AIRCAT 1150 Review: The Best Corded Impact Wrench on the Market?
That’s quite a title. We think that the AIRCAT 1150 is the best corded impact wrench on the market, and we’ll explain why below. (If you think we’re crazy, realize that the 1150 is the #1 best seller on Amazon in the corded impact wrench category… that’s how we first discovered it.)
Knowing your tools is essential – and not just the specs. The specs are easy to find. The real question you have to ask yourself when purchasing a tool is this:
Is this tool right for me?
In this case, we’ll go over the AIRCAT 1150 in-depth, and by the end, you’ll know if it’s for you beyond a shadow of a doubt. If you’re considering the 1150 (or any impact wrench in general), you’re going to want to read this all of the way through.
AIRCAT 1150 at a glance
Let’s go over the specs (in a more organized fashion than the product page) so that you don’t waste your time.
●Power: 1,295 feet-pound of loosening torque to handle even the bigger jobs
●Speed: 1,400 blows per minute, which is the fastest Twin Hammer ½” impact wrench on the market (between both cordless and corded impact wrenches)
●Length: 7.5 inches, which is pretty standard for this price range
●Price: $171.35 (click here to view current price) (there are also other sellers on Amazon who offer even lower prices than AirCat itself does)
●Weight: just 4.5 pounds, which is very light, even when you’re looking at only corded impact wrenches
●Reviews: 4.5 stars overall on Amazon, with 186 out of 230 reviews being 5-star (click here to read all of the 5-star and 1-star reviews)
Okay, now that we’re done with the logistics, let’s move onto what separates the AirCat 1150 from its competitors. After all, a decent amount of other impact wrenches can claim specs similar to the above list.
What makes the AirCat 1150 unique
Let’s start with its sound
Chances are, you’re going to be using your impact wrench quite a bit. And when you use it, chances are that your ears are going to be within inches of it…
…if you have an impact wrench that sounds like Zeus casting 10,000 lightning bolts down at once, you’re going to have a bad time. It’s not the end of the world – tools are loud – but getting a loud one is without a doubt an annoyance.
AirCat recognizes this – they made “quiet technology” (seriously, it says that on the official page) and then patented it.
The result of this patent is despite the killer specs on it, the AirCat 1150 only outputs 86 db of sound at its maximum setting. For reference, that’s like you’re sitting in a car in a busy city and listening to the traffic go by. It’s loud, but it’s not deafening.
Moving on…
Its motor is just… better
There’s no real way to put it – because the motor is 15% larger than comparable impact wrenches, the AirCat 1150 can output more power. You see the result of this in the specs, and despite its enhanced motor, AirCat continues to price it very reasonably.
Comparable to models in the $400 range
Another common name in the world of tools is SnapOn. The model the company makes that’s similar to the 1150 is right around $460.
If you go to the review page, you’ll see countless reviewers speaking as to how they originally owned the SnapOn model, then it broke, then they got the AirCat 1150, and are much happier with it… despite the substantially lower price.
Don’t believe us? See for yourself – one of the top reviewers attests to what we just said. You can also browse all of the reviews to see every user who switched to the 1150 from his more expensive impact wrench.
Price continued: considering specs and reviews, very reasonable
This goes without saying, but for what you get, $171.35 is a very reasonable price. Often times, you can get it for even cheaper.
To grab a deal, go to the product page on Amazon and look on the right side. You’ll see sellers on there that aren’t AirCat themselves – many times, the price is cheaper from these third party sellers, and you still get the same warranty (explained below) that you’d get if you purchased directly from AirCat. (Right now, “toolcritter” is selling for just $167. We’ve seen lower than that, too.)
2-year warranty on labor and parts: nice.
To top everything off, you get a whopping 2-year warranty for every part of the drill. This includes the labor for the fixes, so if something breaks, just call up AirCat and they will sort you out.
Our verdict? As long as you’re looking for a corded impact wrench, you cannot go wrong with the AirCat 1150. The price is reasonable, you get a product that’s worth 2x the price, the specs are amazing for the price, and the warranty is far better than the industry average… just in case.