What Happened To Air Tools? 

Well that tells us all we need to know

😂

Probably shouldn’t have kept going with the compressed air zerbert technique....sorry girlfriend.

Haha.

Mines does too😑

I miss the sounds of my air compressor 😭😂

well then use both. sometimes cordless is enough and sometimes you have to use the extra power and smaller size of the airtools. and if you need some chearing up on a rainy day - use airtools:)

@@brianlopez8196 get a new one! an air compressor is a must have! if not for anything else, then for sound therapy:)

Old comment but this just happened to me, i let my friend borrow my electric impact and he had damaged my gun (no proof but no longer removes a single lug). So the positive with pneumatics will be that they cannot borrow my tools anymore

same here... air tools are so awesome looking... and sound is so addictive. BTW milwaukee angle die grinder =239$ Canada tool air die grinder = 49$ and it did clean engine head so fine.

It's why I keep pneumatic as a backup. Those electric tools have more points of failure be it the batteries or the motors or other parts. But air is pretty straight forward and they're cheap and readily available when they do fail.

how ive had my electric tools for years and they work fine? i like air more but just wondering how they failed what brand??

@@zachwolf239 The Car Care Nut channel talked about his tools. Says his electrics die once a year (or so). He works on cars for a living. He doesnt have a problem replacing them. Mostly Milwaukee. I guess the convenience outweighs the cost for him. I have both. Mostly use cordless. I just use my tools for DIY at the moment.

Swivel fittings are a god send.......

there you have it! sometimes a small change make all the difference. i just ordered 8pcs. knew they would matter a lot.

Or a cutoff wheel and angle grinder and many more that isnt available in electric

@@302diamondstate7 They do have electric angle grinders. I hear Dewalt Flexvolt angle grinders are actually usable compared to earlier electric angle grinders. I still wouldn't go cordless with that if you have a lot of angle grinding to do, like an industrial worker.

@you build it we destroy it I don't think cutoff wheels put as much strain on an angle grinder as much as grinding discs on hardened steel in some industrial applications but I've never had to use an angle grinder for long periods of time except when I had to remove the the rust and paint from long steel rails in parks before repainting them. This was years ago and we used DeWalt 4.0 batteries and they would last maybe 10-15 minutes of straight grinding.

@you build it we destroy it I know batteries have gotten better. At the time we switched over to a portable generator after running through batteries. Other people in the crew needed to use batteries too for other tools. This was around 2013. After I saw the Flexvolt system and the larger capacity batteries, I wish we had them back then. It was city work so budgets are an issue but don't get me started on that. It would have been great to use a paint removing gel but not so great for the environment and even when we put wet paint signs around benches adults would still move the cones and sit on them and wonder why. Then there are the kids...

1) www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_btf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A064442026PG7L7Q3UPM7&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FYescom-1800BPM-Electric-Demolition-Insulated%2Fdp%2FB01FJ5C2GK%2Fref%3Dsr_1_23_sspa%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1539640612%26sr%3D8-23-spons%26keywords%3Delectric%2Bhammer%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1539640612&id=6838103888594962&widgetName=sp_btf 2) www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_btf_aps_sr_pg1_2?ie=UTF8&adId=A0494632223UXHC5GKGMI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FXtremepowerUS-Electric-Demolition-Concrete-Breaker%2Fdp%2FB07BBYDRQW%2Fref%3Dsr_1_22_sspa%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1539640612%26sr%3D8-22-spons%26keywords%3Delectric%2Bhammer%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1539640612&id=6838103888594962&widgetName=sp_btf 3) www.amazon.com/Concrete-Jack-Hammer-Electric-Demolition/dp/B00Q1NJ6B4/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1539640612&sr=8-20&keywords=electric+hammer 4) www.amazon.com/XtremepowerUS-2200Watt-Electric-Demolition-Concrete/dp/B00IO3Z5MS/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1539640612&sr=8-11-spons&keywords=electric+hammer&psc=1

Haha for the record you can break handtools too

well i cant use handtools everywhere. the hard to reach places in my 7mgte motor can only be reached with a small 1/4" air impact ratchet. and taking the supra apart downnunder, is a lot easier with a special high torque air ratchet that can creep in everwhere. so, airtools has the advantage of small size and big power - way better than cordless in that aspect.

