Impact wrenches are some of the most useful tools anyone can have. With your impact wrench, you can work with scaffolding and construction projects. You could even use them to repair anything from your lawn mowers, to cars and even trucks.
However, you can only make the best use of wrenches when you have the right size. Therefore, we have written this article to show you all that you need to know about the size of impact wrenches.
What is an impact wrench?
Before you start asking yourself, “what type of impact wrench do I need?” you might want to know what an impact wrench is. An impact wrench is the go-to-tool professionals and DIY enthusiasts use when other wrench types fail. The impact wrench has a socket that delivers a high torque with little effort from the user. Some impact wrenches like the air and electric types can even provide you with extra power when you need it for major tasks. Some of these tasks include assembling, dissembling, loosening/ tightening of screws.
People easily confuse impact wrenches with drills because the two look so much alike. However, an impact wrench delivers a high torque at a low speed with hammering action. In contrast, a drill only offers constant rotation at high speed.
On the inside, most impact wrenches work with batteries or air that powers their motors. The motor applies a quick turning motion to the lug nut in short bursts. These rapid short bursts create movements that make the impact wrench ideal for any type of tightening or loosening operation.
What is the size of an Impact Wrench?
Impact wrenches come indifferent sizes. It is important that you understand the size of your wrench because, the size of your wrench and its socket will have large impacts on the jobs you use the wrench for.
Most people think the size depends on the shape of the wrench. Well, it is not true. In reality, the size of your wrench refers to the distance between one edge and the other edge on the driving anvil.
Although there are so many sizes of impact wrenches, you won’t find all of them around. That’s because, of all the sizes available only a few are commonly used. For easy understanding, we have grouped the sizes of impact wrenches below into how often people use them.
- Most Commonly used impact wrench sizes: ½-inch, 3/8-inch, and ¼-inch
- Least commonly used impact wrench sizes: ¾-inch and 1 inch.
Now we will move into a detailed explanation on these wrenches and their uses.
¾ -inch and 1-inch Impact wrenches
We will start with the largest of them all, the 3/4-inch, and 1-inch wrenches. These two are the largest and the least common of all the impact wrenches you can have. The reason why they are so scarce is because they tend to be too powerful. As a result, they are not suitable for most household projects. However, if you are looking for something to power your construction projects, these are the tools for the job. They give the exact power needed to complete tasks in a professional setting.
½ inch Wrench
This is probably the most commonly used size of impact wrench. This is obviously because they sit at the middle of the size chart for impact wrenches. If you have used a power too =l before, you will understand what that means. For those who are new to this, it means, they offer the best balance between precision and power.
More so, they allow you to safely remove nuts and bolts without fear of applying excess torque that can cause damage. Also, ½ inch impact wrenches tend to have the power needed to handle a wide variety of jobs. They are versatile enough to handle most jobs that smaller and less powerful impact wrenches will not handle.
If you are looking for the ideal tire changing impact wrench, then you should go with the ½ inch wrench. It offers just the right amount of torque to get the job done. More so, it won’t give you an overkill like you will have if you used a 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch option.
1/4-inch and 3/8-inch impact wrenches
Finally, we have the smallest of them all, the 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch impact wrenches. These wrenches are by far the smallest sizes that you will find anywhere. Due to their small size, these wrenches are generally compact, easy to carry and you can use them in tight spaces. They come in different types and shapes. However, the most common ones are the pistol and incline grip styles.
1/4-inch and 3/8-inch impact wrenches are mostly suitable for bolts that have a diameter of 10mm or less. They are also perfect for use when accuracy and precision trump power are important.
Which impact wrench should you get?
Now that you know the different sizes of impact wrenches, which one should you go for. Well, the answer to that will depend on what you intend to use the impact wrench for. There are many important things to consider when buying power tools. The Vital Hand Tools lists the ultimate power tools, hand tools, gadgets, and gears for people who quickly want to know to get information.
Before buying a wrench, consider asking yourself these questions:
Are you a professional or are you doing this on your own as a hobby?
Do you have an air compressor?
How much torque do you need from the impact wrench?
How vital is the speed of the device you need?
Most artisans, professional mechanics and more prefer air powered impact wrenches. This is because, with an air powered impact wrench you do not have to worry about running out of power while on the job. More so, the air-powered, pneumatic types offer more power and are lighter to handle. So, if you are looking for something that is reliable for construction, home and mechanic jobs, you might want to use an air-powered, pneumatic right-angle impact wrench.
An electric impact wrench also comes with enough power, at least enough to accomplish your DIY tasks. You can go for the battery powered types if you need something that you can use and carry around to any part of your home. It is also a good alternative for those who cannot access an air compressor. Most of them come with high power and will deliver high-quality results while running for as long as possible. Also, they are easy to use.
