intersoll rand w7150 review

Ingersoll-Rand W7150-K2 Impact Wrench Review

A Cordless Workhorse

The W7150 cordless impact wrench is one of the biggest workhorses on the market, even going pound-for-pound against air impact wrenches. Apart from the DeWalt DCF899, this is only the second cordless impact we have decided to move over into the professional category.

The Ingersoll-Rand W7150 Cordless Impact Wrench Review (Kit)

cq5dam.thumbnail.450.380 Ingersoll-Rand W7150-K2 Impact Wrench Review
The W7150 has been continually been a top cordless impact.

FEATURES

TORQUE

  • Maximum torque of 780 lbs/ft in forward and reverse, plus 1100 lbs/ft of bead-breaking torque–quite a bit for a wrench that weighs under 7 pounds
  • Built using a high-powered, rare earth magnet motor, offering longer life and higher power (neodymium magnet).

LONGEVITY

  • Case is aluminum lined with steel–better designed for strength, stability, steadiness, and the utmost protection for internal parts, as well as being lighter in weight
  • The drive and hammer mechanism are all-metal, which results in a stronger and durable impact that makes the most out of its configuration to deliver top efficiency and power.
  • Speed switch is variable with an electronic brake, which provides maximum control over the tool during use
  • Specially-produced metal-reinforced housing (patent pending), enabling the W7150 to be ready for use even after its been dropped repeatedly

COMFORT

  • Over-molded, patent pending, soft touch grip decreases vibration to the minimal, lowers fatigue on the user, and maximizes user’s comfort for extended use
  • Has the best–shortest–length in its class, less than 9.5 inches from front to back

PURCHASE SELECTIONS

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Part Number: W7150-K2B5
  • Weight: 17.3 lbs
  • Power Source: Rechargeable battery
  • Voltage: 20 Volts
  • Batteries Included: (Yes, in kits only)
  • Batteries Required: Yes
  • Battery Cell Type: Lithium Ion

BENEFITS

cq5dam.thumbnail.450.380 Ingersoll-Rand W7150-K2 Impact Wrench Review
Powerful & Impact-Crazy, the W7150 can remove it all

Ingersoll-Rand doesn’t play around with the praise they heap upon the W7150 impact, but as soon as you use it for the first time, you’ll understand why.

With over 1,000 pounds per square foot of power to break even the most stubborn of nuts free, as well as close to 800 pounds per square foot of what my hometown would call “slap-yo-mamma” torque, this cordless impact wrench truly does blur the line between the air impact and battery-powered variety.
The IPM is, well, kind of crazy. At 2300 impacts per minute, this cordless impact utilizes the best of both worlds in torque and impacts.
This wrench truly is amazing the first time you get your hand around it and pull the trigger. Unlike most of the cordless impacdt wrenches we’ve checked out, the W7150 actually surprises us with its torque upon first use. For years, a battery-powered impact wrench lacked the one thing it truly needed to be useful, much less competitive or practical, and that was power. There are more than enough cordless wrenches on the market today which can get the job done, but when it comes to impressive power in a professional tool, that’s a smaller group for big boys such as this.
If you browse our pages long enough, you should see that we hold a good bit of love for Ingersoll-Rand power tools–but there’s a good reason why, which is our second point. This company has been around so long that my great, great, great grandfather would’ve been a young man while they were already building a reputation and increasing their footprint. Over time, they have not only diversified their tools but placed a heavy emphasis and focus on quality with durability–something this impact wrench has.
While this cordless wrench can be a bit heavy fully-loaded, IR spent some extra time in the research and development department to improve the grip and the body’s frame. The immediate result we get from this is a comfortable, rugged, and well-balanced tool. The company claims that the W7150 can be “dropped repeatedly” and then used and, while we didn’t decide to test that extensively, we can say that the feel of this cordless impact wrench is mighty impressive. It is clearly not your grandma’s tool, though we’re unsure what she would use, anyway.

THINGS TO BE AWARE OF

First things first: while this heavy-hitting workhorse packs quite the wallop, it actually does come at a bit of a price–and you can probably guess what it is. Yeah, that’s right: battery life.

This isn’t to say that the battery life is a major issue because in our own personal opinion, the W7150 impact provides quite the extended, powerful kick–something that many, or most, other cordless impact wrenches just cannot match. If you are going to use it all day, every day, under heavy conditions, then be prepared to swap it for a fresh battery here and there. However, we didn’t find this as big an issue as some have, but we did feel the need to mention it here. If you aren’t going to be super-regular-and-heavy on the use, then this would be a complete non-issue.
The two other points to consider are the battery-laden weight of the wrench, and the noise. For those who are used to the noise of an air impact wrench, we would guess that it won’t be an issue for you at all. However, for those looking for something not quite as loud, this one might grind on you a bit. Perhaps it’s the price you power for high torque and impacts.
As for the weight, full-loaded, it rests close to 20 pounds and that can be darn heavy for the regular user. However, Ingersoll-Rand did spend a good amount of time developing other aspects of the tool to offset this, which we mentioned above.
 

THE BOTTOM LINE

As always, I am honest and open about how much I love power–both in tools and in my cars (yes, I’m a die-hard Lamborghini fan). The W7150-K2 cordless impact wrench from Ingersoll-Rand more than meets my lust for power and makes short work of what otherwise would be ridiculous favors to ask–especially with elbow grease only. It truly is a stud of a workhorse which delivers on all torque-related levels.

The weight of the wrench is definitely something to consider for some of us, as our intended applications differ from person to person. If you are looking for something to use often and don’t require the best bang for the buck, then you could check out a lighter-weight model. However, for those who need the heavy-duty, one-two punch of torque and impacts per minute, there truly are few other choices on the market today.

In the end, it all boils down to what exactly you need it for and how long you expect to (or can) hold and use it, because as far as performance and quality goes, the W7150-K2 impact wrench is bred from both. From removing rusted nuts and bolts to breaking over-tightened lugs, this cordless impact can do it all.

Final Rating for the Ingersoll-Rand W7150-K2 1/2″ Cordless Impact Wrench: 4.75 out of 5 stars.