^This. All day long. New technology can be great. New meaning anything newer than hand tools. But never count out the old proven technology. this saying is used FAR too much, but in this case it's true with tools: There is strength in diversity.

Hand tools can strip bolts

@@MD-xl3ljso can air and electric tools, what’s your point?

Agreed but I will admit I've invested lots of money in them and only use them few times a month now. So for me it just dosent make sense to buy battery. I love that sound of pneumatics

CO2 cartridge power!

yeah, thats the way forward.. all the power but no PITA airline ... if only

CleanSC: Can’t beat airless cord tools.

Lmao. Nice.

BRILLIANT!

That's probably the last air tool that has no electric equivalent.

Exactly my point Dima!

It's a shame. I hate air tools, dirty inflexible hose in a tiny garage smacking my car's paint and getting in my way. Loud 15 gallon compressor that has to be charged and then emptied every time, so much noise in a condo complex. But I keep an air compressor around for the mighty hammer. And the occasional bolt that electrics just can't touch.

Battery SDS drill on hammer only mode. Not as compact as an air hammer though.

I hear that! Big Nasty, FTW!! 🤘

🤔

Cornwell makes a very good swivel! The Matco one is $35, cornwell is $20. Works almost perfect! I've got a good amount of them. Makes air tools so much smaller.

skodovkar Preach it. Lol

EBay is your friend..and Craigslist...1/4 hex impact 89 3/8 impact 90 and a half inch drive 220

Got a breaker bar and a pipe... So yeah, manpower!

Aka im poor.

@@1212goose - lol, yes. That's exactly what that means. It happens when you have a stroke and work deems you a burden on operations.

Yeah, although it makes me wonder when air tools get replaced in racing during pitstops.

The Homie Hektor not for a while on the wheels.. put crews already use them while rebuilding things in the pits, but as far as pit stops air will rule for a while. At least until battery operated tools have the same power for the same weight.

well thats reason enough. more happy equals better job done:)

that is true on most jobs, sometimes you need that air to really bust out a bad bolt! But man I tell you have a 3/8" craftsman electric impact and that took off a dang axle nut, while I had the car lifted up! Was very surprised that it did it!

My electric tools loosens nuts and bolts my collegues can’t with their air tools. 1200ft lbs torque you just wont get this with air.

That's great if you have that experience. Electric tools just let me down almost every time again. Of course if I go to a junkyard I take my cordless with me for small stuf it is fine.

Electric tools are great to have but the impacts are just not there yet for me. Also they cost a arm and your first born in comparison to a quality air impact.

That m18 impact blew the doors off my snap on mg725... Just saying

I agree - this marks the difference between either a professional mechanic, or financially well-off enthusiast, vs. the average joe who has to work on his own vehicles. The expense of each electric system, their batteries, and their shorter lifespans is just too much for many of us to invest in. Now... if harbor Freight would make many of the same electric tools with cords to plug into the wall, then they'd be cheaper - but a little less handy.

@@workingguy6666 you can get good air tools for a lot less. As a pro, I feel like the convenience of electric unaffordable. I have a couple electric for the small places, but beyond that electric tools would take away from my food and retirement. Every couple of years needing new ones? I don't think so. If I was paying for the electricity, I may have a different tune. Briansmobile1 said his electric bill went down by hundreds.

TrakSpock1 air tools last a good long time, true if maintained properly. How about compressors? Same thing, atleast with a really good care. Electric tools need zero maintenance. Plus during a power failure, your battery electric tools does still work, but your compressor usually doesn’t.

RestlessJack 00 "Electric tools need zero maintenance". That's the problem. Typical "one use" mindset. The same reason why serviceable parts are not used on vehicles anymore. Throw it away when it doesn't work. To hell with longevity.

