Which Impact Tool

Note that while the battery size on any particular system is generally about how long the battery will last, you will not get the maximum power out of a tool with a smaller battery. i.e., make sure you have a larger (5AH+) battery to go with your big impact if you plan to stretch it's legs fully. It may work on the 1.5AH that came with your drill kit, but that doesn't mean you get all the advertised ft-lbs out of it.
I've got Dewalt, the 1/4" hex does a pretty good job, the 1/2" was my next addition a while back, and I got the 3/8" this year from Santa. For a long time, that 1/4" did quite a bit. I'd get the lugnuts broken loose with a bar, then do the rest with the impact. Then snug them with the impact and use my bar to get the final torque by hand. It pulled a crank bolt on my wife's 6.2 yukon with some heat (which may or may not have been previously tightened to factory specs, admittedly), and generally got everything I needed with some heat applied first. But yeah, I think any of them will be enough for what you need, pick a battery system and go with it.

I keep looking at the Makita LXT 1/2inch impact, but havn't had the $$ for it yet. I have their smaller hex-bit driver and it has never let me down, and I got a couple extra batteries while they were on sale a couple years ago with the intent of getting more of the Makita tool line. My friend Dave had the Makita impact and it was great at getting lugs off (even on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks). Its around $300 now (just looked) so not on my radar for the short term.

Shortly after buying the Makita batteries another friend of my passed away and his wife gave me the pretty complete set of Dewalt tools she had no desire to keep (was moving into a small apartment 6 states away), so I ended up buying a few Dewalt batteries to power them (1/2inch impact driver was not one of the tools in the set however).

I have not used the Dewalt unit but used the Makita one quite a bit, is still the one I want to buy if I can ever get other expensive stuff to stop breaking (yes looking at you blue Suburban in the driveway) long enough to afford it.

I bought a neat set up from Temu. It has a 12V jack and a 12V impact wrench that I carry around in my car.

peats said:

You might be able to get a battery adapter and keep using your impact after the original batteries die.

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True. But I kinda want a Milwaukee anyway so I'm just gonna use that as an excuse to finally pull the trigger lol

I have a Milwaukee M12 1/2" drive impact and high output battery inbound. I chose the M12 because I already have a Milwaukee M12 1/2" drill driver.

TotalyHucked said:

Most of my stuff is Ryobi, I've considered trying their 1/2 impact as well when the time comes. I may do that, buy it at HD and see how I like it and return it if it's not powerful enough

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I use mostly Ryobi as well since I can’t justify spending Milwaukee money on tools that don’t make me money. That said the 1/2 ryobi impact with a 6ah battery hasn’t failed me yet and the 3/8 impact is pretty dang good too for the money.

Most of it is here. Battery will be here on Friday so for photo purposes I used one from my drill.

So I have all DeWalt stuff ( due to battery lock in, but also as they are YELLOW, so stick out in the job site / paddock ). I bought a dewalt HD impact tool, the largest they make. Its great, breaks anything and batteries have lasted years ( over 10 ) however ...
My son bought Milwaukee ( as that's what everyone uses on the job sites today - huge push from Milwaukee to take over the market here over the last 5 years ). He has a gun like the one shown above ( @Terlingueno). its a lot smaller, but weaker, than the DeWalt.
Point is I use both - mainly the Milwaukee, as it fits into many spaces the DeWalt will not. But I use the DeWalt when nothing else works.

in other news ... 2 bad dudes decided to cut through the security fence at our site yesterday ( not only the mesh, but the steel poles of the gate too ) with a Dewalt battery powered grinder, waltz onto the site and take off with some reels of copper cable.
This wasn't at night either, middle of the day during shift. Got stopped by some of the guys - they ( baddies ) didn't care and walked off.
Were spotted a few moments later at the local gas station, with cable in the back of the pickup.
How do I know it was a Dewalt cordless - because photos were taken of these guys with it hanging off a belt...

Cops said we they could not be "managed" by staff on site, and they ( cops ) could not do anything about the truck as "the plates did not match the truck ( ! ) ...

So - lessons learned :
* crime pays
* crime is facilitated these days with cordless tools ...

another lesson................. Vigilante justice should have been applied

Dewalt for the win! They make several case sizes in the 1/2" drive model. We all use them here in the Petro chemical plants.

I ended up buying the Dewalt DCF900 with the battery, charger and carrying bag. 1030 fasting torque with 1400 loosening torque.

you'll want the BIG battery with that ....

DO NOT TIGHTEN LUG NUTS TO 450 FT/LB AS IT WILL TEAR YOUR STUDS OUT! Many of these tools are too powerful and you will screw things up!

custodian said:

I ended up buying the Dewalt DCF900 with the battery, charger and carrying bag. 1030 fasting torque with 1400 loosening torque.

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How long do you have to fast for the full 1030 ft lbs.?