Comparison: old impact vs new brushless at the shop

I ran my ancient Ingersoll Rand impact against a new Milwaukee M18 at the shop yesterday, torquing the same 20 lug nuts on a Freightliner. The Milwaukee spun em off in half the time and barely vibrated my hand. Anybody else stubbornly hold onto old air tools when battery ones work way better?

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2 Comments

riverowens3mo ago

I used to be one of those guys that swore by air tools and thought battery stuff was just for homeowners. Then a buddy let me try his Milwaukee high torque on a semi truck and it blew my mind. The old Ingersoll did the job but it shook my hands numb and the hose was always in the way. Now I grab the cordless every time and I feel dumb for waiting so long. The power is there and the convenience is hard to beat once you actually try it.

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amymason3mo ago

Man, that line about "shook my hands numb" really hit home. I was the same way, totally thought battery stuff was for light duty weekend warrior type work. Then I had to do a bunch of rusty bolts on a old truck frame and my buddy handed me his cordless. I couldn't believe it just zipped them off like nothing. The hose always getting tangled underfoot or catching on things, that alone made me switch. Now I barely touch my air stuff unless it's something really specific. It's one of those things you just have to experience yourself to get it.

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