AIRCAT Pneumatic Tools 1056-XL 1/2-Inch NITROCAT Composite Compact Impact Wrench : Low Weight Power Impact Wrench : Tool for Automotive Improvement & Maintenance

I had to do suspension work on my 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4.7L pickup. This made mincemeat of the work I had to do. My 13, 11, and 7 year olds used this!!! (Granted, they had supervision and guidance from dear old Dad. Hey, I'm getting wore out; I have to pass this on to my kids!!! :-D I did one side in 3-4 hours: upper control arm, lower control arm balljoint, tierod end, and shock absorber, which included removing the axle hub nut. This tool did it all. I had a CH impact wrench some time ago that was useful for lugnuts and maybe the lower bolt for the shocks. This tool was compact, powerful, and had enough weight to not destroy your hand. The only complaint, a minor one, is the packaging it came in was poor, a mere cloth bag, which in hindsight, explains the low cost of the tool. I don't care about that LOL EXCELLENT tool!!!

Dealer tech here, as far as stubby impacts go, for the money this one will keep up with matco/mac/snapon all day at a fraction of the cost. Perfect size when space to work is a factor. Aircat provides a 2 year warranty and with the availability of rebuild kits this should last you for many years. The selector for on and off can be moved to the other side which is nice for you south-paws. Get a hi-flow swivel quick connect and you can work in even smaller places. Definitely would purchase this again.

I've got a pretty good collection of impacts from a few different companies but I didn't have any really compact ones. I wish I'd bought it sooner. This thing fits almost anywhere and it still has plenty of power for most jobs. I have several aircat tools and they're great tools for the money. Every bit as much power as comparable snap on or Ingersoll tools and nearly the build quality for a fraction of the price. Aircat is imported but is not cheap junk like some brands. Some of my aircats have tons of use and are holding up well but I have only had this one for a couple months so I don't know how it will be in a few years but I'm not worried. In my opinion this is a professional level tool for a cheap/medium price.

I finally got to use this impact for the first time today when replacing the lower control arms on a Nissan Titan. I know it's not really designed for suspension work but I wanted to see what it would do and while it's not as strong as my bigger Nitrocats (who would expect it to be) it did wonderful. Lug nuts at 90-it didn't even have to try, ball joint pinch bolts-barely had to hit them and they where flying off, shock absorber bolts came right out, everything was 19mm-22mm head, with that I am not in the rust belt but normal corrosion on the bolts from time. I honestly don't understand some of the lower rated reviews on this impact but maybe I got lucky????? I also only use Milton high flow fittings at ALL of my connections (your air flow is only as good as it's weakest link so anything that's not high flow will kill air flow)I use a 35 gallon Dayton compressor with a single stage 11.5cfm compressor pump running at 90psi at the regulator, 10' of 1/2" piping (1/2" inlet/outlet pressure regulator-inline oiler) and a 50'-3/8" hose, max tank pressure 110psi. So as you can see my system isn't high end and still runs this impact and any of my other air tools with ease. So if you are having issue's with your air tools please consider taking the time to read a bit about proper piping/fittings and hoses for your tools and you may be surprised at how well you can make your air supply work. Update: I uploaded a video to show this impact removing lugs nuts. In the video I say 90 ft-lbs and that was my mistake for assuming Hyundai had torqued them to spec when my father in law had taken it there to have it worked on, I used a torque wrench on the other side and the lug nuts where actually breaking loose between 105-110 ft-lbs. The impact when I am using it in the video is actually below recommended air pressure since I am only running 90psi at the reg and it will drop by the time it goes through a 50' 3/8" hose. I'm planning to run a 1/2" I.D. hose then adapt to a 3/8" the last 10' in order to pick up volume and help keep the pressure drop from happening.

I bought this back in late 2019 and since then has seen daily use in a diesel repair shop. The anvil recently broke and I could not find a replacement anvil available for sale online so I bought another one. It seems to loose a good bit of power when used with an extension or a swivel adapter but that is normal with any impact. I've used this to loosen/tighten bolts with up to a 15/16" head with moderate success on those size fasteners. I had to replace the friction ring once during the time I was using it as it would no longer hold onto a socket. It was oiled and greased often and had no issues up until the anvil broke. Even 3 years later this still seems to be a great value for money in terms of power, size, and reliability. So much so that I bought it again.

