Table of Contents
How To Pick The Best Air Impact Wrench for Lug Nuts
If you are looking for the best air impact wrench for lug nuts there are a lot of different options to choose from. The two main types of air impact wrenches that you will find are ones that are designed to be used in combination with an air compressor and cordless air impact wrenches. If you already own an air compressor that should be a big consideration as to which type you end up going with.
My Air Impact Wrench Recommendations
1. Ingersoll Rand 231C Super-Duty Air Impact Wrench, 1/2 Inch
It also includes an adjustable power regulator to allow you to adjust the power output of the air impact wrench to suit the job. It is lightweight weighing only 5.8 pounds so it should be somewhat portable and compact.
It is fully lubricated out of the box so you don’t need to worry about that. It can remove lug nuts and other bolts from your car, truck, or SUV with no problem. It does not mention what RPM this air impact wrench spins at but that’s not that big of a deal.
Ingersoll Rand seems to be the most popular air impact wrench manufacturer as they have a lot of different models available that all seem to be reviewed highly on Amazon. This model of air impact wrench only comes with a one year warranty from Ingersoll Rand.
2. DEWALT DWMT70773L 1/2-Inch Square Drive Impact Wrench
This Dewalt air impact wrench is designed to be shock-resistant by featuring rubber bumpers to help protect the housing of the air impact wrench from scuffs. It also features rubber grips and an ergonomic handle.
It is designed to be able to be operated with one hand with easy access to the forward and back switch, it is also lightweight coming in at 5.35 pounds. Dewalt is one of the more popular tool manufacturers on the market.
This one costs a little bit more than the Ingersoll Rand model but it has more features. This Dewalt air impact wrench features a 3-year limited warranty.
3. AIRCAT 1150 Killer Torque 1/2-Inch Impact Wrench, Black
If you remember most lug nuts are going to be torqued to around 100-150 foot-pounds so this is going to be way overkill for lug nuts. However, if you are looking for a really nice air impact wrench for a reasonable price look no further.
The Aircat 1150 air impact wrench is designed to be a lower decibel power tool with a decibel level of 86 dBa. This air impact wrench also comes with a two-year warranty if you are looking for an air impact wrench with a decent warranty.
Cordless Impact Wrench Recommendations
1. DEWALT DCF889M2 20-volt MAX Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch High Torque Impact Wrench
Because it is a cordless impact wrench it will weigh a bit more than a typical air impact wrench coming in at 12 pounds. However, overall it should be more portable than an air impact wrench because you don’t have to drag a cord around your garage.
It would be perfect for someone that needs to work on vehicles at say a race track or a traveling mechanic. This specific model comes in a kit with a cordless impact wrench, 1 lithium-ion battery, a travel bag, and a battery charger. This cordless impact wrench can still remove the lug nuts off of cars, SUVs, and trucks.
2. PORTER-CABLE PCC740B 1/2″ Cordless Impact Wrench
I’ve included the links below for a 2 pack of porter cable batteries and a porter cable battery charger for them. Altogether the battery packs, charger, and impact wrench are about the same price as the Dewalt cordless impact wrench kit.
With 330 foot-pounds of torque, it should still be able to remove lug nuts off of your vehicle with no problem. It also comes with a 3-year limited warranty to protect it against defects. If you are a fan of Porter Cable products I would go with this cordless impact wrench.
PORTER-CABLE PCC692L 20V MAX Lithium Ion Charger
3. Milwaukee 2767-20 M18 Fuel High Torque 1/2-inch Impact Wrench with Friction Ring
This Milwaukee cordless impact wrench features adjustable power output, and a protective rubber casing to help protect it against corrosion and scuffs. It also comes with a built-in LED to help you see what you are doing.
This specific model that I am linking to is just the cordless impact wrench, you would need to buy a battery pack and charger as well. I’ve included links to both below. Ultimately this is going to be the most expensive option of the three cordless impact wrenches listed in this guide.
Milwaukee 48-11-1850 M18 Redlithium 5.0Ah Bat Pack
Milwaukee M12 & M18 Replacement Multi-Voltage Battery Charger
Air Impact Wrench with Compressor
The most common type of air impact wrench that you will encounter will be the type that is meant to be used in combination with an air compressor. If you do not already own an air compressor then you would have to factor that into the cost of your air impact wrench purchase.
