18 replies to this topic

[Twitch de la Brat]

I recently bought the 5 piece tool kit from sears, and I've got a few Q's about it.
http://s.sears.com/i...usm=0.9,0.5,0,0
The impact wrench is rated for 900 pounds per inch, but isn't able to break
loose bolts on my tranny crossmember :-\
The power drill seems to have more power than impact wrench

Has anybody had experience with these tools?
I've used the other tools without any issue, but the impact wrench seems
rather wimpy.

Twitch

[RAYJAY]

I recently bought the 5 piece tool kit from sears, and I've got a few Q's about it.
http://s.sears.com/i...usm=0.9,0.5,0,0
The impact wrench is rated for 900 pounds per inch, but isn't able to break
loose bolts on my tranny crossmember :-\
The power drill seems to have more power than impact wrench

Has anybody had experience with these tools?
I've used the other tools without any issue, but the impact wrench seems
rather wimpy.

Twitch

900 lb per inch .......... a air impact rum at 450 to 800 Ft pounds

your impact gun runs about app. 75 ft lbs



To convert foot pounds to inch pounds, multiply by 12.
To convert inch pounds to foot pounds, divide by 12.

Jeff

[Bucky92]

I have the impact/ screw gun combo..have had it now for about 3 years.The Impact gun comes in handy in Junkyard and yes it is not as powerful as an air Impact...but do you really think it would be? Not going to get a whole lot out of a Battery powered tool really.
I have used mine numerous times on the smaller rusted bolts on my cars..but for big , heavily torques..I break out the air tools.

[Twitch de la Brat]

900 lb per inch .......... a air impact rum at 450 to 800 Ft pounds

your impact gun runs about app. 75 ft lbs



To convert foot pounds to inch pounds, multiply by 12.
To convert inch pounds to foot pounds, divide by 12.

Jeff

I know that it's weak, I get that part, but theses bolts I could reach up and
break loose with a a stubby :-\
And I'm no He-man.
I guess I'm just asking too much of it.

Hmmm, hey Connie, have you been able to see if it has enough torque for
lug nuts?

Twitch

[Legacy777]

You're not going to get much torque out of a battery pack impact wrench.

You'd be surprised at how much torque you can provide with a good breaker bar/wrench.

[ihscout54]

I have had my set for 4 years or so now. I have really been impressed with them the battery offers good charge life, and all the tools have reasonable power. Its just recently that the batteries have begun to weaken and the flash light switch is getting touchy. But I used these tools every day for 3 years at my old job, and alot around the house during the remodel. I never had a durability issue.
The impact driver is not an impact wrench. Its designed more for sheet metal screws or any "screwing" that requires controlled tourqe (its awesome for the right job).

[Twitch de la Brat]

I have had my set for 4 years or so now. I have really been impressed with them the battery offers good charge life, and all the tools have reasonable power. Its just recently that the batteries have begun to weaken and the flash light switch is getting touchy. But I used these tools every day for 3 years at my old job, and alot around the house during the remodel. I never had a durability issue.

Durability I'm not worried about.
I know these tools can take a beating, my dad has used them for 3 years+,
but he has the 4 piece (same kit minus the impact).

The impact driver is not an impact wrench. Its designed more for sheet metal screws or any "screwing" that requires controlled tourque (its awesome for the right job).

But that's what the torque settings on the power drill are for
Any other recommended uses for it?

Twitch

[ShawnW]

My Snap on 18V cordless 1/2" impact will take off stuff that 3 of my air guns will not. Unfortunately its also twice the size of a tool to lug around too but I love it at the junkyard.

[Twitch de la Brat]

Hey Shawn, would that happen to be "The Bulldozer" or something like
that?
It has like 500 ft lbs on start and like 350 continuous, right?
You, suuuuuck...

Twitch

PS: I would have bought that, but I wasn't going to spend $500 for an
impact wrench when I could get an entire kit for half that.
I'm not completely helpless when it comes to wrenching...

[GeneralDisorder]

I bought a Rigid set with drill, impact, flashlight, radio, and two batteries (18v) for $179 at the depot. The impact is mostly what i wanted and I did my research first - for the price it offered the best torque @ 120 ft/lbs. Love it but it's really only a rather superior "power ratchet". It will never replace my 650 ft/lb air gun.

GD

[ShawnW]

Hey Shawn, would that happen to be "The Bulldozer" or something like
that?
It has like 500 ft lbs on start and like 350 continuous, right?
You, suuuuuck...

Twitch

PS: I would have bought that, but I wasn't going to spend $500 for an
impact wrench when I could get an entire kit for half that.
I'm not completely helpless when it comes to wrenching...

Yup that is the one. Couldnt agree more on the $. I do it for a living and love using it and for me that is worth it.

[RAYJAY]

sears now makes a 1/2 c3 impact gun

http://www.sears.com...=c3 1/2" impact

[Scoobywagon]

Snap-on CT4410 14.4v 3/8 impact. 230 ft-lbs of wrecking yard parts yoinking goodness.

