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Internet Tools and Resources A Guide To Impact Wrenches
Internet Tools and Resources A Guide To Impact Wrenches
| A Guide To Impact Wrenches |
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| Written by David Barry |
| Wednesday, 07 April 2010 07:13 |
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Impact wrenches are powered socket tools, powered by compressed air or electricity, they are one of the most common and useful tools in both the professional, and serious amateur workshop. Impact wrenches work by spinning a "hammer" to a high speed, and then suddenly engaging the socket, to deliver a sudden burst of torque. While electric (both mains and cordless) and hydraulic models are available, it is the air impact wrench which is by far the most popular. Air impact wrenches are by far the most popular of all air tools, and if you're doing any serious amount of automotive work you'll definitely want one. Before you rush out and make a purchase however, there are a couple of considerations - power source, and socket size. Power source will depend on your budget, and what tools you already have. Socket size will depend on the type of work you're doing. While air powered wrenches are the most popular, they might not be the best choice for the small home workshop. Since they use compressed air as their power source, you'll need a high power compressor to run one, which can be a considerable extra expense if you don't already have one. For a home workshop, where an impact wrench will only be used on occasion, a mains powered or cordless wrench is probably more suitable. With modern batteries, a cordless wrench is quite powerful enough for most work and they are quite reasonably priced, especially when you consider that you don't also need to purchase a compressor. The next consideration is what size of drive and sockets you'll be needing. This will be influenced by what you'll be using the wrench for, and whether you already have some sockets. In general, the heavier the work is the larger drive you'll need. 1/2" sockets are quite suitable for working on most cards, with 1" or even 2" being needed if you'll be working on commercial or plant vehicles. Drive sizes over 2" are normally only used in heavy industrial workshops. Finally you'll need to decide on a style of unit. For the home workshop a pistol grip is quite common. Shaped like a hand drill, they offer a reasonable grip to enable medium torque levels while being quite easy to manoeuvre into tight spots. If you need something heavier then a D or T grip will be needed, while the smallest drive sizes can be used on small tools shaped like electric screwdrivers, but they are only useful for very light work. Once you have decided on a power source, socket size and style it's time to hit the stores. Good quality wrenches are made by a number of suppliers such as Ingersol, Draper, Sealy, Makita and more. Shop around for a good deal, and be sure to check out the online stores as there are real bargains to be had! Kindly provided by MoneyHunter.org You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include the link just before this text. |
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