I like your review.. But one bit of info.. The allen set screw (oil chamber clutch housing) which you removed for the clutch case is for the clutch housing lube.. This is separate from the oil symbol on the bottom handle.. This symbol is a reminder to oil the gun daily by putting a few drops of air tool oil into the air connection before use daily... The oil in the clutch case/ hammer case is a totally separate area and if you don't put oil in there before use after draining it the gun will wear prematurely and the gun will be ruined.. So be sure and fill the clutch case with the recommended amount of oil..
Jennifer Petrila I was told by a repair technician from aircat that all I needed was about 1 ounce of 5w30 motor oil, and to put it in the set screw. The tech even referenced the diagram he emailed me. I know their other guns use different lubes or oils. Like their 1150. It has the same specs as the 1200k but it uses lithium or bearing grease instead. I did however forget to mention in the video the air tool oil that goes in the air inlet before every use, just like every gun. If you look on the aircat website, @faq/ at number 3 it says what to do. I think the big difference in the lubes is whether it's a twin hammer or a twin clutch. According to Kelly Hahn's comments below, this tool had a lot of wear from the video. I have since replaced some parts on his advice and the tool feels much more powerful.Do you own the 1200K? How do you like it? Have you used other guns? How does it compare with other guns? This is really my first high torque gun. I've had other cheaper, weaker guns. Thanks for the tips. I don't know it all so I'm always happy when someone offers and shares their knowledge. :)
deadgodanubis I thought you did a great job on the video and it helped me decide to buy the new gun.. You did cover the oil and difference in the video, but then you put it all back together you wavered on where the oil was supposed to go.. time: 21:21 I have used many different guns over the years.. Snapon, IR, and in my own arsesnal I have used a 2131 IR.. Which has lasted some 20+ years of daily use... Not a single rebuild in that time frame but as of late is has shown it's age and in need of a rebuild.. I decided to buy new and bought a 1250K Nitrocat as a replacement it was a little less money than the IR 2235 which is hard to find in the market place as it's so new.. I like it so far. Have only had it about a week.. The 1250K works amazingly.. Lot less vibration in the hand in use vs the IR 2131.. Also seems to remove pretty much any bolt I show it to. I'll try to get back here after a few weeks use and post my findings.. Not to change the subject but also bought an IR 2015 and a 2025max hammerhead and is a great addition to the tool cart with the right angle head fits in the tight spots a little easier than a larger gun.. Again thanks for posting the video it is well done.. :)
Jennifer Petrila Great info. I have way less experience with air tools as I've only recently moved to a place where I finally have a garage where I can have a compressor and a bunch of tools and stuff. This gun was given to me by someone who seemed to use it a lot for his work, I don't know for how long. He knew I was looking to get one and he didn't want or need it anymore and gave it to me. I looked up IR guns and thought about those, but there are so many that I didn't know what direction to take.Looking at the website and the specs of the 1150, 1200 and 1250, they all seem similar so it seems you can't go wrong with any of them. From what I've read from forums they seem to be compared to IR guns at a fraction of the cost. If you have the time and interest, I would be interested to hear what you think about it after a couple of weeks of use. Maybe do a review or a tear down or a comparison to other guns. Something that you can share with not just me, but others as well. Thanks for sharing! :)
Nice informative video, just an FYI, the oil in the hammer chamber is completely separate from the few drops that you supposed to place in the input connector before each day of use. You must load your 1oz of 5w30 in the set screw (aka: Allen screw) hole srperately after a repair/rebuild or you will be running the hammer dry and probably ruin the tool.
Darnley Bynoe Thanks for the tip. I realized my error only after I uploaded the video. But yeah, you're supposed to use impact gun oil in the fitting to make sure you keep it working like a champ. I'm glad you somewhat liked it though. Thank you for the feedback.
I can't find the right parts for my 1200. Need the rebuild kit plus the spring. If anyone sees this and know where I can find. Please let me know. Thanks
Nice video, easy to watch and follow. I have a nitro 1100k and recently changed out my 1/4" npt fitting for a 3/8", hoping more flow would slightly increase efficiency and power. I feel like it has, but maybe it's my mind playing tricks on me. Any thoughts?
+Speedstack21 changing out the fitting helps. I use my gun with a small 33 gallon compressor, and i felt that it just doesn't put out enough air due to the small diameter piping. So I changed out the piping starting from the regulator from 1/4" to 3"8. I feel that it did help. So you're right. Increase the diameter of fittings and the air pipes, you do increase the air flow. That equals more power. So it's not just the gun, but the entire air system you're using from the compressor to the hose size and length to the gun. Glad you liked the video. :)
Great review. one small addition . the oil recommended for the case is 30 weight. Not 5w-30. their two totally different oils. Great job though, very descriptive. my kitty cat will destroy again!
great video, helped me so much, i blindly took my impact apart cuz it stopped working only when applying torque to something, and i lost the ball bearing and dont know where it goes. couldnt thank you enough for taking your time to do this.
