[tranquility]

Originally Posted by Bongoxxx

I have both air and electric. My compressor is 20 years old and great, but loud AF. Have a wide range of air tools accumulated over the years, but also been collecting Dewalt cordless tools as well. Picked up a DCF 900 for a great price on Amazon. Overkill for sure, but couldn’t pass for the price. Can also throw it in the trunk for long trips to make changing a flat a little easier

https://www.dewalt.ca/product/dcf900...vil?tid=577216

Ya, that's pretty insane, battery and over 1,000lb-ft. I wonder how much the whole unit costs cuz that's just the wrench, need to buy the battery and charger.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

You can get a lift in there. Bend Pack makes one and Danmar makes one. I don't think Rotay does anymore though.

I wish but I don't think the concrete here is deep enough last time I checked. I also still live at my dad's lol.

[Bongoxxx]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Ya, that's pretty insane, battery and over 1,000lb-ft. I wonder how much the whole unit costs cuz that's just the wrench, need to buy the battery and charger.

Got it for $269 on Amazon, not sure if it was priced incorrectly or some sale I fell upon, it’s currently $319. I already have a charger and 5 batteries so that wasn’t an issue.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I have a Florida Pneumatic 1/4-drive micro ratchet, it fits in the palm of your hand, and can break your wrist. It's tiny, smaller than just the battery of any electric ratchet. Then no one makes an electric Butterfly impact, which is a fantastic air tool for removing rusted fasteners. The butterfly impact is THE tool for removing BMW rotor bolts; it will never cam-out the hexhead.

Yep, electric 1/2-drive impacts are great, but overall, air gives you a way better range of tools. I have a slew of Milwaukee M12-series electrics, but the M12 1/2-drive impact is not strong enough to remove lugs. I don't want to jump to the M18 to get the power.

I am in a similar tool situation. I have a few M12s and love them. I have a few air tools and love them. Air tools get the job done, period, and each tool is not very expensive. Air compressor and tools are loud.

M12 tools are more expensive per-tool, and then the battery tech obsolescence/wear-out issue arises. M12 has been out for a while, how much longer will Milwaukee stick with it as a current product? Battery tools are lighter and quiet.

I want a right angle tool to drop belly pans for oil changes. 20 small belly pan fasteners take far more time than in should using a manual ratchet. The M12 standard drill-driver is too large to fit under the car to remove the belly pan screws. I have a 1/4" right angle air ratchet from Harbor Freight that I paid $30 for. It gets the job done but is very loud and I have to fire up the compressor (loud) and wrestle with the air hose to use it. An M12 right angle tool would be easy and fast, and high torque for this job is not needed.

So do I take one more step onto the slippery battery slope with M12 tools? Or buy a higher quality air ratchet which would still be less expensive than an M12?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by chassis

I am in a similar tool situation. I have a few M12s and love them. I have a few air tools and love them. Air tools get the job done, period, and each tool is not very expensive. Air compressor and tools are loud.

M12 tools are more expensive per-tool, and then the battery tech obsolescence/wear-out issue arises. M12 has been out for a while, how much longer will Milwaukee stick with it as a current product? Battery tools are lighter and quiet.

I want a right angle tool to drop belly pans for oil changes. 20 small belly pan fasteners take far more time than in should using a manual ratchet. The M12 standard drill-driver is too large to fit under the car to remove the belly pan screws. I have a 1/4" right angle air ratchet from Harbor Freight that I paid $30 for. It gets the job done but is very loud and I have to fire up the compressor (loud) and wrestle with the air hose to use it. An M12 right angle tool would be easy and fast, and high torque for this job is not needed.

So do I take one more step onto the slippery battery slope with M12 tools? Or buy a higher quality air ratchet which would still be less expensive than an M12?

I'd get a compact 1/4-drive air ratchet. They are unbeatable for engine bay work.

I started with M12 to replace my old Milwaukee drill driver from the late 1990's; the pre-lithium batteries all died. That tool was for house repair and it was big and heavy. I read a comparo in Popular Mechanics that included the M12 1/4-Hex impact, which blew away the other tools in the test. And all the M12 I have are mainly house repair tools. But Milwaukee does make an M12 magnetic-base light meant for car lifts, so that is my next buy. Like EV, the battery form factor dictates the size and weight of the product. The M12 battery configuration is ideal IMO.

But like I said, compressed air is vital for automotive repair, so I'm not going to convert to all electric for the auto shop side of my garage. The last thing I need are more tools. But I'd like to get a mini air saw at some point and a descaler.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I'd get a compact 1/4-drive air ratchet. They are unbeatable for engine bay work.

I started with M12 to replace my old Milwaukee drill driver from the late 1990's; the pre-lithium batteries all died. That tool was for house repair and it was big and heavy. I read a comparo in Popular Mechanics that included the M12 1/4-Hex impact, which blew away the other tools in the test. And all the M12 I have are mainly house repair tools. But Milwaukee does make an M12 magnetic-base light meant for car lifts, so that is my next buy. Like EV, the battery form factor dictates the size and weight of the product. The M12 battery configuration is ideal IMO.

