Why pneumatic tools?

[vanguard_anon]

I've been slowly building my air tool collection. Some pneumatic tools have clear benefits like the air ratchet or impact wrench. But when I watch Xtreme 4x4 or Trucks those guys seem to prefer that nearly everything is air driven.

What is the advantage of an air driven drill, grinder, etc. over their corded and cordless counterparts?

(long winded optional reading)
I'm pretty new to metal working but I have a lot of experience in wood working. In woodworking there are air driven tools, like the random orbital sander, that are better for pros but worse for part time guys. The surface left by a nice electric ROS is at least as good as their air driven counterpart. The electric is easier to control and the wire is a lot nicer to deal with than an air hose. However, if you use a little Porter Cable ROS 16 hours a day everyday you'll burn through them quickly. It's an odd situation where professional tools are actually worse for weekend hackers than consumer tools. I was sort of wondering if the same was true of other air tools.

[D60]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277245

I still think the weight issue is very significant

[Aces'n'8s]

What is the advantage of an air driven drill, grinder, etc. over their corded and cordless counterparts?

(long winded optional reading)
I'm pretty new to metal working but I have a lot of experience in wood working. In woodworking there are air driven tools, like the random orbital sander, that are better for pros but worse for part time guys. The surface left by a nice electric ROS is at least as good as their air driven counterpart. The electric is easier to control and the wire is a lot nicer to deal with than an air hose. However, if you use a little Porter Cable ROS 16 hours a day everyday you'll burn through them quickly. It's an odd situation where professional tools are actually worse for weekend hackers than consumer tools. I was sort of wondering if the same was true of other air tools.

To each their own.

IMO, I prefer the torque of comp. air versus electric. I enjoy the ability to control, simple and effectively, the output of an air tool. I'm not saying that electrical motors can't produce a fair amount of torque, but many of my air tools feel like they have more "umph" than my electric counterparts. The only real hindrance concerns whether or not the comp. can keep up with air demand.

Although I don't use them all the time, I have never thought some air tools were "worse" for the weekend warrior or the handyman versus their professional users. If most people would take time to learn to use air tools, or ANY tool for that matter, properly, people's frustration levels would likely diminish dramatically.

It all rests in the skill of the user and their ability to use a tool correctly. For example, if one doesn't know how to properly apply pressure with jitterbug or long board sander, than there's so sense in their using it as it will be self-defeating...i.e. there will long, squarish "cuts" instead of a smooth plane.

Therefore, the user would probably perceive that it's the sander's fault that a shoddy job resulted and revert back to sanding it by hand. But I would image, if they had used an electric jitterbug/long board, they would have effectuated a similar outcome.

If you like electric tools, use electric tools. If you like air tools, then, use air tools. As for me, I will use whatever tool, electric or air, the job requires.

[Bolt Thrower]

My air drill didn't cost me more than 90 bucks. It's a comfortable, light weight tool and still a 'heavy-duty' model, it won't break wrists if it binds up, it runs cooler, is shorter in overall length, with some swivel air fittings it's just as manuverable as any electric.http://www.expeditionexchange.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=19281&cat=303&page=1
I guess it's a matter of personal preference, and what is commonly available. (no compressor on hand kinda cuts out the air option)

[4x4mike]

On TV other people are buying the tools. All those guys have to do is use them. If they strip a bolt, break something, etc they go and buy more. Some people don't have that kind of money. A big compressor is also important and expensive. If the show buys it, why not use it?

[ZJim]

In terms of trail usage, lots of people could run an invertor to run some tools. A friend of mine has an electric invertor, and also onboard air. It's easier to run an electric angle grinder rather than an air powered one for air consumption reasons. But when it comes to impacts or air ratchets, we all know air is king. There are less parts to wear out when it comes to air tools as well. They all have moving parts, but there's nothing electronic in most of them to fail. That's probably why some shops solely use air tools. That and it's easier to find an air hose in the average garage than an electrical outlet.

