What 1/2" impact driver? Sub £200 ideally
Discussion
I've decided I need a 1/2" drive impact gun... I'm fed up undoing wheel bolts plus I currently have a 21mm lower suspension bolt that is putting up a fight.
I'm a DeWalt fanboy but starting at £200 plus battery... that's maybe stretching my imaginary budget. However, just been in Halfords and they have an 18v 450Nm Einhell unit with 4.0ah battery at £140... but some reviews suggest it'll struggle with your average 140lb/ft wheel bolt.
Also found Mellif... they have a 1100Nm unit that uses DeWalt batteries, it's £79.99 which is temptingly cheap for hobby use but again, aware that some brands claim big power but fail to deliver. That plus a DeWalt 5.0Ah battery would be about £130 which doesn't seem too bad... 5yr warranty, apparently.
Any others thoughts before I literally pull the trigger as the cool kids say? I know you get what you say for but I can't justify several hundred quids worth of Snap On or Milwaukee hence looking for a solid, budget friendly option.
Or any arguments for or against the Mellif unit as on paper, it's seems like a pretty good buy.
For context, I have a DeWalt impact driver, the smaller hex bit driver and it's fine for light jobs but this is for those "Right, f**k you!!!" jobs like stubborn wheel nuts, subframe bolts and suspension parts.
I'm a DeWalt fanboy but starting at £200 plus battery... that's maybe stretching my imaginary budget. However, just been in Halfords and they have an 18v 450Nm Einhell unit with 4.0ah battery at £140... but some reviews suggest it'll struggle with your average 140lb/ft wheel bolt.
Also found Mellif... they have a 1100Nm unit that uses DeWalt batteries, it's £79.99 which is temptingly cheap for hobby use but again, aware that some brands claim big power but fail to deliver. That plus a DeWalt 5.0Ah battery would be about £130 which doesn't seem too bad... 5yr warranty, apparently.
Any others thoughts before I literally pull the trigger as the cool kids say? I know you get what you say for but I can't justify several hundred quids worth of Snap On or Milwaukee hence looking for a solid, budget friendly option.
Or any arguments for or against the Mellif unit as on paper, it's seems like a pretty good buy.
For context, I have a DeWalt impact driver, the smaller hex bit driver and it's fine for light jobs but this is for those "Right, f**k you!!!" jobs like stubborn wheel nuts, subframe bolts and suspension parts.
Edited by Davie on Thursday 5th March 19:55
Dewalt DCF921N - 610nm compact impact wrench.
It's big brother (899) is fantastic, but there are places you just can't get it. This is smaller, more convenient and enough torque for most jobs.
Of course, there are some jobs that you just need power and lots of it (e.g. hub nuts) and for that you want the big one. But the cheaper alternatives you've suggested won't be any better for that. And at that point, when you've got a bolt you can't get off any other way - spending another £200 on the big one will feel like a bargain compared to paying someone to do the work.
It's big brother (899) is fantastic, but there are places you just can't get it. This is smaller, more convenient and enough torque for most jobs.
Of course, there are some jobs that you just need power and lots of it (e.g. hub nuts) and for that you want the big one. But the cheaper alternatives you've suggested won't be any better for that. And at that point, when you've got a bolt you can't get off any other way - spending another £200 on the big one will feel like a bargain compared to paying someone to do the work.
I got one one of these Sealey 650NM jobbies, nearly got a Ryobi one, but this was recommended. Was same price at the time & more power & better brushless motor.
No complaints, much more grunt than my cheapo China special, but that was £25 odd so not a fair comparison.
I don't really believe the torque fig tho. I had some bits on my 4x4 it wouldn't undo, but I could with my big 1m bar, not sure I'm getting near 500lb ft & not using huge power with that? Using a lot I'd muscle then yes probably.
https://dvspowertools.co.uk/shop/power-tools/cordl...
No complaints, much more grunt than my cheapo China special, but that was £25 odd so not a fair comparison.
I don't really believe the torque fig tho. I had some bits on my 4x4 it wouldn't undo, but I could with my big 1m bar, not sure I'm getting near 500lb ft & not using huge power with that? Using a lot I'd muscle then yes probably.
https://dvspowertools.co.uk/shop/power-tools/cordl...
I’ve got this kit, I have abused it for years and I m very happy with it, i went for the two 4amp hour batteries.
Theres not a lot it won’t move, its taken off pretty much anything a landrover threw at it and I’ve stripped and rebuilt the front of my MINI one one charge
https://www.kielder.co/collections/1-2-mid-torque-...
Theres not a lot it won’t move, its taken off pretty much anything a landrover threw at it and I’ve stripped and rebuilt the front of my MINI one one charge
https://www.kielder.co/collections/1-2-mid-torque-...
