pointers for a new, midrange 1/2" impact gun?
pointers for a new, midrange 1/2" impact gun? From searches, I see a lot of people are fans of the IR guns. (Edit: Has anyone used the IR 2132g?)
I'd like to spend a little less than that without getting into the crap ones. I'd rather avoid the used market and fleabay "refurbs".
Would the $100 craftsman be good enough for hobby use? Or if someone knows a reputable source for an IR, I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks,
Dan
I'd like to spend a little less than that without getting into the crap ones. I'd rather avoid the used market and fleabay "refurbs".
Would the $100 craftsman be good enough for hobby use? Or if someone knows a reputable source for an IR, I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks,
Dan
Last edited by Blorton; Dec 13, 2008 at 11:34 AM.
snap on, mac, matco all slap their own labels on IR. you can get a blue pont one for a decent price.
as a matter of fact i have an extra blue point if youre interested. used it professionaly for about two years with not a single hiccup. oiled every morning etc. i bought the titanium one a few months before i left the trade, so for wrenching at home now i dont need two.
if not interested i would definitely recommend a husky from home depot. i started out with a few husky tools and they are still running today 8 years later.
as a matter of fact i have an extra blue point if youre interested. used it professionaly for about two years with not a single hiccup. oiled every morning etc. i bought the titanium one a few months before i left the trade, so for wrenching at home now i dont need two.
if not interested i would definitely recommend a husky from home depot. i started out with a few husky tools and they are still running today 8 years later.
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I'm with him, I had a crapsman, it worked ok till I got a truck and the lugs were torqued to 140 or 160 ft lbs and then I had some frozen bolts, I upgraded to a 1/2 IR and it works ok. I've only had one issue where I had to go to 1 incher to take a lug off that broke off.
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I think a craftsman impact will be ok for home use. You might find some bolts it wont loosen, but the only thing a stronger impact would do to these is snap off the bolt. Trust me ive done it too many times. I bought one of the older design IRs from sears many years ago and it wasn't that expensive. Now I have the titanium.
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Listen , all tool guys accept trade-in's .... They send them in to be rebuilt --- That how i bought my IR231 that puts out 450lbs of tq --- plenty enough and yea i paid 125 for it !
Sorry guys, I'm a dummy. I saw the IR Thunder gun at Northern and assumed all the IR guns were $200+. 
Has anyone used the IR 2132G? I see a lot of new ones on that auction site for around a hundred bucks with shipping. I like that it has the quiet tech and variable setting and could care less about a metal body.
Thanks everyone for the opinions. Much appreciated.
Dan
Has anyone used the IR 2132G? I see a lot of new ones on that auction site for around a hundred bucks with shipping. I like that it has the quiet tech and variable setting and could care less about a metal body.
Thanks everyone for the opinions. Much appreciated.
Dan
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if your not doing too much heavy work with it, then I would recommend a 3/8" impact. They are a lot lighter and if you get a decent one they still have enough kick to loosen lugnuts and pretty much every other bolt on your car. The only thing it probably wont loosen is the balancer bolt. A good one will, but not a cheap one.
My dads craftsman impact will barely handle lug nuts let alone anything else. I bought my IR Titanium brand new on ebay well over 2 years ago for $160 shipped and it hits hard i=and is very durable. Ive dropped it off of a couple machines(anywhere from a 5-20ft drop and its still going strong.
IR's are well worth the little extra and will last a lnog *** time just remeber to oil them once in a while. IR's are the only ones that have lasted for me . shop use and my personal garage. snap on and mac are IR's with a respective case and heavier price tag. i have the new titanium IR and it will break bolts if your not carefull. but if it wont come off anyway id rather havea gun that can break it off atleast 
The IR stuff has been flawless for me... The Air Cats are a nice cheaper alternative to IR. Got a friend that manages a "Brakes Plus" and they run them day in and day out with no issues.
My dad got me an IR 2131QT gun, and it's a really nice impact. I've only got to test it out once so far, but the thing is a total sleeper of an impact. It's super quiet and will pull off lug nuts with ease at the second setting out of 4. I think it's rated at 800ft. lbs reverse torque. Good enough for a car, anything more than that it needs replacing.