I too find myself using electric more and more, I don't have that many, could use more, but just enough. I haven't used my 3/8" air ratchet in over two years. But you can't do without the power of air tools completely. I hope that when an electric impact can put out 900-1200 psi that we'll see air tool prices drop considerably. For us that already have an air system it will be great, I'll be able to buy more air tools.

Excellent points. Thanks for weighing in.

Industry is a way different horse than the pro-sumer field. We are talking $100-200 or so for a shop's tool versus a few grand for handheld industrial mining equipment. If my boss was paying for everything I wouldn't really mind having tools like that. Even a road-work/concrete pneumatic jackhammer will run you like 500 bucks USED, and that's not even that tough of an environment. It's not apples to apples here. It'd be like asking if you prefer electric cars or internal combustion engine cars and arguing that in the mines they run 50 ton diesel dump trucks and loaders and that's why your next car will be running on diesel too.

@@mikewalko536 : The tools utilized in mining workshops are freely available to civilian purchasers at slightly increased price differences, the average being 22% increase on RRP. This is a very small price to pay for tools that will outlast your career and follow you into retirement. And the tools supplied on Australian mines remain the property and responsibility of the user, as you are supplied with the required equipment to acheive your employment. Mines engage long term outlooks on purchases, engaging extensive testing to ensire reliability, performance, and maintenance. Anyone operating a business will share the same views and practises.

@@andrewhallett-patterson9778 Ah, that's a pretty remarkable system then! Seems very fair and rather reasonable. Here in the US you can't even buy half the stuff used in industrial applications because the manufacturers don't want to deal with selling to consumers and the niche market doesn't warrant having a product division for it. Just about nothing except what breaks (and even then!) is your own property.

@@mikewalko536 : In Australia, if you enter into an employment agreement, which is legally binding to both parties, your employer must supply you with the correct equipment and tooling to perform the requested work safely without causing injury. This includes all personal safety equipment. In my suituation, I regularly supervise and mentor new apprentices. Part of their 'kit' is a extensively equipped toolbox, which contains all the necessary tools for them to perform job requests. The toolbox expands as they are tasked with more complexed jobs, with no cost to them. A discharged apprentice, now a certified tradie, has a extensive and conclusive toolbox comprising of some 1300 pieces, from air tools to electrical scanners to specialized hand tools. This is their property for life. If they decide to continue employment at the mine, they are given a yearly budget of $1000AUD to purchase lost, damaged or updated tooling. If you exceed this total, purchases can be deducted from your monthly pay, with your permission. My onsite tools exceed 3800 peices spread over 8 double height boxes, but this is 25 years of employment !!!. This is the stated policies of my employer. Different employers may employ different workplace systems, but all must comply with federal goverment legislation. 👍👍

I have a Black & Decker Bull Dawg electric (corded) still works like snot except the cord has rotted in some places. it is more than 35 years old It was part of the B&D black Pro series that was discontinued when B&D bought Dewalt.I have owned many battery products and have found HD Ridgid to be tough and the warranty is great, break it and they fix or replace it. Drills and impact tools that can take a 10foot drop and still run and the warranty covers it. AND cheaper than the BIG brother Milwaukee Too big for close work but where space is not a problem great.

Air is more powerful, too. The guy in the stall next to me almost exclusively uses electric tools, and even though he says they're "just as tough", he constantly struggles with lug nuts on trucks and chassis bolts. Meanwhile, my nitrocat impacts can breeze through it all.

rockergod789 my electric impact makes 1200 ft/lbs if torque. Definitely enough to do someone’s lugs. Don’t buy shit tools

@@tr4nsg0th1ca I would have to disagree with your comment that air is more powerful. Maybe if he has some older or cheaper brands tools but the newest Milwaukee impact I'm pretty impressed with. I haven't ran into anything yet that has gave it much of a problem including a foot Class A motorhome lugnuts that it had been years since they were off.

Electric will never beat air in durability and power.

Same here.

Yeah, its exactly the opposite with me. If my IR air impact can't remove it, my IR 20v cordless impact will. But I still love using my air gun, if for nothing other than nostalgia. I've owned them so long......

