Hey guys looking to finally get some use out of my new compressor now that it's getting fixed. I need to get an impact gun first and for most. Looking for something decent but nothing insaine. What's a good torque that I should lOok for, for my home shop use. I do not know much about air tools and having been looking at habor freights where the guns range from like 20$ to alot lol the high price guns all have higher torque setting obv. So how high is really needed. For instance I will be doing my springs this weekend and the occasion frozen exhaust bolt thats frozen and needs to be shocked off when doing a clutch job but had no air tools so stripped the nut and spent next 2 hours drilling and cutting no bueno lol. Also what are a few size sockets to grab off the bat? Deff a 19 for the lugs then figure a 17 anything smaller air ratchet in the future will do. Thanks guys

 

i use harbor freight had no probs yet, just make sure you oil it before use everytime. they also have an impact socket set thats cheap and it has all the necesary sizes.if your looking for better quality try blue point its snap ons japanese sister brand, i also have some of their impact tools, but they are much more expensive than harbor. g/l

 

This is the case where time and penetrant lube would have done some good. If you have a frozen nut, an impact wrench is likely to shear the bolt. Brute force isn't always the best thing for working on your car.

I have 2 guns (elec and air) and 99% of the time I use them for the convienence and speed of removing lug nuts. The rest of the time good old muscle is all it takes to get something loose. If you can't get it loose with 150-200 ft-lbs of manual force, then there's probably something else going on.

 

PB Blaster FTW

I have some cheap harbor freight tools and I just keep my receipts. Whenever my lowprofile jack breaks (once every year or so, I just go get a new one.

I also have some really expensive craftsmen air tools that have never seemed to work right..what gives?

 

Cool thanks for the updates guys and I guess i was trying to say something that strong. Not looking to sheer the bolts but it will deff be easier with the gun then on my back lol. N yup love that pb blaster

So is a gun that only goes up to 200ft/lbs sufficient? They were like 20$ I was looking at ones that were around 3-400ft/lbs torque for around 50-60?

Would love to save some coin put towards sockets not exactly to rockafella these days but don't really wanna waste money on cheap stuff any more. But hell for 20$ if works for few jobs I'm stoked. Thanks as always guys

 

For most things, 250 ft-lbs is more than enough. I've seen things like the rear axle nut that a 250 ft-lb gun wouldn't budge and had to borrow an industrial strength 650 ft-lb to get loose, but that's really the exception. H-F has cheap impact sockets.

with cheap guns, electric will probably work up to 150 ft-lbs, maybe 250 ft-lbs on air.

 

Cool thanks I'll look ask for one around 250 then fig if I ever need something crazy I borrow one of my mechanic buddies was just looking for the all around stuff thanks again

 

Yeah careful using the gun on exhaust bolts, if they're rusty or old in any way, the gun with round them off like crazy. Heat and hand ratchets work good on that kinda thing.

 

IIRC, the Berk HFC install instructions explicitly warn against using a impact wrench on the exhaust bolts because of the ease in which they can be snapped.

 

I only use air tools when installing (not removing) exhaust bolts. I usually wreck the old ones to get them out anyway.

 

Do yourself a favor and buy a lower grade ingersoll-rand impact gun (300 ft/lbs). I've had one for 7 years, rarely lubricate it, and I've never run into anything it could break loose (or snap off).

PB Blaster is a god sent for exhaust fastners.

Keep in mind air tools are only as good as the compressor powering them.

Good luck on your hunt.