Skip The Standard Wrench: The Quicker Tool You Can Find At Lowe's

A set of standard wrenches is among the useful tools every homeowner should have. Whether you want to change plumbing fittings or fix the kids' bikes, standard open-ended wrenches are indispensable. That said, they aren't fast, and there's a limit to the force you can apply. Over at Lowe's, there's a quicker and more powerful alternative: the Kobalt ½-inch cordless impact wrench. Let's see what makes this a tool that gets the job done in no time, without straining your muscles.

The twisting force you create when you put a wrench on a nut and try to turn it is called torque. The longer the wrench is, the more torque you can apply. It's why a lug wrench has such a long handle. However, long wrenches can be inconvenient to carry around, and if the nut is stubborn, you still might not have enough strength.

An impact wrench, on the other hand, is a relatively compact tool, similar in size to a cordless drill. It uses a powerful spinning motor and applies a rapid hammer action on the nut for much greater torque. The Kobalt impact wrench, for example, generates up to 650 foot-pounds (ft-lbs) of torque. Although it very much depends on the individual, few people can generate more than about 200 ft-lbs with a standard wrench. So it's easy to see why the Kobal impact wrench is quicker. It creates 2,800 impacts per minute for plenty of speed and power on tough nuts.

Many people will have come across an impact wrench at the tire shop, being used to release or tighten lug nuts. While this alone would make it one of the handy Kobalt tools that deserves a place in your garage, it's not just for home auto enthusiasts. If you need to use lag bolts to build a deck or pergola, for example, the Kobalt impact wrench will make driving them a breeze. The same goes for building metal structures like swing sets or working on lawn tractors, quads, and similar vehicles.

Sometimes you do need an open-ended wrench. When you're working under the sink, for example. They remain tools worth having. That said, when you can get a socket on the head, the Kobalt ½-inch cordless impact wrench is fast and almost effortless. It is exclusive to Lowe's and costs just $229 (less if you catch a sale), which includes a 4Ah battery, charger, and useful holdall.

Although Kobalt may not be as widely known as some, we ranked it among the top 10 best power tool brands. This tool has a 4.7-star average rating from over 600 customers, many focusing on its high torque and reliability. Bear in mind you can use the same battery to power other Kobalt 24-volt cordless home and garden tools, like their drill driver, string trimmer, and chainsaw. If those look like the kind of tools that appeal to you, buying them from a single brand can save a lot of money in comparison to needing multiple batteries and chargers.