I bought 3 tools that share the same battery. I'm only ever using one and the lithium ion charge quick as f***. If you do it professionally it's quicker to not have to fuck around and pay all the electricity to run a big conpressure. The money I save in power covers new batteries once every year or two. So far though my m18s. Have been going strong for almost 2 years

@@josephv5346 That is honestly a sad fact of current battery tech. I have used mine average 2-8 hours a day and all my batteries still run good. They are just starting not to last as long.

Open up the shop Keurig and I bet you’ll find mold. So “bad coffee” is alive and well.

Lol

Do you use a smart phone?.. do you own a computer?.. ur an idiot..stfu

Keurig +1

Keurig coffee is disgusting it tastes like coffee grounds it isn't filtered properly.

Mark Douglas I know, sir, but I consider it an acceptable mistake on a youtube comment made by a russian guy lol

@@yurik1994 lol 👍

@KT Tangos Spot on brother! I have the same impact wrench (love that front mounted LED halo ring), along with their 20v 5140 drill and the W5350 right angle impact wrench. I've resisted cordless for years, but after working with a friend's older IR 7150 as well as the Milwaukee 2767, I'm a believer.

And they only keep getting better every year. Every major tool company produces mainly battery-powered electric tools nowadays.

yep exactly

Batteries still have a long way to go...the problem with current electrics are those motors...check the cooling on most brands (even the good ones), it's shite especially for how fast they have to spin them to get any power (massive gear reduction)....they aren't your dad's electric tools...the main brands (Milwaukee and DeWalt are shadows of their former selves).

@@angusandleigh I'm not sure if other brands have it but Milwaukees have a built in protection that shuts the tool down to prevent overheating. I'm pretty hard on my tools and I never had it kick in on me.

Steve Packard They should move their air line to a pullout overhead line and get the benefits of air without the hose hassle. Air still kicks butt with minimal size and a relatively low price. The 3/8 inch lime green Flexilla hoses by Leggacy are an amazing advance in technology an user friendliness.

Technically you do run down the battery, it just recharges to usability in a minute or two haha

homegrownbuddy how about a 1000ft.lbs.

Just bring plenty of batteries!

@@TheOzthewiz Yeah that's what I thought until I actually brought my impact wrench to the salvage yard. One 5.0Ah battery was way more than enough for me, went home with more than 50% capacity left.

@William Parker Spot on brother!!

I've used a gas powered air compressor before.

I just stick with good old hand and if its stuck on there being an impact socket set

@Joe Black I have a really nice air gun. I was just wondering if the electric worked as well as the pneumatic. Because then I would buy the electric for my house.

I run heavy equipment and have an 18v Milwaukee 1/2 inch drive. The only thing it wont do so far is semi truck lugs. Make sure you have good impact sockets cause you will end up breaking cheap ones.

@@tylerenglish2326 Thanks I just have an 87 F250 4X4 460cid 5 speed with an 8 FT WESTERN PLOW. So I should be fine, thank you for the response.

@bill thompson I have an IR W7152 cordless 1/2" impact wrench. 1500 ft-lbs reverse, 1000 ft-lbs forward. It handles what my 1/2" IR air impact can't, and allows me to use it on the roadside or at the junk yard. I love both air and electric though.

Honestly, after I left the profession I bought a cordless 1/2 inch Ryobi and the big lithium batteries, it covers pretty much everything I do in my garage. I also don't have to wait for the compressor to fill up. If I'm ripping apart suspension components or something I'll fire up the compressor, but changing tires etc, the only reason I use air is to fill up the tires. Or if I need to use my die grinder.

dafirnz I’ll have to look into Ryobi.

Its no where near 30 years. Look up the number of charge cycles a lithium ion battery can take before its reached end of life. Shocking how fast they start declining, isn't it? Now price two because nobody wants to stand around while a single battery charges. Compare that against the price of a pneumatic tool. Were lithium ion batteries in use for tools ten years ago? Think they'll still be in 5 years? Tool manufacturers are in the business of selling tools. Plural. As many as they can, as fast as they can.