[Kilborg]

As a fulltime wrench, I find that I prefer pneumatic tools over electrics though I do have both flavors of certain tools (Drills, grinders, impact, etc). the pneumatic stuff usually has more power (though not necessarily true in all applications), but the biggest thing is durability. Some of the jobs I do require excessive abuse (IE holding a 1000lb impact gun at a 100% duty cycle), and frankly I just dont think electric units would hold up nearly as well being the same performance/general size/etc. On hot days the exhaust of an airgrinder is a godsend especially after a torch/welding session...but theyll freeze up if used too long or water gets in the line or whatever when its cold. The downside is the thousands of dollars worth of airtools I have are useless with my 5 gallon compressor here at home ;p

I do like having the electric stuff for easier/quicker jobs. An electric drill or impact gun is nice to have....especially if they are cordless. A good electric grinder belongs next to any air grinder (in fact I have a air grinder, air grinder with polishing wheel, and an electric grinder in my box) though. If the job doesnt require excessive abuse of the tools then electric is just fine...shit even some of the electric stuff can take plenty of punishment. However, heat can be a pretty big issue. Those little buggers get good and got when you work them, and that can significantly decrease the tools lifespan.


Boils down to what you like/what you can use I guess. I like both and see the uses for each...any decent wrench should have a few of the same tools in different flavors in their box as far as im concerned. Since I have to make money with the stuff having both is very nice.

As far as trail stuff, either is very nice to have but I only carry handtools with me (hopefully I'll get a compressor and maybe an inverter soon so I can have yet another reason to burn $$ on tools hehe)

[Static-XJ]

An air tool is generally lighter weight and has a smaller body than it's electric counterpart. Also, with air you don't have to worry about working in wet area.

Both have their place. For heavy duty grinding, I'll take an electric 4.5", 7", or 9" angle grinder. For tight spaces and more detailed work, I'll take a pnumatic die grinder. And I've just recently been turned onto air drills. When a bit binds up with an air drill, the drill just stops drilling. It's not going to snap. Doesn't mean I'm going to chuck my electric drills, there's still tons of stuff I'd rather use them for.

[ironpig70]

problem i have with air tools is that they are for shop use only. why buy a corded drill to do work in the house and a air one for the shop. would suck to have to drag an air hose from the shop across the yard thur the house to drill something:shaking: same with grinders i have no compressor now so i have 4 electric ones really don't see the poiint in an air one. sanders same way i have 2 electric ones.

[vanguard_anon]

Thanks for the feedback everybody. I'll keep building my air tool collection as my projects demand them.

[Pavemen]

by the time you consider fittings and quality air hose, how much lighter are air tools versus teh electric counterpart? For stuff close to the ground, the hose doesn't 'cost much'. but when working overhead or up fairly high, then the hose weight adds up.

i think that air tools hold up better for heavy duty use and longer duty cycles.

[supergildo]

ok so what size compressor would be required to use air tools and not have to be bothered by waiting all the time?

[Todd W]

ok so what size compressor would be required to use air tools and not have to be bothered by waiting all the time?

Depends on the tool and tank size.

[Kartracer55]

It all depends... Like you said, its hard ot beat an pneumatic ratchet or impact. I disagree with torque though... I can take my hand and lock up any standard 1/4 die grinder I have yet to see, as well as a few different air drills. i Cant even lock up my cordless drill like that. I think rotary type tools such as die grinders are best left to air because they are relativly simple compared to their electic counterparts.. less moving parts, less to go wrong so you can run them for extended periods of time without worrying about failure.

Super Guildo... 10cfm minimum, Bigger IS better. I have a 20cfm single stage 5hp from eaton. It keeps up with die grinders, air drill, my Thundergun as well as the ratchet no problem. Id imagine it would struggle a little bit with a big blast cabinet or a larger sander, but so far its more than adequate. I use a big 7.5hp LeRoi during the day and that thing puts out a ton of air, but its 3 phase 120 gallon... basically overkill. Get a ture 5hp and you should be golden. A Larger tank will aid in higher draw tools, the cfm rating is what the pump can supply continuously, but its kinda liek an engine... no replacement for displacement. The larger the pump, the easier it will be for it to keep up with higher demand tools

Jim

[tsm1mt]

I have a lot of both, too.

Air tools are lighter, and work better on the trail / at a competition.

