Ok guys, i thought there was already a post about this but cant find it, if somebody else knows, please post it! i'm looking to get a 1/2 drive cordless impact and want to hear everybodies experience with them as to what brand what might be the best and has anybody switched over to air to strictly cordless for 3/8 and 1/2 drive applications? Im wondering if cordless is gonna be a lot more convienent as far as not dragging a hose up and down and all around or if its just gonna be underpowered. Also im needing one for those weekend jobs when i dont have any air. any input would be appreciated!
I have a ridgid 18 volt 1/2" drive that is very handy outside the shop especially, it does not have the power that an air operated one does but will do a lot.
Ingersoll Rand W7150, as powerful as any 1/2" air, just about 3/4" power
I know guys who carry one in the toy hauler for changing tires on their quads. If nothing else you can break things lose the old fashioned way then spin it apart with the cordless.
Milwaukee 18volt fuel. 700lbs tightening torque, 1100lbs nut busting torque. It's truly a great tool. It took the axle nut off my ram 3500 like nothin, normally Would of needed a 3/4" break over bar with a good long cheater. I was impressed. It has a variable speed trigger, and two operating ranges. 1 is slow and rated at 100lbs. 2 is high speed and high torque.
+1 on the ingersoll rand w7150 .......i do not drag out a air impact anymore .....its head n shoulders above anything else i have seen or used....great battery life also
I will second that comment!!! I wouldn't be without mine its been very handy & saves wear & tear on the hydroair compressor on the truck
+1 for the milwaukee. I purchased this set from my fastenal dealer and since they were more expensive than northern tool and they couldnt match them they had the milwaukee rep get me the 18V grease gun and 2 more of the big batteries. milwaukee also has a deal going on that if you bring in a cordless tool and 2 bateries you get $100 rebate but since the only cordless stuff i had at the time was already the M18 tools they took some pics and said it was good enough and let me do it twice. I will always buy stuff from a smaller or more reputable store before i buy online or from a big box store even if it cost more just because of service. Knock on wood it hasnt happened in the 2 years since i bought the stuff but they said they even have loaner cordless stuff if one of mine would go down http://www.fastenal.com/web/product...pcode=&filterByStore=&filterByVendingMachine= here is what northern tool had them listed as http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200576283_200576283 so with the free stuff thrown in i think i got a pretty good deal
Milwaukee cordless fuel 1/2,3/8 are excellent with 5 year warranty. I won't bother with my 1/2 inch air tools anymore. The cordless have more power and no hose to drag thru the oil. I run my compressor a lot less unless I need the 1 inch impact. I keep my charger plugged in and a few extra batteries on hand. The batteries last a long time too.
"Stormfront" 700 ft lbs? Milwaukee website says 210 ft lbs for the "M18 Fuel™ 1/2" Compact Impact Wrench Kit". Are you talking about a different tool? Edit: I'll be darn their "high torque" model has those specs.
Check these out Rob click on high torque impact wrenches http://www.milwaukeetool.com/system/m18-fuel
I have a 1/2" and a 3/8" Snap On, work great no problems in 10 years. I suggest 2 batteries each.
I could not get along without my 28 volt Milwaukee. If I use air anymore it's the 3/4" or 1" drives. I use it nearly everyday for over 5 years now. Spent $78.00 on it about a year ago getting a part in the hammer replaced. Had it back in 2 days from the local Milwaukee service center.
I have Milwaukee M18 with the lithium ion battery, it is not the fuel model. I run the 1/2" drive, puts out about 400 ft lbs, the 3\8 drive, 1\2 drill, 4 1\2 grinder and a LED light. They do not like water, used in the rain a few times and now hit and miss if they want to work, battery have crapped, have had to replace 2 already, and I find that oil and grease will make the rubber looking parts swell, I have cut most of the rubber stuff off, gets all slippery with a bit of oil anyways, and not like I'm not covered in oil most of the time . Not having a hose on the end can make for an interesting time trying to find where I left it on the machine LOL. I'm about 50 50 on if I would buy Milwaukee again. Have several friends that run the snapon doing the same thing I do and haven't had any problems at all. I would buy a snapon but our dealer went bust. So for now, they are all living in my garage, out of the elements and they only come out to play on the days when it is not raining which are few and far between where I live.