Generally, air impact wrenches that are fed air from a compressor will have higher torque ratings compared to cordless air impact wrenches. Most ½ inch air impact wrenches should be able to remove lug nuts from your vehicle with no problem.
Most lug nuts on vehicles are going to be torqued down to about 100 foot-pounds of torque, most air impact wrenches have a maximum torque of at least 600 foot-pounds so they should be able to handle lug nuts with no problem.
One thing to keep in mind with using an air compressor is that it can be loud when you are using your air impact wrench so if being loud around your neighbors is going to be a factor you should probably look at getting a cordless air impact wrench.
Cordless Impact Wrench
If you do not already own an air compressor and do not want to purchase an air compressor then you would want to look at going with a cordless impact wrench. Because cordless impact wrenches are not being fed by an air compressor they have to rely on battery packs that send electricity to an electric motor to power the impact wrench and to be able to provide the necessary torque to turn your lug nuts and other bolts.
The main selling point of cordless impact wrenches is the fact that you do not need to connect the impact wrench to an air compressor using air hoses. This means that you are not confined to the area around your air compressor you can take a cordless impact wrench to any job site, it can be used on your vehicle if you have a breakdown, and you don’t have to worry about the sound of an air compressor bothering your neighbors.
With cordless impact wrenches, they are going to be battery operated which means that you are going to have to charge the battery packs from time to time. If you decide to go with a cordless impact wrench it’s a good idea to buy a kit that comes with two battery packs so that you can use one and have the other one charging.
This allows you to never have any downtime. You also have the option of buying the battery packs individually if you wanted but you may pay a bit more than if you just bought them all as one package.
Torque
The main rating system that you should pay attention to when looking at air impact wrenches is the torque output. The torque rating will be expressed in foot-pounds, most air impact wrenches will have at least 600-foot pounds of torque where has most cordless impact wrenches will have anywhere from 300-1000 foot-pounds of torque.
In general the higher the torque ratings on the air impact wrench or the cordless impact wrench the higher the price will be. Depending on what you are going to be mainly using your air impact wrench for would determine how many foot-pounds of torque you need to have on your air impact wrench. To remove lug nuts on a car or a truck you would be fine with around 300-foot pounds of torque as most lug nuts are going to be torqued down to 100-135 foot-pounds.
Drive Size
If you are wanting an air impact wrench that is strong enough to remove lug nuts without needing a breaker bar I would stick to ½ inch drive air impact wrenches. I ended up going with a ⅜ inch drive cordless impact wrench and it does not have enough torque to remove the lug nuts from my car without first using a breaker bar. I thought that it would be strong enough to remove my lug nuts but the ⅜ inch drive is quite a bit smaller than a ½ inch drive impact wrench.
RPM
The RPM rating on air impact wrenches will determine how fast the air impact wrench is able to spin. While a higher rating may make your job go a bit quicker the RPM rating should not matter all that much to most people. With air impact wrenches they typically will have a higher RPM than cordless impact wrenches.
Warranty
If you are going to be making a large investment in purchasing an air impact wrench or a cordless impact wrench you want to make sure that your tools are going to last. Depending on what manufacturer you end up going with will determine what the warranty period will look like. Some manufacturers only have a one year warranty while others will extend their warranties to three years.
Compressor
If you are planning on using an air impact wrench you are going to need to also buy a compressor if you do not already own so you will need to factor that into your air impact wrench purchase price. I’ve included a link to an air compressor so that you can compare the prices on air compressors if you do not currently own one and plan on going with an air impact wrench.
PORTER-CABLE C2002-WK Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor with 13-Piece Accessory Kit
Best Air Impact Wrench For Lug Nuts – In Conclusion
The main consideration, you should be making when choosing between an air impact wrench and a cordless impact wrench would be if you already own an air compressor or plan to buy one down the line.
If you do not already own an air compressor I would suggest looking at cordless impact wrench models instead of having to buy an air impact wrench, an air compressor, and all of the accessories required to operate both. Ultimately that decision is up to you and your preferences, however.
Hopefully, this guide was able to give you a better understanding of what features you should look for on your next air impact wrench or cordless impact wrench. If you were interested in buying some wheel locks to protect your wheels you may be interested in my other article about the best wheel locks for the money.