When Not to Use an Impact Wrench? – You Should Know
An impact wrench is an excellent regular tool, and it made difficult loosening tasks much more accessible. Especially in the field of construction, home repairing, automotive tasks, and other different jobs are done to make it easier.
It is pretty easy to use; that’s why both beginners and professionals can use it easily. However, what is an impact wrench used for? And when not to use an impact wrench? You must need to know its directions.
In this article, we have discussed all these issues in detail, which will help you a lot in knowing its direction when not to use an impact wrench. First, let’s see the types of impact wrenches.
What are The Types of Impact Wrench
You can see different types of impact wrenches available in the market, and each impact wrench is designed with different specifications. That’s why you first need to know which impact wrench is used for which purpose. It will make it easier for you to understand which work purpose you can use, which impact wrench.
Electric Impact Wrench
At present, the electric impact wrench is very popular, and it usually falls into two categories. They are corded and cordless.
You can see cordless impact wrenches used in most of the fields. It has rechargeable features, and it also uses durable lithium-ion batteries. That’s why its power is higher than other ordinary batteries; maximum time it is used in heavy-duty projects.
The other one is a corded impact wrench, though it is not used much at present. It operates with the help of electricity. You just connect its plug to the electrical socket, and you can efficiently work on any small and medium project.
Air Impact Wrench
Though the air impact wrench is an older model version of the impact wrench, it is still used for heavy-duty work purposes. It generates power from the compressor, that’s why it requires a large compressor to operate it.
Hydraulic Impact Wrench
Detecting its name, you may have realized how it works. It is built with huge torque power, so it is used only for large construction or manufacturing purposes. You will need hydraulic power to operate it, For which you will need a motor with hydraulic fluids to handle it effectively.
When Not to Use an Impact Wrench

Many of us unawares use an impact wrench for the wrong purpose; that’s why there is a chance that the impact wrench will be damaged; on the other hand, the thing for which you used the impact wrench has a chance to be destroyed. So below, we have highlighted some common mistakes, never use impact wrench in these fields.
Do not use regular sockets.
Many people want to use regular sockets with impact wrenches; this is one of the biggest mistakes. Never use regular sockets with an impact wrench. Use these sockets that have been designed in a dedicated way for impact wrench, as well as make sure there are no-slip and the cyclic measurements are tracked well.
Damaging threads.
If you use an impact wrench for tightening bolts or nuts, there is a possibility that it will be cross-threaded. It will damage the threads. Thus to avoid damaging the threads, do not use the impact wrench for tightening; manually tighten with the help of a torque wrench.
Do not use it for tightening.
Maximum field can be seen that many people use an impact wrench for tightening purposes. It is another biggest mistake. As a result, there is a great chance that the thing you are tightening will be broken. Because an impact wrench never provides specific torque.
It has the potential to be extra torque. Also, impact wrench manufacturers have written in their recommendations to don’t use it for tightening purposes. So use it only for loosening purposes as per recommendations.
Wrong size wrench.
Never use the wrong size wrench. Because if you use too small a wrench, you can not do your job perfectly, it will not fit, and if you use a larger size, it can produce too much pressure, which is very dangerous. So refrain from using the wrong size wrench.
What Is An Impact Wrench Used For?
Maybe you already know what is an impact wrench used for? Even then, we wrote to ensuring, impact wrench makes your heavy-duty tasks a lot easier. In this section, we will highlight what tasks should be used. It also gives you a clear idea of when to use an impact wrench. Let’s see.
Repair or Home Tasks
The impact wrench is a perfect choice for home repair work. It is also excellent for any kind of wood and metalwork effortlessly; it allows you to quickly repair wood, shelf, and bike brackets, including more regular usable things.
If high pressure is not required in your field of work, then it is best not to use high power because there are chances of repairing things being damaged.
Automotive Mechanic Store
An impact wrench is one of the great choices for mechanical work; it makes a lot of work easier and saves a lot of time. As a result of using it, a great amount of torque is available in the quickest time.
Also, a powerful impact wrench can quickly loosen the nuts, bolts, and screws from different parts of the garage.
Car Repairing
In the field of car repairing, many types of nuts need to be tightened and loosened, especially during tire replacement. However, if you use an impact wrench here, you can easily get your job done in the fastest time. If you use it for tire loosening as well as tightening, you can ensure the tightening of the tire.
Final Verdict
Lastly, I would like to say that you should buy an impact wrench that is suitable for your job. And in the field of use, you must try to follow the above guidelines. On the one hand, it will save you from such a huge loss; on the other hand, you can be safe from accidents.

Martin A. Sims is a technician at a reputed automobile service center for the last 5 years. After studying at San Mateo College of Silicon Valley on vehicle engineering, he has started his career at age of 24. now he is spreading his knowledge among beginners around the world through thewrenches.com.