I believe miliwauke makes the snap on cordless impacts. So save some money and just buy 5 he Milwaukee ones. A couple guys I work with have bought the snap on cordless impacts and have no problems. They are just too proud of it for me to buy it. I'd really like a cordless impact and a cordless grease gun.
I had the same problem of the rubber swelling on my old Milwaukee brush type tools. The new fuel has a different rubber on the handle that isn't supposed to be affected by oil. The new ones are brushless too so they should last longer.
Did Milwaukee quit making the 28 volt cordless tools? I was just looking on line and the only 28 volt item I found was replacement batteries.
I have not use air since I got Milwaukee 18 & 12v great for doing cutting edges on the job site and a Milwaukee grinder always in the back of the ute ready to use.get one you will not regret it
here you go old iron. They did come out with a new series with the lithium batteries but that has been a few years ago now http://www.milwaukeetool.com/system/m28? The one thing i wish they made was a cordless die grinder to run carbide burrs or flap wheels etc
i run the series II snap on 18v impact gun. awesome tool. wouldn't be without it. would happily pay double the asking if it was more $$$. (thats how good it is) BUT I also have an IR 2161XP (3/4 DR) and IR 2130XP (1/2 DR) Air impact wrench in my box. I'd give another +1 on having at least a few batteries. I have the matching grease gun, torch, drill, impact wrench, and six batteries so have to be giving it some to run all six flat. I note that with hard work, (some, including my dealer may call it abuse!) it gets hot, then starts to hammer through the batteries.
I also had the "older" model. The power rating was way exaggerated. Supposed to be around 500 more like half that... on a good day. Then both battery cases cracked. Milwaukee warranty is 5 years from defects. Not five years use it wear it out and they will replace it LOL
I don't think so, all the Snap On ones I have seen are made in the USA where as that can't be said for anything cordless from Milwaukee
Have the Fuel M12 3/8" impact. Very handy. But the rubber deteriorated within a couple months
I think the snap on electric guns are the way to go. After the warranty expires you can send it in for repairs. I cost about 90 bucks but it does not matter what is wrong with it, flat rate. I dropped one of mine and it broke in half. That more than covered any extra I paid for it to begin with.
That's kinda funny , a guy from Milwaukee who doesn't like Milwaukee. Lol
Milwaukee Fuel M18 High torque or the IR W7150 are good impacts. Everyone I talk to who has brought one of the cordless impacts of that caliber has loved theirs. The Fuel 1/2 high torque is fairly new, the IR has been out for a while. Not only are they convenient on a day to day basis they are GREAT for junkyard pulling.
i have a Matco 1/2 inch and I love it!!! battery lasts about 3-4 days underground and I can do a whole lotta stuff on the miner without air and my handy cordless rattle gun!!!
They have good tools and a very wide selection. I just think the IR is a little smaller, lighter, and more powerful
Hands down the snap on half inch was the best one I have owned although my Dewalt still gets used every once in a while.
I also have a snap on 1/2" 18v impact, lots of power and the batteries last pretty long and charge back up pretty quick
I have a Snap-on 18v 1/2 inch impact and it is some of the best money I've ever spent on tools. Batteries last great and huge torque. I says 460ft/lb. If you work in particularly horrible conditions they do a cover for it to keep out the crap, but I've never found the need. Graham
What's the price on the snap on 18 volt 1/2 inch? I have 3 of the Milwaukee 1/2 inch so I'm never down if they need repairs. So far it's just been trigger switch problems on one of them. I can't imagine dragging a hose around anymore especially in the field.
