I rebuild impacts for customers and the IR brand is the best-made of any. That said, you need to be aware that not all IR impacts are created equally.
Stay away from the impacts that must be disassembled & reassembled from the front end. This includes the popular IR231. They sometimes come apart easily for maintenance - other times you have to beat them apart. IR Tech Service confirms that this is not unusual (all the Tech Staff have done time in assembly & repair).
Another series to avoid is the IR2315Ti. It's a powerful, lightweight impact
BUT the cylinder and end plate are a one-piece casting. That means you can never resurface or replace the end plate when it eventually wears or becomes scored.
What's the best 1/2 impact wrench you can get? Best as in longest lasting.
FWIW, the absolute best, top of the line, 1/2" drive impact is the IR2906P1 Super Duty Impactool. About the only negative is the price, roughly twice that of the other IR impacts.
This tool disassembles from both the front (for hammer or anvil replacement) and the back. The cylinder and end plates are three seperate parts, so you can easily hone the cylinder & resurface the end plates as needed.
Normal torque range is 54Nm to 475Nm, with maximum torque of 677Nm.
It's availabe in a Euro version (2906P1-EU) which complies with the provisions of 98/37/EC Directives. Although this model is higher in initial price than some others, you'll have lower cost over time, especially for the long term.
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Barry Milton