[davebugs]

Somewhat OT, and don't mean to hijack the thread.

I love Sears hand tools. But long ago swore to never buy anything Sears again with a motor. What can I say - it works for me.

I'm in the market for a kit of rechargable things for a house I recently purchased. Not an Impact - but the normal drill/driver, sawzall, circular, and light. Looking like probably 18 or so volt and Lithium appears to be worth the money.

I have 2 older Dewalt 12 or 14 volt (I forget) drill/driver sets. The newer drill kinda burnt up/smokes and all the batteries have seen better days.

I want good quality stuff, but it doesn't have to be top of the line. It'll get used but probably not worn out and most likely the technology will be outdated in a few years. Counting this new house I'll basically have 4 places to take care of/normal maintenance and projects.

In doing some research tonight Ryobi at HD is looking like a decent choice and I've never owned one of their products. Anyone with any comments on them, or recommend other brands to evaluate or avoid?

Lowes has a decent looking Skil set but I don't recall if it was Lithium. Last Skill stuff I owned had full metal cases so I have no idea of the current quality. It does seem like Porter Cable has gone down hill a bit since I last purchased some of their stuff 20 years ago.

Comments please.

[Twitch de la Brat]

HIJACKER! :-p
Nah, I don't mind.

Skil's are pretty low end stuff, they're mostly plastic (but most are anymore)
Ryobi seems to be a decent brand, but I've never gotten to really play with them to check battery life or grunt.
DeWalt is a good brand, but demands a premium.
But it is also very expandable, with a HUGE selection of optional tools.
Rigid is Home Depot specific, but is pretty good for reliability and power.
Makita is AMAZING when it comes to power but reliability is so/so.
Black and Decker is, well, cheap.
Porter Cable was incredible when my father bought his kit 15 years ago.
But that was 15 years ago.

Twitch

[davebugs]

I'm pretty darn sure that Black & Decker "created" DeWalt. I also think that possibly someone just purchased Black & Decker - like maybe Stanley Tools - infact the buyout may not even be completed.

Makita I have some corded tools and they do well.

No current Bosch tools (just tons of Bosch parts on my 9 VW's).


I have some DeWalt drill/drivers and the only thing I don't like it the price. The tools I buy may be used by others so I'd hate to pay top dollar to have stuff get broken, missing, etc.

Rigid - I still think plumbing tools from before Home Depot existed and they rounded out their product line for retail. About the same time they stopped making their OUTSTANDING calanders. So I haven't owned one.

The battery life is key since the house doesn't have utilities (foreclosure) so I'm gonna leave my generator there probably - the neighbors keep a pretty good eye on the place. So I'll be working in the cold (not friendly to batteries) and recharging will be a little more involved than usual.

Based on your guesses perhaps I'll compare Ryobi and Rigid - I expect DeWalt to be too expensive. Wonder if like most things there are only a few manufacturers that truely make the items and they are just branded differently. Like lets say the appliance world.

Come to think of it I haven't checked Ebay for kicks.

[Scoobywagon]

You might also look into Milwaukee and Hitachi. 2 of my techs use them every day in the bay. Battery life appears to be excellent. Grunt is somewhat lacking, but I admit I'm comparing to a Snap-On cordless. That may be a bit unfair. The little Milwaukee impact gun lacks variable speed. On the other hand, it really doesn't throw a whole ton of torque either. So just be careful with it.

[Twitch de la Brat]

Also, the Craftsman kit I bought is holding up fairly well.
The impact is only rated for 75 lbs or so, so Its not the "bust anything loose"
kinda impact but its good for body panels and light duty lug nut removal.
The flashlight leaves a lot to be desired unless you're using it only as a broad
beam light.
Its a fluorecent light so it doesn't like cold at all.
I would highly suggest buying the optional halogen directional light.
The circular saw does well, but chokes on anything bigger than a 2x4.
The sawzall, is well, a sawzall.
It will rip its way through anything as long as the blade is at least halfway
sharp.
And the drill has 24 clutch settings and two speeds, but the thing is, its the
lower grade drill and has less grunt than my dad's older, but more torquey
drill.

And they came with two Ni-Cad batteries, but you can buy compatible
Li-ion batteries or Ni-Mh batteries to use.
The Ni-Mh seem to be more cold resistant, and charge faster than the
Ni-Cad, but are more expensive.
The Li-ion's I haven't used, but all the Li-ion batteries I have, HATE the cold.
They will completely stop functioning in temps below freezing, or will
have severely reduced output.

Twitch

[davebugs]

I bought the Ryobi lime green 18v Lithium set today. Infact the large battery is charging now.

If anyone looks at these a note about selection.

First off they were priced at 299, 269 and 229 depending on which display you looked at in Home Depot. Onlive 229.

There are 2 nearly identical sets. One has a normal size drill/driver that says it shifts if it needs more power (I got the last set like that at my HD).

All the other sets had a compact drill/driver. Everything else (including the price) seemed to be the same.

So depending on which drill/driver you may prefer pay attention and look for the set that you like.

I hope to start to use them next weekend.