I'm just waiting for them to come out with a 48volt 1" impact. Then you wouldn't even need a compressor on the truck besides the one that runs the brakes Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
I know I'm a bit late to the conversation, but my friend's dad owns a truck shop and his 3/8" and 1/2" Snap-On cordless guns are worth their weight in gold. They EASILY match a 1/2" air gun and I've never actually seen one run out of juice on a job. I don't work with them every day, but any time I've picked them up off the bench, they're ready to slam lug nuts off a pickup or bust off some caliper bolts. I'm not at the point where I am ready to replace all of my tools with Snap-On....but their 1/2" cordless impact gun is on my short list of purchases. It is one of the few tools that genuinely made me go "You've got to be kidding..." (in a good way).
I believe the 1/2 cordless impact is like $585. I'd like the cordless impact and the cordless grease gun, but I can't see spending almost a grand on those 2 tools. The impact seems alright, but I only spent $160 on my 1/2" air impact that has 725 ftlb working torque. Or I can get the air cat 1295ftlb gun for only $270, I could buy both of them for less than the one snap on cordless that has less torque than both. It just doesn't seem practical for me.
I think you have got it summed up. you're right, they are all strong money. and you're right everyones application is different. personally, I would happily pay more as I value it so much. I don't always have air but do always have batteries or the capacity to charge
If you're in the field the cordless will pay off in a year. No compressor running no truck running no dirty hoses to roll up and no frozen air lines.
Here in the UK they are about £500 including VAT with two batteries. A lot of money, but if you need a good one, worth it, in my opinion. Graham
ok, sounds like milwaukee or snap on either one are the way to go. it would be nice not having the truck running all the time and not having to mess with a filthy air hose.
After reading this I had fastanal bring the Milwaukee rep over to demo the 18 volt fuel. I was very impressed with the tool and the rep was not bad looking girl so I'm getting one . Check your fastanal dealer they are giving a deal plus $100 off if you trade a tool and a 3rd battery. About $400
Companies take note: cute girls make sales!! :falldownlaugh:
I have a 18v 1/2" makita at home and a 18v 1/2" fuel Milwaukee at the shop. The Mikita is a tank and has a ton of power. The Milwaukee is about half the size and weight and about half the power too. I do believe Milwaukee sells a larger unit and I bet it would be on par with my large Makita. IMO the small body Milwaukee should be more on the 3/8 scale impact.
I bought the M18 Fuel 1/4" and 1/2" impacts, the 1/2" is the 700/1100ft/lbs version. I haven't used it much yet, but it'll handle 1 1/8" lug nuts just fine. I'm aiming to get the grinder and grease gun to keep in the truck... Should prove to be handy assets. Both impacts came with chargers and two batteries, two additional batteries and two $100 Visa cards for $721 locally.
Dang, I know you boys all use more grunt on heavy equipment than I'm used to needing to work on DIY home improvement projects and the family cars/trucks. I bought into the Ryobi [laugh if you must] tool family awhile back and now my Makitas collect dust. I just picked up the cordless 1/4" impact gun [P234g] on eBay for $38 shipped. 1500 in-lb of torque and I can say it will readily remove frozen exhaust maniford bolts from a Case 530 with a drop of Gibbs Brand for lube without galling or snapping 'em off if you simply reverse direction several times, much like backing a tap or die off to break chips. The thing weighs a lot less than most others but it will drive literally hundreds of 3" screws on one charge. The big brother 1/2" Model 260 for $99 has 200 ft-lbs of torque and will definitely do all your passenger vehicle lug nut chores. It's no substitute for air, but if you're in the field somewhere , have a little lube and a bit of patience it's surprising what a less-than-$100 cordless can do, and if you drop it/run over it/lose it/get it stolen it's SO much less painful than a $500+ big name brand...and the batteries are both much cheaper than the Big Boys and easily self-rebuildable-
I own an older ryobi cordless drill and a brad nailer. I like em. let us know how your impact holds up.
Will do, Rob-used it again yesterday hanging doors, it drove [24] 3 1/2"#12 Torx-head screws into very dry fir 4x4's with only 1/2" deep pilot holes and never breathed hard once. This after using the same battery to drive at least 50 1 1/2" hex-head #10 self-drillers through 2 layers of 29ga galvanized and into wood. I'll try to check back here occasionally and let you know when [or IF] it decides to give up the ghost...
On the IR W7150, there two model numbers that and 231CW7150-K Are these the same?
