A cheap impact around 30? man i don’t think that is possible unless its used. Try HF, i have tell you sears impacts are a steal. and such a time saver. love mine.
I hear people talk about the Harbor Freight air tools and how they buy 2 or 3 at a time because they don’t last. I would think if you are doing automotive work you would want a decent air gun.
I got a 3/8 from NAPA out of their Real Deals flyer, it was blue and has amazing torque. It was no bargain but I got pissed off at having a cheap POS that did not work half the time.
I use the IR231C for general work, it is fairly strong and durable as long as you keep it oiled. I see these advertised for $125 in magazines and granted it is not $30 but I am happy with the price as a similar gun on the tool truck will set you back $300.
I am just saying that I never had much luck with those bargain air tools and I hate to throw money away on crap that don’t last at least a year.
I don’t know what you’ll find for $30 but for around $80 you can get a HF Earthquake 1/2″ I have one and love it. ~700ft lbs. It throws lug nuts off and works great.
To the OP – I was in a similar situation and was looking for a decent impact for cheap. I watched’em over on eBay for a while and ended up getting a Craftsman 1/2″ for about $33 shipped to my door. Thing looks like its pretty close to new and has worked flawlessly so far but keep in mind I’m a weekend warrior and not a Pro. I know opinions on tools will vary but I feel like I got a great deal on a decent tool. Craftsman is decent DIY’er gear IMO. Best wishes on your search.
I don’t know about other peoples experiences with harbor freight impacts but I have one and it works fine for light duty stuff . Lug nuts and such. I guess it just depends on what your using it for.
Spend the money on an impact once. I bought my Ingersoll Rand Thunder gun 1/2″ over 10 years ago. Granted it was a lot more expensive then than it is now but its still going strong. I oily it fairly often but not every day, It gets dropped often but not thrown around, and it’s still managed to break a few sockets and impact swivels over the years.