My air compressor died and I was faced with buying a new one ( larger than I had, 2 stage, mostly to power a 3/4" impact that I use on my Motorhome ( mostly lug nuts at 500#) and any other task I may ask of it.
To upgrade to a larger compressor I would need to run a 220v line and find a permanent location for the compressor.
I would also lose any chance of the compressor being mobile.

I decided that I would buy a simple, decent compressor that would fill my immediate needs and then give it to my son when I was ready to buy and install the bigger unit.
I started to re-think my needs, maybe instead of buying a bigger compressor that can't be moved I would be happy with a cordless battery powered 1/2" impact. The ratings on these indicate that they would hang in there with my 3/4" air impact. It would also be easy to transport.

I have always avoided ALL cordless tools, thinking in my old mind that cords and hoses are ultimately the better choice.

What are the better brands and models of the cordless units?
Are they TRULY as powerful as they claim?

I have the DeWalt 1/2" brushless. Holy crap! That thing is very impressive. I doubt you are going to do better unless you are into an industrial grade air impact with a huge compressor to power it.

I've had Makita (waaaaay back, 9.6v stuff), DeWalt (somewhat newer, 14.4v) and Milwaukee (18v).

They were all good for what they were at the time and the 18v Milwaukee stuff is still serving me well.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I have always avoided ALL cordless tools, thinking in my old mind that cords and hoses are ultimately the better choice.

What are the better brands and models of the cordless units?
Are they TRULY as powerful as they claim?

Battery powered tools have come a long way, my friend.

I don't think you can go wrong with either the DeWalt 20v or Milwaukee 18v series.

Settle on one, IMO, as you're buying the battery system so you can expand your collection. The batteries are lighter, stronger, cheaper and have more endurance than the old NiCd powered tools from years ago.

I have the Milwaukee 18v set for myself. I do not have a 1/2" impact as I do not have much need for one. I do have a 1/4" impact which I use quite frequently and it has never let me down. I have been tempted multiple times to get the 1/2" impact, though.

I'm confident you won't be disappointed with the performance of DeWalt, Milwaukee or Makita. It seems that DeWalt and Milwaukee offer more tools than Makita, though. Home Depot is constantly running sales on combo sets.

The highest-end current generation 18/20V cordless tools can actually beat the performance of corded tools because the batteries can supply so much current that the total electrical power the battery supplies is more than a 120V/15A AC circuit can supply.

Of course, you still have to charge them, and the batteries do eventually wear out, and the batteries add weight, so corded tools do still have some advantages.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL Impact and call it a day.

I just bought a Rigid combo pack with a regular drill and an impact, two lithium batteries, brushless, 18v etc.. I think the batteries have a three year warranty.. the tools are supposedly lifetime. I was fairly impressed.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I have always avoided ALL cordless tools, thinking in my old mind that cords and hoses are ultimately the better choice.

What are the better brands and models of the cordless units?
Are they TRULY as powerful as they claim?

Battery powered tools have come a long way, my friend.

I don't think you can go wrong with either the DeWalt 20v or Milwaukee 18v series.

Settle on one, IMO, as you're buying the battery system so you can expand your collection. The batteries are lighter, stronger, cheaper and have more endurance than the old NiCd powered tools from years ago.

I have the Milwaukee 18v set for myself. I do not have a 1/2" impact as I do not have much need for one. I do have a 1/4" impact which I use quite frequently and it has never let me down. I have been tempted multiple times to get the 1/2" impact, though.

I'm confident you won't be disappointed with the performance of DeWalt, Milwaukee or Makita. It seems that DeWalt and Milwaukee offer more tools than Makita, though. Home Depot is constantly running sales on combo sets.

Yes they are. I have the Milwaukee 1/4 18V impact as well. Has done me very well every time I use it. Took off the lugnuts on wife's toyota like a breeze as well as my sisters mimivan. I'm using their redlithium 5.0Ah batterys. Plus I have a lot of their M18 power tools, so my batteries work on everything Milwaukee.

Bottom line a 1/2 battery impact will do you very well IMHO. Protip, want to save a bit of money? Go to a place like Home Depot to fondle & look. Buy from Amazon. $20 to $30 dollar difference or more. Unless you just want instant gratification.

I have taken lug nuts off a semi truck with my Milwaukee M18 Fuel.

For real work meaning 3/4" impact driver on large nuts there is simply nothing available in the battery world that's equivalent. But I have been pretty impressed with my Makita battery operated gun. If your max use is a specific task you could try and see if someone will tell you it works. Motorhome lug nuts I see as a possibility, but you don't specify the exact specifics. My battery one will do my ford F350 lug nuts (165 ft lbs) but will not do my loader lug nuts (480 ft lbs) despite its actual rating.

I just picked up a Ridgid 18V Li-Ion 1/2" impact with battery and charger for $159 from Home Depot. I used it to replace the front lower control arms on my fiance's Escape and had no issues removing the lug nuts or 100lb-ft suspension bolts from the subframe.

I also have a IR Titanium pneumatic that's rated at 1,000lb-ft. So I have a decent basis of comparison.

M18 Fuel doesn't think twice about spinning the lugnuts off my truck.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Impact and call it a day.

+1. 18V FUEL is my system. Even their OPE additions are impressive!

-Rob

I think DeWalt has one 1/2" rated for 300 pounds and one for 700 pounds. Those are both overkill for my jobs. I am happy with my 1/4" driver rated for 150 pounds.

I have the 20V Porter Cable and numerous other tools that go along with it and couldn't be happier.

I don't have the energy to find out why in terms of specs. But my Makita battery has a "breakaway rating" of 1200+ ft.lbs (what ever that means). My older air powered 3/4" IR (which weighs like 4 times as much) has a rating of 1100 ft. lbs. Yet I know as recently as yesterday when I needed to take a 1 7/8 nut off a hydraulic cylinder the battery one would not do it and the air did just fine. Happens all the time to me like the day before on a lug nut(s). There's more afoot than than meets the eye. But if your biggest job is possible with a battery great.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
For real work meaning 3/4" impact driver on large nuts there is simply nothing available in the battery world that's equivalent. But I have been pretty impressed with my Makita battery operated gun. If your max use is a specific task you could try and see if someone will tell you it works. Motorhome lug nuts I see as a possibility, but you don't specify the exact specifics. My battery one will do my ford F350 lug nuts (165 ft lbs) but will not do my loader lug nuts (480 ft lbs) despite its actual rating.

The Motorhome lugs torgue at about 500# just like a commercial truck with 22.5 in rims.
Thats why I bought the 3/4" drive air impact originally. It was rated around 1000# take off.

The Milwaukee 28 volt impact driver is a pretty serious tool and should get the job done for you. I see them for around $350 with 2 batteries and charger.

I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-...55&sr=8-6&ref=sr_1_6

You can tear some shit up with that puppy!

quote:

The Motorhome lugs torgue at about 500# just like a commercial truck with 22.5 in rims.

And I'm assuming you have a torque wrench for tightening. I can test one of our fire trucks (a squad type vehicle) to see if loosening is in the cards for my Makita (I can't imagine another brand has more torque, but I didn't check. Not till Tuesday. But I expect you could remove them with a battery gun at 480 (which I know is the number) tightening? but in any case you need a torque wrench>