King Tony America is the U.S. division of a tool company founded in Taiwan in 1984. The company grew quickly: today they distribute tools in 113 countries and have engineering and sales divisions in Europe, Mexico and China. Here in North America they offer KT Pro Tools sockets and wrenches, Mighty-Seven (M7) air tools, and the King Tony brand of pliers, screwdrivers and automotive specialty tools. King Tony is one of the largest privately held hand- and air-tool manufacturers in the world.
Earlier this year, King Tony America introduced the Mighty-Seven (M7) 1/2” Drive Air Impact Wrench, No. NC-4610. Measuring only 4-9/16” from anvil tip to end plate, this small and powerful tool offers 450 ft./lbs. of torque in a compact ergonomic design weighing only 3.5 lbs. The tool is said to provide greater operator efficiency by reducing hand and arm stress during use. But its major advantage is its small size; it fits into hard-to-reach areas where other air tools cannot reach.
The Review
Mike Steptoe, owner of Reliable Auto Repair in Fort Atkinson, Wis., tested the NC-4610 for us and reports the tool has “very satisfactory power, especially for such a small size.” When asked if it enabled him to do a job he couldn’t otherwise do, Mike said he used it to remove a crankshaft pulley bolt without removing anything else from the engine compartment. He said “it saved lots of time on that one,” and since installation torque on that bolt is 250 ft./lbs, he felt it was no minor accomplishment.
Mike said his favorite feature is the ability to operate all the controls with one hand. The forward/reverse switch is designed to be operated with just a flip of your thumb, and Mike quickly figured out how to operate the three-position torque adjustment switch the same way.
The only thing Mike doesn’t like about the tool is the difficulty in removing sockets from the anvil. In fact, sometimes he actually had to pry them off, “but I guess that means they won’t fall off either.” Unless that’s something that wears in with more use, Mike suggested the company might use a different clip for retaining the socket. Mike also said the impact wrench is much louder than he expected, so he tended to use it only where it’s small size was really needed.
Mike says this is a good tool for changing ball joints and other front-end work, and for engine work, especially on front-wheel-drive models with a tightly-packed underhood environment. All in all, Mike says this is “an awesome little gun that, for certain jobs, really comes in handy.”
