If you’ve ever experienced trying to loosen a large, fretted or corroded fixing, then you’ll appreciate what I’m about to say. Often working in tight spaces or at awkward angles, nuts and bolts can be extremely difficult and time consuming to fit or remove. Skinned knuckles, broken tools and jobs taking hours longer than you’d planned, all contribute to the frustration that nuts and bolts cause on a daily basis for people across the world. Even experienced professionals, such as fitters and mechanics, will experience these problems on a regular basis.

The solution? Well, there are a number of factors to consider, but the most important is the force you apply to the fixing. Without adequate force, the fixing will either be under tightened (under torqued) or simply won’t come undone. Secondly, and this is particularly important for busy professionals, the time taken to fit or remove a fixing can be painstakingly long if it is in a hard to reach position. Similarly, the time taken up by repetitive jobs, like removing and refitting vehicle wheels, can really add up over the course of a day and eat into your profit margin or your family’s patience.

Using an impact wrench solves both these problems. It is capable of delivering a much larger force than you can apply by hand, without additional leverage, and it greatly speeds up the tightening and loosening of fixings, especially those that are hard to reach. So, if you can relate to what I said earlier, you’ll want to read on.

What Is An Impact Wrench And How Does It Work?

An impact wrench is used to aid the tightening and loosening of nuts and bolts by reducing the effort required by the user and increasing the speed at which fixings can be tightened or loosened. There are a variety of different types on the market but they all work in fundamentally the same way. Essentially, they apply a rotational force (or torque) in short bursts (or impacts). They are driven by a motor which is powered by air, mains electricity, or battery (usually referred to as a “cordless impact wrench”).

Because the force is applied in short bursts, the user is able to apply a much larger torque to the fixing than they would use a regular wrench; sometimes with only one hand. This greatly reduces the effort required by the user, which results in less fatigue and fewer injuries or strains. The time required to complete a task is also reduced meaning that the user can finish the job faster and, in the case of a business, generate greater revenue and profit.

Which Type Is Right For Me?

Of the 3 different types of impact wrench, air, electric and cordless, each has its advantages over the others. Originally, only the air impact wrench was available and used mainly by professional and race mechanics to quickly remove and refit wheel nuts (lug nuts). Depending on the model, air tools are powerful, fast and robust making them ideal for use in a professional environment. However, they do require a large volume, high pressure air supply to operate and regular maintenance, which means they aren’t really suitable for infrequent or home use. And, as they’re attached to the compressed air supply by an airline, it can be difficult to move them around a workspace.

The corded electric impact wrench is also powerful and fast (again, depending on the model) but is less robust than the equivalent air tool. It too is attached by a cord making it difficult to move around a workspace and, of course, it cannot be used in the absence of a mains electricity supply. However, it can be less expensive than an air or cordless impact wrench, making it an attractive choice for home use.

Perhaps the most sought after, particularly in recent years as the technology has improved, and are cordless (battery powered) impact wrenches. The more expensive, higher voltage units deliver performance approaching that of an equivalent air tool but without the additional infrastructure. They are also completely portable and the absence of a cord means they can be moved easily around a workspace and used in hard to access areas. Unfortunately, they are often the most expensive and can be relatively heavy due to the weight of the battery packs.

At present, air impact wrenches remain the most popular with professional mechanics. But, as technology continues to improve, the cordless impact wrench will become increasingly popular, less expensive, and ultimately dominate the market.

Kspark International Ltd. is the company of specializing in a variety of impact wrenches including heavy duty impact wrench series, super heavy duty impact wrench series and angle heavy duty impact wrenches. If you have any interest in impact wrench, try to check out Kspark’s website to see the full specification of each product and find the ideal one you need. More details, click here: www.kspark-spraygun.com

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