At one time, it would have been unthinkable to call out a breakdown service to change a wheel. Now, many motorists do, as their rims have been secured by powerful air tools.

However, you can release the nuts using an impact wrench, powered either by your car’s 12V socket or a battery pack. These products do the same job as a tyre depot’s air tools. But which is best? We put seven through their paces.

The Test
On a test rig, we used the products to free nuts tightened from 90lb/ft to 150lb/ft – the settings for most car wheels. Cordless units scored points for a spare power source, a fast charger and a range of sockets.