Choose the correct tool for the job

 Far too many times, I hear people tell me how tool from brand X is underpowered or even overpowered. 

Could the tool be at fault? Yes, it does happen where tools do not perform to specs.  Always need to watch out there.  That's one reason I like to keep up with the YouTube channel, "Project Farm".  Very comprehensive reviews that detail and test tool specs.

 If I'm  being honest though, more often than not, the user has chosen the wrong tool for the task.

Either they don't know the specs of the task, like how tight a nut is or needs to be fastened, or they don't pay attention to what the tool specs say it it can do. Third, they really are unfamiliar with how to use the tool or the task to begin with.

Let's start with one of the most misunderstood tools, the impact wrench. Most complaints are about a tool not being powerful enough to loosen and remove a nut, say a lugnut on a tire.

First some homework...  We need to know how tight a lugnut is torqued in order to deal with it.  On your average pickup truck, it's probably around 110 to 150 ft pounds of torque.

Rust, and wear can have a big impact on that.  But honestly, you don't need a heavy duty impact wrench to change tires on the average car or pickup.  Most light duty impact drivers fall into a top range of up to 250 to 300 foot-pounds and that is more than enough to loosen and tighten.

If the nut is rusty or been fastened for a ridiculously long time,  it may be a tougher nut to crack (heh heh, see what I did there?). 

Keep in mind though, we really should be "breaking" the nut loose with a breaker bar BEFORE using the impact wrench.  Yes, a more powerful impact wrench CAN loosen a stuck or over-tightened lugnut if it needs to.   BUT it can just as easily strip or round the nut instead.  That just makes removal more difficult. 

If we use a breaker bar of some type to "break" the nut loose first, we can then use the impact wrench to much greater effect removing it from the bolt without damaging either.

So in many cases, it isn't the impact driver not being powerful enough.   We're just doing it wrong.

The same idea applies to other tightening/loosening tools like drills, impact drivers, even powered screwdrivers.

All of these are offered in different power/torque ranges to meet different use needs.  We want enough power to remove a nut but not too much to prevent damaging the nut or bolt.  Using overpowered tools is very much a thing.

So, we have the need to know the specs of the task, the specs of the tool, and the correct steps in using the tool and doing the task.

Then we can have a serious discussion of whether the tool is good or not.





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