Air tools VS Electric tools

[Kickstarts-suck]

Slowly getting the garage the way I want it with all new tools. Now im looking into either Air tools or Electric cordless tools.

Im wanting an impact wrench. Im between buying an air compressor and everything ill need to go with it OR just going to sears and getting a nice electric craftsman impact wrench that I keep seeing the commercials for.

Im pretty much just working on my truck. Nothing crazy.

Pros and Cons? Opinions? Suggestions?


Thanks

[deathman53]

air is more powerful, but requires more stuff and there is a big noise factor when compressor re-charges. I have a corded electric and air imapct, both work just as good for what I do. I do prefer to final some stuff by breaker bar and sometimes cheater pipe IE: axle end nuts on hiper integrated hubs.

[chucked]

I have a nice set of both. Air is more powerful, batteries die in the electrics, but you arent held up with a hose with electric, plus they are alot quieter.

[YFZ-FoFiddy-TC]

I prefer air because it's more powerful and you don't have to worry about running out of juice. If you do go air I suggest investing in an auto spooling hose reel. It's the greatest invention since sliced bread.

[Ichoptop]

I prefer air as you can buy impacts, drills, grinders, orbitals among a thousand other tools and all you have to do is pop one off the hose and the next one on. With electric you are always digging out extension cords and whatnot. I put my compressor out in the garden shed so I dont have to listen to it run and just ran a hard line into the garage with a cheaper dryer in the line.

[CJM]

Nice thing about electric is if you gotta take the tool with you anywhere you can run it so long as there is a hook up, air is much harder to do this with.

Its really hard to say, I dont have air and get along fine-but sometimes I wish I had it b/c of the variety of tools you can run (sanders, saws, impacts, grinders, etc) and the fact its quite powerful. But I do also own a snap on cordless impact (even when 1/2 charged its got 500 ft/lbs or better, but it also was 600 bucks), and I have a 1/4 impact driver as well that I use with some bits to take 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2.

In reality you need both usually, some tools are just better with electric than air-drills being one of them.

If your gonna go air make sure you get at least a 220v compressor. it will be more money and require wiring to be hooked up, but its much more powerful and will last way longer since it will have an oil cooled motor.

[Sjorge450R]

I bought a Peps Boys Cordless impact a while back. Up until recently it worked fine. It needs a new battery, but I am probably just going to buy a whole new gun cause its only like $15 to do that.

Be careful about the one Craftsmen is advertising. I am pretty sure thats not a true impact. More so a impact driver. The real Craftsment Impact is like $500 but its well worth it. I know a friend who has had the same one with the same battery and uses it just about every day since 2005. I would say he got his money back.

Also, with air, you risk the chance of breaking chit with it. The electric have a variable trigger on it that works properly. The air have it too, but sometimes its hard to work right.

[CADWELL]

If you go cordless, go Makita hands down..

The 18v 3.0ah batteries are unbeatable by any other brand out there in my opinion. You will get more constant juice and for a longer period of time compared to almost anything else out there.

[Pipeless416]

i feel like i have a lot better control with electric, but when i need to do something quick and requires a lot of power, air all the way.

[Bradracer18]

You can't beat the Ingersoil Rand Impacts....600+ ft*lbs of torque

[ProspectorJim]

Originally posted by CADWELL
If you go cordless, go Makita hands down..

The 18v 3.0ah batteries are unbeatable by any other brand out there in my opinion. You will get more constant juice and for a longer period of time compared to almost anything else out there.

x2 my makita cordless impact is one of my favorite tools.

[TAZ450r]

If you go cordless, go Makita hands down..

-1 :P

both milwaulee and hilti beats it by far in my opinion! and evreyone at my jobb probebly agree cause we are free to buy what tools we want when we need them, but no one is buying new makita machines! 5 years ago evreyone would have been buying makitas!

[witech]

Anyone who thinks that air is more powerful has never tried a Snap on 18volt electric. I used the IR air impacts for 20 years and they are the best air impacts. Then Snap on gave me a cordless loaner to try out for a week. The 450HO 1/2"drive made our air tools look like a joke.

