Air tools.

[Roert42]

Never used air tools as a traveling tech. No reliable access to air in factories.

Past couple years I’ve been working in house, so I have a nice compressor. Found an old HF air ratchet in the back.

Doing a big job, so I decided to whip it out. Speeds the process up to say the least.


Loud as all sin. Have to plan out my use of the air ratchet to get all the bolts spun at once. That way I don’t have to be putting ear plugs on and off all day.

was Thinking about getting a nicer air ratchet hoping it was quieter. Turns out air ratchets are all just really loud.

Found an old forum place somewhere with this. Take a piece of scotch brute pad and tape it to the exhaust. Super quiet now. Very impressed.

 

[Roert42]

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Just get a cordless one like the Milwaukee. Ever since the evolution of battery tools, I dont use air anymore. I have a small compressor for filling tires and occasionally running a nailgun. When the battery nailguns get a little better I will lose that too. I hate chords and hoses.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I have a compressor, impact, air ratchet, air chisel, air metal shear, etc. everything but the compressor collects dust. I have a battery powered impact and ratchet, Milwaukee stuff…

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I have a compressor, impact, air ratchet, air chisel, air metal shear, etc. everything but the compressor collects dust. I have a battery powered impact and ratchet, Milwaukee stuff…

Ditto

 

[Roert42]

I don’t use any air tools at home. Have the Milwaukee cordless stuff. Works great. But the air ratchet has a lot of balls compared to the electric one.

This is my first experience really using pneumatic stuff. I have a 3/8ths impact that I could never use because my air compressor is too small. I just brought to work to use.

I’m a just really impressed as how well the scotchbright works at quieting Dow that crazy ratchet noise.

 

[dvdswan]

I use my air tools for big jobs/high torque items that don't want to come off (and need to be sheared off) LOL. And to paint my truck. Battery tools are so much more convenient and don't have the air hose dragging around.

 

[Shran]

I usually use my Milwaukee cordless ratchets but I do have a few air ones too. Harbor Freight makes an Earthquake "impacting" 3/8 ratchet that is pretty bitchin. I love it for really tight front end accessory bracket bolts and stuff like that and it's not super loud.

Also have an ancient Mac 1/4 air ratchet...horribly loud... whEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeee

My tinnitus is flaring up just thinking about that.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I have an IR 3/8 air ratchet I call knuckle buster. You better have a good hold on it when you pull the lever.

I ewould have been happy just using my air tools... but I didn't have a place to move my compressor.

 

[19Walt93]

I use air tools all the time, after 50 years dragging a hose around I don't even notice it. When I started at the dealer in 1975, no one else had an air ratchet and they all complained about the noise mine made. So I started loaning it out and pretty soon they all had them.

 

[ZMan]

I rarely use air tools besides my DA sander. Battery is where it's at. My air ratchets collect the most dust.

 

[09fx4guy]

I still use some of my dad's air tools: impact gun, cutoff wheel, air chisel, etc. I do it sparingly because we live in the suburbs and have neighbors close by. It can get pretty noisy. The battery technology is improving so much, air tools are quickly becoming obsolete. Ok, maybe not obsolete, but just not practical for most people.

I am thinking about pulling the trigger on some of the milwaukee battery powered stuff. I have a bit of craftsman 19.2 and my dad has some 18 volt Ryobi stuff. It's more for drilling and woodworking than for mechanical work. I was thinking about one of those impact style tools to help remove stubborn nuts and bolts. I do pretty good with hand tools, but I am starting to get the hang of this "work smarter, not harder" thing.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I use air tools all the time, after 50 years dragging a hose around I don't even notice it.

It's pretty liberating being disconnected from the hose...

 

[Shran]

The air chisel and needle scaler are two that I don't think I could ever give up. There are no cordless tools that can do what those do... Kinda like using the air chisel anyway, second only to a torch for some stuff.

I do use cordless impacts almost all the time now though. Main exception is if I have to work outside in the rain/snow... Air tools DNGAF about water.

 

[ZMan]

It's pretty liberating being disconnected from the hose...

the first few days after I stopped using my air ratchet I was like "why the hell did I do that for so long??"