Do you carry a impact driver or impact wrench in your vehicle toolkit?

Thinking of buying a cheap Ryobi one to have just in case.

 

When I'm running trails, yes.

M18 Fuel impact.

Used to be carried in a tool bag but just recently bought extra tools and cases.

 

For trails yes, M12 impact and recently an M18 impact, for things like axle nuts and ball joint nuts.

For just changing a tire on the road, I carry a cheap telescoping lug wrench with a socket appropriate for my lugnut size. Plenty of sources for it:
https://www.autozone.com/shop-and-g...an-autograde-telescopic-lug-wrench/366588_0_0
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dorman-AutoGrade-Carded-711-900-Lug-Nut-Installation-Tool/161624205
https://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=45

$18 CARTMAN Telescoping Lug Wrench, Wheel Wrench with Standard CR-V Sockets 17/19, 21/22mm

https://www.amazon.com/Cartman-Telescoping-Lug-Wrench-Wheel/dp/B00RF95TDC/

 

In the olden days of my youth I carried far to much That might be why I never needed it.

Long before cell Phones in places you might see 3 vehicles on a very busy day. So get things fixed enough to get home or camp out till someone decided to come looking in a few days.

Now I got spoiled having a Company Truck the last 10 years I worked. I have tools for work Truck problems Pick up the phone call for the least problem. I have found the best places to break down is at a good restaurant or at least a quicky mart of some sort.

 

I usually always try to have an impact on me. Has come in handy on multiple occasions. Milwaukee for the win!!

 

It's so nice to have the right tool for the job!!

 

I keep this stowed under the rear seats: (Total = ~$70 delivered)

• Tekon 1/2" drive 24" Breaker bar
• 4" extension (Older USA Kolbalt I think)
• 21mm deep 6-point: (Carlyle (NAPA)

It's mainly for tire changes; but when needed in the garage easy enough to pull out. Breaker bar and a proper socket are SO much easier than the OEM wrench or 4-way. The extension and 21mm stay in the truck at all times... I don't want to risk using them for garage stuff then they end up in the tool box. If I pull the breaker bar out, I purposely leave the seats up to remind myself before I take off to put it back.

My $0.02:
- I still keep a full size 4 way in the garage for spinning the lugs on/off after I break them free.
- I recon there could be several other uses for keeping a solid 24" breaker bar in the truck... leverage.
- I did have a 18 inch ish HF Pittsburgh one. It was garbage; crap workmanship, fit-n-finish, wonky head, flexed... into the recycling bin. Icon wasn't really a thing at the time. Craftsman and Kobalt were no longer USA. SK was too expensive for me for a low use tool... The Tekton [Taiwan] is cock diesel for a good price.
- Pick your poison with this stuff... I'm not rich by any means, but IMHO this is NOT an area to go cheap or tempt fate... lots of forces going on here... Sorry, I have and use some, but I don't trust HF in this situation... This arena of high consequence I go to my top tier line-up: a mix of SK, old USA Craftsman and Carlyle, with a little bit of old USA Kobalt and now Tekton... Expecting more Tekton in the future


1/2 Inch Drive x 24 Inch Breaker Bar#SBH00224$39

Individual 1/2 Inch Drive Deep 6-Point SocketsIN3/8 - 1-1/2 in.MM10 - 38 mm48 items$8 - $16

1/2 Inch Drive x 3 Inch Extension#SHA21103$9

(Looking for the nuclear option? ~ $50 more steps you up to an eight and a half pound 40" 3/4 drive Breaker bar and socket. Holy leverage 3/4 Inch Drive x 40 Inch Breaker Bar#SBH00340$67 , Individual 3/4 Inch Drive Deep 6-Point SocketsIN3/4 - 2 in.MM19 - 50 mm44 items$16 - $32)

 

In my head cannon that tool's name is "fart lever".

 

I have a lawn business, and often need to change mower blades in the field during the day. I kept a 12v battery charging station behind the rear seat that was wired into the truck, and my Ryobi Impact Gun. Kept the socket for my mower spindles and the trucks Lugnuts back there for any flats as well. Of coarse the only flat I ever got, the spare was rusted up, and wouldn't lower....

 

I own a big ass Mac 1/2" and I don't bring it with me. One or two potential flat tires don't merit buying a tool in my opinion.