Guess the other is comes with an air impact
I bought the Milwaukee 1/2 impact years ago, the 450ft lbs model. It has served well and has been very reliable in plus 40 and -30 temperatures. Its been dropped more than once. Tough impact. I agree to the other posts that the rubber does deteriorate and loosen around the grip. Some e tape fixed that. Mine has significantly lost power over time thru years of wear. I will eventually upgrade to the new more powerful fuel model. All my work is in the field, there is nothing better than just grabbing a socket set on a rail and an impact and start tearing down a machine. No compressor, no hose to deal with unless we get into 3/4 1 inch stuff. But more reapirs I do don't require such. Electric impact for me
I had the 450 ft/lb Milwaukee, it was great. Then, I got the high torque Fuel model, it is fantastic. It is like night and day between them. I only use an air impact when I need 1". My cordless 1/2" will outdo most air 3/4" ones. I also have a 4 1/2" grinder, 3/8 90 degree impact, 1/2" drill, grease gun, a vacuum cleaner, and a sawzall on my truck that all use the M18 batteries. They all work good, though the vacuum is a battery hog. The only air tools I still use often are my 1" impact, and my die grinder. The one tool I use on almost every job is an M12 3/8" ratchet, it only does 35 ft/lbs, but you can pull it by hand, too. It fits in tighter spots than most air ratchets, and it has no hose The new Lithium Ion batteries are far and away better than the old ni-cads, too. They will sit for weeks and still be fully charged, and the tool runs at full strength til the end of the charge.
I need to buy these tools also. The 1/2" will be the primarily used tool but I would also like to get the grinder, grease gun, 3/8 gun, ratchet, drill and lights. What's the opinions on the Dewalt units? I stop at my local napa dealer more than anywhere in my travel and that's what they are selling??? TIO
I have given up on my Milwaukee stuff. The 1/2 impact died a few years back, was replaced with the same model and it is a POS compared to the first one. NO power to speak of, I would be surprised if you got 200 out of it. Now my 3/8 is doing the exact same thing, pull the trigger and, well it might work. Or not. Took it apart (just like the 1/2 ") but could find nothing wrong. I still have the drill and the 4.5" angle grinder. The drill is just as good as when I bought it but the grinder just eats batteries. So the whole works have migrated back to my house.
Most of the guys I work with have gotten on the Milwaukee bandwagon and have had good luck with them. I've got the snap-on 18volt 1/2" impact and 1/2" drill which I've been very happy with. Knowing what I know now I would buy the Milwaukee. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I also have a Milwaukee 1/2 and 3/8 use them every day I have to say some of the best tools I have ever bought its nice to not have to run the truck for the compressor
I had the "old" M18 3/4" impact. Had half the power off a Harbor freight earthquake 1/2" air impact. Rubber molding fell off. Battery cases cracked. Also have the "old" (non fuel) drill. From the beginning the FWD/REV switch doesn't work right. Chuck is junk. It is pretty amazing these companies are selling things made so cheaply for so much But, on the other hand, my two favorite tools are the M12 dremel tool (carbide bur, cut off wheel, sanding wheel, etc) and the M18 3/8" impact. I have the 1/2" W7150 and the brake function on it is very useful especially with swivels
Wow! So let me get this straight, Milwaukee non fuel = junk, Milwaukee fuel = the best? They look to be the same unit but the fuel has a larger battery pack! Help before I make a bad mistake....TIO
That's my experience. I wouldn't say the new ones are the best. But they have really good power. The new Dewalt impacts are really nice... I'd look at them too
Back a number of years ago when I bought my 28 volt Milwaukee the "Total Tool" had a one day factory representitive sale in which if you bought a kit of any voltage you got a bare tool of the same voltage free. I bought a 28 volt 1/2" drill/driver kit. It came with two batteries, charger and case for $179.99 and 4 weeks later my bare Milwaukee 28 volt cordless impact driver came in the mail. Wish I could find a deal like that again. The Dewalt reps had the same deal at the same time at the same store. I have had my batteries rebuilt once by a local battery place that does them in house. They were $40.00 each about 5 years ago and still have more power than they did originally.
