Cordless Impact Wrenches - Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main benefits of owning an impact wrench?
Impact wrenches get their immense torque from a hammering mechanism within the tool that delivers strong, rapid concussive blows. Using a cordless impact wrench will ensure your work is more efficient and reliable than if you relied on muscle power alone and offers speed and convenience over a standard lug wrench. A cordless impact wrench has the added benefit of being easily portable. You can move around the jobsite or the garage without having to worry about trailing cables or extension leads. You’ll enjoy complete freedom of movement, with immense power in your hand.
Mechanics benefit from cordless impact wrenches as they save time and effort loosening bolts to remove parts of the engine and tightening them back together again. With an electric impact wrench, you simply select the direction and pull the trigger, cutting the service time on a vehicle considerably Bolts that were secured in a shop with an impact wrench will likely be too tight to undo manually so chances are you’ll need an impact wrench to remove them. Scaffolders also benefit from the efficiency and power of an impact wrench – erecting scaffolding with a manual wrench would take much longer.
What are impact wrenches used for?
Loosening nuts and bolts
Any nut or bolt tightened by a tool or machine is going to be much tighter than one tightened with your average hand tool. Even if you could loosen one by hand, it would take a lot of time and effort – whereas an impact wrench has the ability and power to quickly loosen machine tightened nuts and bolts with ease.
Working on cars and engines
It is hugely important that lug nuts on tyres are very tight to prevent them from coming loose while driving and to ensure hub caps and wheels stay in place! Impact wrenches have extremely high torque to firmly secure bolts and nuts on cars, lawn mowers, and other small engines. Because engines tend to vibrate when in action, it is crucial that any nut or bolt is tightened enough that the parts won’t be shaken loose.
Securing shelves and heavy items
When you’re installing brackets or shelves that are going to hold heavy tools or bikes, you’ll need the added security of a bigger bolt to support the weight. Make the installation easier, quicker, and more reliable with a cordless impact wrench for added peace of mind.
What is the difference between an impact wrench and an impact driver?
While they look quite similar, impact wrenches and impact drivers serve different purposes. An impact wrench loosens and tightens nuts and bolts like a handheld ratchet but produces a significantly higher output of torque for a fraction of the effort. Energy is stored inside the cylindrical core of the impact wrench — and then delivered in short, sharp bursts to the shaft. Similarly, impact drivers deliver periodic bursts of rotational force – but to a screwdriver bit, making them ideal for driving screws. They produce nearly twice as much torque than cordless drills. In short: an impact driver drills and screws in fasteners, while an impact wrench tightens and loosens bolts and nuts.
Torque
While both tools have exceptional torque, impact wrenches have more rotational power.
Speed
Impact wrenches tend to have a slower RPM than impact drivers, which tend to be more focused on speed than power.
Versatility
Impact drivers can be used for many different purposes, from simple carpentry, DIY projects, and renovations.
By understanding the differences between an impact wrench and an impact driver, you will be able to work out which power tool is a better choice for your needs.
When should you not use an impact wrench?
When a thread is loose or damaged, even a short length of the wrench can cause a spark that could cause a fire or explosion. If a bolt is so tight that it cannot move the socket with a wrench, you may need a breaker bar or similar tool to free it. You should not use an impact wrench when loosening the head of a stud bolt or when tightening or loosening small fasteners. If you have loosened a bolt by other means, it is best to retighten it the same way and not use your impact wrench.
Follow these simple tips to keep your impact wrench working its best:
Use the right-sized bits
Impact wrenches support different sized bits. Always ensure the bit fits the fastener with which you intend to use the impact wrench.
Don’t cross thread
Cross-threading occurs when a male fastener "crosses" the threads of a female fastener. Because of the sheer power of an impact wrench, cross-threading does happen, and you may struggle to separate them.
Don’t overtighten
Tightening a fastener too much may result in damage – you could break the fastener or damage the surface in which it's inserted.
Keep it straight
Avoid using an impact wrench at an angle. Place it directly over the faster so that it's perpendicular to give you the most torque.
Wear safety eyewear
Eye injuries are common in the workplace, especially with a tool as powerful as an impact wrench. Check out our range of safety gear and eye protection to keep you safe while you work.
