A professional or a DIYer, everyone needs an impact wrench as these tools have evolved into the most helpful of all tools. In fact, the Best Air Impact Wrench help you lug a nut and a lot more when in need. This post is dedicated to people like us that think this light weight tool can change their lives.
Why do I need an impact wrench?
May be you are tired of using the hand wrenches because the torque of an impact wrench and the ease of work you get with them is out of the world. You could be a mechanic that wants to up the game a little, then considering to invest in an impact wrench could be a good idea.
These are not under powered cordless wrenches that had come in a few years ago. Plus, securing heavier things have been made easy with these wrenches for all time.
Impact driver VS impact wrench 🙂
Generally speaking, impact wrenches are heavier than a sleek and compact impact driver. Impact wrenches are used to drive in and loosen nuts of ½ an inch hex whereas, impact drivers can be used for working with ¼ inch hex.
Although, their functionality remains the same, yet the torque differs required for these two power tools.
Impact wrenches are high torque devices and these tools last you for a longer time.
On the other hand, impact drivers are very practical for home and DIY use. They are user friendly and are convenient to work with without much of a learning curve.
How to Use an Air Impact Wrench?
If you are using an air impact wrench for tightening and loosening buts, then you must use it properly. We request you to be careful while using an impact wrench because these pneumatic tools are heavy duty and are equally capable of causing havoc. So, you must make sure that you have your safety gear on while working with this tool. You must keep your hair tied neatly (in case you have long hair), avoid layered clothing, wear gloves and remember an eye wear is a must. Please, remember to keep your work area clean and free of nails or pins to make it less hazardous. Besides these, you should read the manual once at least before starting to work. Follow these steps ahead of using the power tool:
Assemble – Yes, assemble the adapter and other loose parts previous to commencing work.
Check air pressure – Most tools come with default factory settings, that you may need to reset to may be 90 PSI and start working.
Speed – In the same way, check the torque of the impact wrench because it should have the right speed for driving a nut into a socket.
Testing – Test the pressure and trigger effect of the tool in advance, as you may not like to spoil the project you are working on.
Yes, we have reviewed more than a dozen impact wrenches that you can count on. Have a look.
01. DEWALT DC820B Cordless Impact Wrench
We have incorporated it into the list of the Best Air Impact Wrenches based on its performance. It happens to be the bestseller in the leading e-commerce sites because of this. The fact that this happens to be a Dewalt, it all the more adds to its charms.
Don’t be misguided by its compact sizing and light weight properties, they reduce the user’s fatigue for sure but this is a heavy weight that can use its torque without a kickback. Again, it has to be mentioned that this pneumatic tool by Dewalt has a frameless motor and is a durable model that will last you long.
It comes with replaceable brushes that make it versatile a power tool for sure. The gear case is made of magnesium which is a sign of durability which is why it is a favorite of many professionals and DIYers alike.
- It uses torque of 1,740 inch pounds to perform an array of tasks.
- It is very comfortable to work with because of its petite build.
- Very easy to maintain which is quite a money saver.
- Backed by 3 years of limited warranty and 1 year free service.
- You need to buy the batteries and tools separately.
- Costly piece of equipment to lay your hands on.
02. DEWALT DCF899P1 Impact Wrench
Hands down, this Dewalt takes advantage of the brushless design. It can handle medium duty work with ease and is equally good at intense installations as well. The 5 Amperes lithium ion battery makes a world of difference. It makes this pneumatic tool light in weight, which means you can carry it without much of a problem.
Talking about its working brings us to discuss one more aspect, that of the 3 speed motor. This lends it the precision that you may be looking for in a power tool.
Moreover, this tool has been built ergonomically to suit your requirements in the best possible ways. It has a rubber grip that makes it easy to hold on to it while working. The top is pretty heavy and that gets balanced with this arrangement.
- It is monster of a tool for a small cordless impact wrench.
- Has a torque of 700 foot-pound.
- The LED display makes it easy to read.
- The speed can vary from 0-400/ 1,200/ 1,900 RPM.
- You get a ½ inch detent anvil with this purchase.
- Comes with 3 years limited warranty from Dewalt.
- A bit bulky and at that becomes a hindrance for being used in some places.
03. Campbell Hausfeld TL140200AV
An air impact wrench can be handy for preparing your car with minor repairs or conducting small DIY projects. In short, this tool can be used for both professional as well as residential purposes. This is because, tightening or loosening a nut can be required at home or at a workshop and keeping a pneumatic tool like this at hand could be a savior for sure.
