Scaffolders Impact Wrenches Jan 2017 Memo

Makita will say anything if it gets you to part with three and a half hundred notes

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I must have been using an IW now for over 5 yrs - in fact i gave phil 2 about 3yrs ago - my hearings fine- no sign of HAVS & over the thousands of fitting ive used it on, not a single one has slipped,failed or fallen to pieces. Like any power tool when used correctly theyre an assest to your toolbox- its not there to replace your spanner, the same way in which a chippie will sometimes put down his power tools & revert to the old hand tools. Iwas told by a guy in Makita that the main reason that none of the manufactures will state as job specific to scaffolding is due to the same way in which HILTI caught a cold on their lease agreements - due to the very nature of our job they get abused too much & they would lose too much money on warrenty replace/repairs. And for every argument there is for not using them theres a counter for! - personnaly if i was told i couldnt use it by a MC then i'd just go & work for someone else
 
Obviously a touchy subject, that said......
A tool that works for the scaff on a job does not make it the right tool.
To answer a couple of previous questions:
A coupler should be tightened to 50N/mtr which is what I used to check them to with a torque wrench all through the 70's & 80's. A standard box spanner in those days was "designed" at 9" in length which was determined from the average force exerted by a scaffolder on the 9" lever arm delivered the desired torque. (a true 9" not the 4" you think is 9"!!)
The incorrect torque wrench will damage fittings as they were not designed with mechanical means in mind, not as easy as redesigning them think how many millions of fittings are out there!
In answer to "The industry should move with the times" it has moved, It has moved to system this too has been driven by H&S and the need to protect the scaff. It tends to be the scaff that will not move with the industry, changing your box to a ratchet was a move, as is changing your ratchet to a wrench but it needs to be a tool suited to the job.
I don't believe they are a bad thing I am however sure that the need for the right impact wrench has yet to be met by the supply industry.
The wrench would need to have a clutch limiter to prevent over tightening combined with a stop system if the wrench is delivering less than the required torque, it would also need to be light and practical with tether system and a captive socket.
When and only when ALL the criteria are met will this be a suitable tool.
Scaffolding is not and never has been an easy job but easy does not make it right.
 
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My thoughts exactly , the box spanner been in use for nearly sixty years why? cause nothing been found to better it yet

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smark150 said:
Makita will say anything if it gets you to part with three and a half hundred notes

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Just paid £160 for mine
£35 for charger
£60 for a 4ah. battery

---------- Post added at 08:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:56 AM ----------
smark150 said:
My thoughts exactly , the box spanner been in use for nearly sixty years why? cause nothing been found to better it yet

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And all we see is chippys with nail guns, routers, electric planers, skill saws etc
Why keep scaffolding in the 1950s. No one moans about alloy beams over steel ladder beams. Let the industry move forward, you prefer the spanner that's your choice. But I know far to many older scaff's with elbow, shoulder, wrist problems add them to back, knee and hip problems form all manual labour and your end of life quaility is very low.
Try one for a week or two and see what we're all going on about.

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Flint1 said:
You're correct Mr B ...........it's all down to fittings being strained by folk with a heavy trigger finger.
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I still see scaffs swinging on spanners overtightening fittings the problem has been there since the fitting, its not new to IW
 
scaffolding is s Young's man game and these idiots using drills should retire.
Their is no place for these dinosours in the industry.
Use a spanner or go away
 
Hold up don't start picking on dinosaurs , I'm one and still on the spanner and can still do more than most young scaffs

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Hi Alan - our in house tests have shown that you get a more accurate & consistant tightening with an IW than a spanner which if used by a newbie automatically overtighten fittings through inexperiance or the difference between an 17st rock ape or an 11st average sized guy - like anything its down to experiance gained through constant use.

Julian whip smith - while we're all welcome to our own opionions, yours seem quite a sweeping statement & more in trying to get a reaction out of interest how long have you been in the game & have you actually used an IW for any length of time or are you just jumping on the playground roundabout having read other guys threads?
 
Hi Southern,
your input would doubtless prove invaluable to any supplier have you thought of going forward with this?

I don't have a problem with the right tool for the job but ....
I have found the damaged fitting (which are not easy to spot until too late) I also get a lot with the nuts spun off whilst dismantling.

Skill sets take time to acquire, possibly more than a two week course provides, but what happens whilst getting those skill sets?

I am sure there is a market for the right tool but at this time not sure the right tool is available
 
The good thing about the so-called 'dinosaurs' of the game is they can turn up on a Monday for work !!!!
 
I share the general sentiments the IW is the way forward, yes they can be cumbersome and not ideal in all situations but the fact remains none of us are getting any younger, and anything that eases bodily wear and tear (at 45 I could start a whole new thread on my scaffolding related injuries) and allows me to keep maintain a decent pace is the way forward.
 
About a year in tried a iw for the first time. After 37 years doing this job is found it brilliant. Not so many aches and pains. If you haven't tried one. Give it a go.
 
Gave a young scaff a start yesterday but couldn't take cause he hasn't got a box spanner what's the game coming too

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Milwaukee are coming to our firm next week trying sell us their new iw or hire should I say it links to a homebase back in office which monitors when tool is in action and not nice one boys now there is no where to hide

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smark150 said:
Gave a young scaff a start yesterday but couldn't take cause he hasn't got a box spanner what's the game coming too

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---------- Post added at 05:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:40 PM ----------

Milwaukee are coming to our firm next week trying sell us their new iw or hire should I say it links to a homebase back in office which monitors when tool is in action and not nice one boys now there is no where to hide

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Any man that turns up without a set of tools should be showed the gate , there are lots of
Places a IW don't fit so you still need to carry your trusty spanner at all times
 
Julian Whip Smith said:
scaffolding is s Young's man game and these idiots using drills should retire.
Their is no place for these dinosours in the industry.
Use a spanner or go away
Click to expand...
Hmm I was thinking of kicking off my own firm as another option and if you are as fast with a spanner as a scaff with a gun I would certainly employ you while you are still young, big and butch. Thats until your body and limbs burn out of course in time, but hey there are plenty young bucks out there waiting to take your place by the time you retire from the trade around 45.

HELLO PHIL........:laugh:
 
Hi,

I thought I would email the NASC about the use of impact wrenches when looking at this post as I found it quite interesting.

They have come back to send us the link regarding the use of impact wrenches which is here: Impact Wrenches Statement - NASC

They have said as long as the proper 'care and consideration' is taken into account when using impact wrenches then that is fine with them. They do not give approvals of products but just guidance.

I hope this helps you guys out a little more and I shall leave off by copying in what the NASC has said about all of you on this forum: "they are the most highly trained operative on site."

Have a good weekend everyone!

SF Admin
 
Don't get why a company would ban them? Surly if every Scaffold on a firm has impact guns the productivity goes through the roof!
 
Fraser78 said:
Don't get why a company would ban them? Surly if every Scaffold on a firm has impact guns the productivity goes through the roof!
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its not so much about the lads doing more work ,
as the impact on the lads wear and tear to themselves that concerns me Fraser,
this game will cripple a man before he is 50 if he starts young ,
but with these it IW it dont have to be this way ,
they are the way forward ;)
 
You're right about Hilti. They've doubled the lease contract price to £60 a month and reduced the leasing to 1 year instead of 2! I've bought a Makita....... Register it online and get a 3 year Warranty with it.
 
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