Air Tools

[Jeepman401]

A 21 gallon tank should give you some initial power. It doesn't matter what the compressor puts out, if you have a full tank, and the gun doesn't have that initial power, its the gun.
I do work all the time using a 3 gallon compressor, with the pressure cranked up, and the tank full, I can take off quite a bit.

 

[iwannadie]

Just an impromptu review of my thunder gun.

This thing is awesome... I got it all hooked up today with a 3/8" hose, decided to hold off on the 1/2" hose for now. I let my compressor build to 130 psi and set my regulator to 90 psi and off I went with my ingersoll rand impact lug sockets. First lug nut was off before I even realized I hit the trigger...! I was able to remove all my lug nuts and play around a bit before my compressor had to kick on. When the compressor did kick on it was only for a few seconds to fully recover and had enough for me to screw around with again for a while. I was expecting the compressor to run a Lot but it was hardly taxed at all. I got pretty good with the impact to zip the lugs back on at about 80 ft lbs, enough for me to then use my torque wrench for the final pass.

I read a lot of reviews saying it was too heavy, it is certainly heavy but I don't see it as a problem at all for me. I am not going to use it all day like some professionals however. I also read about people having air leaks at the fitting, no problems there for me so far.

It sounds awesome and the free spool speed is just amazing to witness. The sound for me is close enough to the nascar pit crew that I'm happy with just playing with it to hear that sound.

My only complaint is the adjust knob is a little small and placed in a tight area, my big fingers have a little trouble getting to it. Not a huge deal at all and it is slotted so I could use a flat head screw driver if it was really a problem.

 

[slimpartywagon]

Here is a trick from a PRO... when the impact fails to turn the fastener when trying to remove it, try tightening the fastener with the impact, then switch to loosen and hit it again.. repeat several times.. while impacting, ratchet the impact gun clockwise while tightening and counter-clockwise while loosening... eventually it will break loose, or the fastener will break.. one of the two... also soak the fastener in pb blaster overnight.. and spray it down one more time right before you try to break it loose. Hope this helps. I have been doing it this way for years with great success, I probably have broken a dozen bolts doing it this way..

 

[iwannadie]

What do you guys think about air drills? I am seriously in the market for a drill and am now debating on air or corded. My main use for a drill over the years has always been to drill out broken bolts and holes into sheet metal, nothing major.

Would an air drill suit my needs given my compressor is pretty stout and I have air wherever I would need a drill? What are the advantages / disadvantages of air drills?

 

[RCP Phx]

What do you guys think about air drills? I am seriously in the market for a drill and am now debating on air or corded. My main use for a drill over the years has always been to drill out broken bolts and holes into sheet metal, nothing major.

Would an air drill suit my needs given my compressor is pretty stout and I have air wherever I would need a drill? What are the advantages / disadvantages of air drills?

They have their purpose but consume alot of air,better have a big compressor/tank.

 

[iwannadie]

They have their purpose but consume alot of air,better have a big compressor/tank.

What would their main purpose be, I'm still trying to figure out the pros of having an air drill. Are they more powerful, faster, lighter, smaller or what?

My compressor runs at like 10 cfm at 90 psi and the air drill I was eyeing requires 4 cfm at 90 psi so I should be fine there. If an electric drill has more power though I would just assume get that, they are about the same cost.

 

[alex22]

The air drills are much louder than a corded drill, but have less torque which can be nice for some jobs. The tools I use for crack repair and tapping holes are pneumatic so they are less likely to break off a drill or tap in a block or head. I use an electric drill, corded or cordless for any other job I have to do.

Another reason you see a lot of mechanics using air drills is that most shops are set up with drop lines for air and not extension cords.

 

[heyhar]

Running a couple-horsepower motor to spin a compressor to fill a tank to run a drill to drill a hole makes for a very expensive hole! IMHO, anyone contemplating a pneumatic drill should already have an assortment of corded and cordless drills of various sizes and strengths, and the air drill is probably most useful to someone in a shop already plumbed for air, as previously suggested. I've got all manner of air tools in my garage, but unless the compressor is full, the cordless stuff, especially the impact gun, gets my vote. I even have drill bits for the gun.....

 

[iwannadie]

Ok, thanks guy. I guess it makes sense when thinking of a shop having the air hose available easier than a power cord.