The m12 and m18 FUEL gear is awesome, never had an issue with any of it.
There are more differences, for instance the fuel stuff uses brushless motors. The biggest difference in the current versus a few years ago is the battery platform. The M18 Li-ion batteries are awesome. I have a Milwaukee V18 ni-cad 1/2" drill, the drill is great, but you better plan to charge the batteries just before you use it, (same for my 18 volt Alemite grease gun's ni-cads). It's still more drill than any of the cheaper ones the other guys have, but the M18 can sit for months with no loss. The high torque fuel 1/2 impact has great power. It will loosen a bolt my IR 261 3/4 tightened. My regular High torque M18 is strong, but not that strong. The regular M18 1/2" says 300 ft/lbs I think(never used one), the High-Torque M18 says 450 (I have one), and the M18 Fuel High torque says 750 tightening, 1100 loosening, (I have one, and I believe it), and the regular (not High Torque) fuel is about 450 (I think, never seen one). The 3/4 drives have about the same torque claims as the 1/2s :beatsme
I love my 18v fuel. Only problem is the reversing switch has given up again. The last time it did that they gave me a new tool.
I picked up a ryobi 1/2 inch and the new lithium batteries, we had a set of ryobi tools and the 1/2 inch impact works great on all the lug nut and wheel change jobs as well as other stuff, shocks and suspension stuff within reason. Super happy with it even having the air impact on hand the electric is just as quick.
Ok i made my decision. I went Dewalt for 2 reasons. 1) local napa dealer was having a "trade in" sale that can not be best anywhere 2) 1/2" impact has very impressive specs. What I have learned is xr = brushless and brushless is best. I got mostly 5 amp/hr batteries with these kits and that is the key to battery life. So now I have to set up a charge and store battery shelf in my service truck! Any suggestions on a heavy duty great quality inverter? What features should I look for? I'll add pics as I get this shelf built and I will update on how well the tools work....TIO
I have ir so I don't know about dewalt but if the batteries or charger are cold the will not charge so I just have a charger that plugs into the lighter in the cab of my service truck and charge them there
Stripped something out of my snap-on gun this week. Of course it's out of warranty. Wish I hadn't drank that kool-aid and bought the Milwaukee. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I keep the charger in the cab as well. Just have a 1000 watt inverter for that and the laptops.
I've got an inverter that looks like a soda can and fits in the cupholder. It works but is terribly slow and I'm convinced it doesn't give as good a charge as a regular 110 outlet. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I ended up getting the IR IQ V20 series like others have. Haven't put it to the test but it made short work of rotating the boss's tires.
For my 2 cents..............Milwaukee Fuel 1/2 gun is AWESOME!! More power than you'll likely ever need, I tried it for fun on some 7/8" bolts (thread size, 1 5/16" wrench size) on a D10 track frame and it backed out a few! Amazing. The only complaint I have with it is the direction switch is in an awkward spot and locks the trigger if you move it slightly which happens quite often. Also have a Milwaukee 3/8" impact and can't believe the power it has for a small gun. I'll be buying more Fuel tools and only wish these were around 20 years ago when I was in field service.
Verynice. I think the Dewalt has the nicest ergonomics. The power nowadays is a wash. IR was the first one with a real air tool equivalent, but now pick your color LOL
Well, the IR took a roller off a 120. That's a good sign.
Just had to swap steers around on the ford to the kenworth. One of the guys had his makita out but it just wasn't cutting it... it would get a couple but you had to sit on it for 30 seconds or so before it would get the first turn on the nut. So I grabbed my milwaukee and a 9 amp batt and had ten nuts off the F8000 before he got the second one on the kenworth. Got all done and still had three full bars on the battery I do plan on getting one of the bigger milwaukee fuel guns but haven't ordered one yet.... soon though
I have the Mil. rated for 1200 lbs torque. So far fits biggest challenge was the lug nuts on my F-350, 175lbs. Dang thing would only get half a rattle and nut was loose. Might sneak over to my neighbor's skidder, should be a better challenge somewhere on it. Someone asks why I bought such a brute, simple answer, Because I wanted it!!
