The Best Air Impact Wrenches (Review) in 2020

If you want to know the stand-out feature of this pneumatic wrench,  the clue is in the title. This tool is designed to kick out an incredible power level, and when AIRCAT calls this product a “Killer Torque” impact wrench that’s not an empty brag.

A shade under 1,300 ft-lb (foot – pounds) of loosening torque is a power application that should loosen even the tightest or rustiest bolts. This is backed up by up to 1,400 BPM (Blows Per Minute) for an impact wrench of truly impressive power. This is in part due to the upgraded internal rotor, a full 15% bigger than on the previous version of this model.

Ingersoll Rand has been producing power tools of various models and designs for over a 100 years. It has learned a thing or two in that time, such as how to make a top-quality air wrench. This model, the 231C, has been on the market for 25 years, and it has a very attractive classic design.

It has some useful features backing up that design, too. 600 ft-lbs of max torque may be a little lower than you will see on some other models, but it is still a respectable power output that will tackle all but the most fused, over-tightened bolts. The tool makes use of a twin hammer internal layout to deliver this power in such a small package. It is in fact less than 8 inches long and weighs less than 6 pounds.

This is the second cat-related power tool manufacturer to make our list, and we’re only at tool number three. What the connection is between cats and power tools we’re not sure. What we do know is that this is a very well put together and well-designed air impact driver.

The big eye catcher is that it deploys Kevlar in its chassis construction. That’s good to see because Kevlar is pretty cool. It’s also extremely tough while being lightweight. It can kick out 1,295 max loosening torque, making this one of the more powerful models on the market.

Next we have this air impact driver from Campbell Hausfield. With a reasonable price tag this is certainly one of the cheaper models to make the list. Despite that low price tag, Campbell Hausfield has managed to squeeze a lot of useful features into this well-designed tool.

For one thing it is tiny, weighing in at 4.4 pounds. When combined with the ergonomic soft grip handle, you are looking at a tool that is a delight to hold and will not fatigue your arm or hand even over prolonged periods of usage. There is a 3 speed power selector too, so you have a reasonably useful level of power control over the torque output.

When you are creating a list of power tools, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the famous yellow and black DEWALT logo will appear sooner or later. The reason for this is simple: it just makes good quality tools for a reasonable price, which is exactly what we have here.

This is a mid-range product with a mid-range price. 650 lb-ft of max torque is produced from this tool. Again, this is less than you will see on higher-powered devices, but it is more than you will get with many others. A twin hammer mechanism is mounted inside, and it has a simple-to-use power adjuster dial. It’s also neat that the direction button is mounted just behind the trigger. That allows you to switch rotation direction with only one hand.

This heavy-duty piece of equipment is a great addition to any handyman’s tool collection. With its unrivaled impact and impeccable torque, the PORTER-CABLE Impact Wrench is in a class of its own. One of its best features is the 7.5-amp motor that is embedded within it. This high-powered component makes it completely suitable for all the heavy-duty applications it can be used for. Yes, it is a little on the heavy side, but that is a little price to pay for the power that this device can deliver. In addition to that, it is equipped with 450 ft. lbs of torque, which comes in handy for the installation and removal of heavy fasteners. All this points to the fact that this is a heavy-duty piece of equipment that gets work done.

Strength is not all it has on its side. For fast speed applications it offers up 2,200 rotations per minute and 2,700 blows per minute. The crowning glory here is the forward/reverse rocker switch, which is quite convenient. All in all, this product offers up unbelievable consistency every single time.

Next up is a model from Chicago Pneumatic, and boy does it bring the power! It brings up to 922 ft-lb of torque power to be precise. That is probably more power than many at-home mechanics are really going to need – but heck, you are certainly covering your bases power wise with this tool.

It’s claim to be the most powerful impact wrench on the market is not quite true, as we have products on this very list that can crank out a little extra torque. Its claim to being one of the lightest definitely does stand up though. The total unit weight of 4.4 lbs is very low, especially considering the power it can crank out.

The first thing to note is that this is a premium tool and potentially one of the best air impact wrenches on our list. It also carries a premium price tag, ladies and gentlemen, so say hello to the most expensive item on our list. But what are you getting for all that money?

Power. Raw power. 1,350 ft-lb of torque power, to be precise. Yes, it is  expensive. It’s also clearly the most powerful. That power is controlled across four settings, whereas most of models only have up to three. The extra power setting is required for more accurate control of such a high level of torque output.

Following the most expensive item on the list, we have the cheapest. This model from ACDelco is quite affordable. Tools of this type represent phenomenal value. But are you missing out on anything to get that price point?

Well, yes. Just take a glance down at the key features, and you’ll see that this impact driver tool is only putting out a max 500lb-ft of torque. That is significantly lower than many models on this list. But not everyone needs an air wrench with enough torque to rip Robocop’s leg off. If you just need a model with enough power to tackle the occasional maintenance work on a small, modern car this will probably be enough.

Our penultimate model comes from BOSTICH. It is all in all a pretty simple and straightforward design, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t effective. It contains the twin hammer design we like to see in impact wrenches, for example. It also has an adjustable power regulator and a comfortable and ergonomic design. The casing of the tool is tough aluminum too, which is a useful design feature. 

The trigger is a little small, and you may not grasp it as instinctively as with other models – it almost feels as if it has been mounted a little too low. Then there is the fact that it only puts out 500lb-ft of torque, a surprisingly low amount of power given the high-end price tag.

We finish up with this model from Astro. As you can see from the image, it is designed differently than the models we have looked at so far. What we have here is an extra-small, extra-compact air impact wrench. It has been designed for use in smaller areas of the vehicle – if you are working on the transmission, for example, or underneath the engine block. To help with this it measure less than 4 inches in length and weighs under 3 pounds.

It’s pretty powerful, despite it’s tiny size, and can put out up to 450lb-ft of torque. That is very impressive for such a tiny device. It also has three speed settings in both forward and reverse. It should be noted that this tool takes bit attachments of 3/8” size, which is smaller than the bits used on every other model we’ve listed.