clawhammer

I just won this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=7622219694

Slows2k

a good wrench, especially for under $100

Sideways

Costco 5 airtools and accessories for under $100. Impact gun, air chisle, air ratchet, etc. Can't go wrong with that price.

Ubetit

I also recommend IR. I love mine, It's powerful and the quietest one I've ever used.

Race Miata

You'll love that IR. But like I said, you might need to consider upping your compressor hose from that coiled thing if your IR ever sees a stuck bolt/nut. My IR 2131 with big enough compressor and hose can turn a stuck bolt into a glowing rod.

Race Miata

I bet in Picturepro's case, it's the crappy impact wrench. I've done side-by-side test between a crappy wrench and my IR 2131 with my overpower compressor and hose, the crappy wrench was obvious. Theoretically, a lower-than-spec compressor should still work a big gun as long as you run a big enough hose and run short enough duty cycle to keep the tank over 90psi.

RedY2KS2k

You're set for life. I wasn't going to comment on the Harbor Freight wrenches you were considering, but I think you'll be glad you went with the IR231. And you got a good price.

Take a minute to learn how to use the regulator on that 231. If you set the "forward" to zero or one, the wrench will barely turn over fast enough to run a nut down in the forward direction, but will have full power in reverse. This is a very nice feature.

As someone else said, you may find that occassionally you'll have to wait a minute or two to allow the compressor to catch up. This isn't the big deal for the hobbyist that it would be in a professional situation where time is money. I get by with a 3 hp direct drive oilless (NOISEY) compressor for the little bit of work I do on my cars. I'd recommend 3/8" ID hose rather than 1/4" hose although the 1/4" quick connects are OK on the 3/8" hose because the restriction is a couple of inches rather than 25'.