 

I carry my Dewalt brushless XR, 1200 lb ft. I've helped so many people with it, even one larger box truck the guy had a Milwaukee impact and couldn't get them off (not to say Dewalt is better, his battery may have been low or something) he was banging it for ten minutes and I came over and hit it with mine and it came off instantly.

I helped one carpenter on side of road, he had this construction van, I could tell he needed help he had stuff everywhere ripped apart trying to find a lug wrench. I pulled over and asked "do you need some help?" he was hesitant to ask for help, said he will probably be ok. I said I got an impact. he said "really?" So I got out to help him, I also usually carry a scissor jack with one of these 1/2" to scissor jack attachments. we started bs'ing about construction or something, as i was talking to him, I zip the scissor jack up in 20 seconds the van is in the air, zip the wheels off, change the wheel nascar style, mostly keeping eye contact during conversation, as i finish, he didn't even realize "you're done already? WOW I got to get me some of these tools!" he ordered an impact that night. I have a bunch of Dewalt tools, so what i do is rotate the battery every 2 months or so so the battery is always fresh charged and also is being used and discharged properly. I don't really need an impact much in the garage, when i do i walk to the truck and grab it, its not really that inconvenient having it always in the truck. even if i only get a flat every 2 years, i don't want to do manual labor on the side of the road... ever. but mostly have helped so many other people with it. I got to the point where i started timing myself, one lady broke down, no AC, car full of kids, car was beat up i could tell she did not have money or help, very hot day. i pulled over screen shot the clock, change the tire, come back in 8 minutes, that's including digging through her trunk mess to find the tire and putting the old tire back in the trunk.

one thing i will say about the scissor jacks, they don't like the impact, it tears up the threads (worm gear part). I use them in the shop a lot doing engine work, or when you need to support something, or welding an exhaust, they are very convenient, but constant use and you can only get 1-2 years before the threads go bad. I try to keep them lubed as well. If you want to do this constantly, keep an eye out for a GM scissor jack, it came with the HMMWV's and it came on the Dulley 3500 trucks. this scissor jack has an extra reduction gear box on the input, the gearing ratio makes the threads see less load from the impact, these ones will last closer to 5+ years and that's using them constantly in the shop. Don't use RV jacks, they have no lifting power, but they are great for jacking up metal frames or something for leveling during fabrication. Also depends on the car weight, the RV jack will lift a lighter car, but it's not going to last as long. Also use this with caution, but that shouldn't need to be said since scissor jacks are inherently one of the most dangerous ways to lift a car anyways. I also keep a piece of a 4x4 for lifted trucks, and usually a small piece of 3/4" plywood sheet in case you need to lift a car off the side of highway where it's on soft dirt (or sand here in florida).

 

Just got a Milwaukee M12 fuel stubby 3/8" and some impact ready deep sockets to put on my new wheels and tires. Picked up that same cheapo Pittsburgh 3/8" drive breaker bar and the ever important Husky kneeling pad. Still a little leery about keeping batteries in a truck in a 4 season climate but Im sure other have had little to no adverse effect doing so.

 

In the truck, no. Breaker bar, torque wrench, and big-ass adjustable crescent are more than sufficient for the jobs at hand.


In the trailer, I have a 24V impact driver that lives there dedicated, separate from my home tool kit. Nothing makes friends quite like rolling up in a crowded national park and introducing yourself with brrrrt, brrrrt, brrrrrt, brrrrt.

 

I only have hand tools. Ryobi is really only for spinning on bolts for me. I can break loose nuts with a ratchet 10/10 times my Ryobi can so I don’t even bother with it.

 

As much as I can fit in one of the rear seat comparments!

 

I carry one makes tire changing a breezy

 

Ehh. Guess I’m old school. I still use my old SK breaker bar, 1/2” drive socket wrench, and torque wrench.

 

Have a Kobalt 18V impact I keep in mine.

 

I do on trips, otherwise a 16inch breaker does the work. I use a Williams US made one currently.

Don't bother with cheap impacts, if you have an ecosystem already, Dewalt Milwaukee or Makita. Just wait for them to come on sale at your local joint and grab a solid half inch one. I found that for a lot of bolts if they get corroded they need a real tool to get them off.
Also buy impact sockets. I watch a chrome Dewalt socket explode the other day on a breaker bar.

 

Impact, been a good one: