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donaldray · 09-24-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

We really need a tool forum. Every time I get enough money saved up and come back to forum to find that great tool someone posted on one of these forums, I can never find it.

Hammerhead · 09-24-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

I second this, what a great resource idea!

Old Driver · 09-25-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

What do you guys recommend for a electric 1/2 drive gun? I've seen the Milwaukee but not sure if it's as good and powerful as it claims.

arch stanton · 09-25-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

I am using a 3/8 Dewalt 18 volt about 200 ft lbs i think the Milwaukee is about the same and the torque is about the same 3/8 or 1/2 so i got the 3/8 as the sockets are smaller and make the gun easier to get in tight spots they are much handier than air tools should have bought one sooner

Rig Wrench · 09-25-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

I have the snap on 3/8 and 1/2. If I were to do it again, I'd probly go dewalt. I think it has more power, and is cheaper. Dewalt is good stuff, as well as it can be serviced at multiple different vendors.

Rawze · 09-25-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

(09-25-2016 )arch stanton Wrote: I am using a 3/8 Dewalt 18 volt about 200 ft lbs i think the Milwaukee is about the same and the torque is about the same 3/8 or 1/2 so i got the 3/8 as the sockets are smaller and make the gun easier to get in tight spots they are much handier than air tools should have bought one sooner

* Anything much above about 130 ft-lbs will snap a 3/8 drive. A lot of cheaper 3/8 drive sockets will not even hold up to 80-90 ft lbs.

* The Dewalt 18v is advertized at 125 ft-lbs.

I have the newest 20v Dewalt 3/8 drive impact and the 1/2 20v drive impact. With a fresh battery, the 3/8 is about 2/3 the strength of what you can do before snapping a 3/8 extension or bolt that is too rusty to remove. It certainly is not strong enough for removing anything tighter than about 70-80 ft lbs of torque, but it brags it has 130 ft-lbs. It is decent, and nice to work with overall, but it is no kind of nut-buster. It will not break loose the 18mm bolts (torqued to 75 ft-lbs) that mount the turbo on its own most of the time, and will also not break the 15mm bolts loose on the rocker shafts in the head that are roughly 105-110 ft-lbs torque at all.

The 1/2" 20v I have is advertised at 700 ft-lbs and 1,200 ft-lbs nut-busting torque. It is not a weakling by any means, and is a LOT stronger than the 3/8 version. It is impressive, but it certainly does not do as well as people might think on large bolts. The thing will break loose the axle nuts when set at 215 ft-lbs, but will not break loose the lug nuts on my truck that I torqued to 480 ft-lbs when I tested it. It would not break loose the head bolts (close to 500 ft-lbs), nor the main bearing bolts (close to 500 ft-lbs). The anvil in it just is not quite big enough for that kind of heavy-duty torture I don't think.

The Milwalkie is rated just under the 20v Dewalt at 1,100 ft-lbs torque. A lot of people swear by that gun, but I would think it is going to be very close to the Dewalt in what it can do, I don't own one so I would not know for sure.

Either case, a 1/2 cordless is not going to get you through a complete tire change on the side of the road if that is what someone is thinking. If your lucky, you may get a few bolts broke loose,.. but you will still need a torque wrench to put everything back properly.

I do not trust impact tools at all for tightening something. You can have a good feel for how tight the impact is getting things and still, i can go behind it with an actual torque wrench and find a very large variance of under-and over torqued bolts. They just aren't reliable, I don't care how good you are with one. Tightening something by hand is way more reliable, even if you don't use a torque wrench compared to an impact gun.

Cordless impact guns are a great tool for speeding up your work and making it easier but they are no replacement whatsoever to hand tools and using a proper torque wrench. They are great for breaking smaller/medium bolts loose and taking things apart. They are also great for assembling things fast, but have to be followed up with an actual wrench or torque wrench almost all the time if you don't want something falling apart later. That is unless your willing to over-torque shi#t out of things with it because your lazy. I hate lazy-asse mechanics who don't torque shi#t properly and use an impact for everything. It is that same mentality that makes them take other shortcut methods and bad practices.

When it comes to cordless, even the 1/2" models are nowhere near what a good air-tool can do that has a larger anvil in it. That is just my own take and observations on them, Maybe others have a different experience.

Hammerhead · 09-25-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

(09-25-2016 )Rawze Wrote: Either case, the 1/2 is not going to get you through a complete tire change on the side of the road if that is what someone is thinking. If your lucky, you may get a few bolts broke loose,.. but you will still need a torque wrench to put everything back properly.

One of the guys I work with has the 3/4" Snap-On and it's the same thing, it will die before you can crack all the lug nuts. Since we also propey torque our wheels, he uses the torque wrench to "break" the lug nuts free, then uses the electric impact to R&R the lug nuts, then torque to 500ft/lbs.

(09-25-2016 )Rawze Wrote: I do not trust impact tools at all for tightening something. You can have a good feel for how tight the impact is getting things and still, i can go behind it with an actual torque wrench and find a very large variance of under-and over torqued bolts. They just aren't reliable, I don't care how good you are with one. Tightening something by hand is way more reliable, even if you don't use a torque wrench compared to an impact gun.

That is just my own take and observations on them, Maybe others have a different experience.

I couldn't agree more! If you tighten a series of bolts with an impact and they click torque, if you used a dial torque wrench to verify you would see that the bolts range from over-torqued to way ####ing over-torqued, and everywhere in between. Hand finishing all bolts and nuts of relevance is the only way to go for me.

Waterloo · 09-25-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

(09-25-2016 )Bahdan Wrote: What do you guys recommend for a electric 1/2 drive gun? I've seen the Milwaukee but not sure if it's as good and powerful as it claims.

I went to install my new shocks in the driveway, I could not bust those things lose to save my life, nor could I get a breaker bar in to loosen a few of the bolts... So, I ran it up to my local TA Truck Stop... The kid in there had one of these Milwaukee high torque guns, I believe he paid around $600 for it. I want to say it was the 1/2" version, but I am not 100% sure. Anyways, it made quick work out of those shock bolts. I watched him run around the truck and knock them off in under a 1/2 an hour, they charged me $50. The gun he had worked, and he said he could knock a wheel off in no time with it too, he liked to take it on road service calls. I want one.

Just found this baby!

DEWALT DCF899HP2 20V MAX XR Brushless High Torque 1/2" Impact Wrench Kit with Hog Ring Anvil
https://amzn.to/2GTbC3i

I like my Dewalt tools, have had incredible luck with them over the years. I think I will be getting this one...

donaldray · 09-25-2016, **(Subject: Tools )**

(09-24-2016 )Hammerhead Wrote: I second this, what a great resource idea!

Well, I am going to donate some money to the "Old Grouch" with paypal here in a few minutes. Maybe that'll get his undivided attention. Actually, he has save me lots of money. What little I donate will never compensate for what I have gotten off of this board but it is much appreciated.