Lazyness is a bugger

I fancy an impact gun. Originally had planned to get an air compressor + air tools, but when i think about it a) my old man has one i could easily borrow if needed and b.) impact wrench, blow gun and tyre pressures are the only things i'd use regularly (at all?!), and i already have a battery tyre pump and free aerosol tins of blow via work.

So electric it is. Budget up to £200, will go slightly more if i think it's worth it. It doesn't need to be cordless, i only just found out you can get corded and power supply isn't an issue.

My shortlist so far is:

• Snapon £450 jobbie == star of the show but too expensive for the amount of times i'll use it, but seemingly perfect in every way except price
  
• Clarke cordless CIR450 - £140 - Claims up 450nm? - no variable speed via trigger - crap battery
  
• Clarke corded gun £60 - cheep cheep - also claims up to 450nm - again no variable speed, slightly faster than cordless, more impacts per second - never a flat battery
  

Any recommendations, experiences, hints or tips? Am i making a mistake not going down the compressor + air tools route? The Clarke corded gun looks like it's too good to be true at that price.

Edited 22 June, 201016 yr by Mute

Be very careful mate. Standard sockets shatter when used with zip guns. Proper sockets are well expensive. Really only needed for people in a hurry, or shifting rusted solid nuts and bolts. I would use the dosh to buy a mail order bride that has a degree in car mechanics.

Be very careful mate. Standard sockets shatter when used with zip guns. Proper sockets are well expensive. Really only needed for people in a hurry, or shifting rusted solid nuts and bolts. I would use the dosh to buy a mail order bride that has a degree in car mechanics.

Haha i like your style the other half would use worse than a zip gun on me if i did that

It's the rusty bolts bit that secretly appeals to me. When i replaced all the suspension on my BM that was a real pig. All original nuts and bolts and after 9 scottish winters they were rusted like you wouldn't believe (or maybe you might being a moggy fan :p ).

If i'm honest i do just fine (if slowly...) with a breaker bar (never needed an extension yet) and a normal socket set, but it's the lazy side of me really wants

I got a deal on an impact socket set, the black ones that stretch rather than shatter, a wee while back so fingers crossed i'm good there

If you have the black sockets then I would say go for it. Certainly makes stripping down a lot quicker, but I wouldn't use one for final tightening, not even on the Moggy

We have one of these at work,and if works fine.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/98740/Power-Tools/Cordless-Drills/Sparky-GUR12-Impact-Driver-12V

Edited 23 June, 201016 yr by kenny rsell

We got a 28V DeWalt cordless unit for work and it really shifts tight bolts, but expensive. Biggest problem is if some dork uses it for tightening and guns the bolts until they snap, instaed of using a torque wrench !