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.

 

[bionictony]

i just got a 20 gallon vertical compressor, upgrading from a 3 gallon pancake. i'm looking to get a basic air tool set and it's like $60-100 for the impact, rachet, airhammer, die grinder. 4 tools for $100 seems like a good deal. i already have the dewalt 20v impact, ratchet, drills. mainly got the 20 gallon compressor to try LVLP painting.

 

[UncleDave]

i just got a 20 gallon vertical compressor, upgrading from a 3 gallon pancake. i'm looking to get a basic air tool set and it's like $60-100 for the impact, rachet, airhammer, die grinder. 4 tools for $100 seems like a good deal. i already have the dewalt 20v impact, ratchet, drills. mainly got the 20 gallon compressor to try LVLP painting.

Sweet.
4 tools for 100 is a good deal if the tools work well. There are loads of junk air tools out there.
A 20 gallon vertical compressor would imply a 240 volt power source.

 

[Lenny5160]

i just got a 20 gallon vertical compressor, upgrading from a 3 gallon pancake. i'm looking to get a basic air tool set and it's like $60-100 for the impact, rachet, airhammer, die grinder. 4 tools for $100 seems like a good deal. i already have the dewalt 20v impact, ratchet, drills. mainly got the 20 gallon compressor to try LVLP painting.

I have a 20 gallon compressor, and it works pretty well for the first 3 tools you mentioned. Die grinder is OK, but you spend a lot of time either waiting for the compressor to refill OR operating at grinder RPM that are less than ideal because the compressor can't keep up with the demand.

I very, very seldom use air anymore because I'd rather use battery tools than deal with the air hose. I'd even rather inflate tires with the 'set it and forget it' cordless inflator.

Most of the compressor duty is with a blow gun. I've never tried painting with a real gun though.

 

[Hohn]

i just got a 20 gallon vertical compressor, upgrading from a 3 gallon pancake. i'm looking to get a basic air tool set and it's like $60-100 for the impact, rachet, airhammer, die grinder. 4 tools for $100 seems like a good deal. i already have the dewalt 20v impact, ratchet, drills. mainly got the 20 gallon compressor to try LVLP painting.

A 20 gallon tank compressor on 120V is right at the ragged edge of what most LVLP setups will need for air (6-8 SCFM). You'd be wise to consider an extension air tank of 10 gallons or so.

 

[Hohn]

A 20 gallon vertical compressor would imply a 240 volt power source.

Not at all. The vast majority of compressors of that size are nominally 2hp or less and run on 120V.

Some--few-- 2HP compressors are dual voltage.

 

[UncleDave]

Not at all. The vast majority of compressors of that size are nominally 2hp or less and run on 120V.

Some--few-- 2HP compressors are dual voltage.

Well thats cool. These must be inherently more efficient than my stuff was.
My 5 gallon porter cable would barely run off a 20 amp circuit.
I couldnt run it with Yamaha 3000 that had a battery boost to 3500.

My little makiita can run off a honda 2K and I dont bother with anything more anymore.
Its clearly not filling anything super fast but its a gem.

I got a tour of a shop that had an estwing (?) scroll compressor pretty cool.