Air Tools

[jyl]

Who has air tools?

I’ve always had a bias against them.

Recently I realized that once you buy the compressor, the tools are cheap and light.

Would you veer off the battery tool road and instead choose the air tool road? Why or why not?

[LWJ]

I have a crap compressor. It has got me this far and while I should have gotten a better one decades ago, I haven't. I have an air driven impact wrench. There isn't enough volume to run it. I have several Dewalt 20v stuff that I use daily. And for impact? I bought a crap 120v Harbor Freight monster. Truth? A long breaker bar puts out more torque but between the HF and my bar I get the job done.

What I should get? Is a battery powered ratchet. Those look like just the ticket.

[wdfifteen]

Hoses and power cords are banes of my existence. I’m happy to leave them behind.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I use air tools for almost everything for work and for working on my cars so have a nice screw compressor which is quiet and powerful, 110 gallon tank.

Mini-DA
Mini sander
Rivet gun
1/2" gun, ancient, very heavy
3/8" gun, newish, light, rarely used
Compressed air (I do a lot of drying and blowing)
Cerakote and body pant
blast cabinet

For electric, have pretty much every tool you can buy, with a cord.

For battery only have little Milwaukee M12 gun and drill pair, and a Milw M12 caulk gun.

Cleaned out my mom's garage yesterday for a tag sale. Battery Ryobi leaf blower was OK, I would have killed for even a pancake compressor for real pressure. Had to charge battery twice during the day.

I would love to get one of those battery powered 1/2" guns that Jeff posted but hard to justify the expense for just changing wheels and a few other things.

[wdfifteen]

I have a Chicago Pneumatic air gun that I haven’t used in 40 years. I use my battery DeWalt often. It goes places an air hose won’t reach. I don’t expect it to break lug nuts loose, but it saves a lot of time by spinning them off. I put my workbench back together yesterday with it. Had to drive a dozen 3/8 lag bolts and it made quick work of them.

[A930Rocket]

I’ve had a few compressors but only one that would run a cut off wheel reliably. They are air hogs. That’s the only air tool I miss, but even then you have to deal with the air hose.

Everything is battery operated now. If my 1/2” impact won’t remove it, I have a 1/2” corded impact. If that doesn’t remove it, I have several 1/2” breaker bars. And cheater bars.

[Dpmulvan]

Originally Posted by jyl

Who has air tools?

I’ve always had a bias against them.

Recently I realized that once you buy the compressor, the tools are cheap and light.

Would you veer off the battery tool road and instead choose the air tool road? Why or why not?

Apples to oranges. There’s no alternative for many air tools.

[masraum]

I think that for most folks battery powered will be more than adequate to get the job done, and they will be more convenient.

I used to have a compressor. I rarely used it because it was loud and a pain compared to not using it.

If you're going to get a compressor, get the quietest compressor that you can find.
If you're going to get a compressor, make sure that the compressor/motor will provide enough air for everything that you need to do.
If you're going to get a compressor, get one with a big enough tank to do everything that you may do.

[vash]

I have a good air ratchet and air gun thing to break lugs on my office desk. I ditched my compressor at a friends garage and never looked back.

I miss it, but my big car project days are behind me and it was all taking up space.

if you venture into my neighborhood, you can have it all JYL. I even have the sockets.

NOW? I visit my bud that I gave the compressor to..hahah..

[fastfredracing]

I still use my IR 2131 1/2 impact gun for almost everything . It feels like a precise surgical instrument in my hand , that I can control the speed, and power of easily compared to a huge electric Milwaukee impact , that is just like a giant whammer hammer .
Most other tools, 3/8" impact, ratchets, etc, I am all electric now .
There is still a place for air tools.
Also, I can almost guarantee that all my air tools will still be working long after the batteries, and chargers for my electric tools have all died, and been replaced by the next popular battery tech/charger format .
I still have my first IR impact gun, and albeit super worn out, you could still use it daily if you had to .

[Zeke]

@fastfredracing, Agree.

[zakthor]

I have an undercoating gun that I use to spray fluidfilm into my old vehicles every few years. For a while I was borrowing my neighbors 80g sears compressor but it was super loud and didn't move nearly enough air. Got my own bigger compressor 6-7 years ago and its awesome although still not quite enough. But now I also use it to spray wood preservative on fences.

And then I was out hammering new boards into an old deck and the neighbor couldn't bear to watch me and insisted I borrow his compressor and framing nailer. Whoa... framing nail gun. A full day of hammering was done just as fast as I could pull the trigger. A day in the sun to hammer nails? Buy a framing nailer.

