STAFF CAR SAGAS
Ed buys the internet's cheapest impact wrench!
Ed Hughes
CONTRIBUTOR
Engine 1091cc/4-cyl/OHC
Power 53bhp@5500rpm
Torque 60lb ft@3000rpm
Gearbox 5-speed manual
0-60mph 16sec
Top speed 90mph
Fuel economy 40mpg
MacPherson struts titivated.
5 (hrs)
TIME
20 (£)
SPENT
100
MILES
1964 WARTBURG 311 A jolly nice way to bumble around the Devon countryside.
1969 WARTBURG TOURIST Took emergency fridge freezer collection neatly in its stride.
1983 WARTBURG 353 Bonnet finally painted and refitted, only ten years after removal…
Irealised I needed an impact wrench when I changed the Samara's slovenly and pointless British-spec short springs for a correct-height Russian set. At one corner, it proved impossible to hold the tiny square end of the damper rod still while attempting to release the retaining nut. I was fortunate that local motoring connoisseur Harry Criddle had recently bought such a device, which spun the nut off without a moment's objection.
His budget Ryobi claimed 400Nm – though it helpfully had three torque settings to avoid breakages. I'd previously disliked impact wrenches, because of their use as instruments of blunt force by tyre fitters. The Samara experience made me realise that, used sensibly, they make some jobs much easier.
So, what to buy? Since it'd only be needed occasionally, I went down the path of least expense. The usual internet sales sites provided two basic specs of no-brand Chinese wonder: 400Nm and 1000Nm. These figures are a lie – as proved by some surprisingly scientific tests on YouTube. The 400Nm models are good for 100Nm, and the 1000Nm models about 400Nm. Prices range from £40 for the least promising to £90+ for the most impressive, both including battery and charger.
The Ryobi costs £130, but is sold in actual shops – so has to live up to its claims and withstand at least a year of average use. The Chinese miracle tools, on the other hand, have to sustain the charitable thoughts of the buyer for just 60 days before a refund becomes almost impossible. So, there's no point in spending £90 on one… but £40? Almost disposable at the price – which is, no doubt, the basis on which they're manufactured.
Special delivery
The £40 wrench arrived the day after purchase, which was impressive. I charged the battery and had a go at various MacPherson struts, all of which it did with ease. Its next test was wheel bolts. It loosened some, but not others. Tightening was interesting: it managed 70Nm (steel wheels), but not all of the time. A torque wrench is, as usual, indispensable.
When I got bored, I remember