I'll look at a quality corded drill first before an air drill seeing as I have power or air in the same place. I'm not a fan of cordless, the batteries always seem to last only so long. Then, the company switches to a new type of battery or the replacement batteries cost too much to make them worth while. For my needs I will have power anywhere I need a drill so cordless isn't needed.

 

[alex22]

Look around for a second hand tool store or a pawn shop. I've picked up some power tools for a good deal at those types of places.

 

[Jeepman401]

The main benifit of an air drill is that with a cheap air regulator, you can easily control the drill speed, and slow it down to a more bit friendly speed

 

[kastein]

Look around for a second hand tool store or a pawn shop. I've picked up some power tools for a good deal at those types of places.

X2, I just got my husqvarna 136 chainsaw for 75 bucks at the local pawn shop. Price tag said 269 (they way overinflate the stickers to make you feel better about the "discounted" price, keep that in mind) and I seemed almost interested, so he dropped the price to 100, then said he'd take 75 since it didn't have any gas in it and I couldn't try it out on the spot. Gave me a day to try it and bring it back if it was busted, it worked so I kept it. Don't be afraid to make lowball offers on stuff at the pawnshop.

Another benefit of an air drill - no sparks from the motor. If the drill bit causes sparks you have other problems. Helps if you're drilling near flammable liquids or vapors.

 

[RCP Phx]

I love my right angle air drill because it fits into places a normal drill can't get to.

 

[yossarian19]

Your compressor / tank isn't the issue.
For impact wrenches... every mechanic I know swears by the Ingersol Rand 231. Its the one with a metal case that they've been dropping, forgetting to oil & beating on for 25 years or so, without ever re building it. I've got a Ti series gun, IR's "high end", and have already rebuilt it once. Been using it 4 years or so.
Rachet wise... Snap On makes this guy but it's super expensive. I recomend whatever ratchet you decide to spend your life with has the direction reverse switch somewhere other than the head of the tool. The first time you back a bolt out and pin your ratchet against something else, finding yourself unable to put it back in drive, you'll wish you'd bought something else.

 

[iwannadie]

What type of oil/grease would you guys recommend for my IR thunder gun? I looked and looked, I see that IR sells an oil/grease kit. The kit lists all the models it's for but it doesn't match the thunder gun model number specifically. Also the oil isn't the correct #(weight) oil either as is recommended in the thunder gun manual.

I've been using a bottle of craftsman all purpose air tool oil but I would rather put the best I can in it so it lasts. Also with the grease I'd like to get the IR mini grease gun and grease to keep up on that. I am either dense or blind because I am just not seeing the proper IR lube kit. I don't want to buy the wrong one either at 30 bucks it's not a cheapy.

 

[yossarian19]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I've known guys to use ATF, DEX, pneumatic oil, etc - as long as you oil it before a day's use, its no big deal.

 

[alex22]

I love my right angle air drill because it fits into places a normal drill can't get to.

Its hard to beat a right angle air drill for those tight places.

I've known people who barley took care of their air tools (no grease or oil) for months at a time for years while still using them every day in dirty environments and the tools last a few years under the worst conditions. I would say that a few drops of a light oil (tool oil) prior to use will keep the seals and bearings happy for a long time.

 

[WebDog]

The air drills are much louder than a corded drill, but have less torque which can be nice for some jobs. The tools I use for crack repair and tapping holes are pneumatic so they are less likely to break off a drill or tap in a block or head. I use an electric drill, corded or cordless for any other job I have to do.

Another reason you see a lot of mechanics using air drills is that most shops are set up with drop lines for air and not extension cords.

The Snap-on air drill i have used has way more torque then my half inch dewalt drill, it tried to rip my arms off a few times. and it was much quieter, so it might depend on what brand / price drill you get.

 

[JAS]

I try to put a few drops of oil in the tools after use... They are ready for next time and if there are moisture it is also taken care of.

 

[iwannadie]

I'm still adding to my air tools pile, which is growing nicely.

Can anyone recommend an Ingersoll Rand air hammer? I am sticking with ingersoll rand for this so please no harbor freight cheerleading .

I am looking at the various models; standard, medium, server duty. Are the duty levels a gauge of how much force they put out or more of how durable they are? I would like something that kicks pretty hard but it is not something I will be using for hours at a time. Should I just go medium duty and call it done or spend the extra and go severe?