But like I said, compressed air is vital for automotive repair, so I'm not going to convert to all electric for the auto shop side of my garage. The last thing I need are more tools. But I'd like to get a mini air saw at some point and a descaler.

Great comments, thanks. I have a cheap Chinesium 1/4" air ratchet. It is crazy loud. I think they stripped all sound muffling off the thing to sell at a low price point.

Do you think other brands (Craftsman, Kobalt, Ingersoll, Dewalt) would be quieter? Even a higher priced air ratchet is less money than a battery tool. The money factor is peanuts, it's just the principle of the thing!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by chassis

Great comments, thanks. I have a cheap Chinesium 1/4" air ratchet. It is crazy loud. I think they stripped all sound muffling off the thing to sell at a low price point.

Do you think other brands (Craftsman, Kobalt, Ingersoll, Dewalt) would be quieter? Even a higher priced air ratchet is less money than a battery tool. The money factor is peanuts, it's just the principle of the thing!

Hard to say. My Florida Pneumatic is pretty quiet. I think most air tools come with a db spec you can reference to decide.

The one other advantage to using air impact gun for tire removal (for me with a lift) is the air hose lets you drop the tool to the floor softly.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Is this it?
https://usatoolsinc.com/1-4in-dr-min...tchet-fpt733m/

I dunno much about airguns, but like I said, while I'm sure airguns are great and probably way more powerful than electric wrenches, for my purposes, it's hard to beat as I don't need to use it for other things and don't want to have something cumbersome (as it's not just that palm unit, you gotta hook it up to the tank, right?). I have no prbs at all changing my wheels unless some shop went nuts on my lugbolts.

Looks like the newer version. I bought mine 20 years ago.

[Efthreeoh]

If anyone has shop air already this is an indispensable tool:

[chassis]

I have this one. Don't buy it if you value your hearing. As a remover of fasteners in tight spots it works fine.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by Bongoxxx

Got it for $269 on Amazon, not sure if it was priced incorrectly or some sale I fell upon, it’s currently $319. I already have a charger and 5 batteries so that wasn’t an issue.

Pretty sweet not worrying about where's the electric outlet+needing a long extension cord.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I use the Milwaukee m12 3/8 ratchet. I've got to say it's my most used tool and my best purchase. Just speeds thing up everywhere there is a bolt and I can fit it, despite having an impact wrench and driver. You can just break the bolt free and then spin it out with the ratchet. I don't like having a cord or air line. Then I have my M18 wrench (the older brushed one) for higher torque or seized bolts.

But yeah I think the air ratchet ones have a bit more torque to them although Milwaukee also came out with some more powerful ones since and I'm sure other brands.

[Donatello.]

Originally Posted by M2Pilot

How we do :-)

Tire machines are cheaper than lawyer fees after someone damages my wheels at a tire shop. That’s how I justified it…

I've been thinking about getting my own machines. Especially since a shop recently damaged my rims...

[Dan B]

I used change my own tires. It takes me about 90 minutes because I use that time to inspect each corner carefully.

I can do it pretty quickly if needed. I have had a day where it was 60 degrees so I had summer tires on and the next day I woke up to snow. I changed out the tires on my STi in about 15 minutes.

Not sure if I will keep doing it when I get my BWM. I will have a 2nd set of winter wheels/tires but have to see how easy it is to jack up the car and if my Autel TS501 will reset the TPMS.

Other than for my 2 garage door openers, I have a single 15 amp outlet in my garage that has a refrigerator on it. That limited my air compressor choices. I bought a smaller California Air Tools compressor that only draws 8.5 amps. That limits my air tool usage so I have more electric tools now.

[Theruleslawyer]

FWIW I got one of these- $230 on sale including two batteries. Its basically a Millwaukee m18. Same company makes them. Torques tests prove it out too.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-1...4SBN/323202880

[br438]

No garage, I change over summers and all seasons one corner at a time.

Breaker bar to loosen, Milwaukee 3/8" m12 rachet to remove. Hand start each bolt, M12 to snug in a star pattern (max 35ftlbs), traditional torque wrench, star pattern to spec, then one more time in a circle to verify.

It takes me a couple of hours, because I clean and dry the old wheels, clean the brake calipers while the wheel is off, and bag the removed wheel set for storage. I would have to clean the removed wheels, dry, and bag even if a mobile tire service came to the house.

I will say that I had a mobile service come and put my "new" summers on the wheels last year. It was amazing - within $20 of chain stores, and they understood babying enthusiast cars. Wheels/tires are perfectly balanced.

[RM7]

I got the ryobi 1100ft/lbs cordless impact driver for my lugnuts. I tried the 600 but it wasnt enough. 1100 does the trick. Also got an inflator for their battery system that ill bring to track days.