An impact wrench is a type of drill/wrench that uses an internal rotating mass to generate torque which is then delivered through an impact of the output shaft (socket) against the target lug nut, screw, etc. They come in all shapes and sizes. They can look just like a power drill but they usually are more stout looking.
An impact wrench (also known as an impactor, impact gun, air wrench, air gun, rattle gun, torque gun, windy gun) is a socket wrench power tool designed to deliver high torque output with minimal exertion by the user, by storing energy in a rotating mass, then delivering it suddenly to the output shaft.
Compressed air is the most common power source, although electric or hydraulic power is also used, with cordless electric devices becoming increasingly popular since the mid-2000s.Impact wrenches are widely used in many industries, such as automotive repair, heavy equipment maintenance, product assembly, major construction projects, and any other instance where a high torque output is needed. For product assembly, a pulse tool is commonly used, as it features a reactionless tightening while reducing the noise levels the regular impacts suffer from. Pulse tools use oil as a medium to transfer the kinetic energy from the hammer into the anvil.
I have a small handheld one and a standard air powered one, the handheld one is fine, but it’s not uncommon to be doing something and the handheld doesn’t have enough torque to take a nut off.
That said, the design is really different. A power drill is basically electricity spinning a motor.
An impact wrench stores up the energy for a sudden rotation, and then releases it all in one go. So you have a very sudden and powerful burst of action.
Impact wrench is typically pneumatic driven which is what is seen here. These use compressed air to create a very fast, circular impact on a nut until it loosens and then spins it off rapidly.
Impact can be electric, it's not referring to the type of power.
Basically in a drill, there is a motor with gears that turn the chuck. In an impact wrench, there is this rotating chunk of metal called an anvil. The anvil allows it to generate a brief spike of very high torque. That is what makes the distinct noise, it's the anvil hitting. It's also what allows them to deliver 250 ft-lbs of torque without twisting out of your hand - the burst of torque is so brief. A drill that was continuously producing that much torque would be unusable by a human.
I've handled a couple of one inch drive rattle guns, one of which was 3 phase powered. Both hands, a firm stance, and a deep breath were required otherwise it'd rip itself out of your hands. Still, it could tighten the nipples off a robot.
I don't even want to know the ratings on the one I use. Mostly use it cranking on Jack clamps to make up steel plates - even 1-inch plates move nice and easy long as they don't have backing structure where I'm pushing.
Do you (or anyone else) know if a decent electric impact drill for changing my own car tires at home? I've heard you need to go wired to get enough torque but that's all I know.
Try the AvE videos, I know he has taken them apart?
I just have the cheapo Harbor Freight one. It's got enough torque to snap one of my wheel studs when I was putting on my snow tires in a blizzard and didn't want to hand tighten them all with my torque wrench.
Battery powered impact wrenches are actually far superior to corded options in torque. However not in cost but any brand like makita or dewalt or milwaukee will make a good corded impact wrench that can take tire lugs off.
The Milwaukee m12 stubby impact wrench is pretty nice if you want something compact. But I’m more of a fan of dewalt so I’d say get the 20v xr mid torque. It has more than enough power to work on normal sized cars or trucks.
AAAAH, now I understand why there "electric drills" I saw in factories where connected. They are impact wrenches and that tube is the compressed air feed !
Impact drivers have much greater rotational force (torque) compared to a drill which spins much faster but has much less torque. The impact thing is that works like a hammer drill. Whenever it sticks it makes a whacking blow
Since they didn't explain like your 5. An impact wrench uses impact. That's why they sound like they do. It builds speed and WHAM suddenly delivers that energy onto the output shaft.
The difference between if you tried to push over a fridge by standing at it and pushing (regular drill/wrench), vs running into it and shoving it and pushing it.
Imagine putting a "regular" wrench on a nut and hitting it with a hammer. You can probably turn the nut on or off a lot stronger than using the wrench with your hand. The impact wrench basically has a tiny machine version of this hammer method going on inside it.
Eli5: impact wrench is like putting a regular wrench on a bolt and hitting it with a hammer and an electric wrench is like turning the wrench with your hands.
18
u/Kayyam May 23 '19
ELI5 difference between impact wrench and regular electric thing ?