Impact wrenches...do they get more powerful?

[dubwarrior2]

I've always toyed with the idea of getting an impact wrench for working on my VWs.
But Ive always been put off because
A) I like the feel of hand tools. I like to feel when a bolt is about to snap or round off.
B) The price...

So recently I had a few quid to spare and decided to bite the bullet as Ive just bought a t5 and it needs work.

I plunged for the Kielder model, after seeing them used on project binky and reading good reviews.

The model I bought is 18v and rated at 430nm.....

It struggled to undo a few wheel bolts today that I reckon were less than 200nm.

Ive read that impact wrenches need to be used a lot before they reach the advertised torque figures.
Why?

Its like buying a 200mph supercar that will only do 90mph until its been drive a few thousand times

[stealthstylz]

I've got the same model, definitely getting better with use.

[aland75]

No experience with Kielder, but I have a Ryobi One+ impact, which seems at least as powerful, maybe more powerful than my trusty air impacts.
It’s managed to remove rusty suspension bolts on my Jag XKR without any problems, to my surprise!

[biturbo228]

Nothing helpful, other than to say up until very recently if you bought a 200mph supercar they still needed breaking in for the first couple of thousand miles

[Mantasport]

Yes the Kielder Impcats get better with use. Mine would struggle with wheel nuts at first, but i used it for pretty much any nut/bolt for a while to help free it up and it now works on wheel nuts easily (as long as the tyre place hasn't put them on with their air guns!)

[rapidyellow]

I have the Kielder too, its about 3 years old now, maybe slightly more, it does get better with use, no idea why but I guess its the same for all impact guns as they work the same way.

it probably wont undo wheel BOLTS, I find that bolts are always massively tight on a recent acquired vehicle, compared to wheel nuts.

once wheel bolts are cracked with a long bar, I find it great to use, I use it to do wheel bolts up and I find they are tight enough.

perfect on all normal undoing and tightening

its perhaps the most expensive tool I have ever bought but it gets regular use and the battery life is amazing, I bought a twin battery kit and found that the second battery was getting no use so I bought the bare-bones drilldriver to use the second battery.