In a home use scenario you are unlikely to see a decline and in a professional scenario it saves enough time to cover the loss of battery performance. Ryobi has been using the same physical battery connection for about 20 years and DeWalt makes an adapter that plugs into their old tools so you can use modern slide-in batteries. A 30 year old air impact probably has as much power as a cheap cordless. Assuming you have an air compressor with enough jam to properly operate it.

lakorai2 Yeah but then you need an air compressor to run it that costs a decent amount to buy & uses a lot of electricity vs. charging battery packs.

Everything has a trade off. Both are worth it. But having air alone won't do.

Matt's Garage Well, if you gotta have an air compressor anyway for the tasks a cordless still can't perform, air tools are a good choice, especially for a DIY. (And even for a pro, how much does the juice cost to run even a thirsty air impact?) I can see why a pro would choose cordless tools over air, but I don't think cost would be a good reason on that list.

lakorai2 I have accumulated a rather large collection of quality air tools from techs who are switching to cordless. I can see why since cordless definitely has its advantages. I may invest in some cordless eventually but for a weekend warrior like me pneumatic is just fine.

until you need a compressor, then you might as well just buy a box of batteries

Me to...

100% agree.

except have a charge when you need it.

I think that is and excellent point. While not a huge issue, because I can have an extra battery or two,I think the biggest thing holding back battery powered tools the the lack of a universal battery. Every brand and sometimes multiple tools withing one brand take some kind of different battery. You never know when battery systems will change within a brand and you will be left with obsolete tools. Air is Air and it can be shared with any brand.

@@frugalprepper 👍👍👍 air + electric, a good combo

I've noticed specifically 1/2" and larger air impact wrenches tend to last 10 years or more while you only get a few years out of the cordless versions.

My impacts are over 15 years old and still going strong. I can rebuild it myself at minimal cost. They're also a Hell of a lot lighter than any electric equivalent.

And cost????? Airtools off hand cost way less. Set up with a good compressor (biggest initial cost) and lines and off you go.......10+ years no issues. Let's see a battery last that long

@@davidsparrow6247 You will pay more in the end try running them hours on end and see what happens

Excellent points!

In your opinion, they are. In reality, no difference in reliability or performance anymore. Well actually, electric has better performance in terms of things like impact guns. You can't get 1200 ft lbs of torque out of even the best pneumatic, but even an entry level electric can do that. About the only disadvantage to electrics is that batteries run out, but guess what? They make these things called 'chargers' that you place them on, and like magic, they're ready to go in an hour. Get out of the 1990s, a lot has changed in the last 30 years.

You are going to go broke for a couple $50 dollar batteries? Really lol

I completely agree.

Your wrong on the power I have a Harbor Freight 1/2 inch electric that I have accidentally broken grade 8 bolts with. I picked it up at a pawn shop for $100 and I have not used my air 1/2 inch since.

@@sccarguy8242 I hear the are very good sometimes, but it requires luck of the draw. I refer to electric impacts and Harbor Freight.

Xavier serrano Look how may he's going o have to replace. Those big impacts won't run on the $50 1.5 a/h. They require a minimum of 5 a/h.

I can see at home and shops pneumatic tools sticking around for a long time. Maybe not as much as it used to but still not completely gone. When "the end is neigh" so to speak though I think we actually might see the reverse. Professional shops moving completely to battery power. Why? Well once battery powered tools are stronger and more useful than pneumatics they are going to be fairly expensive, and only professional shops will be able to afford them and or take on that risk of early adoption. Yes some backyard mechanics and or the normal homeowner will buy some but not to the lengths professional shops will. At that point I see only shops that refuse to use anything but air to stick with it.

I don't think pneumatics will cease to exist in pro shops, but I think they'll be confined to the few uses where a cordless electric doesn't exist.

+Peter Mescher, What air tools are there that they do not have a cordless alternative?

q Larger impacts, air hammers (very common with suspension work in the "salt belt"), and pneumatic cyl. tools, such as tire mounting tools. And for carpenters, the selection of air nailers is slim.

