In cleaning SanFord this past weekend, pulled everything out and piled it in the shop. While going through the pile I pulled out a old 3/4" ratchet to throw on the scrap pile. It's a pretty odd ratchet because it has the drive sticking out of both sides. On a whim, I stuck it in the vice to see if I could get it freed up and noticed a gauge built into the handle with an adjuster in the end of the handle. Hmmm. Time for some Googling.
It's called a Swench 750. And I'm real glad I didn't pitch it.
What it is, is a manual impact wrench. 50 pounds of pull generates 800 lb-ft of torque!
This lug nut was tightened with a 3' breaker bar with my 280# butt leaning on it. This is pulling it loose and tightening it with one hand while recording video with the other. This thing is awesome!
Needless to say, it will be going back on SanFord to deal with those pesky lug nuts.
Wow, cool. Science. Also, AC/DC.
I want one now. Well until I saw what they go for.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
AC/DC is a large part of the reason I say, "What?" a lot.
Hells bells, that thing is badass indeed. Score!
Yeah, I'd have that re-chromed.
That’s killer. I need one for work.
Correction: just googled what those things are going for 
This would be sweet for breaking accord crank bolts loose among other things.
In reply to pinchvalve :
It certainly seems worth refinishing, but the patina is kind of awesome, too.
I did a little more digging. They still make them. Models from 500 lb-ft 1/2 drive to 7000 lb-ft 1.5" drive.
That's an amazing find. So... what else is in the pile? Any other rare ~$1000 tools that you might want to pawn off to your fellow tool-crazed brethren? : )
They are awesome. We've been using them on our helicopters for years to break torque on some large bolts/nuts.
Us aviation learned about them from tankers.
Yeah, not inexpensive. Try pricing torque multipliers. I manage the special tools program for CH-47 Helicopters for the army. I bought a digital 1,000 lb/ft torque multiplier/applicator for a maintenance task that unofficially used the swench. 8.5k each with discount for buying quantity.
FYI, the name swench is a combination of Sweeney and wrench. Sweeney makes most of them.
I want one. Partially because its cool, but mostly because I want to be able to say I have a "Swench"
Can you hand me the Swench? Where did I leave my Swench? This is a job for the Swench.
I'm thunderstruck man, that's a whole lot a rosie right there! but the darn cost of that beast is just a touch too much for my tastes.
In reply to Hungary Bill :
I wouldn't buy one at the prices they are going for. I'm pretty sure the PO didn't know what it was either.
RossD
MegaDork
4/10/18 7:44 a.m.
This is when I'd like to call up a chinese tool maker and order up 1000 of these and sell them at 1/10th of the cost
Ian F
MegaDork
4/10/18 7:54 a.m.
Thetoolwarehouse.net sells a few of them, although still not exactly pocket change.
I did some digging this morning for the torque specs for the Budd wheels on the bus. Proper torque is 450-500 lb-ft.
Sounds like that would be just the thing for those pesky crankshaft bolts.
When my grandfather died, my brother and I spilt up his tools. I got what looked to be the world oldest dogbone wrench at that time. I used that thing religiously until I ended up bending one side. I also got a two wrench set where the sockets side over the handle for storage. Again, one of my go to wrenches. One of them is what I grab when I work on my old chainsaw.
