1/2" vs 3/4" impact guns

[Nwcid]

The thread on 3/4" impact gun got me to looking and thinking.

I have a ton of Dewalt stuff and batteries so I am looking at their tools. I was originally looking at their 3/4" drive but I do not have any 3/4" drive sockets,

3/4" https://www.dewalt.com/products/powe...l-bare/dcf897b

Then I saw their 1/2" drive gun has the same specs,

1/2" https://www.dewalt.com/products/powe...-bare/dcf899hb

It looks like I can easily find 1/2 drive sockets up to 1-1/2", which should be enough to cover what I need to do on the truck. So if they have the same torque rating why would someone pick the 3/4 over the 1/2 drive?

[Jim_HiTek]

Bragging rights? Only reason I can think of. As you said, they have the same specs. Like they didn't even try to make one a better value then the other.

Oh, wait, thought of another reason. A bigger heavier tool, would make it easier to undo a really difficult nut. My lug nuts are 425 ft-lbs and having a 3/4" tool might take less arm strength to hold it in place while it hammers away. Might.

[joeplazek]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

The thread on 3/4" impact gun got me to looking and thinking.

I have a ton of Dewalt stuff and batteries so I am looking at their tools. I was originally looking at their 3/4" drive but I do not have any 3/4" drive sockets,

3/4" https://www.dewalt.com/products/powe...l-bare/dcf897b

Then I saw their 1/2" drive gun has the same specs,

1/2" https://www.dewalt.com/products/powe...-bare/dcf899hb

It looks like I can easily find 1/2 drive sockets up to 1-1/2", which should be enough to cover what I need to do on the truck. So if they have the same torque rating why would someone pick the 3/4 over the 1/2 drive?

I have a Dewalt 1/2 XR impact and it wont do the job of a 3/4 Milwaukee unit. The Milwaukee is the way to go.

joe

[GypsyR]

Because the 3/4" is stronger. Literally as in the bigger anvil is stronger and more shear resistant to shear therefore you can apply more torque to it. This is kind of obvious if you thing about it, a bigger thicker piece of steel is stronger than a smaller thinner one. Easy.

A 3/4" anvil has bit more mass. This is more subtle. Someone who's used an impact a lot may have noticed that their impact failed to loosen a fastener when using a "thin wall" chrome socket. Which you aren't supposed to be using on an impact, but anyway. Then they take second shot at it with a more correct and heavier "impact" socket to find the fastener comes loose. This effect of added mass is taken to extremes with extra heavy sockets they sell. I have some and they add a noticeable amount of breakaway power. The effect of a heavier socket is a LOT more marked than that of an ever so slightly larger anvil, but the effect is still there to a degree.

Lastly is torque. If you can't break a bolt loose by hand, you might put a "cheater" pipe on your wrench to gain more leverage. The larger anvil gives the gun more leverage in the same way. It's a very small advantage but it is there and there's testing equipment out there to prove it.

So these small differences add up to a noticeable power difference even though the guns being compared may have the exact same internals powering them. Going up to a one inch anvil gives one slightly more gain.

If you can find an extra heavy lug socket a 1/2 gun can easily hold it's own against a 3/4" gun using "normal" impact sockets. If you need to use an adapter or extension of any kind you will lose some torque ability. Sometimes a heavy socket can help make up for that loss.

After finding out how helpful extra heavy sockets were some years ago I ran across a set of six. That collectively weigh like 20 pounds, I swear. I call them my "resistance is futile" sockets. Unfortunately none in the set I bought are big enough for BIG lug nuts (not at all what I bought them for) but I expect some are out there somewhere.

[79cvx20]

Just get the DEWALT DCF899B 20v MAX XR Brushless High Torque 1/2" Impact Wrench with Detent Anvil (Tool Only

It ripped off my 40' pusher lug nuts and twisted a stud off of my friend's pusher. I have a set of 1/2" impact sockets but I only carry 5 or 6. A lot easier to store. Now I use it on my new smaller rv for the leveling sissor jacks. Btw, I have had a 3/4" air impact that stays at home for over 25 years and I like this one much better.

[Mile Marker 42]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

The thread on 3/4" impact gun got me to looking and thinking.

I have a ton of Dewalt stuff and batteries so I am looking at their tools. I was originally looking at their 3/4" drive but I do not have any 3/4" drive sockets,

3/4" https://www.dewalt.com/products/powe...l-bare/dcf897b

Then I saw their 1/2" drive gun has the same specs,

1/2" https://www.dewalt.com/products/powe...-bare/dcf899hb

It looks like I can easily find 1/2 drive sockets up to 1-1/2", which should be enough to cover what I need to do on the truck. So if they have the same torque rating why would someone pick the 3/4 over the 1/2 drive?

In this instance, many of us believe size matters

[Skilletface]

What is going to be the impacts primary purpose?
My thinking is that since you already are set up with 1/2” drives I would go with the 1/2 impact. However, if this investment is going to be an everyday go to tool l’d set myself up with the 3/4 drive it’s internal mechanisms are a little larger.
I didn’t plan things this way but I too had a lot of 1/2” drive tools and for the honorary stuff went with the Dwalt electric 3/4 electric drive.

[HarryStone]

You can always get a quality 3/4 to 1/2 adapter.

[Nwcid]

I know the Milwaukee is awesome, but then that is more chargers and batteries to keep track of. Along with more stuff to add to the RV. Right now I already carry a coupe of Dewalt batteries and a charger for my drills and chainsaw.

I just bought a HDT so my planned use would be for working on it.

I do have 1" drive tools around the house from when my dad was a logger and had to fix all of his own trucks/equipment.

All of the stuff I read said adapters can really reduce delivered torque which is why I looked to see if I could get large 1/2 drive sockets. You can and for the majority of work I will be doing I will need sockets from 3/4 to 1-1/2.

[GypsyR]

If you've already bought into a system it only makes sense to stick with it and the shared batteries/chargers. I looked at Dewalt but their tool selection tends more toward carpentry and construction work and Milwaukee had some more things (like a soldering iron) aimed more at mechanical work. Dewalt makes some fine equipment.