Recently I got a pneumatic t50 stapler for $40 at home depot to do insulation and got a used super quiet compressor because I didn't want to wrestle my big compressor into the truck and then up the narrow stairs. That little pneumatic stapler and silent compressor turned a painful few days into a pleasant afternoon. Pressure controls the power so just easy as cake. Its a tiny little thing but really made my life easy.

Now I can hook my two compressors in parallel (on separate circuits) to run the undercoating gun and combined I can finally spray continuously (supposedly together they're good for 7cfpm and it feels like a lot.) Can't wait to borrow my neighbors plasma cutter.

I've not committed to battery tools yet, but I do have a little clutched milwaukee m12 screwdriver. I have a bunch of ancient corded tools including a few variable speed die grinders/cutoff wheels but for some things the air tool is the only choice.

Cost of the tools doesn't come close to cost of hiring a pro so if you can do it then just buy the tool you need.

[look 171]

Battery tools are the way to go. If we need continues usage, get the cord. I even like a battery table saw for cutting small pieces on the job. I bought one for my guys and the cord is now in the shop for looks. I want a battery framing saw, Makita because its nicely balanced and fits my hand. We have two for cutting all sort of stuff including finish work. I know finish work, but they work. I want a personal one for small things around the house. I don't need it but want it. Battery tools have come a long way. Deep down inside, I am afraid battery powered cars will be that way too. How often do we cut stacks of lumber or bust that huge nut out of our cars? Once every few years if that much? GEt out the cord, if not, 98% of the time, the battery powered tool will do the trick. My guys bought battery stud drills. They are tiny compared to our old Hold Hawg, an angle drill. Much lighter and easier to get around on our job.

I must say, the three battery tool I bought for the house had been worth its weight in gold. A tiny Dewalt hand held vacuum, yard blower, and my 'lil Milwaukee tire inflator. For small to even larger stuff, it all works great. By the time I get the cord out, I am done especially the vacuum. Wife dropped something in the kitchen, boom, done with the industrial vacuum in 15 seconds. Takes me 15 sec. jsut to open garage to get shop vac. We no longer have vacuum in the house.

[A930Rocket]

Not all, but a lot of my Dewalt tools. I’ve got two circular saws, a right hand and a left hand. One is lighter and so much easier to make quick cuts.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Not all, but a lot of my Dewalt tools. I’ve got two circular saws, a right hand and a left hand. One is lighter and so much easier to make quick cuts.

You guys / framers out on the east coast still use a lot of sidewinder saws? We don't see them too often out on job sites. I haven't looked in a long time, all the guys we use that big old worm drive. not almost all gone battery. I no longer see them carrying coils of hose and cord up the ladder.

[A930Rocket]

I haven’t see a worm drive in almost 40 years of building homes in the southeast. Usually, it’s all Makita saws, with compressors, bundles of hoses and nail guns.

[rfuerst911sc]

My two bay man cave garage has two hose reels at the front/center of each bay . I have a vertical tank twin cylinder IR compressor in an outside insulated room . So it's very easy to flip on the compressor and roll out whichever reel I need . My air tools consist of two 1/2 " impact guns , 3/8 + 1/2 " air ratchets and a cut off tool .

Battery tools are Ridgid 1/2 " impact gun plus a torque gun , a drill and small hand held compressor . For my DIY type work the battery impact is my go to . The convenience and power is hard to deny . But battery and air power can coexist . I am an old school guy and it took me a while to add the battery arsenal . A few years ago I replaced all the deck boards on our very large deck . That battery torque screw gun was amazing driving in the screws .

I would say my use is 50/50 between the air and battery tools . It is nice to have options as needed .

[KFC911]

You may not actually "need" both ... but it's a nice option to have!

I had zero tools before acquiring my 911 decades ago ... none. Under my 911 with the recomended "alignment" guy.... he told me... get a good IR impact wrench.... don't cheap out on that one tool... you won't regert it

[flipper35]

I have air and battery. Some of the air tools are newer than the battery powered.

Each has their place and use.

[Tim Hancock]

I have lots of old air tools but I use cordless when able. I do still use my pneumatic DA sander and paint guns for body work, a rivet gun for aircraft solid rivets and a monster old 1" air impact for the motorhome wheels.

My go to cordless tools are now my Dewalt 1/4" impact driver, Dewalt 1/2" drill, Dewalt circular saw, Bauer HD 1/2" impact and Bauer inflator for quick topping off of tires.

My go to corded tools are still a Metabo small grinder and a HF buffer with wool wheel. Every once in a while I contemplate getting a new cordless small grinder but am too cheap since the Metabo corded still does the job.