I'm very happy with this impact gun. From reviews of other 12V impact wrenches, it appears that people had problems with the product arriving DOA, or not being able to break lugnuts loose at all, blowing fuses, or burning out the motor. Some people set their expectations really high, somehow expecting it to behave or perform like an air impact wrench or even one of the 120V models.
I didn't have any of the problems listed above.
The impact gun arrived in its own plastic (branded Kawasaki) carrying case with molded-in placeholders for the impact gun, two double-sided impact-grade sockets (included), and two fuses (included but so far unnecessary). I unpacked it, unraveled its fair-length cord and plugged it into my vehicle's cigarette lighter. I grabbed one of the included sockets, made sure it fit the lugnuts on the car, and attached it to the gun. There is a push-pull side-to-side kind of switch that determines the direction the impact gun spins. I made sure that was set for REMOVING the lug nuts. Mind you, these lugnuts were impacted on by the last shop I took my car to.
I pulled the trigger. Spiiiiiiiiiiiin-CLANK. Spiiiiiiin-CLANK. Spiiiiin-spin-spin-spin. Lug nut removed. About 10 seconds, not bad at all. Tried the next lug nut. Same performance. The motor spools up for a second, accelerates a few internal weights, then releases its energy by hammering the lug nut. Depending on which direction you have it set to spin, it will hammer the lug nut until it spins completely off the wheel stud, or it will spin the lug nut onto the stud and hammer at it until you decide it's tight enough.
This gun's seen intermittent use in the past few weeks, being passed between me and a friend while we work on our projects in my driveway and garage.
The cord length is somewhere in the 8-10 foot range. I have a small 12V, 7.5Ah sealed lead-acid battery that I've connected a spare vehicle power outlet/cigarette lighter to. This allows me to position the battery and impact gun near whatever car I'm working on, without worrying about draining the battery. Speaking of my worry of draining the battery: that worry proved to be for nothing. I've used the same little SLA battery since I received the impact gun, and haven't charged it at all. The performance of the impact gun is unchanged.
As far as build quality, it has a very solid feel to it, with a good weight to it as well.
My feedback to the people who are looking for a 12V impact gun that matches (or even comes CLOSE) to an airgun: Look elsewhere. 12 volts has its limitations. If you want the instantaneous, divine un-torquing, bolt breaking, apocalypse-inducing power associated with air impact guns, look elsewhere. Keep your expectations realistic: An inexpensive 12V impact gun that will significantly lessen the strain on your back and arms. A 12V impact gun that will do the job several times faster than you could even if you had a breaker bar. A 12V impact gun that will last.
Bottom line: If you're looking for an impact gun that will save your back and arm from the usual strain involved with breaking lug nuts (or any other heavily torqued bolts) free, this will reliably do it faster than you ever could while using very little power.
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UPDATE 2/23/2016: This impact gun died a horrible death a couple years ago, while I completed a job this was never meant to do. I assisted a friend with replacing balljoints on his 2000 Ford Taurus. This impact gun was used to remove all lugnuts from wheels, remove the 30mm axle nuts from the front wheels, press new balljoints into control arms, and replace the 30mm axle nuts. The impact gun began to wobble and rattle, very evidently less balanced, in the last few impacts to the axle nut as it was torqued back into place. When the trigger was pressed afterward, the motor could be heard accelerating, but it was no longer transmitting torque to the 1/2" drive. The impact gun was done for.
I will not drop any stars for this, as the impact gun wasn't designed to do all the work I set before it, in the duty cycle I forced upon it. I am impressed that it was able to complete the job I gave it, and it was money well-spent. No regrets.
| Brand | Alltrade |
|---|---|
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Amperage | 10 Amps |
| Included Components | Wrench |
| Item Weight | 1 Pounds |
| Manufacturer | Alltrade Tools |
| Part Number | 841337 |
| Item Weight | 1 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 3.63 x 10 x 11.13 inches |
| Item model number | 841337 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 1 |
| Style | Durable |
| Finish | Powder Coated |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Head Style | Hex |
| Number of Handles | 1 |
| Measurement System | Inch |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