It can deliver a torque of up to 550 foot pounds but has really reduced vibrations with that make it worth your investment. Speaking of which brings us to twin hammer effect that balances its working and helps it perform accurately.
Its smooth functioning helps you tighten nuts and bolts without difficulty. Of course, you should know how to work with it if you don’t want to complain against it.
- It is an inexpensive impact wrench.
- It is light in weight, which means you can handle it without much effort.
- Is easy to use and very convenient.
- It can make 1,200 impacts a minute with 8,000 RPM.
- Has a user friendly design that is comfy for your rubberized grip too.
- The motor is powerful to work on automobile and industrial use.
- Backed with 1 year limited warranty.
- It may not work on metallic surfaces that well.
- Does not come with additional feature than what has already been mentioned above.
04. Porter-Cable PCE211 1/2″ Impact Wrench
Running a professional shop can be demanding and in order to make things better, you may need proper tools. An impact wrench in this situation can be a way to up your game. Yes, the Porter-Cable PCE211 can be a reliable tool that can help you finish your job faster and with finesse.
This cordless wrench runs on 7.5 AMP motor that can deliver 450 foot pounds of torque. So you can install and loosen fasteners (heavy ones) with ease.
The best part about this wrench is that it can move forward and you can even reverse it as per your need. It has to be added that its ½ inch hog ring anvil that helps in changing sockets.
- Can break into the toughest of jammed and rusted bolts as well as nuts.
- You can expect it to produce 2,200 RPM.
- It has plenty of power to work with, like that of 120 Volts to carry out different tasks.
- Backed by 3 years limited warranty.
- Has 1 year service contract.
- Also comes with 90 day money back guarantee.
- Takes time to charge and that could be a downside.
- Can be used for short works in a professional environment.
05. PORTER-CABLE PCC740B Cordless Impact Wrench
This power tool will never let you get tired and will always help you by performing up to the expectations. This comes with a great design and the technology that goes into it, is steadfast.
You can anticipate it to work wonders with 330 foot pound torque that considered bliss for heavier applications. You can control the speed with a trigger for precision and that makes it different without a second thought.
As far as its functionality is concerned, mention has to be made about ½ inch hog ring that you can use for easy access to sockets. This is a very practical tool for home as well as professional use.
- It is a chemical resistant impact wrench that could be used for automotive repairing.
- This means working on mole grips could also be not that difficult with this wrench.
- It can work with 1.650 RPM for fasteners along with speed variation.
- Very light in weight and comfy to grip.
- Comes with Porter’s 3 year limited warranty that makes it legit.
- Needs more back up power while working on intense projects.
- The torque also needs to speed up while working on similar artifacts.
06. Makita XWT08Z LXT Impact Wrench
This can help you loosen the toughest of nuts and bolts in an impressive way. It has a great design and is very efficient because of the 740 foot pounds torque. No doubts, this can help you breakdown the most difficult of bolts when needed.
The brushless motor makes your work unforced and you can walk out of the tightest situations in the best possible ways. Not to mention that the brushless motor ensures that your work faster and powerfully. It prevents stress on the motor and you could do your thing in a jiffy.
It has an efficient battery that can run 50% longer than the rest, which needless to say is a blessing in itself. What more do you want out of an impact wrench?
- It is a compact cordless wrench.
- Has been designed ergonomically, that implies it is easy to hold.
- Extremely light in weight.
- It is very to operate it in spite of being so heavy duty.
- Comes with an LED with pre-glow and after-glow illumination facility.
- Electric brake makes working productive and is one the most outstanding features of this product.
- Does not come with the batteries.
- Very expensive an impact wrench.
07. Kawasaki 841426 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench
Kawasaki 841426 is a wonder product from the house of a well known manufacturer. That is right, as Kawasaki is not just another power tool manufacturer, but a consistent one. They have been manufacturing power tools for a long time and this Kawasaki 841426 comes as no surprise from them.
The torque of 220 foot pounds makes it a resourceful tool without a doubt. It has an impact of 2,700 RPM that is regarded as a competent enough for regular jobs. The torque may seem for heavy applications but can actually work on them!
Its durable build is another reason why people like it so much. It is a Kawasaki trademark and they have built it like one. You need not worry about its longevity because it comes with a brand name latched to it.
- It has been tested for quality.
- The metallic gear box and its accessories only sweeten the deal.
- It works flawlessly with plenty of extra power.