In 2007 I dumped all my air tools I could and switched over to the snap on 18 volt drill,3/8 impact,1/2 impact,and 4 led worklights. I got 5 batteries and 2 chargers right away . Total cost was somewhere around $2000. Snap on stayed with the 2400 mah NICAD batteries for durabilty reasons and they have held up to my abuse . All still work but after about a thousand charges I can tell they are down to about 60 to 70 percent capacity. It was well worth the cost and Id never go back to the PITA air hoses.
One tip is the 18 volt batteries will slide onto the 14 volt 3/8 impact to supercharge them. It voids the warranty but at least I dont have to deal with a full set of 14volt batteries. Now Matco has come out with a cordless impact thats over 700foot pounds of torque. .

[CJM]

Thats the 1/2 impact gun I have, that sucker will do anything you want. My only complaint is in tight spaces its kinda hard to work with and its heavy.

It does say it puts out 400 ft-lbs but imho its gotta be more cause Ive yanked stuff off 18 wheelers with it

[witech]

Yeh I was skeptical until I tried one . It could take lugs off our medium duty trucks that were torqued well above 450 foot pounds. Even our 3/4" CP couldnt remove.
One other tip is I think snap on put to big a motor in the drills because if they get extreme use like heavy production work they get so hot you need to wear gloves to protect from the heat. If you smell them getting hot stop working and just run it no load for a minute to let the fan cool it down to keep it from burning the brushes. Mine melted one motor out of warranty and I installed a motor from a craftsman 18 volt drill in the case. Now its a little weaker but much more user freindly as it doesnt snap bits off or get scalding hot.
I think I am going to try and rebuild some of my packs with some of the huge capacity nihm cells we use in the rc cars like 5000 or 10000 mah. It would have insane run times.

[slightlybent47]

I love my compressor, I couldn’t live without it, I use it almost every day.
If it’s going to be for shop use only then air is more versatile. The new battery powered ones are good for track side as long as you have a charged battery or a spar one charged up and ready to go. I think you have to use the battery ones regularly or the battery goes bad, so if it’s going to sit without much use the air would be better.

Oh hell! just get both.lol

[JForestZ34]

I'm in the process of putting my garage together too...

I'm looking into this compressor..

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00916477000P?vName=Power+Tools+%26+E quipment&cName=Equipment&sName=Compressors+%26+Air+Tools&prdNo=9&blockNo=9&blockType=L9


As for me I'm gonna do all the normal air-tools for in the garage... For the real heavy work, but for other stuff I can do out in the driveway I'm going to go electric/battery tools also.. Just a few like a impact gun, ratchet, and a couple flashlights.. Everything else will be air and I will be in the garage for most of it.. Unless when the suns out and I need to sand something with a air sander I will do that out side..

I plan on putting a small little box on the side of the garage that will have the airlines so I can run a hose out to the driveway if need be.. and also a switch to be able to turn the compressor on and off from that box...

Plus I will plumb all the air lines to numorus locations in the garage.. Can never have to many of those..

Hope this helps your decision..


James

[atv fan 28]

I love my Matco 1/2 drive cordless impact!! You can use it at the shop or wherever you ride. It was worth the $500 dollars.

[ALAMX37]

It all depends on what you really need. Just general work on trucks and quads electric would be more than adequate. Just get an extra battery or two so you always have a fresh one. Then down the line if you feel like you just have to have air, you can get it. But cordless sure is nice.

[slightlybent47]

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have used my air for more then just running tools. It takes a lot of power to run an air compressor so there not economical to use for some tools that you will run for an extended period of time. It takes a lot of amps to run a compressor. You can paint with it, run tools, fill tires, blow out parts when cleaning them, run a sand blaster, run an air lift, the list goes on and on. An electric impact tool only does one thing.

