Going to get my boy a air 1/2" impact, what would be the one to buy these days?

Nothing made in china, that's for sure, by dad bought a pretty blue covered one, it wouldn't even take out bolts I could get loose by hand with a short bar...

The old Rodac's are nice, but I don't think you can get them any more :(

The crafty one was ok, but only for a month, then you have to rebuild it :(

The Snappy one will cost you your firstborn, bit it will at least take out bolts..

I've been using Ingersoll and Chicago Pneumatic for years, still putting kits in them.   Still buy them new.   I'd stay far away from Snapon impacts, observing guys around me, seems like they go back to the shop real often.  What does your son do?   Shade tree?  full time mechanic?   Seems like every seller has one of the high power plastic cased impacts now.   Powerful things too.  For a first one, I'd be hitting a pawn shop.  To make an air powered gun work right, you'll need at least 120psi.   

Well about 4 years ago we bought the boy a battery drill and impact from snap-on, I had  early batery tools that had no power or life. These Snap on are good! 18.8v we used them before other tools. I would  recommend them if you want cordles!  99% of the stuff from china is junk!

John is right you can't beat Ingersol or Chicago.

  I would like to have a small battery impact. I
I'll tell you what I am looking for. I am looking for a low mileage  Milwaukee or Porter Cable, maybe even a Dewalt, with a dead battery.
I want the whole outfit, tool, battery, charger,..........in nice condition

   I want one that that some idiot left on the battery charger too long, and fried it.
People do this all the time. Ruin the battery themselves. The tool companies all know this and charge almost as much for a replacement battery as they do for a new tool  Then they just buy another tool (blaming the previous tool) and quickly ruin that battery too !

Apparently they are nowhere near smart enough to open the battery case and make up a new battery pack themselves.
Truth is, the batteries the tool companies put in their battery cases are never state of the art, or anything like it. And there is no way you can;t buy much better batteries for 1/3 the price and install them yourself.

So I am looking for a good driver with a dead battery............... Cheap
      yours Scott   

smart chargers they have been out for a few years!

I have an IR-231 that I bought new 25 years ago.It's still a beast. I recently bought a Craftsman Pro series electric impact that works better than I expected. A friend gave me a IR Titanium compact 1/2" impact that is pretty powerful for being so small.

Quote from: Ken W. on November 10, 2013, 11:59:58 AM
A friend gave me a IR Titanium compact 1/2" impact that is pretty powerful for being so small.

  Battery chargers, whether touted as smart or not, will still fry a battery, or at least dramatically shorten its life, pretty easy. Better not to charge more than 8 hours, ever.

  The IR compacts are the bees knees! Amazing power for so little weight.  Just before they added the magic marketing word titanium (and doubled the price), these drivers had a hardened aluminum housing that was plenty strong enough.
I have one of their compact 3/8" aluminum models, and wouldn't trade it for anything. I use it more often than anything else, when the money's on the table.  It fits in tight places well and always comes though.   
     yours Scott

In the shop I work in, 22 techs, the thing now is to get a 3/8 battery impact.   Am seeing Snapon, Makita, and Dewalt, all variations.  A few have splurged on a 1/2inch battery impact, and they work surprisingly well.  Another new thing is a 1/2 in. impact, built like a 3/8 air ratchet, don't know the number.   Aluminum housing, and do they ever work.   It is a true impact, and doesn't pin your knuckles against the nearest frame rail.   What I also see are the worn out battery tools they bought 5-6 years ago, a lot of money gone for a quick tool fix.  So I keep on with my air tools.  The shop supplies the air, and I learned long ago how to drag a hose around. 

I would say if it's home use , mostly tire rotations or cylinder head bolts , buy a Craftsman on sale.
If he's using it to earn a living , I'd suggest IR  high torque.