New impact: air vs battery powered?

[bigcountry78]

I’m getting a new impact for Christmas . What do y’all prefer and why? I have a 21 gallon air compressor, but I don’t have power to my shop yet so I either have to drag it up to my house, or run a generator. I feel like a battery powered one would be a lot easier to use. But do they have enough power? Of course, I won’t be doing anything heavy duty with it. I’ve used @Vbb199 ’s battery powered one and really like the portability. Thoughts?

 

[78C10BigTen]

I got a great deal on my kobalt 24v 1/2" gun. Its been great so far but i havent used it a ton. Busts lug nuts with no problems. And if you know how i tighten lugs thats sayin somethin!

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[Shorty81]

We use both at work. I think the battery impact have as much power as the pneumatic, sometimes more. When you are hanging out of scissor lift it sure is nice to have the portability.

 

[Arkansas_V8]

I also have a 21 gallon air compressor and I use an old Snapon impact. For all the stuff I do the combination is perfect. But if you dont have power and dont wanna run an extension cord then battery is probably the way to go.

 

[bucket]

I use both. I've got a Snap-On 1/2" impact that was their latest and greatest when I bought it 10 or 15 years ago. I also bought a DeWalt 20v 1/2" impact that is the XR version, a couple years ago. They are about equal in strength. Sometimes the DeWalt is nicer to use because it's a slower speed and because you can use it anywhere. The air gun is nice around the garage because you don't have to screw with batteries, it also fits in tighter places.

If only getting one, go battery. I very HIGHLY recommend the DeWalt XR (the non-XR sucks in comparison) or the Milwaukee M18. I've used that one too, but personally like the DeWalt better.

 

[skysurfer]

The trouble with battery powered tools is eventually the battery comes to the end of it's service life and you're stuck buying new ones. I have several 12V Makita tools that all use the same battery. It was nice when they were new but many years later I'm faced with the decision of either buying new batteries, which now cost far more than I originally paid for the entire tool, or throwing the entire collection in the trash.

I went through the same thing with electric razors. It was really handy to have a cordless unit, but eventually I found myself trying to shave within twenty or so seconds because that's all the battery life the damn thing would hold on a full charge. Tossed all those crappy things and bought an old school corded shaver.

Battery technology has come a long way, but even the best batteries made today will be an expensive replacement in the future due to them being considered obsolete and no longer in production.

 

[bucket]

That's a good point about battery life. Interchangeability is another. Which brands tend to switch battery designs and which ones tend to stick with the same design. It's nice to buy new tools and batteries that work with the stuff you already have.

 

[TubeTruck]

I use Milwaukee exclusively. Both corded and cordless. I've tried other brands and honestly nothing can compare, at least in my line of work. I have this impact and another. 1100 ft/lbs is plenty to break anything loose, or just break it if it doesn't come loose, lol. They also have a car charger that plugs into the lighter port so you can take them anywhere, including camping, without having to worry about running out of battery power. I have about 7 or 8 batteries and have had them for 10 years. Never replaced them. They are expensive, about $100 per battery, but there are always deals like buy one get one free or buy a bare tool and get a free battery. About 3 of my batteries have been dropped multiple times, cracks here and there and a couple have gone to pieces. I put them back together, super glued the case using some quick clamps to hold them together and they are still going lol

 

[73c20jim]

Dewalt 20V battery.

On sale Friday at LOWES.

 

[legopnuematic]

Milwaukee's lineup is my choice. Even their 12v stubby 3/8 and 1/4 guns pack a hefty punch. Deboss Garage on youtube has some good videos of these in action

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Way overkill but made taking the bedside off a breeze

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[bigcountry78]

Thanks for the input fellas. I’m going with battery power. It just fits my needs better for now.

 

[RecklessWOT]

10 years ago this would have been a no brainer and I would have said pneumatic. But nowadays a lot of the electric impacts have as much power as if not more than their air-powered counterparts, it's pretty impressive.

Personally I still use pneumatic impacts, but I am not against getting an electric one I just don't need one at this time. The portability is cool not being attached to a hose, you don't need to lug a compressor around if you're out working in the driveway or wherever.

Obviously an air job has the potential to be much more powerful, they aren't working on heavy equipment with battery powered tools, but you need to have a serious compressor to run one of those (doesn't necessarily have anything to do with tank size either). Even if you went out and bought a really good impact gun, if your setup doesn't flow enough air the tool will be just as underpowered and useless as a cheap impact.

 

[bigcountry78]

I think with what I’m doing, battery power should be plenty. Especially if it’s a 20 or 24 volt.

 

[MikeB]

About batteries not lasting very long: I think the latest generation of Lithium Ion batteries are 10x better than the old nickel metal hydride. I've been using a Bosch drill and 3/8" impact driver for at least 7-8 years now, and both of the 18-volt batteries seem to work like new. Of course, it's also nice that the charger shuts off when the batteries are fully charged.

If I was in the market, I would not hesitate to buy a name brand, battery-powered 1/2" impact wrench. But my 25-year old IR 231 air impact wrench still works fine.

 

[idahovette]

Got air plumbed in my shop and the 5 bay with a 2 stage 80 gallon compressor, but I also have a battery powered impact that really likes "nuts".