Essential cordless tools for mechanics | Ronix Mag

You may find many different power tools in every automobile repair shop, but do you know all about them? Probably not. Corded power tools are becoming less and less popular among artisans with the upcoming technologies in cordless tools. For this reason, even in a car repair shop, you will find more cordless tools rather than corded power tools. This article will go through the top essential cordless power tools that you may need in your fully-equipped garage for regular car repairs.

1.Cordless Impact Wrench

There is probably no automobile repair shop where you cannot find an impact wrench. For any high-torque situations, you will need a proper impact wrench and a set of sockets. However, the most useful feature is definitely to loosening lug nuts from cars and trucks. Some people may mistake this power tool for an impact driver. A conventional impact wrench can accommodate a 1/2-inch socket of various sizes that can fit a wheel lug, where an impact driver has a ¼-inch hex opening.

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Before the popularity of cordless tools, the pneumatic-powered impact wrenches were the most commonly used tools in professional garages. But as battery technology improved, cordless impact wrenches got better, brought prices down, and made themselves a viable alternative to the pneumatic types. The most popular feature of these cordless tools is portability. You should have the ability to freely move around the vehicle and loosen the lug nuts as fast as possible, without the cables all around you.

2.Cordless Angle Grinder

As you may know, an angle grinder has different essential parts: a spinning wheel that is for cutting, grinding, and polishing, a safeguard, and the housing. You may not see one in a garage or repair shop all the time, but there are many situations that you will need one for sure. Removing rust or old paint might be the most usage of a grinder.

You can use different sizes of wheels for this action to have the most accurate results. Since the angle grinder is basically made for cutting metal, the other purpose of a grinder is cutting out metal sheets, such as different parts of a car. On the other hand, having a portable angle grinder gives you the ability to have more control during the process.

3.Cordless Rotary Tool

Rotary tools might seem too delicate for a large vehicle. However, they are super handy and efficient for many different tasks. Using it for removing battery corrosion instead of a toothbrush or cutting a rusted clamp is worth-to-mention examples. The other useful feature is to buff scratches off your car, truck, RV, or motorcycle. You will have to clean the dirt first and smooth out the scratch with a rubbing compound using the felt wheel in a circular motion.

After the compound got dried, remove it with a soft microfiber cloth, and then apply the polishing compound. All these steps must be done in a circular motion, and you can achieve a very-first-look back on your car using only a rotary tool and some extra wheels. Furthermore, when this tool becomes cordless, you will have more control and you can work in different positions without the wire coming in the middle.

Cordless Polisher/Buffer

Before we get to the advantages of cordless tools, we will briefly define the difference between polisher and buffer. A polisher is used for more aggressive applications, involved with more friction, and also using abrasive to even out the paint. On the other hand, a buffer is used to modify and improve the clear coat during a less harsh process, which brings out luster and a smoother finish.

It may happen by a carwash when they scrub off dirt with something abrasive, either a Scotch-Brite pad or a brillo pad, which leaves marring marks on your car paint. In this situation, you need a proper polisher to start with. The chosen polisher can be either rotary or dual-action, which could be described in another article.

You simply add some swirl remover to the pad for a light scratch, spray some polishing pad conditioner and start to spread the polish around the scratch, and finally polish side-to-side the scratch. In the end, you will have a pleasant and lustrous finish that is incomparable with the original look.

In the whole process, a cordless polisher can have the same power but with more possibilities. You wouldn’t need to look for power outlets to start and no worries about the cable being in the way.

5.Cordless Heat Gun

Have you ever heard of wrapping a car? No, it is not for preparing a gift, but to have a new look for your vehicle and protect the car’s paint. Car wrapping is another way to change the look of your car without respraying color all over again. This method can also be an alternative for complicated and more expensive painting. All you need is a prepared and clean car, a vinyl film, a sharp blade, a squeegee, and a proper heat gun.

You will need a powerful heat gun to apply a layer of plastic vinyl coating to heat it and make it stuck over the top of the vehicle’s paintwork. There is an undeniable fact that corded heat guns are often used in vehicle wrapping centers rather than cordless ones. Because vehicle wrapping is a long process, and a cordless battery may not last until the end. But for confined and small spaces, a cordless heat gun is a must. Additionally, they are lighter and easier to carry around, so you will be able to work for hours without fatigue.

Ronix

4 November 2020