Looking for some electric impact wrench information. I am a fan of DeWalt for this situation only because I already have some electric portable drill and impact drivers and they came with two smaller batteries. DeWalt makes some great portable tools now with the 20v system. Just because I saw the black Friday sale I went ahead and picked up a combo deal at home depot. It was the DeWalt 3/8" Impact Wrench and two 5.0ah batteries for $199. I figured the batteries already worked with my cordless and impact driver might as well get an impact wrench (3/8" impact wrench alone is $170 without any batteries). I was a little worried about 3/8" but I figured I would give it a try.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-2...-2CK/300620173

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-2...890B/301274922

Well I have to say, I love this thing but it isn't really powerful enough to remove the lugs or the skids from the JK. I didn't think it would be able to but I also figured many guys are just cracking these bolts with a breaker anyway and just using the impact wrench to remove them. The million dollar question is should I return the 3/8" kit and get the heavy duty 1/2" kit

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-2...99M1/206387892

The 1/2" high torque model DCF899M1 seems to be able to break any bolt that may be rusted shut, it can do lugs and skids and that kit is $250. So for $50 more (returning the 3/8" kit with batteries) I can get the actual kit that can do the lugs and skids which are the most annoying sometimes when getting started on a job. The other issue I have with this model is that it is a Detent Pin. They do sell a Hog Ring model but it is the tool only and no batteries. If I were interested in getting the Hog Ring model, I would have to keep the batteries and the 3/8" kit since the hog ring is tool only. Total investment would be over $500 for two impact wrenches 1/2" and 3/8". So I have been reading about Hog Ring and apparently I would want this model since I don't really have impact sockets but rather mechanics tool sockets that I plan on using on an impact wrench (yes I know this isn't the smartest move). Detent pin only works with impact sockets and locks them on so they cant spin off.

Any advice here? I knew I should have stayed home on black Friday. But I do work on the jeep almost every weekend and my girl has a WJ so there is plenty of wrenching to be done. My gut feeling tells me the 3//8" is all that I need but if I wanted to I could go with the 1/2" Detent kit and call it a day at $250.I could afford to get all of it which would be 1/2 impact (hog ring), 3/8 impact two 5 Ah batteries for a total of $450. Still a pretty solid black friday deal.

 

I am partial to the Makita tools, all of the dewalt battery powered tools always had batteries die quickly. From what I have read they have improved immensely in the last few years though. I have a 1/2" makita impact gun and contemplated getting a 3/8" impact but I just use my 1/4 impact driver with a socket bit.

If you already invested in the dewalt battery system I would try it out. If the batteries are not compatible I would also check out the makita or Milwaukee systems as both have top rated battery powered impact guns as well as some other great tools.

 

My father was also a makita guy along with many contractor friends. I'm already into the Dewalt battery system so i wanted to stay there. Home depot was able to price match the Hog ring 1/2" for me so I got a great deal on that. Now it just depends on if I want to keep the 3/8" or not and the two batteries it comes with. I guess its a good investment but I really went into home depot for the $99 cordless drill. I can't believe I got sucked into "needing" all the rest but I have to say I am looking forward to speeding up some of these jobs and there is some pretty good sales right now. Doing it by hand really sucks and I've had access to pneumatic tools at my shop but there is current construction and I can't get my JK around back for a year or two while they build. Just something to pull the lugs and skids is pretty nice for the driveway.

Interesting thought if you use the 1/4 impact driver as the 3/8 impact wrench. I suppose they are pretty much the same things

 

The 1/2" is what you want for big stuff. I don't know that the 3/8" is really worth it over the 1/4" quick connect that you can slap a 3/8" socket adapter in. The 1/4" drive impact is my go-to for almost everything. It does everything well except big nuts and bolts. Aside from those, it's easily the most used tool in my arsenal. I'd trade that 3/8 drive impact in for the 1/4" and you have the best of both worlds.

 

I have done countless tire rotations as well as a 2.5" lift with just hand tools. I have air tools since I was a teen but didnt get a compressor until a few months ago. The saving grace was my 1/4" impact driver. I do a lot of home renos and I pretty much use that exclusively unless I am drilling.

I had been eyeing the makita impact gun and finally broke down and got one when the new one came out. It makes tire rotation so much better. Zip the lugs off change the tire, hand thread then zip them back on with the gun set to low then torque with the torque wrench.

If you don't have a good drill and a good impact driver I would return the 3/8 and put the money toward that. I have 5 of the 3ah batteries. I usually look for a new makita tool when they have deals to get a free battery.

 

Lol great. I got the 1/4" impact driver with the cordless drill. That's why I was sticking with DeWallt Brand. I owned it already a few days ago. But since the 1/2" comes solo gun only and no batteries (if you want the hog ring model) so I had to get 2 batteries for it anyway and figured if I needed batteries might as well do the two 5 ah batteries so I could get the free 3/8" driver.

All I know is Im happy with the purchase but way over spent and got a few things I didn't need because I tried to beat the pricing on cordless powerdrill market. It's like trying to win at black jack at the casino.

I had no idea you could use the 1/4 Impact Driver for all that other stuff. I guess I will just have all 3 now.

 

Do you think a single 3.0ah battery would be enough to do a tire rotation with the 1/2" drive or would it be able to do all the lugs and then need a battery charge for putting them back on? I only got a 5.0ah battery because I figured with the 1/.2" drive you would really need it. It seems like it would suck up a lot of juice.

 

My 3ah battery has more than enough juice for multiple tire rotations. I honestly never drained it down using the 1/2 drive. They really don't take much power to loosen lugs. You could probably use a half dead battery and still not have issues. I would say where a good charged higher amp hour battery might help is loosening a bunch of suspension components. The 3ah battery has been more than adequate for most of my uses. The only reason I have thought about getting a set of 5ah batteries is for when I use my palm sander and circular saw. Those drain the batteries pretty quick. I plan to get a router soon so that maybe the time to get a kit so I can upgrade.

 

Ok this is good info to know. I wanted the 5ah batteries only because i figured having a strong battery base for a lot of the other tools I may get in the future was important. I figured 5 was a little overkill but it definitely sounds like it is for sure. after hearing about the 3's.

 

Also, having just a few batteries in rotation means you never really run out, the one on the charger will be done before the rest run out.

Sounds like you have all the right tools now. My 20v stuff has all been running since I bought it which was so long ago I can't remember, and that includes every single battery. That 1/4" impact driver is like cheating for setting long screws and lag bolts. It's also nice to have a small impact to loosen screws and small bolts where the impact helps keep the heads from stripping. The control is fine enough that you can turn down even small screws and knock them tight with one or two light snaps of the impact drive. I use the drill for drilling holes and the impact for everything else.