SEMA 2018 didn’t fail to impress the largest crowd ever this year. There seemed to be more cars, parts, tools, and accessories than ever before. The Chicago Pneumatic booth was always full with onlookers, wishers, and buyers getting their hands on the tools. With the plethora of tools that CP has to choose from, we narrowed it down to what we think are the best Chicago Pneumatic tools at SEMA 2018.
Awesome Tools at SEMA – As We See It
As the name implies, Chicago Pneumatics manufactures some of the most recognized air tools in the automotive and heavy equipment industry. They’re not only recognized, but they’re also some of the best performing air tools on the market. Well, don’t make the mistake of thinking that CP just makes air tools. They have a healthy array of battery-powered, or cordless, tools as well. Furthermore, they make a lot of accessories that complement the power tools. Here’s a sampling of the best Chicago Pneumatic tools at SEMA this year.
Cordless 1/2″ CP Impact Wrench – 4 Power Modes
Chicago Pneumatic steps out of their pneumatic heritage from time to time to manufacture power tools from the cordless spectrum. From the feature list, the CP8849 is much more than just a typical cordless impact wrench. The CP8849 has 4 power modes which can be selected from buttons on the rear of the impact. “Slow Mode” will deliver about 4 ft-lbs of force to the fastener, making this just hand-tight. The “Fast Mode” bumps that up to about 40 ft-lbs of torque, still keeping you from over-tightening fasteners. The last two modes 50% and 100% deliver the 425 and 850 ft-lbs to the 1/2″ anvil. Shifting the direction to Reverse will always deliver maximum output (850 ft-lbs) to the fastener.
Chicago Pneumatic CP8849 Cordless Impact Specifications
- Power Settings: 4
- Slow Mode – hand tight ~4 ft-lbs
- Fast Mode – ~50 ft-lbs
- 50% – 425 ft-lbs
- 100% – 850 ft-lbs
- Motor: Brushless
- Anvil: 1/2″
- Lights: 4 Front LED lights illuminate around the fastener
Chicago Pneumatic 7755 Air Impact Wrench – Compact Power
At more than 810 ft-lbs, this CP7755 is both compact and light. In addition to the compact size and healthy power, this wrench is loaded with features. In fact, this one impact gun has 3 unique patents from Chicago Pneumatic. Power selection is almost infinite with this setup, yet still very simple. With the large power selector on the far left, the user can dial the power in with one finger, from 5% to 45%. One flip with the user’s thumb and you quickly
CP 8345 Cordless 4-1/2″ Angle Grinder
For compact grinding and small projects, the Chicago Pneumatic cordless angle grinder offers supreme efficiency and plenty of power. The CP8345 accepts a 4-1/2″ wheel and they also have a CP8350 that will step up to a 5-inch (125mm) wheel. You can get this in a kit with 4.0 Ah or 6.0 Ah batteries and a charger. The auxiliary handle can be changed from either side and the guard is toolless and adjustable up to 270°. Power is driven to the wheel with a brushless motor.
Chicago Pneumatic CP8345 Cordless Angle Grinder Specifications
- Model: CP8345
- Part number: 8940175070
- Battery voltage: 20 V
- Free speed: 8500 rpm
- Net weight: 5 1/2 lb
- Power: 1 hp
- Sound Power 89 db(A)
- Sound pressure 78 db(A)
- Spindle thread: 5/8”
- Weight without battery: 3.9 lb
- Wheel size: 4.5 “
Chicago Pneumatic SS4211WP 1/2 in. Drive 11 Piece SAE/Metric Impact Socket Set
With all the money that’s pumped into custom wheels nowadays, then you better have a set of sockets that will protect that investment. The CP SS4211WP is an 11-piece impact socket set that includes the most popular lug nut sizes in both SAE and Metric. These sockets are color-coded to easily differentiate between sizes, without having to read the numbers. Most importantly, the sockets are made from chrome-moly and the plastic sleeves keep the sockets from marring the wheels.
Chicago Pneumatic SS4211WP Specifications
- Drive Size: ½ in.
- Socket Type: Metric and SAE
- SAE Sizes: 3/4, 13/16, 7/8, 15/16, 1, 1-1/16 in.
- Metric Sizes: 17mm, 19mm, 21mm, 22mm, and 23mm
- Laser Etched Markings
- Plastic Protection Sleeve
- Chrome-Moly Steel
- MSRP: $69.00
CP7205 HRLK Headlight Restoration Kit
Final Thoughts – Best Chicago Pneumatic Tools at SEMA 2018
Cars, Trucks, and Jeeps were the rave at SEMA, as they always are. Everything you can think of pertaining to automotive aftermarket accessories could be found there, including tools. Chicago Pneumatic did an excellent job in bringing some of their best tools. Customers and onlookers seemed to think the same, as they would stop at the booth by the handfuls to put their hands on new tools. We’re really excited to get some of the CP tools in for testing and review, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for the tool-maker.
Check out more great Chicago Pneumatic Tools here.
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