- It comes with the right size lug nuts.
- Can be used for shaving tires to break open lawn mowers.
- It makes your job effortless and makes sure that you need nothing when you have this.
- It gets hot while working many a time.
- Heavy to work with.
08. Ingersoll Rand 2135QXPA Impact tool
This is an impact tool that is considered to be an upgrade from its previous versions. It is believed that this tool was built for industrial and automotive use. Of course, you can use it at home as well, but this is has been designed keeping technicians in mind.
In a way, it must be said that the Ingersoll Rand 2135QXPA is coherent tool that delivers what it promises. With 780 foot pounds of reverse torque and 1,100 torque for breaking nuts, provision makes it one of the Best Air Impact Wrenches.
Don’t forget the twin hammer technology makes it a silent weapon to lug nuts and bolts at your convenience. It improves its implementation and that brings us to discuss some more points about the Ingersoll Rand 2135QXPA like the following.
- It is a lightweight impact tool (weighs only 4 pounds).
- In other words, it is a crafted wrench to work intensively.
- Needs the least care, but with little maintenance it can last you long.
- As it is a quiet tool, it does not disturb the surrounding with too much of noise.
- Backed by 1 year’s warranty.
- May need more power to perform.
09. NitroCat 1200-K Air Impact Wrench
Did you know that top fuel race teams make use of this impact wrench? Not to mention that home owners can also make use of this one. Most astonishingly, this impact tool is good for medium to strenuous jobs. Its hard hitting twin clutch mechanism makes it an outstanding power tool.
The 1,295 foot pounds torque for loosening nuts makes it a tool to look forward to. The working torque is between 200 to 900 pounds and that clarifies how useful this tool could be.
This ½ inch hard hitting impact tool is a leader in its class. It comes with patented technology that you can rely on. This is why working with this tool becomes easier and the more you practice with it, the more you will learn.
- The ergonomic design of the handle has been patented.
- Patented exhaust of 86 dBA makes it a quiet tool.
- Composite housing by KevlarTM is quite sturdy.
- The flip lever and reverse is also patented.
- It could be hard hitting, but does ensure smooth functioning.
- It has an ability to make 950 impacts a minute.
- The metal tip is brushed and it can easily scratch, so you need to be careful while working.
10. Milwaukee 1/2 Air Impact Wrench
The first thing you will notice in this pneumatic tool is that of the bright red color. Yes, Milwaukee this time may have given it a serious thought and made a colorful tool that will add a little color to your work station. Professional tools usually don’t look this attractive, but the Milwaukee 2763-20 is an exception without a shred of doubt.
What makes it different from the rest, are the two modes of torque. There is one at 100 ft-lbs and another at 700 ft-lbs for fastening. You can choose the speed depending on the work you have at hand. So, this DRIVE CONTROL™ feature makes it an intelligent tool.
The brushless motor helps it work effectively and does not scratch other surfaces while at work. This should be taken as yet another aspect of this tool that cannot be written off.
- In general it can deliver a torque in between 700 ft-lbs to 1,100 ft-lbs.
- It has 2x more of runtime.
- Is light in weight which suggests that you can carry it with ease.
- The ½ inch anvil makes it easy to work with sockets in particular.
- Backed by 5 years warranty.
- It can work well when it comes to tightening nuts, but lacks a bit of reverse mechanism.
11. OEMTOOLS 24662 20V Cordless Impact Wrench
This is a bright colored impact wrench that works with flair and precision. This power tool is popular with body shops, automotive repair shops and also at home. Hence, this is a versatile tool that you can ever come across.
Special mention has to be made about the lithium ion battery that lends it a longer life. Plus, you get more power to conduct a job properly, but the wrench does not any weight at the same time. Yes, lithium ion batteries are light in weight that makes it worth.
In addition, the electric brakes can stop working in between maximize your production. The forward and reverse switch keeps working with this tool very uncomplicated.
- It can loosen and tighten nuts pretty accurately.
- Is a cordless impact wrench, which means no more messy wires.
- The battery charger can perk up the batteries very fast.
- It has a forward torque of 240 foot pounds and reverse torque of 300 foot pounds.
- Has indicator lights for further assistance.
- Comes with variable speed of 2,200 RPM to 2,900 RPM, that insinuates you can carry a host of actions within this.
- Takes some time for charging because of the lithium ion batteries and this could be a predicament during peak production hours.
