Impact driver revelation - HF, Mikes

xjwmx

xjwmx

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I was messing around with my Harbor Freight impact driver and discovered that if I grab the 1/2" drive with pliers and twist it until it reseats it becomes an impact tightener. You can place it on a hard surface and push down to see what direction mode it's in.

Mikes sells one that looks like it's the same thing. It's very durable. My neighbor has not broken it for me yet. Sorry if this is idiotic and they all work this way - but it's not documented anyplace! I was pleasantly surprised.
 
And XJ, you do not have to take off the adapter to turn it in the other direction, just push and turn, how do you feel know? Naw, just funnin' with ya. I know how you feel, if someone had not showed me how to use alot of tool's I'd still be in the Twilite Zone.Oh wait, When did I leave the Zone?
 
My thinking was it was a cheap azz one that didn't have a reverse feature. So I was messing with it to open it up and see if there was something inside I could flip around to make it go the other direction and I stumbled onto this.
 
my hf driver flew apart the first whack. took it back, new one did it too. didnt bother returning. maybe I got two bad ones in a row? yours works good? Imight try a HF again, and it sure does look the same as mike's
depending on wich direction you want to turn, push in on the driver and turn it untill it stops turning in itself.(hope that made sense)
 
Holy shit! You mean I can use my loosening wrenches as tightening wrenches too?!?!:D
 
Sometimes being on this board makes me feel so much better about myself. Finding a torn carb diaphragm tonight was getting me down. (KZ305)
 
Use http://www.harborfreight.com/impact-screwdriver-set-with-case-37530.html to remove old screws. Make sure to dip the Phillips Head portion of the driver into Valve Lapping Compound or Clover (http://www.mcmaster.com/#clover-lapping-compounds/=afrjuk).

Then when it's time to replace the part, seriously consider putting SHCS or FHCS style fasteners in their place. 40-25 year old fasteners deserve to be replaced for making it that long :D And you just got done hitting them with a Hammer! How would you Feel!
 
Yes, they all work that way. Simply fit the driver onto a tight screw or bolt, push in on it and twist, and you reverse the direction it works in. A tip on use - fit the driver to the screw/bolt, rotate it in the direction you're using it in to take up all slack in the mechanism, then hit it with the hammer. This transmits the entire hammer blow into the tightening/ loosening operation and doesn't waste any of it on just taking up the slop between parts. It's also easier on the tool. Maybe this is why Angus's tools were busting apart?
 
further tip if the screw head is messed up.
1. tap the adapter into the screw head without the impact wrench, just a use a hammer to set it then put the impact driver on it. This sometimes helps to reform the head. If it's really bad (PO gave up on getting the part off bad) work with a center punch in each of the four corners of the head between the phillips slots, this can help to buttress the head enough so that the driver won't slip. A couple of hits to loosen then one hit to tighten, repeat, makes it more likely to break free badly corroded threads before the screw breaks.
 
That's the one Cafe-Dave. Notice it has several paragraphs about loosening and none about tightening. People are going to read this and like me be surprised it tightens too. It's an uncommon tool in the real world. I'm sure not many people know how the hell to work it :)
 
Just to reemphasize.. the best tip is the one 5twins mentioned: Turn the driver in the direction you want the fastener to turn to take up all the slop, then hit it. They don't work for a damn unless you do that.
 
A thing I read gave me the impression that was the way you set its direction - take up the slop in the direction you want to go. Didn't work with mine....
 
be careful tightening with the impact driver, it is very easy to break the heads off of screws.
 
not to mention deforming the cases gasket surfaces and threads by over tightening, great tool of removing screws but not for installation
 
My neighbor has been using it to remove hinges from doors at an old house they're renovating. Old wood screws with a hundred coats of paint in the slot going flush into solid wood. Works great. Only tool that could touch that job.
 
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