The Wrencher

Purchasing an impact wrench is a good move towards equipping your toolkit for any do-it-yourself project. A large and rusty bolt can actually be the biggest frustration in any construction project. Most technicians, professionals and amateurs alike, have spent an inordinate length of time trying to remove a fixing which does not complement their work. Such a problem not only eats away hours and minutes on the clock but also gnarls hands as well as tools. Injuries, lost tools and wasted time can all be avoided through the use of an impact wrench.

This is a torquing tool which is designed to remove difficult bolts and nuts without much effort. It can be good for both home hobbyists as well as professional mechanics because it gets jobs done more precisely and efficiently. This buying guide covers the basics of the tool, inclusive of the features that you should look for in a good tool.

1. Size of the Air Compressor

This is perhaps the most important consideration to make when looking for a brand new impact wrench. Conventionally, an air compressor is the source of power. If there is a shortage of air pressure, therefore, even the most expensive and powerful wrench in the market will not offer services to its potential.

To ensure that you have purchased a wrench whose air compressor will suit your needs, look at its air consumption, which is normally measured in cubic feet per minute. If your compressor is able to provide air at 90 psi, which is actually the minimum amount of pressure needed for your wrench to function fully, then be assured of a good tool. Anything faster than this is actually rated above "good". Anything less than this value implies that you will lose efficiency because your wrench will be consuming more pressure than your compressor can actually provide.

2. Size of the Drive

There is also a need to look at the size of a drive that your impact wrench would require. Most buyers are often convinced that the bigger the size, the better. However, this is not always the case. You actually don’t need a one-inch impact wrench to loosen a bolt as small as 10-mm. On the other hand, it should not be any less in relation to the bolts and nuts that you will be working on.

When buying the impact wrench, therefore, take time to study a majority of the bolts and nuts that you will be working on. Find all the impact sockets in that size and discover the size drive that they are available in. Once you have established this, get the drive size which fits best the size of sockets that you will be working with.

3. Power

A major mistake that most buyers make is underestimating the amount of power that they will need. Take an example of simple and everyday practices such as taking a nut off the wheels of your car. Most manufacturers will recommend 80-140 ft-lbs. Even with this limitation, some people will opt to play safe by getting the maximum working torque. As such, you find people going for a wrench that has 220 ft-lbs.

You need to take into consideration other factors such as weathering and rust which make the nuts hard to come off. For light trucks and cars, therefore, it will be reasonable enough if you go for a wrench with a maximum torque of about 400-500 pounds.

If you have other uses besides taking off lag nuts, you will first need to find out the recommended torque rating before adding a margin of safety factor so that you adequately take care of the difference between working torque and maximum torque.

4. Brand

Although it is not so much of the essence, never forget the brand. Buying branded tools has always been recommended because with them, durability is assured. A reputable brand will often strive to give the best to buyers in a bid to retain them. However, it is should not be too much of a consideration, especially when you have considered the three most important things.

In summary, an impact wrench is needed by both professional mechanics and ordinary individuals. Before you head over to our reviews section to select your Impact Wrench, however, it is good to remind yourself of the things that are expected in a wrench which is likely to give you value for your money.