I have been kicking the idea around of buying a mil. impact like to hear more about them good -bad - ugly
I'm hearing the new 1" Fuel will replace a 1" air impact.
really was just looking at prices did not see a 1" listed
Yeah, they have 1's and 3/4's on the list but I don't know if they're out for public consumption yet. I guess they are out.... CPO says in stock https://www.cpomilwaukee.com/milwau...e-key--tool-only-/miln2867-20,default,pd.html PS. I personally wouldn't buy from them for various reasons but I usually check them for stock and other numbers.
I had the snap on 1/2” gun, 1/4” screw gun, flashlight, Lincoln grease gun, etc. had troubles with each of them. Traded the whole pile in on Milwaukee fuel and never looked back. It’s all been great. Only mistake I made was buying some extra knock off batteries from eBay. They will charge in the Milwaukee charger if I put them in just right but don’t last very long so I try to just use them in the flashlight.
Yeah, the knockoff batts are worthless, not only do they not last as long but you can't get as much power out of them on any tool that needs more amps... but I guess a flashlight would be ok.
Mid torque M18 does almost everything I ask of it since I had it fixed under warranty. It was bad out of the box and gutless for the first two years I had it, so it lived in the toolbox while I always used the big 1/2 Fuel. Now that it's working right the big one lives in my pickup and the IR air almost never comes out. Only use I've found for the knockoff batteries is the body. Broken the tabs that hold the body together off most of my M12 batteries, melted them together with a soldering iron but eventually they break again. Moved the guts into a knockoff case and works great. Knockoff batteries went into the HF Braun light and work like **** (just like the dead HF battery).
One thing I've wondered about the sparky impacts was the weight of the batteries and the things being out of balance. I wonder about their resistance to weather and all the oil and grease I've been in over the years. I've got a Craftsman 20 volt I use for sheet metal but when it comes to diving into the center of a big wheel loader or stripping out valve sections on an excavator I always go back to the air tools.
I'm sure water isn't that great for them you can actually see right into the fuel batteries through the air vents they have... directly to exposed metal! technically you could jab wires into there and get some real hot wires fast and some smoke to go with it!!!
Went ahead and got a 3/4 inch milwaukee for now... might still get the 1" later.... I'll try this out tomorrow if I get a chance on my old international SA dump (ex. day&night sawdust truck) wheels haven't been off in a good 15-20 years
At the very least that thing will probably rip the studs right off
I don't know... the last time I went to pull a rear off the same truck I was a lot younger and was jumping on a 6 foot breaker bar!!! ended up breaking the 1" drive extension never did get the wheel off
Talking to the owner of the local Napa store this morning, Carlyle is suppose to be coming out with there 60 volt impact rated at 1500 lbs torque.
The Milwaukee should have about that torque rating. My 18V Fuel 1/2 is 1200 ft.lbs take off.
The 2863 1/2" milwaukee is 1400 takeoff 1000 regular this 2864 3/4 I just got is 1500 off and 1200 regular.... kinda why I wanted to just get the 1 inch and have 1800/1500 but it'll have to wait a couple months....
I can not say enough good things about 1/2" Milwaukee impacts. We have used them for years in the worst sandy, muddy, wet conditions putting together pressure pipe megalugs mostly. As long as you don't fully submerge the gun they keep on trucking, they usually last about 2 years before the anvil breaks. Just replace the broken piece and keep rolling. We find they are best balanced with the 5 amp hour batteries and last quite a while. I have the 3/4" as well paired with a 12 amp hour battery. I changed the rails(chains) on a 56k lbs excavator using only this impact with great results. The battery life would do one track before needing to be recharged (approximately 208 track bolts). These impacts are the best tools in my toolbox
I was debating buying one just for home use, was looking at it on Amazon, little window opens message is: "sign up for our Credit card and take $90.00 OFF! That was a deal maker.