Edited by haggi on Thursday 5th March 21:00
I use Milwaukee professionally and they are fantastic. Even the smaller 12v ones have amazing power for such small units.
Personally I'd look at them, even if you went secondhand. The less powerful 12v ones are less than £200 including a 2ah battery. I use the 12v daily for wheel lugs but move up to the 18v ones for some of the tougher suspension parts and crankcase bolts etc.
The bare units are less than £140 leaving enough to get a battery easy under £200.
Personally I'd look at them, even if you went secondhand. The less powerful 12v ones are less than £200 including a 2ah battery. I use the 12v daily for wheel lugs but move up to the 18v ones for some of the tougher suspension parts and crankcase bolts etc.
The bare units are less than £140 leaving enough to get a battery easy under £200.
I'ver literally just ordered this
https://www.diy.com/departments/cordless-half-elec...
If you're willing to wait 4-7 days then I'll let you know how it gets on with my subframe nuts and corroded suspension bits and pieces. 1000NM for £40
https://www.diy.com/departments/cordless-half-elec...
If you're willing to wait 4-7 days then I'll let you know how it gets on with my subframe nuts and corroded suspension bits and pieces. 1000NM for £40
I would always try and spend a bit more and go big or go home.
I have a Ryobi version and it will struggle to crack tight wheel nuts which is a bit lame really, its a very handy tool I would not be without though to be honest.
I have been meaning to test what it rattles wheel nuts up to torque wise just to check if i need to break out the torque wrench afterwards or just trust the impact.
I may look at a gruntier one soon but ideally would like to stay with the batteries I have, mine isn`t brushless from memory.
I have a Ryobi version and it will struggle to crack tight wheel nuts which is a bit lame really, its a very handy tool I would not be without though to be honest.
I have been meaning to test what it rattles wheel nuts up to torque wise just to check if i need to break out the torque wrench afterwards or just trust the impact.
I may look at a gruntier one soon but ideally would like to stay with the batteries I have, mine isn`t brushless from memory.
If you like Dewalt then just commit yourself and buy into their line.
Personally I'm another Milwaukee fan boy. The M12 mid torque stubby is a beast of a gun and can get into spots most other similar rated impacts won't. At £140 for the bare tool it's hard to beat
Whatever colour tool you go for once you've made the initial outlay for a battery or two, it's just sensible man maths to purchase additional tools to justify that cost!
Personally I'm another Milwaukee fan boy. The M12 mid torque stubby is a beast of a gun and can get into spots most other similar rated impacts won't. At £140 for the bare tool it's hard to beat
Whatever colour tool you go for once you've made the initial outlay for a battery or two, it's just sensible man maths to purchase additional tools to justify that cost!
If you haven't already, just buy the DeWalt impact gun with 2 x 5Ah batteries and charger.
Then just add DeWalt bare tools later to share the same batteries.
I've got the impact gun, impact driver, hammer drill driver, torch and grass strimmer all from DeWalt now, built that lot up over a year.
It works out much easier/better in the long run, and maybe cheaper than lots of different cheaper sets.
Then just add DeWalt bare tools later to share the same batteries.
I've got the impact gun, impact driver, hammer drill driver, torch and grass strimmer all from DeWalt now, built that lot up over a year.
It works out much easier/better in the long run, and maybe cheaper than lots of different cheaper sets.
TBH I did the same, first purchase was a brushless drill with charger & 2 x batteries.
A few years later when my corded circular saw went I got a bare one.
Then got a REAL stroke of luck at work.
Changed job & at the new place everything was HAVS registered & it was easier to replace them rather than get the recalibrated & inspected.
Over the next year a right angle drill, recip saw, spare drill, impact driver all came my way, fully legit out of the scrap bin & approved by management.
A few years later when my corded circular saw went I got a bare one.
Then got a REAL stroke of luck at work.
Changed job & at the new place everything was HAVS registered & it was easier to replace them rather than get the recalibrated & inspected.
Over the next year a right angle drill, recip saw, spare drill, impact driver all came my way, fully legit out of the scrap bin & approved by management.
Budget creep threat incoming I fear.
Have just borrowed a mates Milwaukee M18 CHIWF 12... though oddly Google doesn't say much about it so no idea what it's rated at but it's got a 5.0Ah battery with it and weighs a ton. So, it'll be interesting to see how it copes with this shock absorber bolt this evening. Though the issue is, that's possibly like borrowing an Audi RS6 to try for the weekend when you're thinking about buying a 2.0TDi so it may cloud my judgement.
Plenty to go on based on the above through... I think I'm just worried that I buy something then it struggles to rattled off VW Transporter wheel bolts or similar. So it be a case that to much is better than not enough so yes, maybe I need to deploy a bit of man maths here. I'd probably rather stay with DeWalt if that's the case, more so as I have a few DeWalt tools already and a few batteries... though I'd need to invest in a 5.0Ah, which I really need to do anyways for the circular saw I have.
