To this day, nothing beats the power and size of a 3/8" air impact.
New tool thread
- Thread starter jhellwig
- Start date
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
After 4 months my ratchet finally arrived. This is the Matco purple ratchet. Extra long 1/4 drive. I’ll probably put this in my home box and move the current long one to one of the road boxes. I’m happy this finally arrived. Just in time too because I’ll be on vacation next week so won’t be at the shop for any tool trucks.
I don't need one either but I feel really bad about how it is stressing you so I can man up and shoulder it if you want to send it and relieve yourself of that stress.
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It is stressful. I just felt great that I saved $10x3 on amazon commercial toilet paper, but I blew $28 on pliers I don't needI don't need one either but I feel really bad about how it is stressing you so I can man up and shoulder it if you want to send it and relieve yourself of that stress.
meh, cant tell you the last time I used my 3/8 air impact. It hasnt been out of the case since I got my first cordless 3/8 impact
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You must have never tried any cordless impacts made in the past 5 years.
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Because I have two cars with 4 snow tires on rims each, I bought a dewalt maybe 5 years ago. I wanna say it’s rated at 700+ ft lbs, but its replacement is even more? It turns removal into seconds on each lug nut or bolt….
Another Makita 18V lithium ion. I have a nice Dewalt grinder, but I rarely use a grinder for very long, and having a plug a tool in anymore seems like sort of a pain. So here is a cordless 5 inch grinder. The X lock looks convenient, though the Home Depot at which I just bought this didn’t have a whole lot in the way of accessories - Amazon took care of the shortfall.
Most 3/8 cordless impacts rarely make even 300 ft.lb despite the wild claims of nut busting torque reality is about 1/3-1/2 of that.
The next time someone is looking at torque numbers the most powerful 1/2 air impact that beats all even the cordless ones make less than 850 ft.lb.
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This looks like what I have. I believe there are newer models
I wanna say it was $240 with a 5 ah battery, charger, and bag. It was the dewalt 20v rabbit hole for me. I still only own 5 5 Ah batteries. Some of the smaller tools came with smaller batteries, but most tools I got bare tool only
https://www.dewalt.com/product/dcf8...e-12-impact-wrench-detent-pin-anvil-tool-only
I wanna say it was $240 with a 5 ah battery, charger, and bag. It was the dewalt 20v rabbit hole for me. I still only own 5 5 Ah batteries. Some of the smaller tools came with smaller batteries, but most tools I got bare tool only
https://www.dewalt.com/product/dcf8...e-12-impact-wrench-detent-pin-anvil-tool-only
Yeah, my Makita XWT14z (1/2”) impact is nice, I use it about 98% of the time, but if I need something with real power, it’s the IR 2135TiMax.
That’s a beast.
My 3/8” Milwaukee? Great tool. Super useful. Not a nut buster like my 3/8” pneumatic.
That’s a beast.
My 3/8” Milwaukee? Great tool. Super useful. Not a nut buster like my 3/8” pneumatic.
I still use the XWT11z but have been using the XWT18z (same as the 17z only with a pin and not a hog ring) for quite a while, it does almost everything and is not much bigger than the 11z.
Very interesting. I wish the chart was big enough to actually see and read. And made in China, ugh.
If the 3/8 or 1/2 inch don't loosen something, remember they make 3/4 and 1 inch drive impacts.
I wish they made 100 volt battery impacts with 2000 foot lbs of torque. Tried to get the pinion nut loose on a kenworth recently, and battery powered impacts were not even close.
The 1 inch drive zipped it off with ease though.
I wish they made 100 volt battery impacts with 2000 foot lbs of torque. Tried to get the pinion nut loose on a kenworth recently, and battery powered impacts were not even close.
The 1 inch drive zipped it off with ease though.
Oh, they're out there. You don't want to pay for them, but they are available.
RAD Torque Systems has a battery impact that goes up to 11,000 lb/ft. You set the desired torque on the gun and it gets you there.
Even Hilti makes a lot of their US and Asian market products in China, I was at their main factory in Lichtenstein back in 93 and there is no way they could produce enough or even expand enough to fill worldwide orders from that factory alone. They own the China factory and produce the same parts with some special components being made in Lichtenstein and shipped there.
I suspect Makita is doing the same. I have said many times there is a big difference in made by and made for.
I have been using Makita cordless since 2008 and Hilti before that and never broke one not even the batteries, I am sold.
https://www.hilti.group/content/hil...-information/company-profile/our-history.html
I’m sold as well.
My first Makita was a corded 3/8” drill that my Dad gave me in about 1982. I had never heard of the brand, and I still remember looking at the funky blue plastic housing, thinking, “this can’t be good.” But Dad had told me that the guy at the hardware store swore by this brand.
And he was right. Still have that drill. It still works well. I put a keyless chuck on it about 30 years ago.
My first Makita cordless drill was in the early 90s. Maybe even 1990. Still have it. Makita stopped making batteries for it a while ago, and the 9.6V NiCad didn’t last like the Li-ion, but the 30+ year old drill still works great despite the current set of knock-off batteries. I find excuses to use it instead of one of the new ones when the job is relatively easy. Makes me smile that it still works.
I’ve got 22 18v Li-ion Makita batteries now. I numbered them to keep track of any performance degradation or failures. I got my first 18v Li-ion tool over a decade ago, and battery #1 - a 3.0 ah - is still going strong.
The batteries get used all the time. Rotated through tools. I have three single battery chargers and two double battery chargers.
It‘s impressive that a battery over a decade old is still working well. The performance of every one of those 18v tools is impressive; power, run time, durability. Makita makes great tools.
The Makita cordless tool list, at present:
36v lawnmower (double battery)
36v leaf blower (double battery)
string trimmer
big reciprocating saw
1/2” impact
1/2” hammer drill
driver
Multi-tool
At the shop:
Jigsaw
18v leaf blower
small reciprocating saw
1/2” hammer drill
New 1/2” hammer drill (brushless)
driver
1/2” impact
Multi-tool
and, of course, the new 5” grinder
You can’t go wrong with a Makita.