Tried out the new 2864 3/4 drive... works pretty good Took about 20 seconds to break 5 of em loose but that was on setting #4 which might be programmed less than #3 I'll have to see how it goes on something I am actually working on... And yes.... there is a 3/4 to 1" adapter on the milwaukee.... I don't have much in the way of 3/4 drive stuff gots tons of 1/2 and several tons of 1" drive though
If it's like our 1/2" Fuel, setting 4 gives you max torque for removal, but I've only used it on right-hand thread, and it will slow down after the nut comes loose. I have never tried it on left-hand threaded fasteners.
Yeah that wheel was lefthanded, it's just marked different then all my other milwaukee tools that's why I didn't realize that the 4 was the 'auto' mode.
I’m 51, been on the fence a long time on cordless tools. Finally bought my first Milwaukee impact, after using for about six months or so it wasn’t long before I dropped close to a couple thousand on more cordless Milwaukee tools. They are nice. I chose Milwaukee for the five year warranty on the tool, two year on batteries. I hardly ever use air compressor anymore, unless it’s to blow stuff off.
During the latter years of the body shop operation I mostly went to cordless screwdrivers and drills for reassembly of parts on wrecks. Seldom used air impacts or air ratchets but those batteries are quite short lived when you use them a lot. I have a spot welder to weld tabs onto replacement cells so rebuilt my own battery packs often better than the originals. However, I've worn out a lot of DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Bosch over the years but that is with a lot of use. A body shop still runs on air so it was in no way not used for tools. Never had a cordless tool that would remove semi truck wheels but my 1"CP wrench sure will.....
Yes, I can see the battery packs being the weak link. I have two 9.0s that are questionable. Again I’ve only have had my tools now for a year or so. Im in field service for a aggregate co. Never have had a problem with one, except a refurbished 4 1/2 grinder I bought thinking I’d save some money. Unboxed it and stuck a wheel on, turned it by hand, uh,? this doesn’t feel right. Long story short the rotor was rubbing the stator in one area. I should have sent it back, but ended up shimming up the stator to run true to the rotor and is working just fine. So beware of refurbished tools.
I have the big Milwaukee M18 fuel in 1/2" drive, I found out the hard way that it will strip threads on 7/8" axle u bolts. But the 1/2" drive beats the hell out of the square drive on sockets. Time to move up to the 3/4" version and maybe the 1" beast too. I'm looking forward to not having to drag a big hose around.
I've only played with that 3/4" a couple times since I got it but so far it seems pretty good and not really much heavier than the 1/2" but you can feel the extra torque Maybe santa will get me the 1" for Christmas.... so far I like the milwaukees... I liked my dewalt 18's the best for reliability batts were the weakest link but as long as you had a few good ones things got done!!!
I hear you about the power, and the wear on anvils & sockets. I know one thing, the rattle to them as their working, my ears do not like. Especially in certain situations, unlike my air powered tools. No problem, I’ll stick some plugs in.
If Santa brings you a 1” please give a report back to us all about it.
I’ve had our 1/2 Milwaukee snap off new 5/8 plow bolts. They were not Cat brand however
No doubt they will. Technology on the cordless tools & batteries have come a long way. In my opinion, their worth buying now, then they were when cordless first came out.
Another problem I have with them is charging the batteries. Do you pull them out of the truck every night for charging? What do you do when you pull the tool out of the truck and the batteries are dead? What do you do when the battery goes dead in the middle of the job? How many extra batteries do you carry? Can you put something on the truck for charging them while you are driving?
We have an inverter in the cab and a six pack charger. Probably ten batteries in total The LED flashlights are in continuous use. Like anything else you just have to get in the habit of putting things in their place when you are done.
I have quite a few batts for my milwaukee stuff... around a dozen or two used to keep 4-5 for the dewalts(but only had 4 tools). If I only had the impact I'd probably just have two batts, but since I use the milwaukees for grinding,cutting,sawing,driving,drilling,chipping,etc... I might have 6-7 different tools out at once and I want them all to have a battery in them ready to go One of the biggest improvements in the batts is the idea to put a 'fuel gauge' on them... at the end of the day it takes me literally 10 seconds to check the batts and pull the ones that need charging out of the truck! They do make 12V chargers for them also and we've had them for the cordless grease guns in the past.
