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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 4 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Very nice impact wrench Jul 06, 2009
By E. A. Johnson
I bought this tool mainly to help speed up tire rotations and have been very pleased with it. It is very well constructed and comfortable to use despite being a fairly large and heavy tool. To get as much torque as this thing offers from an electric tool, you really aren't going to get around it being large and heavy. Because of that, I went to a local store and compared this Makita to similar offerings from DeWalt and Milwaukee. The DeWalt offered a bit more torque, but it was extremely uncomfortable to hold and its rocker switch pinches your fingers both on the top and bottom - not cool. The Milwaukee was a little better, but not nearly as comfortable or solid feeling as the Makita.
A few other features that set this wrench apart are:
1) The rubberized nose that keeps the tool and your work from getting scratched or beat up from the vibrations.
2) The fact that the screws holding the housing together go into the metal part of the case instead of the plastic part. This gets around the common failure mode for these tools of those screws tearing out of the plastic.
3) The current draw for this tool is only 3.5 A, but it still cranks out 260 ft-lbs of torque. All the other wrenches I saw with that torque output draw 4.5, 7.0 A or more. That means the Makita is getting the same output power with as little as half the electrical power going in. Call me crazy, but I think that says a lot for the quality and efficiency of the Makita motor and drive train.
In all, I think this may well be the best electric impact wrench in its class and I have really enjoyed using it. The case it comes with is also a nice touch. It's nothing special, but feels reasonably rugged and it holds the tool well and makes it easy to store.
I thought I might regret not having variable speed control like one model from Milwaukee offers, but after using it, I haven't missed that at all. Maybe that would be more of an issue if you were trying to be careful not to overtighten a fastener, but let's be honest, you really should be using a torque stick or other torque limiting device if that's a concern. Otherwise it's only a matter of time before you have an oops.
Lastly, here's some ideas on accessories. I paired this wrench with some Ingersoll Rand deep impact sockets (Ingersoll Rand SK4H13L 1/2-Inch Drive 13-Piece SAE Deep Impact Socket Set and Ingersoll Rand SK4M14L 1/2-Inch 14 Piece Deep Metric Impact Socket Set, or if you want a comprehensive set you could spring for Ingersoll Rand SK34C86 3/8-Inch & 1/2-Inch 86 Piece Combo Standard & Deep Impact Socket Set) and the 10 piece torque stick set from Harbor Freight (10 Piece 1/2" Torque Limiting Extension Bar Set, item 92890-1VGA) and now I've got a really nice set up. I was really leary of the Harbor Freight torque stick set (for reasons apparent to anyone who has ever used their tools), but bought it planning on returning it if they turned out to be junk. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they are actually well constructed and torque my lug nuts very accurately when used with this wrench. Checking against my clicker torque wrench, they were always within 3-5 ft-lbs, which is about all the accuracy I think is reasonable to expect from a torque stick anyway. If you're mainly interested in using this wrench for lug nuts, you might also consider this set instead of a more complete impact socket set Ingersoll Rand SK4C3F 1/2-Inch Drive 3-Piece Lugnet Service Flip Impact Socket Set.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Well-constructed. Rugged. A bit large and heavy. Dec 14, 2008
By Vivona
I had a cheapie electric impact wrench from Harbor Freight. It worked well, but the screws that hold the gear case to the plastic housing tore out of the threaded plastic holes. I found that almost all of the electric impact wrenches had that same design. Then I discovered the Makita TW0350 had a better design. The screws go in the opposite way - through the plastic housing and into the metal gear case. That will prevent the kind of failure I had experienced.
The Makita TW0350 seems well constructed and tested out fine. As of this review I have not used it extensively, but I am confident from the brand's reputation that it will be durable. There is a rubber coating over the front to protect it. The handle is well placed for balance.
The only downside is that the tool is fairly large and heavy, much more so than an equivalent air tool and many other electric impact wrenches. If you used it all day, the weight may become an issue. I only use it a few times a year for home automotive use (tire rotations, maintenance, etc.) so that was not an issue for me. Also, if you use an impact wrench in cramped areas, the large size of the TW0350 may be a problem.
I should mention that for any impact wrench, using it for removal of nuts or bolts is fine, but when tightening a fastener, you can easily over-torque it. The Makita manual gives you a chart of how long to allow the wrench to hammer once the fastener is tight, but that is no guarantee of reaching the proper torque. An impact wrench should be used with a torque stick when tightening fasteners. However, my experience with electric impact wrenches is that their hammer rotation is too short to twist the torque stick fully, so the resultant torque is less than the stick's rating. That is not a problem for me because I always use a hand torque wrench to make the final torque adjustment. Just remember that if you torque a fastener beyond its rating, using a hand torque wrench to check it doesn't work (though I see mechanics doing this all the time) because the fastener is already too tight. To use a torque wrench, the fastener has to be tightened below the final torque setting. You should see the fastener turn at least a 1/4 turn as you are making the final torque adjustment by hand. If it doesn't turn, loosen it a bit, then re-tighten it with the hand torque wrench.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Excellent Purchase Mar 01, 2006
By M. Collins
I bought this tool for Home Improvement assembly work, and after using it for 2 weeks there's nothing I don't like about it. Has more than enough torque to do everything I need very quickly and is pretty comfortable to use even when using for long periods working at extended reaches One of the better tool purchases I've made.
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Useless Jun 25, 2010
By Kang, DongJoo
It said 260lb/ft torque, but it can't remove lug bolt in my car. That's why I return.....
Over spec, useless and heavy.
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