[CJM]

Originally posted by slightlybent47
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have used my air for more then just running tools. It takes a lot of power to run an air compressor so there not economical to use for some tools that you will run for an extended period of time. It takes a lot of amps to run a compressor. You can paint with it, run tools, fill tires, blow out parts when cleaning them, run a sand blaster, run an air lift, the list goes on and on. An electric impact tool only does one thing.

I totally agree with on, so long as you have electric the compressor will run and run and run. Downside is your stuck to your compressor by a 50 or 100ft hose.

Thats why I have several electric impacts and like using them. I can toss one in my truck and take it with me if need be-you cant run a compressor offroad.

[JForestZ34]

Originally posted by CJM
I totally agree with on, so long as you have electric the compressor will run and run and run. Downside is your stuck to your compressor by a 50 or 100ft hose.

Thats why I have several electric impacts and like using them. I can toss one in my truck and take it with me if need be-you cant run a compressor offroad.


Yeah but a 100ft hose is pretty damn long.. Anybody with a compressor is usually working on something within 20ft of the compressor... The more gallon capacity you have the less the compressor runs.. If you get a 2 stage it fills that much faster...


James

[slightlybent47]

I just have a small one with a 15 -20 gallon tank so I can roll it around to where I need it. I can even put it in the trailer and take it to the track but I just use hand tools at the track.
One with a large tank will cycle less but it will take longer to fill it when it does run. So it will still take a lot of power to run it. Even my small pump will make the lights dim when it’s running, man that thing does pull some power. And I have to use a heavy duty extension cord or it won’t run properly. It will melt a 12 -14 gage extension cord.lol
I love my air compressor; I guess most of the time I use it to fill tires and blow parts clean.
i have used it to paint my house a few times, it sure made it go a lot faster then a brush.

[Kickstarts-suck]

Sounds like air would be the best because it would be nice to run alot of different things.

What compressor would be a good one to get? Size? HP? Nothing crazy. Just to run an impact wrench and a few other common tools.


Thanks for yalls help. :)

[CJM]

60 gallons are fine if your not planning on running air drills, sanders or grinders like crazy, 80 gallons if you are gonna be doing alot of the above.

[slightlybent47]

Most air tools require a lot of air to run properly. An impact wrench will deflate my tank pretty fast. Also cheap air tools are crap and don’t work for long, spend the money and get good tools for it. A small air hose will slow down tools so get the ½” or bigger air line if it’s going to be a long way from the tank. 3/8” is fine for short hoses. When painting you can get away with using a small diameter hose because most paint guns run on low pressure.


This is like the one I have but mine is about 15 years old. It still works great.

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Campbell-Hausfeld-VT6290-Air-Compressor/p85.html

Campbell-Hausfeld makes good compressors but there air tools are crap.

[Kickstarts-suck]

Originally posted by CJM
60 gallons are fine if your not planning on running air drills, sanders or grinders like crazy, 80 gallons if you are gonna be doing alot of the above.

Wow thats going to be wayy out of my price range. I was thinking for like a 20 gallon tank. :eek2:






Originally posted by slightlybent47
Most air tools require a lot of air to run properly. An impact wrench will deflate my tank pretty fast. Also cheap air tools are crap and don’t work for long, spend the money and get good tools for it. A small air hose will slow down tools so get the ½” or bigger air line if it’s going to be a long way from the tank. 3/8” is fine for short hoses. When painting you can get away with using a small diameter hose because most paint guns run on low pressure.


This is like the one I have but mine is about 15 years old. It still works great.

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Campbell-Hausfeld-VT6290-Air-Compressor/p85.html

Campbell-Hausfeld makes good compressors but there air tools are crap.

Okay thanks. So 20 gallon tank is good enough?

I mean Im not a crazy mechanic running air tools all day long. Id just like to have one for when I do need one.

What do yall think about harbor freight compressors?? I know they arnt the best for alot of things..

