Great tool for any RV owner

[DaHose]

I don't know quite where to post this, but DIY seems most appropriate.

I recently read a great review of the Harbor Freight 1/2" cordless impact driver in Hot Rod magazine. Based on the high praise, I bought one and tested for myself by removing wheel nuts on my RV that are torqued to 160 ft/lb. One use validated the Hot Rod review. The HF tool feels solid and has a variable trigger, but is only available with NiCD batteries. However, that does not seem to limit its performance. The driver can be had for about $100 when on sale. Batteries charge in about 2.5 hours and only cost $15 on sale, so having a capable tool with multiple batteries would be possible for less than $150. Compared to other more well known brands with price tags in the $400+ range and batteries around $70, the HF model is an incredibly good bargain.

I do plan to buy at least one more battery for it and a charger that can live in the RV. That will let me keep it ready for use at home and travel.

Jose

[4x4van]

DaHose wrote:
I have the same experience as BurbMan. The HF Pittsburgh line of tools look/feel just as good as the Craftsman sold today. I have worked my HF wrenches HARD on my RV and they have been fantastic with no damage even to the finish. HF even honors a true lifetime, no hassle tool replacement on the pro-line of tools. Craftsman stopped honoring that policy years ago.

Jose

I, too, have had very good luck with HF hand tools, and I use them constantly, keeping 3 cars, 2 trucks, an RV, 3 jet skiis, 4 ATVs, 2 motorcycles, and 3 trailers up & running. I have a mix of many brands, acquired over the last 40 years, and have absolutely no hesitation when it comes to HF hand tools, although in my neck of the woods, Craftsman does still honor the lifetime, no-hassle replacement warranty on handtools. Replaced a 3/8 ratchet just last year that was starting to hang up a bit while ratcheting. Walked into a Sears handed them the ratchet, went to the rack and got the most similar new model, signed a quick form/receipt, and walked out.

Haven't tried the HF cordless tools, though I do have a significant colletion of Ryobi one+ tools. They've been good, but when the newer LiIon batteries run out of charge, they just suddenly, instantly stop (all 3 of mine are the same) while the older NiCads (4 of them) would slow down.

[DaHose]

I was surprised myself. Lithium tools are usually pretty powerful. The battery was fully charged and the tool was fresh out of a retail box. Pretty disappointing.

Jose

[0rion]

DaHose wrote:
Billy79 - I mentioned earlier that I have the Ryobi kit and bought the impact, but it was unable to remove lug nuts put on at 80 ft/lb. It just doesn't have the torque to do really heavy work.

The HF banged them off my RV with a few whacks and they were on at 160 ft/lb. If you want something that works for low dollars, the HF version is great. If you have money to spend, buy the Ingersoll Rand, Snap-On or Bosch.

Jose

in fairness to the tool though a lugnut on at 80 ft/lbs doesn't mean that it takes 80 ft/lbs to break them loose. I've had my air impact struggle with lug nuts. Rust, dirt, and several other factors play into that. That being said not all impacts are created equal. I would never buy a cheap one that was going to see extreme use or a lot of use. If you're just running stabilizer jacks down or something like that a cheap one would probably work just fine.
Another thing I would suggest is to buy impact sockets. A regular socket will break under enough torque....been there and done that myself.

[beemerphile1]

When talking about the different brands and comparing quality - make sure to compare apples to apples. An impact driver and impact wrench are NOT the same thing. An impact driver is for running screws while an impact wrench is for bolts/nuts.

[John___Angela]

Hmmm. Might be something wrong with that ryobi. Mine will put on and take off to 200 pounds. Interesting.

[DaHose]

Billy79 - I mentioned earlier that I have the Ryobi kit and bought the impact, but it was unable to remove lug nuts put on at 80 ft/lb. It just doesn't have the torque to do really heavy work.

The HF banged them off my RV with a few whacks and they were on at 160 ft/lb. If you want something that works for low dollars, the HF version is great. If you have money to spend, buy the Ingersoll Rand, Snap-On or Bosch.

Jose

[OH48Lt]

I found HF cordless tools to be OK, but like many have mentioned before, the weak point is the NiCad battery. One of the best out there are Milwaukee cordless and they have a nice selections in either 12V or 18V. Mine are all 18V Li-Ion, and they work flawlessly. We have a tool wholesaler nearby who runs his business out of a barn in the country, and he gives some outstanding deals on Milwaukee and DeWalt tools, so I got them at a good price.

For those of you who are concerned about torque values when tightening with an impact wrench, look into the torque bars, commonly called torque sticks. Not sure I would use them to torque a cylinder head, but for getting the proper torque on a lug nut, they work great. Here's a link to HF's set of torque bars:

Harbor Freight torque bars

[NAUTIQUE]

I get very aggravated with the damn battery powered tools!
Nice when they're charged, but I've always been told not to leave the batteries in the charger - so every time I need to use a tool for a quick repair the battery is dead and I have to wait for it to charge 😞
A few good "corded" tools for my garage are on the wish list.

[billy79]

Another +1 for Ryobi. I don't have the Ryobi impact wrench yet but do plan on getting it.

I have bought enough Ryobi tool packs and kits over the years that I know have 3 Ni-Cad batteries and 2 Ni-Cad only chargers and 2 Lithium Batteries and Lithium chargers.

As others have mentioned, the nice things is the backwards compatibility. You can use any of the batteries in any of the tools and charge the Ni-Cad's in the Lithium chargers.

[SCClockDr]

We have a 5 Gal oiless Craftsman Air Compressor ($17.00 Yard Sale) and a NAPA 1/2" air impact tool. 8 Years and still going strong. Have used these multiple times on the road to great effect both on our equipment and stranded fellow travelers.

[DaHose]

That is a very strong point. A NiCD battery is no bueno. At least they are cheap. I just need to get my hands on a spare so I can tinker. I tell ya. I have way more project ideas than I do time.

Jose

[Cummins12V98]

The batteries will always get you!

[DaHose]

The HF impact is not junk. It works as well as the Rigid or any other mid-price model. The difference is price and possibly duty cycle.

Price - The Rigid unit is $310 if you don't already have Rigid tools running the X4 batteries. At that price, I will buy a true production shop level product for the $500 price tag.

Duty Cycle - If you earn your living with the tool, I can't say if the HF unit will survive the production environment or not. I know the Snap-On and Bosch units will .... at a cost of over $500.

If you have not held and used the HF unit, then you need to. HF cordless tools absolutely can be of VERY low quality and the previous model felt and looked very cheap. This new model of 1/2" impact does not feel cheap and I am extremely happy with it. I still intend to see what I can do about giving the batteries an upgrade though. I like the idea of longer run time.


If you get creative with your beam wrench, you could add a buzzer or light that could be set to specific torque numbers.

Jose

[SlowBro]

Lynnmor wrote:

cdevidal wrote:
Thanks. I see you have a click wrench. Is a bending beam wrench to be avoided when tightening lugnuts?

I currently have a beam style wrench but I've never seemed to understand how it works. Seems like nuts jerk when being tightened, not a smooth turn, thus I can't seem to get a good reading as the needle is bouncing all over the place while the nut jerks. On my TODO list is to read more and watch videos, or buy a click style wrench.

A bending beam works just fine. The clicker is for convenience. The best way to torque a fastener is to take the reading while the wrench is still in motion. Once stopped, stiction needs to be overcome causing the jerks you mentioned.

THANK YOU!! I've never seen that explained anywhere.

Do I want to attach by tape a small stopper on my desired poundage, so I don't have to watch it?