Cordless impact wrenches - 3 critical factors

Then you have finally decided that you need a cordless impact wrench. The right impact is a great addition to anyone's toolbox, while the wrong one could make the purchase useless. The wrong one could be something that is too dominated for what needs it or has little power. This article will cover what to look for in a battery. How much energy you need, what to look for in a charger and what type of battery you need.

The most important aspect of an impact wrench is power. The main objective of an impact is to loosen those nuts and bolts that are difficult to remove, and if you don't have enough power, you have a large air ratchet. With cordless tools, the power comes from the battery, and the key specification here is volts. General volts are the electrical measure of power. But more volts is not always better, but it means bigger, so if you are concerned about the size of your cordless impact, look for a battery with less volts.

How often will you use your impact? And for how long? Are you the type who remembers keeping the batteries charged? Having a charger that charges batteries quickly can be very important for some people. Some high-end cordless impacts have chargers that will keep it running in 15 minutes, while older chargers often take up to 3 hours for a single battery. If you are going to use their impacts for longer periods, or if you often have tight deadlines and cannot wait for the batteries to charge, how quickly they will be charged is an important consideration.

Finally, what type of battery is the best? Nickel-based batteries are the oldest style, they are less expensive, but heavier and bulky. NiMH will specifically lose its load quickly in the cold. Lithium-ion batteries have a much higher energy density than nickel-based batteries, so you can have the same amount of energy in a smaller package. However, lithium-ion batteries are the most expensive. Most likely, if you buy a high-end cordless impact, it will come with lithium-ion batteries, so this probably won't affect the impact you buy, but in case you're seeing older impacts, the difference between is important. Know the batteries.

If you are buying a new cordless impact wrench or electric cordless ratchet, consider how much power it has (and how many volts the battery has), what to look for in a charger and what is the difference between the different types of batteries.