Which impact wrench to buy?

[Tree-Farmer]

I've decided I really need an impact wrench. I've never had one, but starting to see how much better and faster it is.

I think I've decided on a DeWalt, I have one of their battery chain saws and I like it.

Here's something I'm trying to decide: Do I need the most powerful for farm use? Here are 3 options:

1. Dewalt has a Mid-Range Impact with 600 ft-lbs of fastening and 800 breakaway-DCF891B-$215 Amazon or $250 at Home Depot
2. They also have a High Torque Impact Wrench with 1030 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway-DCF900B- $270 at Home Depot, but $225 at Amazon
3. Even better one with 1200 ft-lbs fastening and 1750 breakaway - DCF961B-$350

I would like to get your thoughts on which one I should get?
Is 1750 ft-lbs of breakaway substantially better than 1400?

Here's a couple of projects I had recently:
I had to replace the rear tire from my 1660 combine. When I put the new one back on, I didn't get the lug nights tight enough. Would I need the more powerful to do lug nuts on a tractor/combine/disk?
I need to replace the knives on a 863 corn head. Some of these bolts are very tight. Do I need the most powerful impact wrench to remove these?

It looks like the High Torque, with 1000/1400 is a better deal at $225.
The high end one is much more expensive, $350 (1200/1750)

What do you think? Is 1000/1400 enough for use on the farm/tractor/equipment? Or should I spend more, and get the better one for $350? I notice that this high-end one is kinda heavy.

Also, Can I set the correct torque on any impact wrenches, that I want it to tighten the nut to? I assume it would be possible/easy to get bolts too tight.

 

[NDIHC]

I just got the new Milwaukee 1/2 inch drive. I think 1100/1500 lb.ft. The power is nice but it is heavy and clumsy. And that's considering that it's about an inch shorter and half a pound lighter than the 1400 Dewalt. I also have a lighter half inch drive Milwaukee, basically the heavier 3/8 with a half inch anvil. That one will do car wheels and some suspension work alright, but that's about it. It all depends on what you need to do. I would think either of the heavier duty Dewalts would be good. For the small price difference I don't think I'd bother with the lightest one. My heavy Milwaukee has torque settings but it doesn't stop at a specific torque, only limits it to a point. You can easily over torque bolts with it if you arent careful. I just looked at the specs of the biggest Dewalt and that thing is a monster! 8.8 pounds! The Milwaukee I just got is 5.9 and the comparable Dewalt is 6.4 pounds. My son has the 6.4 pound Dewalt and it has done everything he has asked of it. I couldn't imagine using an impact almost 3 pounds heavier than mine for more than just a very few bolts.

 

[moresmoke]

You already have figured out the downside of the stronger impact guns. If I only have one, I want plenty of power.

Keep in mind, the ratings of battery impacts vs air impacts is kinda like new tractor HP vs old tractor HP. Real world comparison of the big Dewalt vs an old CP air impact, the air would have a lower claimed torque, but will sit a chug like a Harley till it breaks loose.

 

[NDIHC]

You already have figured out the downside of the stronger impact guns. If I only have one, I want plenty of power.

Keep in mind, the ratings of battery impacts vs air impacts is kinda like new tractor HP vs old tractor HP. Real world comparison of the big Dewalt vs an old CP air impact, the air would have a lower claimed torque, but will sit a chug like a Harley till it breaks loose.

I like to pizz off the young guys at work who don't use air impacts. When their $600+ Snap On battery impact rated at a thousand whatever lb.ft won't take something apart, I'll use my 10 year old Cornwell (Ingresol Rand) super duty rated at about 650 lb.ft and take it apart like nothing.

 

[chcase]

I've decided I really need an impact wrench. I've never had one, but starting to see how much better and faster it is.

I think I've decided on a DeWalt, I have one of their battery chain saws and I like it.

Here's something I'm trying to decide: Do I need the most powerful for farm use? Here are 3 options:

1. Dewalt has a Mid-Range Impact with 600 ft-lbs of fastening and 800 breakaway-DCF891B-$215 Amazon or $250 at Home Depot
2. They also have a High Torque Impact Wrench with 1030 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway-DCF900B- $270 at Home Depot, but $225 at Amazon
3. Even better one with 1200 ft-lbs fastening and 1750 breakaway - DCF961B-$350

I would like to get your thoughts on which one I should get?
Is 1750 ft-lbs of breakaway substantially better than 1400?

Here's a couple of projects I had recently:
I had to replace the rear tire from my 1660 combine. When I put the new one back on, I didn't get the lug nights tight enough. Would I need the more powerful to do lug nuts on a tractor/combine/disk?
I need to replace the knives on a 863 corn head. Some of these bolts are very tight. Do I need the most powerful impact wrench to remove these?

