5 Reasons To Switch From Hydraulic To Cordless Impact Wrenches

Cordless Impact wrenches are important power tools used for high-torque bolt tightening and assembly applications in the oil and gas, renewable energy and heavy vehicle industries. When it comes time to choose between electric torque wrenches and hydraulic wrenches, it’s important to understand their advantages and disadvantages so you can choose the right wrench for your heavy-duty jobs to improve productivity and operational efficiency.

Here are five reasons why cordless electric impact wrenches are superior to hydraulic wrenches for tightening applications:

1. Battery-powered tools are lighter and easier to operate

Hydraulic wrenches require a hydraulic pump and hoses to work properly, so they are heavy and difficult to operate. For example, a hydraulic wrench can easily weigh over 20 kg. In contrast, PWRTOOL's P10 series of cordless impact wrenches are compact, more ergonomic, and 73% lighter than an equivalent hydraulic wrench and pump!

Due to the weight of hydraulic tools, operators often have to consider whether it is really necessary and worthwhile to use such a wrench for small bolt tightening jobs where they may only need to tighten a few bolts. With battery-powered wrenches, this decision becomes much easier as they offer excellent mobility and can be taken with you more easily.

2.Save labor costs

Compared with hydraulic wrenches, cordless impact wrenches are smaller in size and lighter in weight, which means only 1 operator is needed to operate the equipment and carry out the work. This allows you to save a lot of labor costs.

3.Speed

Battery-powered tools have tool speeds up to 10 times faster than hydraulic tools. For example, the P10322 has a no-load speed of up to 2400RPM. This means you can tighten bolts faster, increasing your productivity.

4. Safety

Cordless battery-powered impact wrenches offer excellent safety. They have protection features that hydraulic wrenches do not have, such as a second handle that helps the operator to have a more stable control of the tool, preventing the tool from jumping out and causing serious injury.

No wires means less risk of tripping or becoming entangled in wires in the work environment, improving safety.

5. Fast ROI

Looking at a real example from a wind turbine application, using a cordless battery-powered wrench meant no pumping required and easier access to the turbine. 92 M39 bolts were tightened at 3200 Nm of torque. As a result, the job was completed in just 40 minutes. Using a hydraulic wrench would have taken 140 minutes! The faster work saved $285 per job, and the ROI was achieved after 4.5 jobs.

Only by fully understanding the requirements of each application and the advantages of each tool can you determine which tool is ideal for your job.

For more information on how to properly select the right power tool, please contact us.