Comparison: old impact vs new brushless at the shop

I ran my ancient Ingersoll Rand impact against a new Milwaukee M18 at the shop yesterday, torquing the same 20 lug nuts on a Freightliner. The Milwaukee spun em off in half the time and barely vibrated my hand. Anybody else stubbornly hold onto old air tools when battery ones work way better?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverowens15d ago

I used to be one of those guys that swore by air tools and thought battery stuff was just for homeowners. Then a buddy let me try his Milwaukee high torque on a semi truck and it blew my mind. The old Ingersoll did the job but it shook my hands numb and the hose was always in the way. Now I grab the cordless every time and I feel dumb for waiting so long. The power is there and the convenience is hard to beat once you actually try it.

amymason15d ago

Man, that line about "shook my hands numb" really hit home. I was the same way, totally thought battery stuff was for light duty weekend warrior type work. Then I had to do a bunch of rusty bolts on a old truck frame and my buddy handed me his cordless. I couldn't believe it just zipped them off like nothing. The hose always getting tangled underfoot or catching on things, that alone made me switch. Now I barely touch my air stuff unless it's something really specific. It's one of those things you just have to experience yourself to get it.