
well found out my wife did buy me that crafstman for christmas. She let me use it last night. It pulled my lugs off no problem but it is GIANT and heavy. she didnt seem too thrilled about me taking it back and getting a regular Air impact. So we will see lol.
 
I got lucky and picked up an Ingersoll Rand IR8053 a couple years ago on eBay for super cheap. It kicks pretty good for an electric and is fine for probably 90% of general impact tasks. Mine was only 80 bucks so it was a good deal but I don't think it'd be worth the retail price of over $600 :eek1:. Put up against my 2135Ti it leaves a little to be desired but it definitely blows the cheaper corded electrics I've seen out of the water.

http://www.toolorbit.com/ingersoll-rand/ingersoll-rand-ir8053.html

That being said, if I ever saw another one of these at a pawn shop or something for under $100 I'd probably snag it.
 
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