For anyone who's ever had to free a rusted or over tightened nut and/or bolt, you will definitely understand what I'm about to tell you. Nuts and/or bolts can be really difficult to tighten or loosen if you're working in a confined space or they're in hard to reach places, which takes up a lot of time. People all over the globe face numerous problems when working with nut and bolt fixings, including jobs taking too long, broken tools and injuries to the hands. Despite having access to special tools and equipment and a wealth of experience, even fitters and mechanics frequently struggle with nut and bolts.
The solution? The most important element of loosening or tightening a fixing is the force applied by the tool and therefore by the user. The nut or bolt can't be released or fully tightened unless the applied force is adequate. Additionally, it can be extremely slow to release and remove a fixing, even for an experienced mechanic, if it is located in a confined space. Similarly, the time taken up by repetitive jobs, like removing and refitting vehicle wheels, can really add up over the course of a day and eat into your profit margin or your family's patience.
Using an impact wrench solves both these problems. It can apply a much higher force than a human would be able to, even with the help of a long lever, and it's much faster at fitting and removing fixings making it particularly useful in hard to reach areas. So, if you can relate to what I said earlier, you'll want to read on.
How does an impact wrench work?
An impact wrench is used to aid the tightening and loosening of nuts and bolts by reducing the effort required by the user and increasing the speed at which fixings can be tightened or loosened. Of the many types available to buy, all of them basically work in the same way.
Essentially, they apply a rotational force (or torque) in short bursts (or impacts). There are 3 different types, which are powered by mains electric, air or battery (cordless).
Because the force is applied in short bursts, the user is able to apply a much larger torque to the fixing than they would using a regular wrench; sometimes with only one hand. This greatly reduces the effort required by the user, which results in less fatigue and fewer injuries or strains. Especially in the case of a professional user, the time to complete a job can be reduced greatly, meaning more work can be done in the same time making the business more profitable.
But which type is best for my needs?
The 3 types of impact wrench, battery, electric and air, all have their own advantages compared with the others. Air impact wrenches have long been used by race and professional mechanics to tighten and loosen various nuts and bolts to save time, energy and money. Depending on the model, air tools are powerful, fast and robust making them ideal for use in a professional environment. Setting up to use air tools can be expensive though as they require a compressor, airline, fittings and regular maintenance, so they aren't suitable for occasional use at home. And, as they're attached to the compressed air supply by an airline, it can be difficult to move them around a workspace.
Corded electric impact wrenches are also powerful and fast (again, depending on the model) but are less robust than the equivalent air tool. They too are attached by a cord making it difficult to move them around a workspace and, of course, they cannot be used in the absence of a mains electricity supply. However, they can be less expensive than air or cordless impact wrenches, making them an attractive choice for home use.
Cordless, or battery, impact wrenches have recently become much more popular with mechanics and home users alike. Higher voltage units generally out perform lower voltage units and some models are now performing as well as, or better than, an equivalent air tool. Moving around your garage or workshop, or accessing fixings in confined locations has never been easier than with a cordless impact wrench. However, one point to consider is the weight of the battery packs, especially with less expensive units, as it can lead to operator fatigue.
Air impact wrenches are currently the preferred option for mechanics but, as battery technology improves, it is likely that most of them will change to cordless to benefit from the additional flexibility.
Ok, but how do I choose a particular model?
Now it's time to take what I've shared here and read through our best selling impact wrench reviews to find the model that meets your exact requirements. We only review the most popular units to save you having to trawl through hundreds of reviews; it's time consuming and can be rather confusing.
You'll find that we use terms like 'large' or 'medium' with respect to the size of fittings that the impact wrench can loosen or tighten. These terms are used as a guide to the capacity of the tool so, when in doubt, always go for the larger capacity. It's very difficult to specify the exact size of fitting because it is a function of the torque rather than the size and is greatly affected by the condition of the fixing. For example, a rusted fixing would need much more torque to release it than a new one. Another tip for selecting the right size of impact wrench is to consider what size of sockets you would normally use with a 3/8" or 1/2" drive. When reading the reviews, you will also come across other considerations like comfort and design, which are usually quite self-explanatory.