Two YORK OBA setups hooked in tandem will run my die-grinder non-stop. A 3" cut-off tool makes short work of getting a nice clean cut on a winch cable when splicing a broken cable back together.

I just recently bought an air grinder. Light, works fine, and again, I can run it off the OBA - and I'm not dependent on how big of an inverter I bought.

No air sawzall yet. ;)

Another advantage - my 3/8" air drill is much smaller than any of my electrics. It fits places the electric won't.

Like.. drilling out a stripped exhaust manifold stud in a 22RE IN the truck.. the one at the firewall, of course..

[Fordman500]

If you have a huge compressor air is nice, but when I work at home I use my electric tools alot more. Angle grinder and I have some old school Craftsman drill that is a beast. Its almost broke my wrist multiple times and I love tat thing :D

[Travis Waldher]

would suck to have to drag an air hose from the shop across the yard thur the house to drill something:shaking:

That's why you plum an underground airline reasonably close to your house. :flipoff2:

[DownNDirty]

Air tools also don't have magnets in them. Magnets like the metal dust that comes from doing automotive work. I kill more electric drills because of this dust getting inside the motor and destroying everything. I don't run a full array of air tools because I don't have the compressor yet. My compressor can handle the impacts and other low volume tools, but not drills or sanders.

[Aces'n'8s]

problem i have with air tools is that they are for shop use only. why buy a corded drill to do work in the house and a air one for the shop. would suck to have to drag an air hose from the shop across the yard thur the house to drill something:shaking: same with grinders i have no compressor now so i have 4 electric ones really don't see the poiint in an air one. sanders same way i have 2 electric ones.

I agree, IMO, air drills and grinders are fit for heavy production work. Their use nessicitates a large compressor/tank which is most likely out of range for most people.

But as far as sanding is concerned, an electric 5" orbital sanding feels like a cinder block compared to a 5" Dynabrade orbital air sander. When sanding down any vehicle for primer/paint, a lighter sander reduces the amount of cursing my neighbors have to endure.

[ZJim]

You also don't have to worry about electric shock or sparks/fire from electric stuff.

[Haggar]

I'm like everyone else, I have both types.

There are some tools that you won't find a good electric version of, such as an air chisel or a air ratchet.

Myself, the air ratchet is one of my most used tools and is a HUGE timesaver working in the engine bay, installing/removing things like starters, radiator bolts, etc, that you can't get in with a hand ratchet and have room to move your hand.

I use electric for heavy drilling and grinding, or if I'm doing something where I need a bunch of tools out at once, I can have them all pluged into a splitter without having to change.

I'd agree, size and weight of air tools is a huge benefit.

[tsm1mt]

You also don't have to worry about electric shock or sparks/fire from electric stuff.

I've taken my air drill, installed a wire wheel, and used it INSIDE of my solvent tank (filled with mineral spirits) when cleaning the inside of a diff housing.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing the same with an electric.

[D60]

I use electric for heavy drilling and grinding, or if I'm doing something where I need a bunch of tools out at once, I can have them all pluged into a splitter without having to change.

See, I see the opposite benefit w air tools. Because the connection is at the tool itself (I realize Bosch is moving this way w electric tho), it's NO problem to pop the collet on the air line and shove it back onto another tool. You then set the other air tools on the bench, and there's no cords dangling from them. Then you only have one hose with a very easy connection, and swapping tools is not a problem.

And you don't have a cord on every single tool tangling from a splitter.

Plus it's basically a one handed deal, I mean tool in one hand, air hose in the other. In contrast if you're plugging/unplugging from an extension cord you almost have to set the tool down and use both hands just to plug/unplug. Not so w air.

[Realsquash]

Other than a die grinder, air ratchet, and impact, I find many air tools nearly useless in my DIY shop at home.

Air tools that are useless to me:
- Air Drill (weak, spin way too fast, i don't make a lot of holes in fiberglass or Al to justify having one).
- Air chisel (again, weak and unimpressive taking things apart other than for cutting exhaust tubing, see sawzall/angle grinder)
- Air-powered cutoff wheel (whiiiiIING! where it stops nobody knows! Can't control the speed, goes way too fast, and not enough power)
- Die Grinder, but not 100% useless. Maybe I'm just not skilled with this tool of Satan but it's exhausting to use and I've messed up more parts than I care to remember. But once in a great while it's the only tool for a certain job so it stays.

