Air vs. battery impact?

[Mark Babunovic]

I’m looking whether to go electric or air with an impact… Electrics are larger — if you’ve had experience with both, how much of an advantage are air impacts in getting in tight spaces?

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[kevin gosselin]

Air is awesome, really powerful if you get a decent one (forget the entry level one) You need a compressor and if you bring it somewhere else that don’t have the same fitting… you can be screwed.
No access to air .. no impact

Battery operated. I have a 3/8 one and i’m fairly happy with it. It seems every year what they come up in manner of better battery autonomy and output power is getting better. Being said I worked 8 year in the trade before purchasing a battery one and I would suggest you to wait that will be your first impact. It’s nice as you use them everywhere as long as you have access to electricity to have a fresh recharge pack as soon as the first one give up. The 1/2 inch one are pretty good as you can remove wheel nut.. but removing wheel nut on a dually (140ft/lbs and over) will be the ultimate test, especially if they never been service or start to seize.

I used a dewalt electric to do a wheel bearing on a malibu and was impress as I didn’t expect to crack the axle nut free. The size is what kinda sucks, but they are made for construction work. You can use as long as you have electricity, at home, camping if you have a generator 😉 I would consider one if I was camping with a pickup and fifth wheel to replace a flat on the size of the road…. Our tire guy actually use them as they have a floor for themselve and it pass the test. You will get constant power over a battery one.

If you have a compressor at home, I would go air impact first for 1/2 inch anyway. If you want 3/8 you could go with battery .. there is some sweet deal for 1/4 and 3/8 bundle.

[Mark Babunovic]

Thanks for the advice. From the sound of it you haven’t had many times when the battery impact was too big for the space you had to work it.

[Rob megee]

I have both, I think it depends on what you are doing. A 1/2 in battery impact works ok where you don’t have a compressor. They are too big and underpowered for working on some things. I think if I had a compressor already and had to choose, I would get a pneumatic impact first. A 3/8 or 1/4 battery impact are great for working on a car in general but you can do everything they can do with hand tools until you can afford both.

[kevin gosselin]

Before I got a 3/8 battery impact … I did everything with a 3/8 air ratchet. I got a powerful one .. It out beat the impact to tell you the truth. If I could crack it on the first try. I had the advantage to use the ratchet itself to crack it free then keep going with the air to do the rest of the job.

I use the battery impact mainly to disassemble engine when they are out of the vehicle.. You don’t want the air hose to be in the way..

The issue is if people use it to do brake… you can remove pin bolt with it… installing them in the other hand… if you don’t know how much torque would be apply (battery half charge) is where people would get in trouble.

The shop i’m at experience it… a caliper going into a mag is visually like THE WOLVERINE jamming its claw through it.

battery is to pampered yourself after few year of experience. I see to many young tech who rely on them and bite them in the ass with a come back… from under/over torquing.

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