The Air Tool Argument

[Hohn]

Here is another thing to put air tools in the obsolete column. https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/m18-fuel-striker-hammer-chisel/3771-20

9.3# and bulkier than my Aircat at 5.3# while almost certainly having a worse trigger and less power than the aircat.
I can use my Aircat as a Theragun, so good is the trigger at modulating power. And the Aircat is the 2nd most powerful .401 hammer that Torque Test Channel ever tested.

Having used my Aircat a good bit since purchased, there’s no point in any .401 hammer that’s more powerful because it can chew up even premium Mayhew chisels like nothing. To make more power useful, you really have to step up to .498, which is a different class of tool.


The air tool is not quite obsolete yet. Just because or cordless version of something is offered doesn’t mean it’s any good. The Aircat hammer is very, very good.

 

[clinebarger]

Absolutely they do.

The cordless tools are following the Gillette business model where they make a tool cheaper to make money off the batteries.

The 5.0 Makita batteries I could once get for $100 are now $160 each. Same exactly batteries.

Inside are 10 18650 cells. $7ea, there's $70 worth (at retail) of cells in the thing. Makita I'm sure can buy them for half that.

Which means you're paying $100 or more for a plastic housing and small $3 controller board.

And you'll be doing that every year or two in a pro usage environment.


In a home DIY use, a battery rarely dies. I think I've lost exactly one of my 14 Makita batteries. They're very well made, at least.

I've wore out a Milwaukee 1/2" Mid Torque in a little over 3 years.....Lot of engine & transmission tear down.

I've had exceptional luck with M18 batteries, Less so with the M12.

 

[Hohn]

I've wore out a Milwaukee 1/2" Mid Torque in a little over 3 years.....Lot of engine & transmission tear down.

I've had exceptional luck with M18 batteries, Less so with the M12.

Since the batteries are the more expensive part, if you have to chose one to last more, that’s probably what you want.

And as they add more features and turn the tools into special purpose Iphones with bluetooth and all kinds of gizmos, maybe you don’t want a 10 year durability in a cordless tool.

 

[Sam_Julier]

9.3# and bulkier than my Aircat at 5.3# while almost certainly having a worse trigger and less power than the aircat.
I can use my Aircat as a Theragun, so good is the trigger at modulating power. And the Aircat is the 2nd most powerful .401 hammer that Torque Test Channel ever tested.

Having used my Aircat a good bit since purchased, there’s no point in any .401 hammer that’s more powerful because it can chew up even premium Mayhew chisels like nothing. To make more power useful, you really have to step up to .498, which is a different class of tool.


The air tool is not quite obsolete yet. Just because or cordless version of something is offered doesn’t mean it’s any good. The Aircat hammer is very, very good.

To your point all the mechanics I use have air tools, some well over 20 years old, along with their cordless.

The air hose seems worth the hassle, still.

 

[Hohn]

To your point all the mechanics I use have air tools, some well over 20 years old, along with their cordless.

The air hose seems worth the hassle, still.

I think the broader point I'd like to make is not that cordless replaces air but that it adds to it and they will be used side by side.

It's same reason EVs don't replace ICEs-- EVs are simply better and some things and worse at others. Likewise, Air is clearly better for some things and worse for others.

They will both exist side by side for a long time.