Electric impact wrenches

[FergusonTO35]

I've been thinking about getting into the Makita 18v lineup. I notice they have different amp-hour ratings for batteries, from 2 to 6. Are the batteries interchangeable across tools? Meaning, you can use a lower or higher amp battery with corresponding change in performance?

 

[crowslayer17]

Not sure about Makita, I assume they would interchange with the same voltage. I know with Milwaukee you do get more power out of the bigger batteries which is helpful on tools like saws, big impact, and grinders but it is also nice to have lighter batteries too for working overhead or tight spots. These lithium batteries last a long time so the even the 2ah can do a lot of work. They all work fine with 5 or 6ah but I think the 9ah seems to give them some extra boost. I also use the 9ah on my K-drill ice auger so I needed those anyways.
It was between Makita and Milwaukee for me when I started collecting the lithium stuff and just got a deal on a surge impact so it was Milwaukee fuel after that. So far I have no complaints.

 

[Dub11]

I've been thinking about getting into the Makita 18v lineup. I notice they have different amp-hour ratings for batteries, from 2 to 6. Are the batteries interchangeable across tools? Meaning, you can use a lower or higher amp battery with corresponding change in performance?

Yes you can. The amp hour rating is more of a run time unit of measurement.

 

[Dub11]

Not sure about Makita, I assume they would interchange with the same voltage. I know with Milwaukee you do get more power out of the bigger batteries which is helpful on tools like saws, big impact, and grinders but it is also nice to have lighter batteries too for working overhead or tight spots. These lithium batteries last a long time so the even the 2ah can do a lot of work. They all work fine with 5 or 6ah but I think the 9ah seems to give them some extra boost. I also use the 9ah on my K-drill ice auger so I needed those anyways.
It was between Makita and Milwaukee for me when I started collecting the lithium stuff and just got a deal on a surge impact so it was Milwaukee fuel after that. So far I have no complaints.

So I'm not a Milwaukee guy but from what I have managed to gather watching the Torque Test channel is Milwaukee has batteries running the 18650 cells and others using the 21700s. The 21700 can "drain faster" leading to that sweet power boost.

Some of these tool across the brands can detect what battery is in and "unlock" the boosting feature or vice versa and keep from over powering the motors.

 

[Dub11]

I've been thinking about getting into the Makita 18v lineup. I notice they have different amp-hour ratings for batteries, from 2 to 6. Are the batteries interchangeable across tools? Meaning, you can use a lower or higher amp battery with corresponding change in performance?

Have you seen the 40v Makita stuff showing up?

 

[Larry B]

I am not a fan boy if any brand. My woodworking cordless stuff is Dewalt. The tools have stood up to being used and abused. The 60v circular saw is pretty amazing. In my small engine shop i use a set of Milwaukee 1/4 and 3/8 M12 impacts. 3 years of daily use and no issues. I also have the HF Earthquake 1/2 impact in the shop and it has taken a beating over the last 3 years and still works fine. Not the best out there but gets the job done.
Personally, i think chasing the best battery impact is an exercise in frustration. Like buying the best PC. I think you pick the battery platform you like from one of the better manufacturers and tools will perform similar comparable manufacturers tools. And sooner or later the batteries and tools will be obsolete. Like 4 of my old battery powered drills.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Have you seen the 40v Makita stuff showing up?

I haven't seen it, no. The specs on the 18v LXT stuff looks really good to me.

 

[Dub11]

I am not a fan boy if any brand. My woodworking cordless stuff is Dewalt. The tools have stood up to being used and abused. The 60v circular saw is pretty amazing. In my small engine shop i use a set of Milwaukee 1/4 and 3/8 M12 impacts. 3 years of daily use and no issues. I also have the HF Earthquake 1/2 impact in the shop and it has taken a beating over the last 3 years and still works fine. Not the best out there but gets the job done.
Personally, i think chasing the best battery impact is an exercise in frustration. Like buying the best PC. I think you pick the battery platform you like from one of the better manufacturers and tools will perform similar comparable manufacturers tools. And sooner or later the batteries and tools will be obsolete. Like 4 of my old battery powered drills.

I'm the same way. The only reason I have Makita because on new drill day I found a discounted model close out set that was the price of a Ryobi set.

 

[Dub11]

I haven't seen it, no. The specs on the 18v LXT stuff looks really good to me.

Poke around on that Torque test channel is all I can say before you make a purchase and see whats what.

They even have a flash light dyno lol.

 

[Catbuster]

I have not used a corded impact wrench, an extension cord is almost as bad to move around as an air hose and I never felt a need to have something else around the shop than my MAC & Ingersoll guns.

I own the Milwaukee 1/2” and 1” drive cordless impact wrenches. They’re an impressive tool. The 1/2” will spin a lot of stuff free and sucks up nuts and gaps on mechanical joints on water main like it’s nothing. It beats using a speed wrench, for sure.

The 1” rattle gun surprised me even more with a 2 & 3/4 socket taking hydraulic rod end nuts off. They’re not an easy thing to get off, and I’ve usually just used a hammer wrench and an 8 pound hammer in the past, but trying the 1” gun on a whim led to me being very impressed.

Up until recently I was in a service agreement with Hilti to use their cordless tools, and they were super durable and did everything a construction crew could probably ask of a 1/2” impact gun. Hilti’s service agreement is pretty killer for keeping things up and going across a lot of tools scattered across several crews in multiple states.