It looks like the High Torque, with 1000/1400 is a better deal at $225.
The high end one is much more expensive, $350 (1200/1750)

What do you think? Is 1000/1400 enough for use on the farm/tractor/equipment? Or should I spend more, and get the better one for $350? I notice that this high-end one is kinda heavy.

Also, Can I set the correct torque on any impact wrenches, that I want it to tighten the nut to? I assume it would be possible/easy to get bolts too tight.

I bought one of the cheaper ones and a year later bought the better Dewalt. I need the better one for farm stuff. The cheaper one is in my car trunk. I would suggest buying the more powerful Dewalt. If are afraid of braking off a bolt you can furn down the dial on it. It does weigh a bit more but after using both I don't notice it. Not sure how much better the Milwaukee is but have alot of Dewalt tools so happy with mine.

 

[Texasmark]

I bought the best half inch drive from HF so many years ago I can't remember. I keep it lubed.....impact tool oil squirted in the air inlet prior to using, a couple of zip zips and I am ready to go. I have sets of sockets, extensions, and adapters for it. I don't remember the price but it was cheap way cheaper than popular brands......and on that note none of my tractors are a specific color.....have numerous brands (colors) that I have purchased at the right price and have no regrets.

Not knocking the major brands, I would have an empty shop if I had to pay for major brand tools......course I am a STO and have no employees. Had I been something different, I may have had a different purchasing habit.

 

[M-MAN]

The high torque sounds like a better all round impact from your description.

I have 4 Milwaukee fuel impacts from the lightest to the strongest. I rarely tighten anything with the big one as it's too powerful. It's also heavy. The midrange one is my normal go to now.

You can't really torque anything with an impact. It's more of an educated guess. Anything critical should be hand checked.

 

[ToMang07]

I have a midrange and a 1/4" Milwaukee impacts, I haven't had to break out the air guns since, been years now. I'd like a heavy but haven't needed it yet.

If you do go the Milwaukee route, get Fuel, brushless is way better.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I've decided I really need an impact wrench. I've never had one, but starting to see how much better and faster it is.

I think I've decided on a DeWalt, I have one of their battery chain saws and I like it.

Here's something I'm trying to decide: Do I need the most powerful for farm use? Here are 3 options:

1. Dewalt has a Mid-Range Impact with 600 ft-lbs of fastening and 800 breakaway-DCF891B-$215 Amazon or $250 at Home Depot
2. They also have a High Torque Impact Wrench with 1030 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway-DCF900B- $270 at Home Depot, but $225 at Amazon
3. Even better one with 1200 ft-lbs fastening and 1750 breakaway - DCF961B-$350

I would like to get your thoughts on which one I should get?
Is 1750 ft-lbs of breakaway substantially better than 1400?

Here's a couple of projects I had recently:
I had to replace the rear tire from my 1660 combine. When I put the new one back on, I didn't get the lug nights tight enough. Would I need the more powerful to do lug nuts on a tractor/combine/disk?
I need to replace the knives on a 863 corn head. Some of these bolts are very tight. Do I need the most powerful impact wrench to remove these?

It looks like the High Torque, with 1000/1400 is a better deal at $225.
The high end one is much more expensive, $350 (1200/1750)

What do you think? Is 1000/1400 enough for use on the farm/tractor/equipment? Or should I spend more, and get the better one for $350? I notice that this high-end one is kinda heavy.

Also, Can I set the correct torque on any impact wrenches, that I want it to tighten the nut to? I assume it would be possible/easy to get bolts too tight.

Check out the Torque Test Channel on youtube. They do controlled comparisons of the various impact wrenches on dynamometers, among other things.

The one thing that holds true across the board is, those insane torque number claims are always inflated. You'll never see 600, 1400, or 1750 ft-lbs in a real world scenario, but the 1750 will produce more torque than the 1400, which in turn will produce more than the 600. The ratings mean "more" not actual torque numbers.

The high torque model is probably adequate for your needs, and since you're already invested in Dewalt batteries, yellow is probably the right choice for you. Though as I recall rumors are that Dewalt is going to be coming out with a new "king of the hill" model, which will make the price tag on that $350 model drop quite a bit, so it may pay to wait a bit.

I'm still running an Earthquake XT battery impact from Harbor Freight. At the time it was one of the "big thumpers" and a good value, but Dewalt and Milwaukee prices have come down and the capabilities have gone up. Still works good, though. Just yesterday evening I used it to rattle loose some U-bolts on an old axle that everybody said would never come loose. Of course I cheated and heated the nuts cherry red with the torch first, but even then it took some rattling to get them moving. Once you have a battery impact, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

 

[Texasmark]

The high torque sounds like a better all round impact from your description.

