Not really OT since most of us have need for an impact fairly often. Anyway...

Purchased on Ebay brand new in the case for $95. It is electric (not cordless), and is listed as having 240lbft of torque both forward and reverse.

First test was axle nuts... TAP TAP ZIP... Off in less than 5 seconds each.
Then some well weathered rear suspension bolts... TAP TAP ZIP... no problem.
Rusted exhaust nut... childs play.

The downside is the size of this puppy. It's not small. You won't be getting into any tight spaces with it. Its also pretty damned heavy.
But it gets the job done with little to no effort. Given that I have wasted an entire afternoon before trying to get an axel nut loose with a breaker bar (and never was successful), this was a fine purchase IMO.

Note: there are several more on ebay right now in the early bidding phases. Price ranges greatly. List price brand new at Home Depot is $179.

 

Awesome Deal!!!

I am always jealous when Mike Whitney busts open his Snap-on cordless. Bastard has all the cool toys....

 

I have the same wrench, 1/2" electric. I've removed axle nuts and susp. bolts but I have had one axle nut that still required a breaker bar and I have yet to remove a crank pulley bolt with it. Although, I think banging on them with the dewalt helped to loosen them. I now have a garage so a compressor and 600lb/ft wrench are in my future. The dewalt is still a good tool, worth the money. If there are power outlets at your favorite track it's portable enough to take along.

 

I've seen the makita cordless impact driver. I must say, I was very impressed with it. I think it's only like 12 or 14 volts also! Then again, it was about $345, I think.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Purchased on Ebay brand new in the case for $95. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I paid double that.

I have the same one and the only thing it wouldn't do was my crank pulley bolt. I soaked it & rattled on it for days with no luck. Try the six 19mm bolts at the rear (pivot point) of the front lower control arms. That's the reason I bought mine in the first place and it rattled 'em right off.

 

Since removing the entire suspension from one Civic and installing it in another is my current project, the impact was a no-brainer.
I can already tell it's going to be a real knuckle saver.

 

i honestly have never had a bolt that a breaker bar and a cheater bar couldnt take out in less time to even plug in an electric wrench.

except the crank pulley bolt, but 3 garages couldnt get it off with their pneumatic impect wrenches anyway, and it ended up taking the right holder with of course a proper breaker bar to take it off.

my best buy was a $100 snap on impact wrench for the lugnuts. only goes up to 50 ft-lbs, but thats all thats needed before i need the torque wrench.

 

You've been lucky (or I've been unlucky).

I had an axle nut on the integra that wouldn't come off using a breaker bar with a 4 foot lead pipe extension and my 225lb *** jumping on it. I loaded up the car and took it to the shop where an impact had it off in a matter of seconds.
I'm OK with not going through that again.

Scott, who has to disassemble a Civic with 12 year old suspension bolts, and hates the smell of liquid wrench.

 

Oh, come on, I've got a 90, and just crack the suspension bolts then unscrew them by hand. There's reasons to buy socal cars and that is definately one of them. My 68 442 and 68 cutlass were the same way. Shopping for a VW fastback to ship back to the rustbelt for my dad now.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You've been lucky (or I've been unlucky).

I had an axle nut on the integra that wouldn't come off using a breaker bar with a 4 foot lead pipe extension and my 225lb *** jumping on it. I loaded up the car and took it to the shop where an impact had it off in a matter of seconds.
I'm OK with not going through that again.

Scott, who has to disassemble a Civic with 12 year old suspension bolts, and hates the smell of liquid wrench.</TD></TR></TABLE>

My brother estimates that it took about 540-600 lb-ft (90-100 lbs of force on the end of a 6 foot long wrench) to get the axle nuts off my 89 CRX...as I took the easy job of keeping the brakes locked up. I don't know if you'd be able to apply that torque with most impact wrenches.

 

Scott, not to ***** your thread, but I figured I'd ask here rather than starting a new thread somewhere.

I've been looking at cordless impacts for a while now. Anyone have experience with this one?

"SEARS 1/2 CORDLESS IMPACT WRENCH"

click here

Thanks!

 

2nd hijack in ths thread: I also saw a $25 12-volt cig lighter one in Walmart, made by some cheapass Taiwanese company. Anyone try that one?

 

I bought mine from harbor freight. Their Chicago line of tools. Its a 19.2V and packs a punch. The only drawback is the trigger, which is "on/off" trigger rather then a variable speed, but it still rocks for lugnuts. It was $149 and I haggled the guy there down to $99 for it. I just looked for it on the webpage and I couldn't find it, maybe they discontinued it, so I would check your local Harbor Freight.

-Tom

 

That $25 Walmart one it decent for wheel changing. A buddy of mine has that and loves it! Can hardly beat it for the price.

 

Interesting it worked so well.. I have a cheaper one from Canadian Tire (Motomaster; bah, no-name). All it takes off with ease is lug nuts. I've tried it on suspension bolts - it might help loosen them up, but when we did the suspension on my brother's civic, it took a breaker bar and a lot of force to get those off. Those bolts basically laughed at the electric wrench.

I'm getting a air compressor, it's not that much money, and they work so much better. (425-450 ft/lbs on a cheapie impact gun)

 

I just picked up a used professional series Campbell Hausfeld impact, not electrical, with 425 ft/lbs. It really blows away the freebie impact I got with my compressor when I picked it up

impacts are worth every penny if you use them enough

 

Harbor Freight impact: http://www.harborfreight.com/c...46701

 

Thanks for the link bluegsr, I just order the harbor fleight cordless with 2 years warrany for 19 buck extra.