Help! Messed up my electric impact gun already

[JHZR2]

Hi,

I bought a real nice Milwaukee 1/2" electric impact wrench. It has variabble speed and variable torque limit settings, I like it a lot.

I needed to swap back from snow tires to regular tires, so I used the setup for the first time... I used plastic coated impact sockets from harbor freight tools, and the job was a snap... wonderful...

Now, Im trying to get the 1/2 drive impact socket off of the gun. To put it on, I lined up the hole on the socket with the pin on the shaft of the gun... much like on a regular socket wrench/ratchet.

Now, I want to take it off, and cant. The instructions state to take a nail and press in the detent pin through the hole in the socket, and pull the socket off... I cant get it to work at all, I cant even get it to budge.

If I press the pin in and slide the socket down (further onto the gun), it slides freely and easily. However, try to pull it up (off of the gun), while pressing the pin in, and I cannot get it to even slide at all - there is not even any upward play at all.

I dont know what I did, how this could happen. It slides further on no problem, and wont budge off at all. I dont know what to do, its beyond me.

Any ideas/suggestions? Im usually kind of dumb about stuff like this, but gee, this is a simple thing - I dont have issues with ratchets, this might have more tension to hold the socket tight, but it shouldnt be so hard.

Any advice would be appreciated.

JMH

 

[michaelc80]

I usually take a regular screwdriver and insert it at the base of the socket and twist. That normally pops them off.

 

[JHZR2]

we figured it out... after slightly scratching the finish on my impact gun, and both my father and I gouging (nearly impaling) our index fingers with screwdrivers, we finally got it off.

It turns out that the hole where the detent pin goes had a burr to the inside, which sat in the trough where the detent pin comes out of. This burr kept us from being able to pull out the socket.

finally with a screwdriver with a thin shaft and big handle, and both of us pulling hard, it popped off.

Moral of the story: Be careful if youre using harbor freight stuff... be very careful. High end quality tools are only as good as the cheapo sockets youre using.

JMH

 

[GoldenRod]

As soon as you mentioned harbor freight and burrs, it finally made sense to me. Why on Earth you went out and splurged on a nice new Milwaukee impact gun, only to put a cheaply made Chinese impact socket on the end.... is beyond me.

You should have bought both the gun and the socket at harbor freight. That way you would be completely cheap, and not 1/2 cheap.

 

[JHZR2]

I can get away with buying the sockets there without feeling cheap and semi-sick... but no way I could buy something like an impact wrench there without feeling not quite right...

I got their sockets because they were nice and coated with plastic to prevent the scratching of the wheels... they stilla re pretty nice, so long as they provide me a replacement for the lousy one...

JMH

 

[Tosh]

But it's the socket that's the weak link, so buy good sockets. Especially if they're covered with plastic so you can't see cracks starting. Imagine the mess you'd make of your wheel if the socket broke! Not to mention the hurt in your arm or slice on your hand. NO CHEAP SOCKETS FOR HEAVY DUTY USE!

 

[JHZR2]

yeah... well, its a learning experience.

Thats true about cracked sockets - I didnt think about that. I thought the plastic (removable) liner was a good idea, as any sort of shop that I take my vehicles to seem to have the amazing ability to leave marks on my wheels from their sockets. Good in principle, I suppose poor in practice.

Thanks,

JMH

 

[michaelc80]

quote:

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Imagine the mess you'd make of your wheel if the socket broke! Not to mention the hurt in your arm or slice on your hand. NO CHEAP SOCKETS FOR HEAVY DUTY USE!

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I bought a really cheap set of bits for my cordless screwdriver once. While I was driving a screw the bit shattered and sent shrapnel in several directions. Once piece shot up and nicked my safety glasses right in front of my eye. The entire bit set went into the trash within 15 minutes.

From now on it's quality first.