Great tool

So I bought this for my father as a Christmas gift. I own a harbor freight earthquake extreme stubby impact wrench that claims to be rated for something like 750 ft/lbs of breaking loose power. So when my dads aircat came in, we decided to compare the two. So I used his aircat to first break some lug nuts loose. It worked like a charm. Then I tightened the lug nuts back up with his aircat. Then I used a breaker bar to tighten the lug nuts down more. I could barely tighten them any more after using the aircat because it put them on so tight. So the I put the earthquake impact on the same set of lug nuts, and it really struggled to even break the bolts lose behind the aircat. The aircat would break the bolts lose that my earthquake put on, but the earthquake would not break lose the bolts that the aircat put on. Aside from that, the aircat is a little heavier, and feels very well built. It is a little bit longer than other stubby impacts. But only like a half inch or so. Probably not enough to matter. Plus it’s much more powerful that other stubby impacts. If I buy another stubby impact, it will definitely be this aircat.

These impacts hold up well to professional work.

I already own the 3/8 Aircat stubby impact and why not spend the money to get the 1/2'' version as well. I am already a fan of Aircat products and i own many of them so i know what to expect but for someone new to this brand it is absolute top notch for fantastic price. I own the 1/2'' 1200K Aircat but limited to the amount of room due to the size but having a stubby impact makes it much easier to get into tighter areas. I used to just use a 3/8 to 1/2 adapter but after putting a lot of torque on the adapter it snapped in two so i was getting sick of warrantying the adapter so it was time to purchase the 1/2''. The tool is very quiet as it's not whisper quiet but you will not be needing ear muffs with this impact. I have others around me that have SO LOUD impacts it makes you go deaf and this is just so tiny and doesn't sacrifice power as it has the power to remove 3500 HD lug nuts without hesitation. This impact will break anything loose and i even now rarely pull my bigger 1/2'' impact out but when i need serious power then i will but it fits in the palm of your hand. The switch i think the biggest weakness of the impact as does get in the way with your hand but not really a big deal and get used to it. There is also a dial with 1,2,3 settings for different torque which is nice because you 1 settings run it down almost hand tight which is nice. The impact is seriously far better than anything out on the market. Comparable to other brands i wouldn't even hesitate to purchase again if needed. It comes with a grease-able head and parts are available to replace so there isn't a doubt this will last a long time. The best impact i have owned and would seriously recommend to anyone looking at buying this as you will not be disappointed.

You do have to hang on it for about 30s but is able to crack a wheel nut torqued to ~600N.m Very small, feels like a toy but has the power to back it up.

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3/8 yet so powerful I am a full time automotive tech im whipping out gearboxs and engines all the time. I had the snap on mg325 the snap on 8810a. Milwaukee 3/8 chicago pneumatic stubby. None of them have the power this does. Im taking off Wheel bolts Drive shaft nuts Clutch and flywheel and dual mass flywheel bolts Engine mounts Gearbox mounts Diff mounts If your looking for power look no further The size makes it perfect for all day use without getting tired.

As other reviewer mentioned, this little guy packs a good punch on hard to reach fastener of all kinds on modern cars. For anyone doing some alternator, ac compressor, power steering pumps, tensioners and other accessories on the accessory belt, this is your go-to tool. Allow yourself the budget for a set of shallow impacts 3/8 and your pleasure to work with this compact impact will be complete! Also; for those of us who uses a BRANICK 7400 or 7600 strut spring compressor, this impact is the perfect match for removal of the upper strut nut. Those who have used a Branick will know how top space is limited and it can become hard to use a regular size impact gun to spin-off the top nut. I will try to post a picture to show what difference it makes. In resume, a very good powerful small size compact with lots of power and relatively quiet. The protective boot could be purchased locally for 25$Canadian. The little guy still goes strong as of July 2022 I have done many end link kits with it lately. They all come loose and undone after a short burst from this tool. I highly recommend this compact impact for anyone dealing with rusted bolts and nuts with limited access. *Update May 2nd 2024, i worked on rear wheel bearing/hubs on a Toyota Yaris 2012. Super rusted/corroded parts. The 4x 14mm bolts holding the bearing to the wheel axle were removed with this little guy. Bolts were not heated or lubricated with anything prior. The 4 of them came loose within seconds. The regular 1/2 sockets were too bulky to fit in this tight spot. Only a 3/8 air impact could be used. *