I have 4 Milwaukee fuel impacts from the lightest to the strongest. I rarely tighten anything with the big one as it's too powerful. It's also heavy. The midrange one is my normal go to now.

You can't really torque anything with an impact. It's more of an educated guess. Anything critical should be hand checked.

I didn't mention it but I have several HF wrenches, including a pneumatic and electric 3/4". Agree on being heavy and I use the lightest one available with the half inch drive I mentioned used on most occasions. The electric is for remote locations where I don't have an air compressor handy.

On figuring torque, what the impact has taught me is if you want to loosen or tighten something with a common wrench, a smack with a hammer is what I use in difficult situations where it was or needs to be tight.

On torque specs, unless it's way above average, like a flywheel nut on an outboard, I torque with the pneumatic torque wrench. I run it down and let it hammer watching the socket rotate. When it stops rotating, I run half a dozen whacks and quit. Never had a broken bolt, or nut come loose since I had some concept of torque vs bolt/nut specs. back in the 1960 time line.

 

[kencombs]

The only advice I have is this: If you buy online, be sure the seller is a legit dealer. None of the tool companies will warranty tools bought from sources not recognized by the maker as a dealer. Just because it's from Amazon one cannot be sure of this. Look into actual seller.

This is true most things, not just tools. I guess it protects DeWalt and others from getting stuck with fixing broken tools that walked out the door at a retailer.

 

[Dean]

I've decided I really need an impact wrench. I've never had one, but starting to see how much better and faster it is.

I think I've decided on a DeWalt, I have one of their battery chain saws and I like it.

Here's something I'm trying to decide: Do I need the most powerful for farm use? Here are 3 options:

1. Dewalt has a Mid-Range Impact with 600 ft-lbs of fastening and 800 breakaway-DCF891B-$215 Amazon or $250 at Home Depot
2. They also have a High Torque Impact Wrench with 1030 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway-DCF900B- $270 at Home Depot, but $225 at Amazon
3. Even better one with 1200 ft-lbs fastening and 1750 breakaway - DCF961B-$350

I would like to get your thoughts on which one I should get?
Is 1750 ft-lbs of breakaway substantially better than 1400?

Here's a couple of projects I had recently:
I had to replace the rear tire from my 1660 combine. When I put the new one back on, I didn't get the lug nights tight enough. Would I need the more powerful to do lug nuts on a tractor/combine/disk?
I need to replace the knives on a 863 corn head. Some of these bolts are very tight. Do I need the most powerful impact wrench to remove these?

It looks like the High Torque, with 1000/1400 is a better deal at $225.
The high end one is much more expensive, $350 (1200/1750)

What do you think? Is 1000/1400 enough for use on the farm/tractor/equipment? Or should I spend more, and get the better one for $350? I notice that this high-end one is kinda heavy.

Also, Can I set the correct torque on any impact wrenches, that I want it to tighten the nut to? I assume it would be possible/easy to get bolts too tight.

Had one of the 1,200 Ft/lb units with battery, charger and case for $199 in my hand on black friday but dedided against it due to impending move.

 

[mark1955]

air is the only way to go for impact wrenches, the ratings on the battery operated wrenches, are overrated, on their specs, plus if you don't get the biggest battery out there, then the specs are all off. when battery is weak, so are the specs.

 

[sotxbill]

I've decided I really need an impact wrench. I've never had one, but starting to see how much better and faster it is.

I think I've decided on a DeWalt, I have one of their battery chain saws and I like it.

Here's something I'm trying to decide: Do I need the most powerful for farm use? Here are 3 options:

1. Dewalt has a Mid-Range Impact with 600 ft-lbs of fastening and 800 breakaway-DCF891B-$215 Amazon or $250 at Home Depot
2. They also have a High Torque Impact Wrench with 1030 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway-DCF900B- $270 at Home Depot, but $225 at Amazon
3. Even better one with 1200 ft-lbs fastening and 1750 breakaway - DCF961B-$350

I would like to get your thoughts on which one I should get?
Is 1750 ft-lbs of breakaway substantially better than 1400?

Here's a couple of projects I had recently:
I had to replace the rear tire from my 1660 combine. When I put the new one back on, I didn't get the lug nights tight enough. Would I need the more powerful to do lug nuts on a tractor/combine/disk?
I need to replace the knives on a 863 corn head. Some of these bolts are very tight. Do I need the most powerful impact wrench to remove these?

It looks like the High Torque, with 1000/1400 is a better deal at $225.
The high end one is much more expensive, $350 (1200/1750)

What do you think? Is 1000/1400 enough for use on the farm/tractor/equipment? Or should I spend more, and get the better one for $350? I notice that this high-end one is kinda heavy.