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/oil-compressors/25-hp-21-gallon-120-volt-125-psi-cast-iron-vertical-air-compressor-67847.html

[CJM]

That HF unit looks ok, but I dont trust thier electric tools-had more than a few fail. Granted i bought them for cheap and didnt expect much but they failed within a few months to a year. Id go to home depot and buy a good 25 gallon campbell hausfeld.

A 20 gal will run the tools intermittently, 30 or 40 is better if you can find one. Depending on the compressor I find the smaller ones to be useless b/c I need more power usually. But Im a mechanic so Im using to be able to do not have the thing kick on till I really work it. Im also used to using sanders, drills, grinders, etc.

Buy used, never buy new its not worth it. You can find some very nice old compressors for cheap. Some need repairs, some just arent pretty-almost all of them run and work tho and you pay half the cost if less than a new one. Awhile back I remember seeing a very high quality dayton comp with a side mount tank, was like 120 gallons and of course needed special wiring than you standard outlet but it was just dirty and used and worked fine-guy wanted like 400 bucks!

Gotta remember too: overall cost. A good comp (used or new depending on what ya find) may run you about 250+ bucks, then you gotta buy the tools, the hoses, the fittings, possibly get the wiring down if its higher voltage unit.

VS

Your better built electric tols by dewalt, makita, milwaukee, etc. Figure you can buy almost everything you need (HD, drill, grinder, etc, etc.) For less than 500 bucks. bad thing is you dont have an air ratchet which is quite handy.

[slightlybent47]

CJM is rite my tank is only 20 gallon but it dose run anything I plug into it. Some air tools need a lot of air, though mine dose run them some use up my reserve pretty fast. And when the air prissier gets low the tool loses power and I have to wait for it to catch up. But for the work I do with it, I have time to wait for it to catch up. That’s why I said earlier that it’s not economical to run for a long time because it takes a lot of power to run the compressor. If I’m going to be drilling or sanding, grinding, I’ll use electric tools because I already have them and they use less power.

The best thing about the air compressor is blowing things clean when working on something. I use it for that more than anything and it makes cleaning things a snap and helps me do a much better job. For blowing and cleaning my tank dose last a pretty good while. I like using hand tools on small jobs but there no substituting a good impact when you need one.

The down side for the electric impact is that in my experience with them, a lot of the time I have needed it but it was dead and needed charging. And in the past the battery had to be fully discharged before you recharge it or it would not hold a full charge. And the battery would wear out.
The plus side is there totally portable and I think the newer ones may be better.


I guess it all boils down to the write tool for the job.

Foot note. I have had my compressor for 15+ years and it still works great. Question is will a battery powered impact last that long?

[CJM]

The only impacts I would trust are (in this order):
1. Snap on, some of the guns we used at work were well over 5 years old, same thing for batteries. They charge quite quick too.
2. Mac/Matco, used a few of them same thing as snap ons really.
3. Dewalt, never used one but I do use thier power tools and they are top notch.

Not much can beat the snap on impact tho like I been saying. Downside is the cost. I paid a grand total of 650 bucks for 1 gun, a gun cover, 12v charger, 120v charger, 3 batteries, and halogen light. I used the kit every single day, about 10x a day or more for about 3 years with no issues. But like I said cost is very high. I was able to get off Id say about 15-20 tires each day on one charge if not more.

The gun has some power lol, I hurt my hand today holding a wrench to loose and it yanked the wrench out of my hand when i loosened a bolt.

[slightlybent47]

Oh and I do use my nail gun quite a bit and the compressor keeps up with it just fine. I also have some brad nail guns as well. I also have a air rivet gun that works great, if you have ever had to put in a bunch of rivets with a old had rivet gun you know how much work those are.

You may be able to get a good deal on a compressor at a pawn shop plus any air tool made for way less then new. A compressor just sits in a corner and never get cleaned so most look kind of ruff but they still work great.


With one truck and 4 duel axel trailers, a tractor and 2 quads, a motorcycle, a lawn mower and 3 wheelbarrows, 2 dollies and several carts. A compressor is mandatory for me. lol

I have more tires around here then i tought.