Handles tough fasteners with ease
Written: Sep 14 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice grip. Forward/reverse trigger. DeWalt quality. Comes with case.
Cons: Pricy. Don't use it that often.
The Bottom Line: A fine labor saving tool for changing snow tires, mower blades and other "impossible to turn" fasteners. Compact and well built though at $165 not an inexpensive tool.
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| kubotabx2200's Full Review: DeWalt 1/2" Impact Wrench DW290 |
The DeWalt DW290 is an electric impact wrench. They are not as powerful as an air powered wrench. But if you don't want to fool around with an air compressor, hoses and hookups just to change a few tires, the DeWalt may be for you. It is compact and powerful, and does not clutter up your garage or shop. It has the professional tool quality and feel that comes standard with DeWalt tools.
An impact wrench is kind of like a gas powered garden tiller: it is not a tool you use every day, but when you do it makes difficult jobs a piece of cake. For example, changing your own snow tires, or changing the mower blades on a garden tractor can require a breaker bar, scraped knuckles and some cussing. The DeWalt DW290 makes child's play of this. You need to ask yourself it the convenience is worth $165, but for me it is money well spent.
The DW290 is comfortable and well balanced to operate. There is a toggle trigger for forward/reverse to spin the bolts on and off with easy. It is rated at 250 ft-lb of torque enough to spin the lug nuts off tires with ease, and powerful enough to remove the mower blade bolts on my Kubota tractor. It comes with a nice looking, fitted plastic case that has enough room to store a few sockets.
In a few seconds even very tight nuts and bolts come off with ease. An impact wrench is different than just attaching a socket to say an electric drill: the impact wrench has a little hammer that raps against the faster whilst spinning it. This hammering action takes all the free play out of the fastener and makes it possible to crank down the fastener tighter than you could by hand, or loosen fasteners that defy even a breaker bar.
For any impact wrench wear eye goggles. And if you value your safety DO NOT USE regular socket wrench type sockets, only the special impact wrench sockets -- these are a black color -- that are specially hardened. They are also designed not to strip the corners off the nuts and bolts you will be driving.
I purchased the Dewalt DW290 electric impact wrench at Home Depot for about $165.
Recommended:
Yes
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