If it was say a sub £150 gun, all in with batteries that was more than enough then I'd go with that... but anything over that, I probably need to future proof and so going with DeWalt or at least something that can run DeWalt batteries probably makes more sense. Though DeWalt 1/2" guns plus 5AH battery is up to the sort of £300 to £350 mark and that's making my heart rate function on my watch a bit nervous.
Have just borrowed a mates Milwaukee M18 CHIWF 12... though oddly Google doesn't say much about it so no idea what it's rated at but it's got a 5.0Ah battery with it and weighs a ton. So, it'll be interesting to see how it copes with this shock absorber bolt this evening. Though the issue is, that's possibly like borrowing an Audi RS6 to try for the weekend when you're thinking about buying a 2.0TDi so it may cloud my judgement.
Plenty to go on based on the above through... I think I'm just worried that I buy something then it struggles to rattled off VW Transporter wheel bolts or similar. So it be a case that to much is better than not enough so yes, maybe I need to deploy a bit of man maths here. I'd probably rather stay with DeWalt if that's the case, more so as I have a few DeWalt tools already and a few batteries... though I'd need to invest in a 5.0Ah, which I really need to do anyways for the circular saw I have.
If it was say a sub £150 gun, all in with batteries that was more than enough then I'd go with that... but anything over that, I probably need to future proof and so going with DeWalt or at least something that can run DeWalt batteries probably makes more sense. Though DeWalt 1/2" guns plus 5AH battery is up to the sort of £300 to £350 mark and that's making my heart rate function on my watch a bit nervous.
You need to commit to a brand and it sounds like for you its Dewalt as you already have the basics, then you simply build it up with the bare units over time.
I personally wouldn't go for a cheap Chinese one, you will initially be happy, but over the longer term, building around one brand and set of batteries is the way to go.
I'm Milwaukee through and through, but there isn't really one 'go to' tool that does everything. I have a massive 1" impact but honestly it just breaks and strips things, apart from the occasional pig of a crank pulley bolt, so it's not just power that you need to think about. Even though I have a full set of impacts, I still crack wheel lugs with a breaker first and then spin them off, and the same on tightening otherwise you are going to strip things and regret it.
Without a doubt my M12 stubby is the most used tool as its got grunt, and most importantly fits into more places, the larger more powerful ones simply don't fit in most places.
You need to think what suits you best in what you want to use it for, commit to a brand, then over time build the collection with bare units without having to buy the batteries.
Go Yellow or go Red, they are the sensible choices. (Go Red, they are better!!
)
I personally wouldn't go for a cheap Chinese one, you will initially be happy, but over the longer term, building around one brand and set of batteries is the way to go.
I'm Milwaukee through and through, but there isn't really one 'go to' tool that does everything. I have a massive 1" impact but honestly it just breaks and strips things, apart from the occasional pig of a crank pulley bolt, so it's not just power that you need to think about. Even though I have a full set of impacts, I still crack wheel lugs with a breaker first and then spin them off, and the same on tightening otherwise you are going to strip things and regret it.
Without a doubt my M12 stubby is the most used tool as its got grunt, and most importantly fits into more places, the larger more powerful ones simply don't fit in most places.
You need to think what suits you best in what you want to use it for, commit to a brand, then over time build the collection with bare units without having to buy the batteries.
Go Yellow or go Red, they are the sensible choices. (Go Red, they are better!!
) If you already have Dewalt stuff anyway, get their 899 (which is what I use), from BuyAParcel on Ebay. With the 10% code on right now, it should be £175 delivered.
Have bought from them before on a similar deal.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365597685687
There will be some stuff where it'll struggle and I need to get the big breaker bar out, but not often.
Have bought from them before on a similar deal.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365597685687
There will be some stuff where it'll struggle and I need to get the big breaker bar out, but not often.
williamp said:
I'ver literally just ordered this
https://www.diy.com/departments/cordless-half-elec...
If you're willing to wait 4-7 days then I'll let you know how it gets on with my subframe nuts and corroded suspension bits and pieces. 1000NM for £40
I'm more likely to fly to the moon on a moped than that having 1000nm. Perhaps 200/250.https://www.diy.com/departments/cordless-half-elec...
If you're willing to wait 4-7 days then I'll let you know how it gets on with my subframe nuts and corroded suspension bits and pieces. 1000NM for £40
I have a cheapie one, smaller than my big un so v handy for stuff & will still crack car wheel nuts off, but they don't have big power figs.
I decided to upgrade this morning, the battery isn`t really free but its a step up from what I have for sensible money and I needed a battery anyway. (thats what i told her)
https://uk.ryobitools.eu/power-tools/drilling-and-...
https://uk.ryobitools.eu/power-tools/drilling-and-...
