Alternative Tools That Can Make Work Easier In Your Home Shop

If you work with cars and trucks in a home shop or a small repair shop, you may find that some tools are too expensive to purchase. Pneumatic tools are often on that list, but using some alternative tools like a 1-inch electric impact gun may work just as well and offer some benefits at a price lower than air-powered units of the same size.

Impact Guns 

An impact gun that is used in the automotive industry is an air or electric-powered tool that uses a socket to remove nuts and bolts from the vehicle you are working on. When you activate the trigger on the impact, it exerts a series of small blows against the fastener instead of trying to turn it all at once. 

A 1-inch electric impact gun can drive a large socket, so it is helpful for removing very large bolts. While these tools are often used to put bolts onto a car as well, they are not really intended for that use. Further, if not adjusted properly, the impact gun can tighten a bolt so tight it is nearly impossible to get off with a wrench or ratchet and socket if needed. 

An impact gun is commonly used in tires shops when tires and wheels are being removed and replaced because the tech can remove the lug nuts from the wheels quickly and easily, even though they are torqued in place with a torque wrench. The impact gun is often much more effective than any other tool for turning tight bolts and is less likely to round the hex head unless the wrong size socket is used.

Electic Alternatives

If you need an impact gun for your shop, a 1-inch electric impact gun is large enough to remove some of the largest bolts on a car or light-duty truck. While there are air-powered versions that are as large as the electric alternatives, they require an air compressor to run and can be expensive to get set up in the shop. 

Using a 1-inch electric impact gun also allows you to take it out of the shop and use it in another location if needed. Rechargeable impact guns can be charged up and will last through many uses with nearly as much torque as the corded versions and offer even more flexibility for use.

If you are buying a 1-inch electric impact gun, make sure the impact sockets you purchase to go with it are 1-inch drive. This dimension is the size of the square piece on the end of the impact gun where the sockets snap on. If the sockets have a different drive size, they will not fit the tool, and you will not be able to use it until you remedy that. To learn more about 1-inch electric impact guns, contact a supplier.