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Originally posted by Scott in NCal:

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Originally posted by armored:
For very occasional use at home I would look no further than Harbor Freight air tools.
I recently bought a HF Bauer corded impact with about 1100# of break away torque on sale now for $69.

I have one of those, ot is great

I have a harbor freight 1/2" impact wrench. It's good for what it is, but it certainly doesn't put out the torque that it says on the box it came in.

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I have a harbor freight 1/2" impact wrench. It's good for what it is, but it certainly doesn't put out the torque that it says on the box it came in.

This. The cheap HF guns also require a LOT more air to run. I have a pretty weak compressor (had to go with 110V unit since I don't have 220 in my garage, and it would be a major undertaking to add it), so going with a higher quality impact (I have an Ingersol Rand) makes a huge difference. HF unit with similar torque ratings wouldn't budge lug nuts on my truck...the IR hooked up to the same compressor zips them right off.

Aircat 1150 here. I don't use it every day - or even every week - but have never had any fastener I couldn't remove. Great tool; think I paid about $150 for it 3 years ago.

All the rest of my pneumatics are IR, are 20+ years old and remain in great shape.

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Picture of Oz_Shadow

posted Dec 1, 11:08 PM Hide Post
Make sure you have larger ID hose and fittings. Makes a difference.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sounds like you have enough compressor capacity.
Craftsman air tools are and have always been second rate with the demand they put on suppliers in price point.

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Originally posted by Russ59:

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Originally posted by Beancooker:

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Originally posted by Russ59:
Thanks all. Think the Aircat checks all the boxes.

Suggestions for sockets? Metric and SAE.

6/8 recommend the Ingersol Rand, and you choose differently?
Why did you even ask us?

The IR231 has a max torque rating of 650 and my current wrench is 400#. Im afraid that I need to aim for >800#. IR in that range are well over $300.

Check out my first post. IR with 1300lb/ft torque. $229

Beancooker, I failed to see that link. Yes, that IR seems to fit the bill as well and is now under consideration. Thanks!

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Originally posted by 92fstech:

quote:

I have a harbor freight 1/2" impact wrench. It's good for what it is, but it certainly doesn't put out the torque that it says on the box it came in.

This. The cheap HF guns also require a LOT more air to run.

I've seen this reported before. And ISTR that when I was looking into one or another air tool, the HF models of whatever I was looking at all required much more air than brands such as IR.

Caveat: I've only a small Craftsman 8 ga. air compressor and my only pneumatic impact driver is a small Campbell Hausfeld butterfly impact driver I use for blade changes on our big mower--mainly for convenience.

Home Depot has the Milwaukee cordless on sale this month (some are half price today). I’ve got one of theirs I picked up half price last year and it pumps out 1500 foot pounds of torque. Plenty for what I do.

Two words: Ingersol Rand.
When I worked in a shop (high school & for a bit after college), that was all anyone used.

Chicago Pneumatic is Harbor Freight, with everything that goes with it.

IR just works.

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Originally posted by Russ59:
Beancooker, I failed to see that link. Yes, that IR seems to fit the bill as well and is now under consideration. Thanks!

I suspect that tool will outlast your garage Usually get a nice reverse bias on IR tools too so more torque for unscrewing. You also get the rated power out of an IR where many other cheaper tools do not.

I used air powered IR and CRAFTSMAN. In 2018 I switched to a battery powered MILWAUKEE 'Fuel' 1/2". I'll never go back. It is the friction ring style, the Lithium Ion battery lasts for days of use with no cord or hose to trip over.

If you already have MILWAUKEE 'Fuel' 18v tools, the batteries are interchangeable. In fact you can buy the tool w/o a battery for about $155. The link below is what I purchased but MILWAUKEE offers different models with various torques (scroll down).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All 18V Cordless over here. Haven't used an air impact in over 10 years. I HATE using air tools when a good cordless gets the job done.

The IR2135 Ti I had was great most of the time, but wouldn't quite break loose a couple of Honda crankshaft pulley bolts, which is why I replaced it with the Aircat, which does. (Yes, that's right. Some of them really are that tight.) I have since gone to a Milwaukee Fuel 18V, but the OP was asking for air.

 
I have an IR231, and it was a godsend when rebuilding the FJ-40, mostly for breaking loose stuck stuff, like the crankshaft pulley or the pinion nut. I have gradually moved away from using the pneumatic impact gun for anything else, especially installing stuff, because it's too easy to over-torque.

For removing (lug nuts, for example), I use a breaker bar just to loosen them, and then my Bosch cordless impact screwdriver, with the necessary adapters, to spin the nuts off. Same thing in reverse to install, do all the spinning with the cordless, and even if you go on and "torque" the nut, it will be under the recommended torque value. Then use a real torque wrench for the final torque setting. Sure, the air gun is quicker to remove stuff, but not much, when all you're doing is spinning something.

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Originally posted by slosig:
Two words: Ingersol Rand.
When I worked in a shop (high school & for a bit after college), that was all anyone used.

Chicago Pneumatic is Harbor Freight, with everything that goes with it.

IR just works.

No, Chicago ELECTRIC is Harbor Freight's house brand.
Chicago Pneumatic is totally different.