I've maybe set myself up to fail here but just ordered £79.99 plus postage worth of Mellif 1/2" impact gun... which, somehow became £62.99 delivered with an iffy discount code applied.
Upside, it uses DeWalt batteries... I'll buy a 5Ah one, need one anyway for my circular saw that destroys the 2Ah ones in a natter of seconds. So call it £40 for one if those.
I'm not holding my breath but might be pleasantly surprised!
Upside, it uses DeWalt batteries... I'll buy a 5Ah one, need one anyway for my circular saw that destroys the 2Ah ones in a natter of seconds. So call it £40 for one if those.
I'm not holding my breath but might be pleasantly surprised!
Davie said:
I've maybe set myself up to fail here but just ordered £79.99 plus postage worth of Mellif 1/2" impact gun... which, somehow became £62.99 delivered with an iffy discount code applied.
Upside, it uses DeWalt batteries... I'll buy a 5Ah one, need one anyway for my circular saw that destroys the 2Ah ones in a natter of seconds. So call it £40 for one if those.
I'm not holding my breath but might be pleasantly surprised!
I've never heard of that brand, but hopefully it will be OK for you.Upside, it uses DeWalt batteries... I'll buy a 5Ah one, need one anyway for my circular saw that destroys the 2Ah ones in a natter of seconds. So call it £40 for one if those.
I'm not holding my breath but might be pleasantly surprised!
If it doesn't have enough power then i can recommend the DeWalt 891. I bought one to replace a Parkside impact wrench that just didn't have enough oomph to remove stubborn nut.
I've just used the 891 to undo all the suspension mounts on my car and it had no problems undoing anything - wishbones, driveshafts, hub nuts... The only thing i haven't tried it on yet is a crank pulley.
Davie said:
I've maybe set myself up to fail here but just ordered £79.99 plus postage worth of Mellif 1/2" impact gun... which, somehow became £62.99 delivered with an iffy discount code applied.
Upside, it uses DeWalt batteries... I'll buy a 5Ah one, need one anyway for my circular saw that destroys the 2Ah ones in a natter of seconds. So call it £40 for one if those.
I'm not holding my breath but might be pleasantly surprised!
So, it arrived... and I'm actually quite amazed. Upside, it uses DeWalt batteries... I'll buy a 5Ah one, need one anyway for my circular saw that destroys the 2Ah ones in a natter of seconds. So call it £40 for one if those.
I'm not holding my breath but might be pleasantly surprised!
Ordered it late on Sunday ight via the Mellif website, had an order acknowledgement first thing Monday morning, dispatched that afternoon and was sat on my kitchen table by midday on Tuesday courtesy of the Royal Mail. First impressions are that it seems as robust and solid as my DeWalt stuff, feels nigh on the same to hold / operate. Used DeWalt batteries though currently, I've only got 2Ah ones but gave it a go anyway - even dialled up to max it wouldn't take a wheel nut off my Transporter, but being fair they're likely overtightened so will back them off, retorque and try again with a bigger battery.
So far, pretty impressed for £62.99 delivered though I suspect it'll not be manly enough to buzz off hub nuts and crank bolts... but then again I can count on one hand how many times I've had to do that over the past few years, more so on the driveway.
haggi said:
I ve got this kit, I have abused it for years and I m very happy with it, i went for the two 4amp hour batteries.
Theres not a lot it won t move, its taken off pretty much anything a landrover threw at it and I ve stripped and rebuilt the front of my MINI one one charge
https://www.kielder.co/collections/1-2-mid-torque-...
I've had one of these for nearly 10 years now and would agree, they are excellent.Theres not a lot it won t move, its taken off pretty much anything a landrover threw at it and I ve stripped and rebuilt the front of my MINI one one charge
https://www.kielder.co/collections/1-2-mid-torque-...
Edited by haggi on Thursday 5th March 21:00
Glad you're enjoying the purchase OP.
The biggest benefit of impact wrenches for me is the lack of reaction torque. It doesn't just mean breaking loose tight nuts, but also breaking loose/tightening things that would spin if you relied on torque alone.
Get yourself some wobble sockets, UJs and extensions. Yes they reduce the torque at the fastener but sometimes make the difference between being able to use the tool for the job and not. Torque isn't useful if you can't reach the nut.
The biggest benefit of impact wrenches for me is the lack of reaction torque. It doesn't just mean breaking loose tight nuts, but also breaking loose/tightening things that would spin if you relied on torque alone.
Get yourself some wobble sockets, UJs and extensions. Yes they reduce the torque at the fastener but sometimes make the difference between being able to use the tool for the job and not. Torque isn't useful if you can't reach the nut.
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