# Just daydreaming..can an impact wrench be used to power a go cart? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** rolls-royce, spirit\ **Created:** [June 3, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783 "2010-06-03T05:38:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Middleageddivorcedgu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Middleageddivorcedgu](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Middleageddivorcedgu)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/1 "2010-06-03T05:38:47Z")
Just wondering, since impact wrenches can spin at 10000 rpm easily, and provide hundreds of pounds of torque and are fairly cheap… ---
**Author:** ![mleich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mleich](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mleich)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 11:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/2 "2010-06-03T11:10:06Z")
Using compressed air? You would need a very long hose . . . and a very light go cart . . . I don’t see any reason why it would not work, at least in theory. Lots of torque but very little horsepower. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/3 "2010-06-03T11:28:16Z")
Have you looked around the web for vehicles powered by compressed air? It is perfectly feasible. And though I doubt that the power plant is ever an impact wrench I’d imagine the design of the motors could be similar. Something would work - at least for really short distances. ---
**Author:** ![vtcodger2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e68b1a/32.png) [@vtcodger2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vtcodger2)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 11:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/4 "2010-06-03T11:47:17Z")
I believe that the only reason that impact wrenches in shops are pneumatic is safety. They can’t zap the mechanics if the hose gets pulled into a puddle of coolant in the adjacent bay. But they do make electric powered impact wrenches – even 12 volt DC versions. They are just an electric motor with a mechanical impact device that is probably best removed if your goal is to drive a go cart. Wouldn’t it be easier to just hook a electric or pneumatic motor to an appropriate gear train to get the desired torque/speed? ---
**Author:** ![doubleclutch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/doubleclutch/32/1281_2.png) [@doubleclutch](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doubleclutch)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/5 "2010-06-03T14:54:23Z")
An impact wrench will not provide hundreds of foot pounds of torque steadily. When the wrench hits resistance (like a tight nut), an internal mechanism hammers (impacts) the socket, spins 1/2 turn, and hammers it again. This cycle repeats until the nut is loose. An impact wrench doesn’t produce much torque when freely spinning. The impact mechanism is why a half inch drive wrench can exert 500 foot pounds of torque on a bolt without tearing your hand off. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/6 "2010-06-03T15:09:56Z")
It seems to me that there were pneumatic starter motors for the diesel engines on big semi tractors. I suppose a suitable air tank and one of these motors could be rigged up to power a gocart. ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/7 "2010-06-03T16:25:08Z")
A cordless drill can be geared to drive a 'cart…saw it online, so it must be true 😉 Somewhat underpowered, but workable. A better bet would be the motor off of a treadmill (~1.5 hp). And as pointed out, an impact wrench supplies short bursts of high torque–it can’t maintain that torque. (Think of it a “hammering on the end of a wrench” vs. “just pushing”: lots of torque, but only for a split second.) ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/8 "2010-06-03T18:02:28Z")
So, Middleagedivorcedguy, the only thing she left you was your impact wrench? I know the feeling. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/9 "2010-06-04T01:43:22Z")
Well an impact wrench AND a go kart with no engine. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/10 "2010-06-04T02:21:14Z")
You don’t need the “impact” and your range is going to be very, very short… ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 11:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/11 "2010-06-04T11:45:48Z")
Middleageddivorcedguy, Since You’ve Obviously Got Too Much Spare Time And You’ve Just About Exhausted This Ponderance, Ask Yourself, “Can A Go-Cart Be Used To Power An Impact Wrench ?” Meanwhile, see if you can develop some type of social life. You need to get out more. 😉 CSA ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/just-daydreaming-can-an-impact-wrench-be-used-to-power-a-go-cart/49783/12 "2010-06-04T21:49:28Z")
Thanks for the laugh, Oldschool.