Tool Review: Mac Tools BL-Spec 1/2” Brushless Impact Wrench
The Mac Tools BL-Spec 1/2" Brushless Impact Wrench, No. BWP151, is a heavy duty, high-torque tool suitable for the automotive shop professional. This impact wrench has the capability of 1,200 lb-ft of max reverse breakaway torque and 700 lb-ft of forward max torque. The tool features BL-Spec brushless motor technology that provides a long runtime on a single battery charge and no brushes to replace. Manufactured with a glass-filled nylon housing, the BWP151 is built to withstand corrosive automotive solvents and fluids common to the automotive repair environment. A three-speed selector allows for slow reverse and precision forward control in low-rpm speed 1 (0-400 rpm), mid-rpm speed 2 (1,200 rpm) and high-rpm speed 3 (1,900 rpm). Since October 2016, the BWP151 has been made in Charlotte, North Carolina with global materials.
The review
After using the Mac Tools 1/2” Impact Wrench, No. BWP151, for a variety of jobs both in and out of the shop, Daniel McGuinn, an independent tool reviewer with Real Tool Reviews, appreciated that the tool was easy to use, comparable in power to an air tool and could be used outside the garage.
“The tool was extremely easy,” McGuinn says. “Novice to pro will have no issues. Charge the battery, install the battery, select the power mode and get to work.”
McGuinn used this tool for three months in his work truck for miscellaneous repairs off the jobsite, including flat tires, rotations and equipment assembly. During that time, he noted that he left the battery installed the entire time, and the tool did not drain it when not in use. The power level of the battery remained the same from the end of one job to the beginning of the next. He also appreciated the rubber bumpers around the tool and the battery, which prevented it from sliding around the truck toolbox and protected it when setting it down on asphalt or concrete. “During the testing phase in the truck, we did not run into any jobs it could not complete with ease,” McGuinn says.
In the garage, McGuinn normally uses pneumatic tools because they offer size and weight advantages, and air is readily available in the shop. However, he notes that during a rear main seal and suspension repair, he used the Mac 1/2” Impact Wrench instead.
“’Cutting the hose’ saved us a lot of time and hassle that we would normally run into,” he says. “Having an all-in-one package that runs solely on battery was a timesaver, and the other guys were surprised that it had basically the same power levels as the high-end [competitive] unit that they typically use.”
McGuinn also noted an instance that a customer needed a last-minute tire rotation, but the garage was already full. He was able to use the tool outside in the parking lot to remove all of their lugnuts, rotate the tires and then snug them up before torqueing them with a torque wrench. “The low-power mode is ideal for lower-torque applications where you don’t want to accidentally damage a fastener. But in half a second, it can secure a nut, bolt or lugnut so it will not go anywhere. This was a very quick repair job that ended with a very happy customer,” McGuinn notes.
McGuinn’s only concern was that although the power level of the Mac 1/2” Impact Wrench was at or above most pneumatic impacts, it was considerably larger and heavier than other tools. He found that the convenience of not needing to run air hoses, wait for compressors to air up and not being limited to garage use only was offset by the tool’s larger size and weight.
“If they can pack the entire package into something 50 percent of its current size and retain the power levels, it will be a ‘must have’ for any professional mechanic,” McGuinn concludes.
