I know just how bothersome it is when an impact wrench jams while working on something.
If you want to know why your DeWalt impact wrench jams in the middle of uses, I’ve got a list of possible reasons why that might help you find the answer.
Before that, here’s is my compiled list of most common problems of the DeWALT impact wrench you might want to check out.
Reasons Why DeWalt Impact Wrench Jams
- Obstruction
The most obvious reason for a tool jamming is something getting in its way.
A foreign material like debris or dirt getting between components is the biggest example of this.
When that happens, it stops mechanisms from working the way they should, which leads to a jam and won’t spin at all.
Give it a check by opening all the covers on the device and inspecting each corner carefully.
The image below shows how my DeWALT Impact wrench looks like without its cover!
You’ll be able to clearly see something that’s significant enough to cause a jam, so make sure to look carefully.
- Damaged Anvil And Hammer Mechanism
The anvil and hammer mechanism is what makes your impact wrench function as a tool.
It’s the main power component of the device and it needs to be in optimal condition.
Long story short, a damaged anvil or hammer will jam the impact wrench and make the impact wrench not impacting as usual.
It won’t work at all until you replace the damaged part specifically, so make sure to do that as soon as possible.
My video below will show you how to open the anvil cover to check or replace your DeWALT impact wrench anvil.
The anvil especially, which I marked here in the image below, is what you need to be especially mindful of.
These can get misplaced or damaged easily, which causes jamming and make the attach and detach of socket more difficult.
Plus, I recommend checking out the spring impact mechanism.
It works with the anvil and hammer, transferring the force and helping with the impact the tool makes when you use it.
If the spring is damaged or obstructed, you’ll need to fix it ASAP.
It could be the reason for the jam, and will stop the device from functioning until dealt with.
- Overloading
Like any tool, the DeWalt impact wrench has its limits.
It won’t be able to handle loads that are too heavy, which is something I really shouldn’t have to tell you.
Too much of a load causes a lot of stress on the tool, and its inner workings, and make the impact wrench to gets hot easily.
One of the symptom of overloading is that you would feel that the impact wrench is not strong enough.
That kind of stress leads to damage to the internal parts of the tool as I marked in the image below, which ultimately causes jamming.
So, the simple solution here is to not put too much of a weight on the impact wrench, otherwise it will jam.
- Trigger Is Faulty
It may sound a little unlikely, but it could be your DeWalt impact wrench isn’t jammed at all.
Instead, it might be that the trigger on your impact wrench is faulty, which is causing it to not work even when you press the button.
This is more common than you’d first think, because the trigger is prone to debris blocking it from pressing fully.
This is something that’s even happened to me, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s the reason for what’s going on with your device.
Besides, the LED light on the impact wrench might stay on if the trigger is jammed.
This marked part of the impact wrench in the image below is the trigger.
Take the cover off around it and make sure the trigger is pressing all the way when you hold it down.
If it’s not, inspect where it stops and see if you can fix whatever is causing it.
Usually it’ll be some foreign object getting in the way that cutting the power to the impact wrench, which you can easily take out.
- Battery Is Too Low (Cordless Model)
If the battery is too low, the device will stop like usual even before it fully powers off.
For example, at low charge, I’ve noticed the device gets a lot slower, and stuck when I try to loosen bolts with it.
That could be exactly what’s happening to you.
Just remember that a drained battery will have a hard time supplying the tool with the power is needs to overcome bigger workloads, which is why I always keep my impact wrench’s fully charged when possible.
Sometimes the battery cannot even charge more than 2 bars.
One thing I would suggest you to do is to check the voltage of your battery as shown in the video below
If your battery is weak or unhealthy anymore, it won’t provide enough power for the impact wrench to operate, and hence make it like jammed.
- Locking Mechanism Of Impact Wrench
As obvious as it sounds, one final suggestion that comes to my mind is the locking mechanism on the DeWalt impact wrench.
This lock switch keeps the device spinning in one direction, or no direction at all.
If it’s set to the center, the tool will stay in one place.
It will behave as if its jammed, and won’t function no matter how many times you press the trigger.
This lock acts as a safety feature, and its one I found myself forgetting a lot when I was new to DeWalt impact wrenches.
All you have to do is set it to the direction you want the device to spin in.
Once that’s done, try using it to see if it’s still “jammed”, because it should no longer be.