The solution? The most important element of loosening or tightening a fixing is the force applied by the tool and therefore by the user. The nut or bolt can't be released or fully tightened unless the applied force is adequate. Additionally, it can be extremely slow to release and remove a fixing, even for an experienced mechanic, if it is located in a confined space. Similarly, the time taken up by repetitive jobs, like removing and refitting vehicle wheels, can really add up over the course of a day and eat into your profit margin or your family's patience.
Using an impact wrench solves both these problems. It can apply a much higher force than a human would be able to, even with the help of a long lever, and it's much faster at fitting and removing fixings making it particularly useful in hard to reach areas. So, if you can relate to what I said earlier, you'll want to read on.
How does an impact wrench work?
An impact wrench is used to aid the tightening and loosening of nuts and bolts by reducing the effort required by the user and increasing the speed at which fixings can be tightened or loosened. Of the many types available to buy, all of them basically work in the same way.
Essentially, they apply a rotational force (or torque) in short bursts (or impacts). There are 3 different types, which are powered by mains electric, air or battery (cordless).
Because the force is applied in short bursts, the user is able to apply a much larger torque to the fixing than they would using a regular wrench; sometimes with only one hand. This greatly reduces the effort required by the user, which results in less fatigue and fewer injuries or strains. Especially in the case of a professional user, the time to complete a job can be reduced greatly, meaning more work can be done in the same time making the business more profitable.
But which type is best for my needs?
The 3 types of impact wrench, battery, electric and air, all have their own advantages compared with the others. Air impact wrenches have long been used by race and professional mechanics to tighten and loosen various nuts and bolts to save time, energy and money. Depending on the model, air tools are powerful, fast and robust making them ideal for use in a professional environment. Setting up to use air tools can be expensive though as they require a compressor, airline, fittings and regular maintenance, so they aren't suitable for occasional use at home. And, as they're attached to the compressed air supply by an airline, it can be difficult to move them around a workspace.
Corded electric impact wrenches are also powerful and fast (again, depending on the model) but are less robust than the equivalent air tool. They too are attached by a cord making it difficult to move them around a workspace and, of course, they cannot be used in the absence of a mains electricity supply. However, they can be less expensive than air or cordless impact wrenches, making them an attractive choice for home use.
Cordless, or battery, impact wrenches have recently become much more popular with mechanics and home users alike. Higher voltage units generally out perform lower voltage units and some models are now performing as well as, or better than, an equivalent air tool. Moving around your garage or workshop, or accessing fixings in confined locations has never been easier than with a cordless impact wrench. However, one point to consider is the weight of the battery packs, especially with less expensive units, as it can lead to operator fatigue.
Air impact wrenches are currently the preferred option for mechanics but, as battery technology improves, it is likely that most of them will change to cordless to benefit from the additional flexibility.
Ok, but how do I choose a particular model?
Now it's time to take what I've shared here and read through our best selling impact wrench reviews to find the model that meets your exact requirements. We only review the most popular units to save you having to trawl through hundreds of reviews; it's time consuming and can be rather confusing.
You'll find that we use terms like 'large' or 'medium' with respect to the size of fittings that the impact wrench can loosen or tighten. These terms are used as a guide to the capacity of the tool so, when in doubt, always go for the larger capacity. It's very difficult to specify the exact size of fitting because it is a function of the torque rather than the size and is greatly affected by the condition of the fixing. For example, a rusted fixing would need much more torque to release it than a new one. Another tip for selecting the right size of impact wrench is to consider what size of sockets you would normally use with a 3/8" or 1/2" drive. When reading the reviews, you will also come across other considerations like comfort and design, which are usually quite self-explanatory.