I own a business where we source vehicle parts for various shops obsolete parts, discontinued parts, and when we're unable to locate NOS parts used parts. I purchased this impact to replace another cordless impact that died, for mobile-use in areas where power is not available and extension cords are impractical (e.g. body shops, salvage yards, etc.).
While I've found this impact wrench to be more than capable, it has two major short-comings for those considering a battery operated impact for shop/professional use.
First, the anvil incorporates a detent pin, for retaining the socket. This makes the placing/changing a socket on the impact difficult, for most sockets. While those sockets with considerable wear usually go-on without much fight, most sockets either have to be forced onto the anvil, or the detent pin has to be manually depressed to get the socket to slip over the pin. Removing the socket can be even more problematic, if the detent pin is accidently placed into the retainer-hole that is drilled into most impact sockets. You must use a small diameter phillips or torx screwdriver to manually depress the detent pin, before it will release the socket.
Second, the "trigger" switch is non-standard and functionally poor in design. Unlike most impacts, the switch is a pivoting type of rocker-switch that is approximately 2" in length. This requires you to either reposition your hand to change from removing a bolt/nut to tightening a bolt/nut or to use your index finger for removal and ring-finger to tighten. Several people "inadvertently" used the impact in the wrong direction before getting use to the rocker-switch, and in one case significant shop-time was wasted extracting a bolt that was sheared as a result.
To the positive, this impact is very strong when it comes to bolt/nut removal. I've had it remove 32mm axle-nuts, where a 25" breaker bar could not "break" the axle-nut loose after repeated tries and this was not on a fresh battery. I routinely use it to remove pinch-bolts (spindles), subframe bolts (front wheel drive transmissions), and U-bolts (rear axle assemblies), without any significant problem.
Overall, I rate this cordless impact as follows:
Ability (5) outperforms other battery-operated impacts in the same price and torque range
Design (3) detent pin significantly increases time required to change sockets; the rocker-switch can be difficult for some to adapt to especially when you routinely change between an air-impact and cordless-impact.
Price (5) performs nearly as well as higher-priced cordless impacts, such as Milwaukee and Snap-On
Useability (3) again due to the added time required to change impact sockets (detent pin) and non-standard trigger-switch, it detracts from use in situations where the socket must be frequently changed.
If DeWalt were to produce this same cordless impact with a hog-ring type retaining anvil, as well as a single-pull switch and separate directional switch like the DC823B I could see this becoming the defacto standard in mid-range cordless impact wrenches.
Overall, I rate the DeWalt DW059B/K Impact Wrench a (4).
Great price without the battery. Very powerful. Able to easily remove lug nuts without effort or the need for a breaker bar.
Get it if you need something small (relatively) that can remove multiple sets of wheels without breaking a sweat.
Only gripe...the trigger. It isn't like a regular dewalt drill where there is the button you push back and forth to change the direction the drill goes when you pull the trigger, the trigger has an upper and lower portion...a little harder to use but fine none the less.
Buy DEWALT Bare-Tool DW059B 1/2-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Impact Wrench (Tool Only, No Battery) Now
First of all, I never had air before. So I bought this instead of buying compressor and the hole nine yards.
I already had a 18v dewalt drill with a nicad battery. The battery is about 1 year old with not much use. At first when receiving this impact drill, I felt weak power so right away I made sure by fully charging the battery I had and trying it out. It worked well, but with automotive you know there are some stubborn bolt/nuts because of normal oxidation and things. So I would use heat/breaker bar then this which worked fine.
So just a month ago I bought the new dewalt lithium-ion battery with charger. Charged the battery and it sat for like 2 weeks. Finally had some work to do on a car where my elcheapo air tools frustrated me. Pulled out the impact drill and plugged in the new battery.
This beast blasted nuts off that I even had a hard time with a 18 inch breaker bar(more to do with position clearance; I have some guns on my arm).
So I came to the part where I put the new parts in. Normally I would torque to specs but I would at least use the drill to get close where i don't need to ratchet. I accidentally broke a bolt with this drill. It works so fast that I wasn't able to release and sure enough it snapped off the bolt with nut. Luckily it was an easy fix but I just wanted to warn people not to underestimate the ft pounds mentioned on this tool.
great job dewalt and great job amazon for price and delivery.
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Good tool and price but one problem, the socket retaining device broke the very first time I used it.
The impact socket wouldn't come off for anything the first time, I ended up putting the socket in a vice and pounding the socket off with a punch and hand sledge though the center of the socket. Retainer parts flew when it finally busted loose. Don't think there was anything I could have done differently. I'm sure I could send the unit back but it seems to hold the sockets on just fine without the retainer. Besides I don't see how a replacement wrench would be any different.
As far as strength goes, it was able to break a 8" long 3/8" lag bolt in half. I've been grabbing it every time since I got instead of my 1/2" IR pneumatic impact. It's been able to break loose tractor tire lug nuts that were torqued to 250 ft/lbs.
Hard to beat that.
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I purchased this to remove lug nuts from my cars and trucks. I went with the bare tool as I already had 18v Dewalt tools that worked great. Opened it up, inserted a freshly charged battery and tried to take the lug nuts off my Ford Super Duty (14mm) with no luck. Doesn't even seem to be trying. I typically torque them to around 125 lb. ft. I haven't had the opportunity to try it on other, smaller nuts yet, but I'm not too hopeful. Still trying to decide whether to keep it or send it back. Very disapointed.
The item arrived time. I worked perfectly.
