Air tools ?

[fixit]

I lost all my air tools when IRMA flooded my shop in 2017. Slowly, very slowly replacing them.

 

[dirty tools]

I am a retired marine diesel mechanic I use lots of air tools,portable electric powered and anything that will help me with my projects

 

[Flyinfool]

The problem with battery powered tools is that eventually the battery will need to be charged, If you do not use the tool often enough the battery will die of boredom due to non use and no longer take a charge. Those batteries are very expensive to replace. Some of the tools are almost like razors, they almost give you the tool for free, and get you on the replacement batteries.

The problem with corded electric is that it usually does not take long for them to get hot if you are working them hard, and then you have to stop to let them cool.

Air tools are like the energizer bunny, they just keep going and going and going, They always run nice and cool, and they do not care if they get used once a year or even less.

Yes I like my air tools.

 

[mmcmdl]

I think it's unanimous , keep the air tools .

 

[kd4gij]

Sand blast cabinet, air guns and mister used often. With the power of 20v max. the rest of my air tools don't get used often. Air hose and electric cords was an ease habit to break.

 

[Dave Smith]

a good large air compressor(60-80 gal) is my most used shop unit---blow gun for easy cleaning---Die grinders--finger belt sanders--air drills--angle grinders--air chisels--air ratchets---air motors---air cylinders--and mini-pencil die grinders---air saws-- along with all other convenient air tools are all used daily---nothing more useless than battery tools with weak or dead batteries---the more you use air tools the more you like them---Dave

 

[Bi11Hudson]

A difficult question to answer. Perhaps if you would think of my "machine shop" as just another tool, things would fall into perspective better.

There are a number of places that nothing but air tools would do the job. I have heard that there is now available a battery powered nailer, but my air nailers have been around so long that the triggers and seals have been replaced several times. For hobby work, none of my stuff is for professional use. Filling tires, a blow gun, model painting(air brush), some 12 inch to the foot scale painting with a spray gun, some brush, a lot of spray cans. Sand blasting, I could go on all night.

There are some things that I have air tools because they were the first item of the sort I could afford at the time. A sheet metal nibbler, for example. So seldom used, I can't justify acquiring an electrical version now. Heavy sheet, industrial weight roofing panels and the like. A small (1/4" drive) butterfly ratchet for driving roofing screws, with a shop made adapter of course. An electric driver heavy enough to drive the roofing screws would be pretty heavy and difficult to handle on the roof.

Then there are the tools like the air powered hacksaw. It is light, I'll give it that. Only used a couple of times in the last 30 odd years. More of a toy than anything useful. But it did the job it was intended for. Been taking up space in the tool box since. A SawzAll works much better. But I never let go of tools once they are acquired. Might need it again, one day. Or I might go to meet my maker tonight. Ya never know.

There are a few impact wrenches, but for the most part, I prefer to use end wrenches. Feels like I'm doing something useful. And such tools could be carried on my pouch when I was working at the mill. Old habits do die hard.

Then there are the tools that I have both air and electric versions of. Whatever works best in the circumstances, at the time. If I didn't need the lathe and the milling machine and the shaper for something, none of them would have been acquired. But I needed each one for something. And as the most appropriate tool for the job, none will be disposed of. Until I need a better or larger version for something.

Does that answer the question? I don't know, but its' how I see it.

Bill Hudson​

 

[tq60]

A difficult question to answer. Perhaps if you would think of my "machine shop" as just another tool, things would fall into perspective better.

There are a number of places that nothing but air tools would do the job. I have heard that there is now available a battery powered nailer, but my air nailers have been around so long that the triggers and seals have been replaced several times. For hobby work, none of my stuff is for professional use. Filling tires, a blow gun, model painting(air brush), some 12 inch to the foot scale painting with a spray gun, some brush, a lot of spray cans. Sand blasting, I could go on all night.

There are some things that I have air tools because they were the first item of the sort I could afford at the time. A sheet metal nibbler, for example. So seldom used, I can't justify acquiring an electrical version now. Heavy sheet, industrial weight roofing panels and the like. A small (1/4" drive) butterfly ratchet for driving roofing screws, with a shop made adapter of course. An electric driver heavy enough to drive the roofing screws would be pretty heavy and difficult to handle on the roof.

Then there are the tools like the air powered hacksaw. It is light, I'll give it that. Only used a couple of times in the last 30 odd years. More of a toy than anything useful. But it did the job it was intended for. Been taking up space in the tool box since. A SawzAll works much better. But I never let go of tools once they are acquired. Might need it again, one day. Or I might go to meet my maker tonight. Ya never know.

There are a few impact wrenches, but for the most part, I prefer to use end wrenches. Feels like I'm doing something useful. And such tools could be carried on my pouch when I was working at the mill. Old habits do die hard.

Then there are the tools that I have both air and electric versions of. Whatever works best in the circumstances, at the time. If I didn't need the lathe and the milling machine and the shaper for something, none of them would have been acquired. But I needed each one for something. And as the most appropriate tool for the job, none will be disposed of. Until I need a better or larger version for something.

Does that answer the question? I don't know, but its' how I see it.

Bill Hudson​

What he said...

7.5 hp compressor and some tools it has hard time keeping up with.

Have picked up some lithium impacts of good brands and they are now first used for small tasks but real work air is king.

A 1/2 drill motor is size of TP roll and stops for little.

Cheap harbor freight die grinders are just okay but we have a couple commercial ones that use most of what the commercial 7.5 hp compressor can output and they stop for NOTHING...remove lots of metal with good cutter in small time.

Need gloves as tool gets cold from air flow...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[gr8legs]

When you need one an air tool is indispensable.

One example: The right angle air ratchet is just the thing for installing / removing nuts and bolts where there's barely enough room to swing a hand ratchet. It's a choice between the slooow click-click-click with a hand ratchet or the BZZZZzzzzzz of the air tool.

And for cleaning up welding spatter when you forget the Pam an air operated needle scaler is just the ticket.

And as mentioned above, there's no electrical substitute for a blow gun.

Stu

 

[C-Bag]

Right you are Stu. And I use mine all the time and one of the handiest things I got was an inline air nozzle. Never have to go get my air nozzle and plug it in, its aready there!