Any decent "budget" cordless 1/2" impact guns? As in capable of loosening lug nuts in the 120 lbs-ft torque range? Something that could be taken to the track to make any tire swaps go more quickly? And... not $400-600, either? Thx - Brad

Surprisingly I have had very good luck with a https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=bauer%20impact%20wrenches

It will break lose bolts that my air one will not!

I have both Ridgid (Home Depot) and Dewalt. You have to watch for the sales. The Ridgid is a really nice gun and at the time I bought it, was less than $200 with batteries. Saw you were thinking low torque....I think the Ridgid is 300 or 400 ftlb. For a small one, I like my Dewalt.

I just picked up a Dewalt 20-volt MAX XR 1/2-in mid-range cordless impact for the trailer for doing just that changing tires - dam good tool for the money - for big stuff I have a Milwaukee m18 Lithium which will rip anything apart - but is a heavy sucker

Brad same here on the Dewalt 20v and same on the "dam good tool for the money"

I change wheels/tires on four vehicles from summer tires to full on snow tires in late fall and back to the summer tires in usually late spring around here and that Dewalt saves a lot of time and effort. That's 32 wheels and tires a year if my math is correct? Then doing other things with it it's a no brainer to have a good cordless 1/2" impact around regardless of brand or price IMO.

Another point is in my case and I'm sure others I have probably a half dozen or more Dewalt 20v cordless tools using the same batteries and chargers so there's always a battery or two docked on a charger, charged and ready to go. What you have now for cordless tools should be considered regardless of brand or you'll find yourself going to have a beverage waiting or moving on to something else.................like searching for that corded 1/2" Craftsman we all bought decades ago and hope that it still works

The fact that every manufacture still have and sell their own batteries and chargers is a PITA. Why not make them like flashlight batteries and interchangeable, your flashlight goes dead and reach into the drawer and pull out a new set of a dozen different brands and back in business. Go to buy a new cordless power tool and you can't use your five different brand batteries you already paid hundreds of dollars for so you're stuck with buy what might be an inferior tool. It's an evil plan and played by all of those cordless power tool manufactures.

I have a big box of tools that I am trying to figure out what to do with. Most are Milwaukee and Dewalt, the older stuff. Just not worth buying new batteries at crazy money, so about every two years, I start over (and usually buy right around Christmas when the sales are on)

I have a Dewalt 20V for my car trailer. Works great.

On a side note, I was told Dewalt 20V batteries now work in the new Harbor Freight 20V cordless tools.

I really like my 1/2" 20V Dewalt. Hands down winner over the POS 1/2" Craftsman Impact I had.

I bought a Ryobi 1/2 drive with battery and charger for $99 on black friday a few years ago. It has been a beast.

485 ft-lb for $150

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...attery-and-Charger-R86011KSB2N/316087389

I appreciate all the responses. I have some DeWalt and Makita stuff now, but nothing is cordless. Odd how most of the package deals w/ charger & battery are so much less than buying a less expensive impact gun and the accessories separately. That may mean I end up with a high-torque model rather than a lighter mid-range unit like I'd thought about originally.

Also surprised at how even the top-rated units across pretty much all the brands still get their fair share of "junk" reviews... serious lack of consistency in ratings here.

Brad, I have this https://www.dewalt.com/products/pow...rench-with-detent-pin-anvil-kit/dcf899p1

You can find one anywhere from $210 - $259

FEATURES & SPECS
FEATURES
Up to 700 ft-lbs of max torque and 1200 ft-lbs of max breakaway torque
Compact design of 8-13/16 in. length and weighs only 6.0 lbs
Multi-speed control for a variety of applications (0-400 / 1,200 / 1,900 RPM)1/2 in.
Anvil with detent pin (also available in hog ring)
LED light with 20-second delay for increased visibility
SPECIFICATIONS
IMPACTS/MIN 2400 IPM
MAX TORQUE (FT-LBS) 700 FT-LBS
NO LOAD SPEED 400/ 1200/ 1900 RPM
POWER TOOL TYPE CORDLESS TOOL
LENGTH 8.81 IN TOOL WEIGHT 6 LBS
INCLUDES
(1) DCF899 - 20V MAX* XR® Brushless High Torque 1/2 in.
Impact Wrench with Detent Pin Anvil
(1) DCB205 - 20V MAX* 5.0 Ah battery
(1) Charger

I just use a Milwaukee M12 Fuel 3/8 stubby impact for taking off lug nuts now. They were about $120 for tool only during Black Friday

My 1/2-inch impact is a Rigid from Home Depot. Rigid has a lifetime warranty on the tool, battery and charger. So far, it's been a dang good impact wrench with WAY more torque than my air gun. It also has more torque in reverse than it does tightening.

LOL..wait until you redeem that "lifetime" warranty from Ridgid. Been there, done that. You get one "lifetime" replacement....then you are done. Not that I am complaining, just don't be thinking you get batteries for your lifetime.

should be all you need..

https://www.amazon.com/Fuel-Stubby-Impact-Wrench-Bare/dp/B07H5W6B8H/ref=sr_1_3?gclid=CjwKCAiA6Y2QBhAtEiwAGHybPZdhECcOu7XxskDpxebI7l3_hsy3-_iyUf1KJrK62szZjrwTWr47wBoC8fcQAvD_BwE&hvadid=329741715061&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9003779&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5233668014004355201&hvtargid=kwd-644975355995&hydadcr=23786_9915453&keywords=milwaukee+m12+3%2F8+stubby+impact&qid=1644410173&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2555-20-Stubby-Impact-Wrench/dp/B07HCM1HKG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1HSALGEXXG5YP&keywords=milwaukee+m12+1%2F2+stubby+impact&qid=1644410269&sprefix=milwaukee+m12+1%2F2+stubby+impact%2Caps%2C57&sr=8-3


or if want more ass..

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2767-20-Torque-Impact-Friction/dp/B08P4NX77N/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2UZ1NI1TE6UOC&keywords=milwaukee+m181%2F2+impact&qid=1644410372&sprefix=milwaukee+m181%2F2+impact%2Caps%2C55&sr=8-3

Our entire department runs the orange 18v Ridgid tools at work. The 1/2 impact driver is a good tool--more power than some of my air tools.

And yes, they definitely make you jump through A LOT of hoops to take advantage of the "free" battery thing--it's really kind of a marketing gimmick. But other than that I have no complaints.

I have used the crap out of my DeWalt 20v gun that I got for Christmas in 2014.

It's one of my favorite tools in my garage but it ends up staying in my truck most of the time!

I have Dewalt cordless stuff for my shop.

For cheap "throwdown", travelling tools, I have had a Harborfreight 18W impact for 7 years now for breaking loose lugnuts and such. It is still working.