Also, Can I set the correct torque on any impact wrenches, that I want it to tighten the nut to? I assume it would be possible/easy to get bolts too tight.

I have several and... the 961 is too heavy for everyday work. Even the 900 is a bit heavy. I gave away my 891 and regret is as it was good for 98% of my work and was easy to use. But... there are always a couple times a year that I need the the "big boy". I have an 1" IR electric military impact that weighs almost as must a me, and it is used to remove shredder blade bolts that have been on for 60 years, and it either removes them or strips them. Seems some of those bolts/nuts are left handed. This tool was used to remove military duce and half lugs easily and it does. But it usually takes two people to operate it. The new dewalts have replace my ultrahd IR air impacts though. And the dewalts go with the big truck when we're hauling tractors or hay.

 

[UncleTom]

What ever inpact you buy, when putting wheels on always check with a torque wrench or breaker bar for tightness. I have seen too many rims come loose and shear all the lug nuts off and ruin everything.

 

[Fred Werring]

Got one of the Milwaukee 1400 M18 impacts. It's a beast. Actually tore a ligament in my wrist using it removing some lug nuts that hadn't been removed in 50 years.
But 99% of my impact wrench work is still done with my 19.2 volt 300 ft/lb rated Craftsman. So much lighter than the Milwaukee, and as long as it gets it done....

 

[caterpillar guy]

IF you are going to be working in a shop enviroment just get air impacts they will be around when those battery ones are in the junk and still going. I have a IR 1/2 inch 231 and an unbranded 1inch impact . I have had both for more than 20 years with the IR for closer to 30 years just need air for them.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

air is the only way to go for impact wrenches, the ratings on the battery operated wrenches, are overrated, on their specs, plus if you don't get the biggest battery out there, then the specs are all off. when battery is weak, so are the specs.

I agree, you need a good battery to get good performance out of your battery impact. That just means you shouldn't skimp on batteries.

Similar principles apply for your air impact. Your typical 3/8" air hose and 1/4" fittings won't supply enough air for doing much more than taking off lug nuts that the last guy tightened by hitting them with his purse. Yet, that's what most people try to run 3/4" and 1" impacts off of. Without a good power supply, they're all worthless.

The specs are ALL off, no matter how your impact is powered. Everyone is bragging on exaggerated numbers.

 

[Tony in SD]

I've decided I really need an impact wrench. I've never had one, but starting to see how much better and faster it is.

I think I've decided on a DeWalt, I have one of their battery chain saws and I like it.

Here's something I'm trying to decide: Do I need the most powerful for farm use? Here are 3 options:

1. Dewalt has a Mid-Range Impact with 600 ft-lbs of fastening and 800 breakaway-DCF891B-$215 Amazon or $250 at Home Depot
2. They also have a High Torque Impact Wrench with 1030 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway-DCF900B- $270 at Home Depot, but $225 at Amazon
3. Even better one with 1200 ft-lbs fastening and 1750 breakaway - DCF961B-$350

I would like to get your thoughts on which one I should get?
Is 1750 ft-lbs of breakaway substantially better than 1400?

Here's a couple of projects I had recently:
I had to replace the rear tire from my 1660 combine. When I put the new one back on, I didn't get the lug nights tight enough. Would I need the more powerful to do lug nuts on a tractor/combine/disk?
I need to replace the knives on a 863 corn head. Some of these bolts are very tight. Do I need the most powerful impact wrench to remove these?

It looks like the High Torque, with 1000/1400 is a better deal at $225.
The high end one is much more expensive, $350 (1200/1750)

What do you think? Is 1000/1400 enough for use on the farm/tractor/equipment? Or should I spend more, and get the better one for $350? I notice that this high-end one is kinda heavy.

Also, Can I set the correct torque on any impact wrenches, that I want it to tighten the nut to? I assume it would be possible/easy to get bolts too tight.

If I only had one, it would be the biggest one. However be very careful when tightening bolts. I usually snug the bolts with it impact then torque them by hand. I have multiple impacts from light duty angled ratcheting type 3/8" drive to heavy duty 1/2" drive and several in between. I rarely have need for something bigger but if I do my brother has a 3/4" air impact. Dewalts are fine and will probably last the rest of your life. However at work, we have switched to Milwaukee for the construction crews. They stand up much better and pass MSHA‘s strict rules easier. Which we need when working on a mine setting.

 

[Ericp351]

What Cat Guy said, above. And a 231 has ready re-build kits. Plug in OK for hobbyists, bat for sissies. Rock on- remember the Marvel Mystery Oil.