John K Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Chaps, I've never even held, let alone used an impact driver before, but am thinking of getting one for the Westie. I think I need one as I don't have much stamina in my grip (yes, leaving myself open for a good ribbing ) and if I have to do a lot of mechanical work, my hands/wrists will get tired quite soon. From what I understand a drill use the torque of the electric motor so will eventually stall (or the internal clutch starts bouncing), but an impact driver batters an internal cam and that generates the turning force. But I can't see any evidence of a torque setting or a clutch. So I guess it will be fine for wheel nuts etc but if I need to undo an old seized bolt, what's to stop the driver shearing it off? FYI I'm looking at this http://www.bosch-professional.com/gb/en/gds-14-4-v-li-23284-ocs-p/ I know it's pricey but I have a Bosch Blue fetish and already have loads of 14.4v batteries and chargers lying about. So do I use my cordless drills for most bolts and only Mr Beefy for the big and stuck stuff? And is it OK to use drivers with extension rods? Experience has taught me power tools very rarely fit where you need them to. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Just the job I reckon. I have a slightly less powerful Sealy impact gun and it does wheel nuts ok at 100nm. but was only £90. The Bosch is obviously better and more compact. Using extension bars are not recommended though and you do need proper impact sockets, the Sealy box set is £35 'ish and covers most popular metric sizes, much better than buying individual sockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgey Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 That's not that pricey when you compare it to Dewalt and other brand that will actually work properly (the cheap electric drivers have a terrible reputation for not being reliable or strong enough). Why not consider air? I switched recently and it's truly amazing. I spent £200 on a decent compressor, pipes, fittings, and a Sealy impact kit with all the sockets etc. Works like a charm and all the other tools are peanuts once you have the compressor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 Now that is an interesting idea. What other car type tools could I drive via air? I'm not sure if I would go with Air for only one gadget. Appreciate your comment that electric impact drivers aren't much cop, I don't like buying things that will shake themselves apart. Oooh, hang on, I've got a project on to build a TV 'wall' in the sitting room. I was going to face it in MDF which is a pain to paint. I was thinking of spraying it. I could get a spray gun... So impact driver, spray gun anything else..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 polishing pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgey Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Oh god! Where do you start! :-) Cut off tool (so a mini angle grinder with much thinner discs) £15 Drill - nice and light weight £20 Tyre inflator £10 ish or less Die grinder Hammer/chisel - very handy, will nibble through sheet metal etc Rivet Gun Socket wrench Reciprical saw (body saw) - mega useful - a "one hand jig saw" that is small and gets in places a jig saw can't - I use mine to cut panel holes for solar regulator remote LCD displays in camper vans (I do solar www.solarcampersolutions.co.uk) - I could never do the job with a jig saw. Apart from the size of it, jig saws leave scratches if you are not uber careful Air duster - blower - many swear by these as very handy The list goes on. If you can think of a tool there is often an air equivalent. The beauty is that they are usually much smaller and lighter than their electric counterparts which makes them lovely to use. And they are so cheap you just buy the tools you need without flinching. For spraying paint or shot blasting you need to be careful you buy a big enough tank and powerful enough pump. You can get away with smallish setups for small paint jobs but you'll need bigger for proper jobs. The spray guns will tell you the Cfm you need, though some quick googling will tell you all you need to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 LOLOL... I can't really say no to that list can I? OK as soon as I run the armoured cable to the Bat Cave, I'll get an air setup. Thanks for giving me a heads up on this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgey Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 hehe. Sorry ;-) (oh, and you get that Formula 1 noise when you use the impact driver) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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