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Are the manual impact drivers which you whack with a hammer any use at all with anything but screws and small sockets? For example I need to shift a moderately rusty 15mm bolt which won't budge, on solid, flat bodywork - would one have any chance of helping? Some have a 1/2" drive so it sounds like maybe they can be reasonably beefy. It doesn't need to be fast and I'm aware it's not going to beat a powered driver.

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  • It does, thanks. It's probably worth a try, just for starting out. I did wonder how things would have gone without so many cordless tools.
    – andy29
    Jul 14, 2021 at 2:20

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I have one of these and I don't recall that it ever worked for me.

These days the cost of an electric impact wrench is so low that I wouldn't fool with one of these.

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    Worked well for me, but back in the day when rechargeable impact wrenches did not exist. Also had the strength to hit it hard enough...
    – Solar Mike
    Jul 13, 2021 at 2:58
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    I agree with Solar Mike. They work fine so long as you have a heavy hammer, and the confidence to use it without breaking the fingers holding the driver (whether they are your own fingers or someone else's!). Tapping them gently with a 1 pound (500g) hammer is a complete waste of time.
    – alephzero
    Jul 13, 2021 at 4:10
  • @alephzero bbrings to mind "when I nod my head, hit it"...
    – Solar Mike
    Jul 13, 2021 at 6:19
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    This is one of those tools that requires practice to use, if you use it regularly it's fine, if you don't it's a source of frustration.
    – GdD
    Jul 13, 2021 at 8:43
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    I find them most handy for screws. Like the screws that are stuck on brake rotors.
    – Jupiter
    Jul 13, 2021 at 15:53

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