jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I was all set to buy the new Ryobi One+ HP P262K cordless impact wrench for about $240 for the tool, battery, and charger. I thought a cordless impact wrench would be more convenient to use than my IR air wrench - dealing with the long hose. Then I realized that for a second, "convenient," impact wrench, I don't need the best. I kept looking, and I came across this WorkPro cordless wrench for $80, with battery and charger. I'll use this mainly for taking the wheels off the cars, not for working on Caterpillars all day, so it should be fine.

By the way, one 18v battery is not the same as another 18v battery. Tests have shown that a 4Ah battery performs more powerfully than a 2Ah battery. Not only does it last longer, but it puts more force behind the tool. Naturally, name-brand batteries are better than off-brands.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-HP-18V-Brushless-Cordless-4-Mode-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-P262/314109271?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&mtc=Shopping-VF-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_9_PORTABLE_POWER-RYOBI-NA-NA-PLA_LIA-2231050-WF-SMARTSHOPPING_Q1Q2PLUSUP&cm_mmc=Shopping-VF-F_D25T-G-D25T-25_9_PORTABLE_POWER-RYOBI-NA-NA-PLA_LIA-2231050-WF-SMARTSHOPPING_Q1Q2PLUSUP-71700000083187721-58700007049582706-92700063451361509&gclid=Cj0KCQjwna2FBhDPARIsACAEc_V0srLV12syRQ2oIPL1fl5qzX4F--XCufComlLlBtEAzLn3Z2KMPbEaArmrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...hmmm, I may go for the Ryobi since I've collected a bunch of the "One" tools and my corded Makita is getting on 25 years old. That company (Ryobi) has come a long way...I recall jabbing my electrician because he used that brand years ago when their quality was suspect. Since, I've been ripped off a couple of times and went from Makita to Rigid to, now, Ryobi, because the tools are solid!...haha. My mechanic swears by the Milwaukee impact and it's a great, strong as hell, tool, but very expensive in comparison.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nothing can touch the Milwaukee M18, but for the price, the new Ryobi P262K is a bargain. Lots of power at a good price.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ryobi+p262k

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

Several things here.
First off a good few years ago when Ryobi first came out I was told by several people that Ryobi was the German equivalent of B&D (then B&D had a reputation of being a really low end tool). Ryobi may have come far since then but I have never gone with them since. Not helped by a friend renowned for always buying the cheapest tool (Ryobi at the time and still today here) repeatably.
18v batteries are not all the same. Obviously if you have a 4A battery it will last twice as long as a 2A battery. This means that, all things being equal, a Makita 4A battery will last longer than a Ryobi 2A battery. All things equal means for example that the motors are the same rating.
A supplier who claims that their 20v tool will last longer than somebody else's 18V tool is telling you porkies. The 20V rating is the unused freshly charged 18V batteries starting voltage. ie they are both the same. This is solely a marketing ploy to make you ditch all your 18V tools and start afresh with the obviously "more" powerful 20V tools. A typical ploy here is to compare an 18V brushed motor against a 20V brushless motor - same battery though.
Of course a 4A push is going to be more than a 2A push.
Every battery rating, lets use a 4A example, only gives 4A when new and for the first 10 charges, after that it drops to 3.5A. The reason for this is because tool manf almost always use a 3 or 3.5A battery in a 4 A battery pack. You pull your next battery pack apart and I bet if it was eg a 4A battery the cells used will be 3500mA cells.
My last off brand battery purchase, rated at 4A actually had 5A batteries in it because I saw them. So the offbrand pack was better especially since it had name brand Samsung cells in it (I checked this also). This does not happen very often I have to admit.
It is also buyer beware. I have measured batteries before and once found a 4A rated battery (written on the side) only had cells rated at 1A inside. The seller was most upset when I pointed this out and said that nobody has ever complained. And the time I pulled a pack (4A) apart and found inside cells rated at 3.5A (see above re this). Upon further examination I found the cells had two sleeves with the inner sleeve showing a rating of 1.5A. Fortunately for the seller there was a substantial time difference between purchasing and my discovery otherwise somebody might have got a very sore backside for the deceit.

