Hi, i plan to do some work on my mini such as suspension and wheel changing stuff.

Anybody can recommend me a decent impact wrench.. No high end, but in between high end and average quality?

And is cordless strong enough? Or cords are better?

 

In my *so far limited* experience cords are typically better unless you don't think there'll be an outlet anywhere nearby. Even good battery ones can die on you at inopportune time so you either have to buy extra batteries or stop what you're doing to wait for it to recharge.

Sorry I can't recommend any, need to get one myself soon. I typically go with Craftsman for ease of getting extra pieces (most of the time) but if looking for a more economic option Harbor Freight sometimes has decent no-/low-name brands cheap. Milwaukee hasn't been bad either so far for some power tools, but probably close to Craftsman price-wise.

 

It sounds as if you are talking about an air powered "Impact Gun" verses a "Impact Driver" which is small and usually battery powered.

Impact Gun : Many options here from Harbor Freight on up. Personally i think Sears makes a decent one and it has a warranty with it.

Impact Driver : I swear by Hitachi but there are many good ones. Dewalt, etc.

 

Do you have a compressor to run an air-powered impact? If not then you're looking at electric ones. Honestly even if you did have an air compressor I'd probably buy a battery-powered impact before I bought an air-powered one. The battery-powered ones are easier to handle and can put out quite a bit of torque. Enough to get just about anything on the mini loose with the exception of maybe the axle nuts. If I come across something my electric can't get off I just bust out the breaker bar and the jack handle instead of turning on the compressor and waiting for it to fill and getting out my air impact.

Since you never stated a price range it's hard to make a recommendation. $300 is probably about the median when it comes to battery-powered impacts with HF being the low end and the Snap-On/Matco guns being on the high end. I'd look for one of the new brushless compact 1/2" drive impacts. I think Milwaukee is one of your only options since I don't think the Dewalt one is out yet. If you can't swing the $330 for the Milwaukee Fuel 1/2" impact then get the 20v dewalt Lithium-Ion.

I have the Milwaukee and a friend has the Dewalt. His will almost do everything mine will but there are definitely times when the extra torque is helpful. As far as battery life I'm fairly confident I could tear apart the entire mini and not even use up a whole battery pack. I've worked for many many hours on a single battery charge and the Lithium-Ion impacts don't even slow down. That's one advantage of LiIon is that they run at full power until they suddenly die instead of slowly fading off.

Also, keep in mind that whatever impact you end up with you're sorta "buying into the brand" since it makes sense to use all the same brand/line cordless tools so you don't have 3 different battery types to keep charged and you can start buying just bare tools without batteries included which keeps costs down.

If the $220 for the Dewalt is still out of your price range I'd wait and save your pennies. The cheaper ones aren't really good for anything but taking wheel lugs on and off IMHO. They're heavy, don't put out much torque, and the batteries die quickly.

 

I have this Kobalt 8 amp corded impact driver. It'll handle up to 350 ft-lbs; I haven't found anything it couldn't tackle yet.

For my occasional use, a cordless doesn't make sense. A 12V cord has an infinitely longer shelf life than a battery, as well.

 

i've got the dewalt 20v, very happy with it - does everything i ask it to, and the battery seems to last forever

 

I have been using my for nearly 6 months now on a weekly basis seems like. It has never let me down, and has taken a beating and dropped several times.

Strong, quick, easy, good price, can't go wrong in my book.

 

Ingersol-Rand 2131QT, Sears sold it. Quieter than most, 4 torque settings. You can tighten the MINI lugs on position 1, then go to 3 for final torque.

 

Ryobi 1+ 18v 1/2" drive impact gun here. i break my lug nuts with a cheater bar then use this to zap them on and off (even on the 9/16" lug nuts on my 1 ton truck). works great, and it'll sufficiently torque the wheel nuts too.

can't imagine what you'd really want to use a 1/2" drive impact for on these cars, the fasteners aren't exactly super big...but the valve cover bolts on my pickup are about the same size as the bumper bolts on the mini, so my perspective is a little skewed...i'd think a small 18v/air drive 3/8" drive ratchet would be a better use of funds personally. i use my air ratchet a lot more than my impact gun.

 

I'm a Pneumatic guy, 33 gal 3/4 HP compressor and two 25 foot hoses, allow me to reach well out of the garage and halfway down the driveway.

For the most part for about the same $300.00 you can get a compressor and a couple of tools (Air Ratchet and Impact Wrench) as a package deal.

Motor on!

 

Another pneumatic guy here.
If you're going to own cars, and do your own work, you will eventually end up with an air compressor. It's just going to happen. It's a little more $$$$ upfront for the first tool, if you need to get an air compressor too, but in the end it's cheaper in my opinion.
You need a compressor that will put out 6+ CFM at 90psi for the basic air tools. Snips, sanders, sprayers, chippers and air hammers will require more, sometimes a lot more.
I just have some Husky stuff, and some Craftsman's from the 60's, for around the house. Home Depot and Lowes have a pretty liberal return policy, which kind of out weighs their somewhat lower to middle quality stuff.

No matter which way you go though, get a Titan, 17mm, deep well socket for your wheels.

 

I got . It worked really well when I was taking the suspension apart on my semi-rusty e30. I don't remember if I needed an extension cord in the garage or not. Probably did. Anyhow, it is a great investment.

 

 

Do you own or plan to own a house? If so, Dewalt 18v xrp tools work very well.

The 1/2" xrp impact gun works for cars. Then there are drills, drivers, sawzall, circ saw... All with the same battery.

If you are going air tools, the best advice is buy the biggest compressor you think you'll never need... You will use it eventually. I've got a 7.5 hp 80 gal Ingersall Rand, and I use it...

If all you need are lug bolts, but a cordless impact and a torque wrench at Harbor Freight Tools. The torque wrenches are surprisingly accurate. Yes you really need a torque wrench. You should never only use an impact...