How Does an Impact Wrench Work?

An impact wrench is considered the best tool for pretty much every job where no other wrench seems to be working effectively. There are certain tasks that are usually beyond a regular wrench, such as working on a stripped screw which cannot be gripped easily, as well as perhaps a lug nut that’s fitted too tightly.

This is where the best impact wrench comes in. It comes with considerably more force and power, as well as a much better grip. This helps it get the job done effectively regardless of how tight the lug nut or how stripped the screw is.

How it Works?

An impact wrench usually comes with an electric or air motor. It works by applying sudden and intense force on the lug nuts that refuse to budge. It actually does that in short but continuous bursts, with the average time between each burst being five seconds or so.

This sudden, continuous force makes even some of the most tightly fitted lug nuts give up and show movement, either by loosening or tightening, whatever you’re trying to do. Yes, an impact wrench can indeed be used for not only loosening screws and lug nuts, but also tightening them as much as they possibly could be. Hence, it can be used on projects that involve both dissembling and assembling things.

Furthermore, an impact wrench is also probably the most effective tool for many different tasks, especially including the time consuming, repetitive ones. It helps save quite a bit of time as well as makes the process very effective.

Similarly, there’s hardly anything out there that works better than an impact wrench when it comes to working on hard-to-reach areas.

Types of Impact Wrench

There are types of impact wrench, air, electric and cordless. They all come with their own advantages, so probably your best bet would be to go with the one that fits your needs best.
Coming to the first type, the air impact wrench, it’s the oldest one out there, and one of the most preferred choices of professionals. It allows removing and refitting lug nuts very quickly and effectively.

However, being large and heavy, it’s not very portable, and also requires a high pressure air supply to work. It means that it may usually not be ideal for home use.

The electric corded impact wrench, too, isn’t very portable, given that it’s attached by a cord. However, depending on the model, it can be very powerful and fast.

Needless to mention, it wouldn’t work in the absence of electricity. It is, however, usually the most affordable option.

Finally, the cordless impact wrench runs on batteries, and is apparently the most popular option in recent times. It’s very portable, and usually as powerful as an air impact wrench, but doesn’t come with any of the downsides associated with it. However, it’s usually also the most expensive of the three types.