Doesn't leaving the batteries out in cold drain them or shorten their life, or am I just talking gibberish?
I haven’t seen a noticeable difference when leaving them in the cold
Extreme colds/hots will make a difference... no matter what the sales brochure says Used my 1/2" this morning for a little job had to pull the wheel on the kingquad so I could R7R the starter easier. Simple job...right... of course one of the wheel nuts rounded over so I had to hammer a 1/2inch socket on it for 'reflatting' that's why it's still in the socket But first I had to do a bit of grinding behind the airbox so's I didn't have to remove half the body panels to get it out.
I’d have to add too, that I haven’t noticed much either. They do way better than my Enpak Miller power unit on my truck, it really doesn’t like the extreme cold at all. Also would like to share, about inverters. My brother had picked one up, added to his Toyota and had issues powering his Dewalt battery charger. Come to find out his inverter puts out a square wave that the circuitry of the charger doesn’t like, and was told to go with a true sine wave inverter.
One last question then, a battery is a consumable item. Do any employers pay for replacements on them?
Some might.... don't really know??? I like to buy my own tools even when the boss wants to buy tools(usually buys the wrong stuff anyhow) I don't think of the batts as consumables... or at least no more consumable than the tool itself I think the days of tools lasting for 20-40-60 years when taken care of is long gone... unfortunately
Very good question John, so far knock on wood, I haven’t lost a battery yet. I’ll probably have one take a dump, as soon as I hit the send button after saying this statement.
I should be doing the brakes on the front drivers for the KW tomorrow unless plans change, so hopefully I remember to take pics and notes Plan on using the 3/4 milwaukee... I might have the 1/2 sitting there to spin one or two just to compare the feel...
Of course it had to rain Oh well.... the show must go on!!!! Took less than a minute to zip the outer nuts off probably not quite as fast as my 1inch inline pneumatic gun but still not too bad for a bettery powerd gun either Pretty much the same for the inner wheel... bout' a minute. One thing I did discover is this 3/4 gun eats batts faster... I started with a 9amp batt(I think it was fully charged??? it showed 4 bars) when I started putting the wheel back on I got the inner on and the gun quit checked the batts fuel gauge and empty!!! Now there is a chance I grabbed a 9amp batt that had some use on it from the other day and still showed full... but even so when I used the 1/2 impact it still had 3 bars on a 9amp after R&Ring four tires....
Another battery impact convert here. I bought a 1/2" M18 impact earlier this year and love it. It is more powerful than my old I/R and C/P air 1/2" air impacts, much faster, and I don't have to wait for the compressor to refill again to get full power. Saves a lot of time changing wheels on our one ton trucks. No going back. I also bought the M18 4 1/2" grinder for use away from the shop. Well worth it.
Be careful Snow Farmer, you'll end up dropping a couple thousand before you know it, like I and many others. LOL! I just wonder what took them so long to come up with tools to cater more towards the mechanical world. Seems like in the begining it was more for the carpentry industry. My m12 stubby 3/8 & m12 ratchets are awesome.
They started in the space industry and worked out from there.
Worked for nascar too.
Pulled off another set of wheels today in between other work... Go the first 9 nuts off and the last one wouldn't budge!!! sat on it for 20-30 seconds!!! so put two adjacent nuts back on and held em' down for a bit then went back to the stuck one for another 30 seconds!!! went back n forth a bit was just about to go grab something a bit more serious and tried it once more for 20 seconds and it finally started to move!!!! success So started pulling the inner wheel off got two studs off and the impact quits...... 9 amp batt which I pulled right off the charger this morning was depleted so popped in another one and went on about my nut removal process got to the fourth one and it wouldn't budge... tried a few others got some off but there were four that just wouldn't move... anyways long story short I went through both 9 amp batts just pulling one set of wheels off, I'm not sure who put these on or how much torque they used but the 3/4 milwaukee was a bit under powered on this set!!! And the hammer area gets hot enough to burn your forearm if you let it hammer away for a while