Thanks , this very help full repairing My Mac 3/8 drive impact . It helped me on the hammer pins and Anvil part .. couple new parts and it up and running again .. Cost $8.39 ..
The blades just enter, there is no adjustment that I am aware of. They are made of plastic so they wear out with the use of the gun. If you buy a rebuild kit, you get new blades so those will be newer and thicker than old used ones. So it may be that your blades are a bit worn. I really couldn't tell you from memory if the blades in my gun fit snugly or are loose in the rotor. But it still works fine for what I use it. But of course, I use it every once in a while on my corolla and small pickup truck. So there aren't any bolts on either of my cars that are really super torqued. You could try to look for a rebuild kit, but only if you think that your gun may need it because it feels like it's lacking a bit of power.
What size compressor do you use? I have an aircat 1250k and a 30 gallon compressor with 5.3 scfm and only used my gun twice and it doesn't run strong at all. Any advice?
I have a craftsman 33 gallon compressor with a 6.4 scfm at 90psi. I know that i am not getting the full use out of my gun, due to the amount of air that my small compressor can push. We both need bigger, shop-size compressors. The compressors at shops are at least 60 gallons in order to supply enough air for all their needs. A bigger compressor for me would not be practical as I only use my gun every once in a while. One thing that I did was change the piping from the compressor's regulator. I noticed that it had 1/4 inch pipes that went from the regulator, to the air filter, to the fitting, and then to the hose and then to my gun. So I replaced as many things as I could from 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch, and I feel that it did help. The length and diameter of your hose also has to do with power. Try using the shortest hose you can, maybe 25ft and the biggest diameter of at least 3/8 inch. 1/4 inch diameter hose are too thin and restrict air. Also, try getting an air regulator with a gauge that connects in between the hose and your gun. That way you know exactly how much air pressure is getting from your compressor to your gun. I use my gun at 120 psi. I believe that's the max of your gun as well. It's all about thinking about what limits the amount of air that your compressor can push. Making the diameter of piping and the hose bigger is what I would do. But there is only so much air that our compressors can push, due to their size. I use my gun on my small cars and light truck, so I haven't encountered a situation where my 1200 k would fail me. If I owned a bigger truck or a car with really highly torqued nuts and bolts, I might have a problem, but it would be the compressor's fault, not the gun. Yikes, this was a long reply but I hope this helps you out!
+deadgodanubis Thanks for the reply. I did shortened my hose from 50 to 25 and I changed from regular fittings to hi-flow fittings still no change. Think I might have to try 1/2 hose next. Just cleaned my gun thanks to your video I was putting regular air tool oil in my gun. So now I'm running 5w-30 let's see if that helps a little. Once again thanks for the reply and great video.
Thanks for this video. Had my 1200k about 2 years now and use it daily. Recently it has lost power in the forward position and makes a different sound. I took it apart and found a warn anvil. I ordered the part and will be using this video for reassembly so thanks again!
Air Impact Wrench Guide Glad you got something out of it, even though I don't know as much as other people about impact guns. Still learning about them. But thanks for the comment. :)
How do you take out the air intake bushing? Its what actually stops the air from going thru until you press the trigger. Its like a round rubber washer in the handle itself.
Victor Chanes I have not taken those parts out of my gun yet. I think that the air inlet assembly threads out as when you put in a new air inlet, you use 2 wrenches. One to thread in the inlet and a bigger wrench to hold the part you're threading it into in place. And then it would be a matter of removing all the pieces inside like the O-rings and the bushings and replacing them if they need it. But, I'm not sure in this, as I have not done this on my gun as it doesn't leak any air yet. I would encourage you to contact Aircat customer support. Either email them or call them directly. They responded to my email very quickly and they were very helpful. I'm sure you would have the same experience. That way you get actual help with your question, which is help I can't really give you.
+Victor Chanes drive out the roll-pin in the lower handle then remove the air inlet assembly. there will be a valve that will fall out next. the "air bushing" can then be removed by using a hook tool similar to a cotter pin tool. justy pull straight down from the bottom of the tube. make sure the beveled end goes in first on the new one.
Thanks for this ! I bought a semi working Aircat 1150 from a coworker for cheap. The lever on the back for forward/reverse was all bound up. I cleaned everything in an ultrasonic cleaner and lubes everything. I think my steel ball has gone out of round and am going to try and purchase that. I may also replace that regulator assembly while im in there, because after much work it still wants to bind.
John W Powell Glad to know you got something out of the video. The 1150 is a great gun too, and if you got a good deal on it, then all the better. If you cleaned it all out and it still has issues, then I guess it's some part or several parts that needs to be replaced. But they are worth fixing as the 1150 and the 1200 are always compared with the more expensive ones. I don't find much negative feedback to these aircats. Where do you get your replacement parts? I bought from one before, but don't remember where that was.