Suprisingly useful (to me) air tools:
- Reciprocating air saw (body saw). Does a great job in wood and clearancing fenders due to the way you operate this tool. An electric would work well, but I haven't seen one??!!?
- Ratchet and my IR2135 impact, what a tool that is!

My Milwaukee Sawzall, 4.5" angle grinder, and 1/2" drill take care of the heavy lifting and will for years to come. They aren't petite like some air tools, but I use these 50 times more than their air-driven "counterparts".

Andy

[GeepRX]

Air tools that are useless to me:
- Air chisel (again, weak and unimpressive taking things apart other than for cutting exhaust tubing, see sawzall/angle grinder)
- Air-powered cutoff wheel (whiiiiIING! where it stops nobody knows! Can't control the speed, goes way too fast, and not enough power)
- Die Grinder, but not 100% useless. Maybe I'm just not skilled with this tool of Satan but it's exhausting to use and I've messed up more parts than I care to remember. But once in a great while it's the only tool for a certain job so it stays.

Andy
^^^ - strong disagreement here. Perhaps your compressor was not up to the task?

[sha_ba_do_bang]

i would also say that your wrong, the air chisel is the most useful tool (besides impacts) in automotive, its not only for chisleing but for knocking ball joints loose and bearings, also splitting nuts and other random things

on the other hand i don't really find the air ratchet to useful, instead i use my 3/8" impact and swivel sockets to pretty much get to everything

Brendan

[Realsquash]

^^^ - strong disagreement here. Perhaps your compressor was not up to the task?

While I don't have an uber large compressor, it is a 30 gallon job and runs to 120 psi w/o problems. It's enough to really beat the snot out of something with the air chisel. I have tried removing frame rivets and things like that and it barely did anything but make the neighbors mad. It's just my experience.... You mileage may vary.


Andy

[Realsquash]

i would also say that your wrong, the air chisel is the most useful tool (besides impacts) in automotive, its not only for chisleing but for knocking ball joints loose and bearings, also splitting nuts and other random things

on the other hand i don't really find the air ratchet to useful, instead i use my 3/8" impact and swivel sockets to pretty much get to everything

Brendan

My nut-splitter tool works much better than an air chisel for busting nuts. I did use the air chisel with a pickle fork once to pop a tierod end and that worked well.

Andy

[Urban Wheeler]

by the time you consider fittings and quality air hose, how much lighter are air tools versus teh electric counterpart? For stuff close to the ground, the hose doesn't 'cost much'. but when working overhead or up fairly high, then the hose weight adds up. That's when you tie the hose to the ladder and leave a 5 foot pigtail to the tool. The ladder holds up the hose, plus if you drop it...

i think that air tools hold up better for heavy duty use and longer duty cycles.
Many times I have run air tools until they were too cold to hold with bare hands, and more than once I've had frost form on the outside. :D

I like air tools because you don't have to wonder which tool is plugged in, plus they are generally smaller, lighter and stronger than electrics.

That was when I was wrenching for a living. Now that I am a home hobbyist, my stuff is electric. I just don't use my stuff that hard in the garage to need air.

[BarrelRoll]

Those of you complaing about air drills spinning too fast should try a regulator. Just set the regulator to the speed you want to spin and hold it at full throttle. It's really nice when you have to drill a ton of holes in steel and if you normally had it at full throtle you would burn up bits quick.

[GeepRX]

While I don't have an uber large compressor, it is a 30 gallon job and runs to 120 psi w/o problems. It's enough to really beat the snot out of something with the air chisel. I have tried removing frame rivets and things like that and it barely did anything but make the neighbors mad. It's just my experience.... You mileage may vary.


Andy
May be the most important consideration when running air tools is volume.

Nothing like an air chisel/hammer to pop body panel spot welds.
When I ran the auto machine shop we used an air hammer for many things,
installing valve guides, removing carbon desposites from heads, etc ...