Peter Mescher, larger impacts? How large? They already make some beastly impacts and 3/4 to 1" are probably around the corner. If you have worked with any dewalt flexvolt tools, and something like the DCF899 you can easily see that 3/4 to 1" impacts wouldn't be that hard to do. It's just a matter of is the market there for them? Air hammers there are sort of an equivalent with SDS on the smaller short throw side, but I can see long throw cordless hammer's coming at some point. It will take a little while to get up to par with the heavy hitters but with something like a flexvolt line it should be a bit easier. As for tire mounting tools? Those wouldn't be too hard to convert over, it's just a matter of if the market is there for them. Now as for air nailers? Other than a roofing nailer I can't see any instance where there isn't a cordless (battery) alternative, yes I am aware of the paslode roofing nailer. But again I can easily see a battery operated cordless nailer. I currently have a paslode framing nailer and I got a dewalt DCN692 as a backup and I have been using the dewalt pretty much solid since I got it. Put the paslode back in the case and that's where it has stayed. I may break it out if I ever get any really hard wood that I can't use the dewalt on. As for the rust I am very familiar. I work on older land cruisers (putting them back together or selling parts) like FJ40 series, HJ's etc. Removing bodies axles, etc can be quite a pain in the ass. In areas I can't reach with my cordless reciprocating saw (DCS367), I break out the CP7150, or possibly the cordless multi tool (DCS355) with a carbide blade, but I try to stay away from using it due to the cost of the blades. Way too high for too short of a life span but sometimes it's the only thing that will work. A note on the CP7150 that thing is pretty beastly. Upgraded from a husky and I can't imagine how a 717 would be. This thing is more than enough for my needs, if not just turn up the air pressure. The husky "worked" but it just took way too long.

Dont gotta buy a $2000 dollar air compresser or even snap on

A $200 dollar compresser and a $35 dollar impact air gun will do fine as long as it can take a nut off

@@AL-mm9mc i mean if you want that route about $80 for cordless impact and no need for compressor.

@@AL-mm9mc If you have a battery system for example from Milwaukee you only have to get the tool itself and you can take your impact every where if you need to

@@TheDenialist a compressor is a tool you must have even before looking for pneumatic tools 100lt at least it has 1 million uses

Jack Stowage yeah, my dad has a pneumatic impact wrench that recently stopped working after more than 20 years of use. I was bored one day, pulled her apart, and saw that she still looked perfect inside. Everything polished perfectly. The problem was some built up crud that go it in who knows how. Sprayed some wd-40 wiped it down put it back together and she’s ready for another 20 years of service. Hope I can pass it down to my kids one day

Not without a rebuild although I did get close to 30 years out of Snap On impact but it's in bad need of a rebuild now. Being I don't have access to a Snap On dealer and for the work I do now, I replaced it with an AIr Cat which I'm impressed with for substantially less than another Snap On would have cost me.

And by then it will almost be paid for lol

Jack Stowage, Wrong! I got about 25 years out of my Snap On 1/2 impact and the last 15 years was only occasional use, not daily. Yes I could get a rebuild kit and get some more use out of it but even then there is limited life on the hammers, the parts that impart the impact. Just like any mechanical device, when you have moving parts, you have wear. Like I've said earlier, they both have their pros and cons. Only an idiot proclaims one as clearly superior to the other.

My matco gun is from the 90s and it's just now starting to lose its power.

i would totally agree with you there

Agree. i still go for air tools due to cost. If electric tools get cheaper, might switch

If your an old timer already heavily invested in air I really don’t see a reason to switch to cordless. But modern cordless stuff especially from Milwaukee’s fuel line is not going to “burn up”. That may have been the case ten years ago but today you can beat the shit out of a tool and they’ll just keep smiling at you.

what do you mean "heavily invested" ?

I've never seen a decent compressor that cost only $500.

True, but with air tools you also have to consider the cost of the compressor, air hose, and fittings.