Has anybody here ever used one of these 12v impact wrenches ?

[vijilants]

Has anyone here purchased and used one of these 12v impact wrenches and are they worth it ? Seems like a good gadget but then, how often would you use it ?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/217677/impact_wrench_test.html

 

[Rory]

I bought the cheapy Clarke CIR13C for no particular reason and have used it on steel wheels.

It's the only thing like it I've ever used so nothing to compare it with, and no idea what to expect, so the way it works surprised me.

It sort of winds itself up internally and then releases with a pretty fierce bang to free the wheel nuts. There's no real kickback though, so it does make removing wheel nuts effortless.

It really whacks the nuts though, and left little shards of metal - so it would devastate chromed nuts. I therefore wouldn't use it on my Merc, and the rear bolts on my car are too recessed anyway - I really don'twant to use it with an extension bar and I doubt the impact socket would fit into the bolt recess.

 

[punjabi]

Avoid the silly, cheapo 'gimmicky' ones - go for the durable, quality ones. I have the battery powered Makita Impact Wrench which was quite costly 2 years ago but it is a great help in getting the wheel nuts on & off in a jiffy plus other aspects of car mechanics - a great timesaver!

 

[Sp!ke]

I have the clarke model and can confirm that it does what it says on the tin. Its rated to 150Nm which is the same strength as the air driven ones found at proper workshops.

It undid some wheelnots that I couldn't undo with a 24" long 3/4" drive breaker bar. In fact it made it so easy, my 8 year old son could have done it.

Very handy tool to leave in the spare wheel well and also works very well on other stubborn nuts and bolts.

I would go further.... Tool wise, it is possibly the best £20 I've ever spent.

 

[GrahamC230K]

Amazing. If these recommendations didn't come from people who I'm happy to take their word for it, I'd never have otherwise believed these cheaper units looked up to the job.

 

[television]

Amazing. If these recommendations didn't come from people who I'm happy to take their word for it, I'd never have otherwise believed these cheaper units looked up to the job.

Never trust anyone, this is the internet

 

[GrahamC230K]

Never trust anyone, this is the internet

I don't trust the ones I've never met

 

[television]

I don't trust the ones I've never met

When I can think of an appropriate answer I will post back

 

[vijilants]

The Lazer 12v one here looks pretty powerful though. Only thing is though I don't fancy having my nuts devestated.

 

[Sp!ke]

I bought mine on recommendation from people on a bike forum who recommended it for undoing front sprocket retaining nuts on my Busa.

There's no other way of undoing this nut without a compressor.

I also used it for undoing a 34mm clutch centre nut on my current bike. Because the clutch spins, normally you'd have to put the engine in gear and then lock the rear wheel somehow (putting undue strain on the drive train) in order to undo this bolt. Its a real PITA to undo.

The cheepo clarke impact driver gets the nut undone without the need to do any of this, no sweating, no hassle, Brilliant!

[EDIT] It shouldnt do any damage to the nuts if you use the right size socket. Its only doing what the tyre shops air tool does when they remove the bolts.

 

[Mark300SL]

I have a Clarke one from machine mart that lives in Allisons boot for wheel bolts etc

This is my weapon of choice for Breakers yards/Racetracks

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DEWALT-DW057K...ryZ20777QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It can literally do most jobs on my cars from driveshaft nuts through to the infamous Honda crank pulley bolts


For very occasional use the clarke is absolutely fine - but for sustained hammer impact use then a Snap-On/Dewalt/Makita is a much better bet.
Mine gets used around the workshop, pitlane and is VERY useful when a friend in need (PITA) is stuck at home with an immobile car and a tight bolt. Its also great if you dont want to fire up a compressor and wait for the tank to charge.


It has probably earned its cost a few times over if only in cups of teas from grateful friends

 

[vijilants]

I bought mine on recommendation from people on a bike forum who recommended it for undoing front sprocket retaining nuts on my Busa.

There's no other way of undoing this nut without a compressor.

I also used it for undoing a 34mm clutch centre nut on my current bike. Because the clutch spins, normally you'd have to put the engine in gear and then lock the rear wheel somehow (putting undue strain on the drive train) in order to undo this bolt. Its a real PITA to undo.

The cheepo clarke impact driver gets the nut undone without the need to do any of this, no sweating, no hassle, Brilliant!

[EDIT] It shouldnt do any damage to the nuts if you use the right size socket. Its only doing what the tyre shops air tool does when they remove the bolts.

Is that the 12v Clarke you are talking about ?

 

[Sp!ke]

yep, the cheap 12v Clarke works very well for my needs.

 

[Rory]

It shouldnt do any damage to the nuts if you use the right size socket. Its only doing what the tyre shops air tool does when they remove the bolts.

The tyre shop I take my Merc to doesn't use an air wrench!!

I used the impact socket that came with the unit (this is the cheapie Clarke one). I would say that by the little pile of filings left after it removed the nuts from Mrs R's Jazz, that it really couldn't be used too many times without messing up even plain steel nuts.

Of course if you put them back on at the correct torque (I also bought a torque wrench from Machine Mart when I got the wrench) then they come off much easier the next time with the 4 way spider that I usually use.

 

[vijilants]

Can you adjust the torque settings on these 12v units ?

 

[Sp!ke]

On the expensive ones maybe but the clarke model is just meant for undoing stubborn stuff really. (or doing them up gorilla tight )

 

[vijilants]

On the expensive ones maybe but the clarke model is just meant for undoing stubborn stuff really. (or doing them up gorilla tight )

Thats what bugs me...if I were to use this say on the wheel nuts to tighten them up, there would be no way I could get them off again without using an impact wrentch as they would be too tight ?

Here is the latest test on the Clarke:http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/217701/clarke_cir13c.html but then look at this, the earlier tests and the laser model is tested here aswell.....same models, same tests I guess , same magazine testing, different results ????

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/65749/impact_wrenches_12v.html

 

[Rory]

Thats what bugs me...if I were to use this say on the wheel nuts to tighten them up, there would be no way I could get them off again without using an impact wrentch as they would be too tight ?

I'm not even sure if it works forwards! I wouldn't dream of using it for such a purpose anyway.

When I got mine, I also bought:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht415-wheel-brace/path/automotive-hand-tools

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht141-1-2in-drive-torque-wrench

and those are what gets used for doing the nuts up. The spider (which is pretty small) was good enough to remove the bolts on my MB on its own - although unsticking the alloys from the hub was another matter.

 

[vijilants]

I'm not even sure if it works forwards! I wouldn't dream of using it for such a purpose anyway.

When I got mine, I also bought:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht415-wheel-brace/path/automotive-hand-tools

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht141-1-2in-drive-torque-wrench

and those are what gets used for doing the nuts up. The spider (which is pretty small) was good enough to remove the bolts on my MB on its own - although unsticking the alloys from the hub was another matter.

Ah OK....so these things only work anticlockwise then ?

 

[grober]

Ah OK....so these things only work anticlockwise then ?

No my 12V Clark has a switch to change rotational direction.