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

Although I have several cordless I still have a Kobalt corded impact wrench. I don't it that often to justify. buying cordless. I only have to deal with a cord instead of a hose. Heavy tool with lots of b...s.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Thanks for that. I like watching comparisons, and batteries do make a big difference. My WorkPro will be used mainly for removing wheels on my car and my son's, so unless it breaks, it should be okay. If money were no object, and if I had a real need, I'd buy the Milwaukee. If you haven't seen "Project Farm" on YouTube, it's worth a look - lots of testing.

Have you been watching "Brokenwood Murders"? I watched my last available episode last night. I hope they send more my way.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I thought about a corded wrench, but that wouldn't offer much advantage over the air hose.

Bayou

If you ever have to break loose lug nuts that have been put on by a careless mechanic who has no clue what he's doing, they may be nearly impossible to break free. No electric tool will touch a lug nut that's been slammed on by a powerful air wrench at full torque. EVERY TIME I have had a "pro" tighten lug nuts with an air wrench, I go behind and retorque by hand. Otherwise, fat chance of doing it on the shoulder of a road. It's simply incredible the amount of over torque I've encountered, up to a case where the vehicle had to be put on a flat bed and taken to a shop that deals with 18 wheelers where THEY struggled to remove those lug nuts with 3/4" drive air tools!

I always ask, when possible, that lug nuts be hand torqued...no air tools! Too many mechanics simply don't know how to use them properly. Many people are driving around with wheels that could not be changed beside the road with the factory tire tools...and don't know it.

G. Crook Loc: Linden, TX

My son in law and I have a large shop full of Milwaukee cordless tools. I used to use Ridgid tools exclusively until we did side by side comparisons. Milwaukee won hands down. Cheap? No. Quality? Yes. Milwaukee tools were quieter, usually lighter, much better battery life and just seemed easier to use. Their impacts are simply unbeatable. We have both there 18v and 12 v systems.

drgw5505 Loc: colorado

Once you have 2 milwaukee cordless batteries you can buy the tools without the battery and charger and save some money.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Absolutely correct. If they must use an air tool, I always ask if they use “torque sticks” or other torque limiting devices on their air wrenches, and I always retighten with my own torque wrench after a tire change to make sure. Finally, I keep a roughly 2’ piece of EMT tubing in my spare tire well since the lug bolts on my car are correctly torqued to a relatively high value and the tire tool has a fairly short handle.

G. Crook Loc: Linden, TX

We actually have several chargers located around the shop. Milwaukee sometimes has package deal sales where you get a battery and charger along with the tool for nut much more than the tool alone. We have a farm so we have a wide variety of tools from impact wrenches to grease guns.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

How many times do you have to remove wheels off cars? Looks like an air wrench would be adequate unless you do routine mechanics.

Tigger1 Loc: Surrey, BC Canada

Twice a year at a minimum. In the spring (March) off with the snow tires and on with the summer tires. reverse the procedure in October, remove the summer tires and install the snow tires. While I do have an air wrench and the requisite air compressor and hose, the cordless electric torque wrench is much easier and quicker to do a seasonal tire change over. At eighty years of age and with the onset of arthritis in most of my joints, simplest and ease of use is paramount to me.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

Bought a Ryobi 18v string trimmer. Had 3 battery failures in 2 years. Total POS in my opinion. I’m a big fan of Makita now. Got a new deck built and the lumber package promotion was a free impact driver. The contractor had several so he gave it to me. I have very few tools that have provided such satisfaction. Bought the “tool only” chainsaw since my impact came with battery and charger. Bought another battery for backup and can drive 6” star head screws all day long. I haven’t used the chain saw yet but have high expectations given the quality of the driver.