12. ACDelco ANI405 1/2 Air Impact Wrench
This impact wrench is designed for working in professional environment. It has a simple design and careful engineering tells us all. What needs to be added here is that ACDelco is a famous provider of power tools. They are known for using advanced technology and state of the art techniques to build these tools.
More or less, the rugged aluminum housing really makes it a great choice for many. It has less downtime and more power pact performance with compressed air.
The 3 settings mode to adjust the torque while working is a boon. The torque expected is 500 foot pounds and this gives you a fair idea as to what it can do including tightening and loosening nuts. You can use it on heat treated, alloy steel, and helical gears.
- It has been built ergonomically and makes your life easy at work.
- Uses twin hammer mechanism which makes it smooth and a silent working machine.
- You get a maximum of 7,000 RPM with this device.
- Backed by a warranty of 12 months.
- This is a heavy impact wrench that bears its weight on your wrists.
- Is a noisy impact wrench that becomes a quandary for those that want to in peace.
13. Astro 1822 1/2″ Nano Impact Wrench
This is a compact impact tool that is totally different than the rest. It weighs only 3 pounds and we know no one can beat that! The size is 50% smaller than the regular impact wrenches and this is really a unique tool to use for 24 hours in professional surroundings or even at home.
Same size of a credit card but can emit 450 foot pounds of torque. Nonetheless, the twin hammer effect produces 1822 impacts that make it a deceitful device for sure.
It has a quality that no one can match because if size mattered, then this had to be one of the Best Air Impact Wrenches. It has been tested completely for the cycles and you will find it to be an unfailing power tool.
- It is reliable and impactful device.
- Twin hammer mechanism makes it durable and gives it more strength.
- Being a lightweight power tool, makes it easy to work with.
- It can be used on lug nuts, control arms bolts, strut bolts and many more with ease.
- Works like a charm provided you know your way with impact wrenches.
- It is a semi professional model and that calls to mind, it is not what you may be looking at this price.
14. PowRyte Basic 1/2 Air Impact Wrench
The first thing that we would like to add about this impact wrench is that it is hard hitting tool. No wonder, it provides more stability and is a feasible machine for tightening and loosening nuts.
Getting back to the torque, we must reveal that it has 2 settings, one forward and the other reverse. There is a maximum of 600 foot pounds that you can count on. So, this is a high torque output device that can help you complete many odd jobs.
This is a beast of a wrench and there are no doubts about that. It is heavy, but delivers what it promises. It can crank bolts and nuts without much of a difficulty, as this is its primary duty. What more should you be thinking of an impact wrench to do?
- Has twin hammer system that makes it smooth and more efficient.
- Is a silent device that produces no noise to disturb you or your neighbors.
- Produces 7,000 RPM and that is a lot to work with honestly.
- The housing material is die cast and this makes it a strong option.
- It has an ergonomic handle that makes things easy for you.
- Works well, but has bit of a learning curve that could be distraction for some.
- Very heavy to hold and this could be a taken as a snag.
15. Craftsman C3 ½” Heavy Duty Impact Wrench
This is a robust impact wrench that comes without wires and makes it super easy for you. This has been manufactured keeping garages and professional shops in mind. Although, you can use it at home, yet it remains true to its call as a professional tool.
The torque is 300 foot pounds and this power can be used to loosen or tighten a nut at any time. This shows you can use it for heavy duty work as well and rest assured, you will not be disappointed with 20% more torque.
The lithium ion battery adds life to it and increases its runtime by 4x; which is suggestive of its capacity. Lithium ion batteries improve the shelf life and you must be happy to find a pneumatic tool with such a combination.
- Is a sturdy impact wrench of all.
- Has 3 built in LED lights for optimum visibility.
- Expect 3,000 impact a minute to finish any project.
- The handle has Micro-texture grip with overmold, that makes your grip firm and cozy.
- Very affordably priced a power tool.
- Saves you time and effort of working with bolts and nuts.
- Very heavy to drag while working with it.
What size air compressor do I need for an impact wrench?
An impact wrench is a pneumatic powered tool that makes work in a professional environment very convenient. These are mostly used during car races in the pit (for removing tires) and these can be used by homeowners as well.
Their main job would be to lug nuts and for that you may need a sizable tank of air compressor. Ideally speaking, you may need a unit that has a capacity of 5.5 cfm and an extensive air compressor.
One thing that needs to beaded in here is that they are loud enough and you must cover your ears for additional safety. That is all you may need to start with, but you must not forget your safety gear while working with these wrenches.