best air wrench?

[simonb]

k, heres the question:
i need a good air ratchet
I like in NY (cold, rust, etc)
Biggest problem- noise- my ears cant handle them- very very sensitive
any good quiet ones you guys know of?

a few techs told me they are obsessed with ingersoll rand
i saw they have a quiet line which really interests me
i have been looking at the Ingersoll-Rand 1/2 in. Drive Titanium-Duty Air Impact Wrench model #2135QTiMAX
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915104000P?vName=Tools&cName=Mechanics+Tools&sName=Automotive+Air+Tools

also i need an air ratchet and i have been looking at the Ingersoll-Rand 3/8 in. Titanium-Duty Air Ratchet Wrench model #IR1225Ti
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00919692000P?vName=Tools&cName=Mechanics+Tools&sName=Automotive+Air+Tools

they both look like the top of the line things
i dont care about price because i know i will use these things more than any other tool i have, and dont mind spending on quality.

what you guys think of these titanium impact wrenches/ratchets?

thanks for the input

 

[Merkava_4]

Biggest problem- noise- my ears can't handle them- very very sensitive

Are you wearing any sound attenuation devices - ear plugs?

 

[simonb]

not yet because i am not in a shop yet- i am still in school for the next 2 months.
i need to buy a big case of those little plugs
but i know i will sometimes not wear them so i need these guns to be as quiet as possible because they will be the closest to my ears

 

[Merkava_4]

I wear these "Howard Leight Quiet" ear plugs. They're not the foam kind and so you don't have to roll them up before putting them in. They're like a soft silicone material and they're very comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

 

[gofastman]

k, heres the question:
i need a good air ratchet
I like in NY (cold, rust, etc)
Biggest problem- noise- my ears cant handle them- very very sensitive
any good quiet ones you guys know of?

a few techs told me they are obsessed with ingersoll rand
i saw they have a quiet line which really interests me
i have been looking at the Ingersoll-Rand 1/2 in. Drive Titanium-Duty Air Impact Wrench model #2135QTiMAX
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915104000P?vName=Tools&cName=Mechanics+Tools&sName=Automotive+Air+Tools

also i need an air ratchet and i have been looking at the Ingersoll-Rand 3/8 in. Titanium-Duty Air Ratchet Wrench model #IR1225Ti
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00919692000P?vName=Tools&cName=Mechanics+Tools&sName=Automotive+Air+Tools

they both look like the top of the line things
i dont care about price because i know i will use these things more than any other tool i have, and dont mind spending on quality.

what you guys think of these titanium impact wrenches/ratchets?

thanks for the input

I have the 2135QTiMAX and it is BY FAR the most powerful gun in the shop, its more powerfull than any 3/4 i have ever used, too. the trigger is amazing!
I also have a 2115QTi and i like it allot better than my bosses MG31.
just remember to maintain your tools properly as it greatly effects torque output in my experiance

 

[SteveU]

k, heres the question:
i need a good air ratchet
I like in NY (cold, rust, etc)
Biggest problem- noise- my ears cant handle them- very very sensitive
any good quiet ones you guys know of?

a few techs told me they are obsessed with ingersoll rand
i saw they have a quiet line which really interests me
i have been looking at the Ingersoll-Rand 1/2 in. Drive Titanium-Duty Air Impact Wrench model #2135QTiMAX
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...me=Mechanics+Tools&sName=Automotive+Air+Tools

also i need an air ratchet and i have been looking at the Ingersoll-Rand 3/8 in. Titanium-Duty Air Ratchet Wrench model #IR1225Ti
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...me=Mechanics+Tools&sName=Automotive+Air+Tools

Look at the Aircat air ratchets, they are quiet and have good power. I have both the 1/4" & 3/8" ratchets from aircat and another 3/8" I got from eaton compressor. My youngest daughter will stay around while I run the aircats but will take off running to the house if I use the other one because its so loud. I would say the aircats are a little louder than a 3/8" corded electric drill but not by much.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

I love my Mac High Torque 3/8" drive air ratchet. I'd buy another one if mine broke tomorrow. It is rather quiet, spins slow and has a ton of torque.

Adam

 

[JeepsAreBuilt]

Hold on that thought about that 3/8 air ratchet. That is a 1/4" rated(power wise) with a 3/8" drive. Look at air ratchet specs and compare before buying. Alot of bigger 3/8" ratchets have slow RPM's, and that just plain annoying. IR's fastest air ratchet is also their most powerful, and my favorite.. the 109XP.. 3/8" dr 300 rpms(twice as fast as some ratchets) and 70ft lbs.. 106.6dBA

Here's a good page on IR ratchets: http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/MAN31_TTW270.html

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

Are you certain? I'll have to take a picture of my big, black Mac Air ratchet and then show it to you. This is a monster!! Lemme see if I can find any markings on it...

Model AR 1776

Adam

 

[speed bump]

Hold on that thought about that 3/8 air ratchet. That is a 1/4" rated(power wise) with a 3/8" drive. Look at air ratchet specs and compare before buying. Alot of bigger 3/8" ratchets have slow RPM's, and that just plain annoying. IR's fastest air ratchet is also their most powerful, and my favorite.. the 109XP.. 3/8" dr 300 rpms(twice as fast as some ratchets) and 70ft lbs.. 106.6dBA

Here's a good page on IR ratchets: http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/MAN31_TTW270.html

106.6 dBA if I had one of those I wouldn't ever use it becuase its so loud. My biggest complaint with air ratchets is that most of them are to loud so my next one is going to be one of the nitro cats thats only 79dBA.

 

[Danglerb]

Looking for a quiet air impact is the wrong way to go, too many sources of dangerously loud stuff in a shop, better to find some hearing protection you can wear all the time. I used to carry a pair of these with me all the time. They block loud sounds really well, but don't cause problems with normal conversations by using some kind of chamber or valve.

North Sonic II Hearing Protectors

 

[simonb]

yea, i like the howard leights that were mentioned before, i just ordered a case from cooper safety- thanks for the advice on that

i am still undecided on the wrench and ratchet
see, i know it is not good to look at noise as the primary thing- but i came to the conclusion- there is only about a 150 difference between the quiet and regular one
this is a tool i will hopefully use for years to come, so investing in it now is financially worth it for me personally.

the 2135qtimax is from the research i have done the strongest of all the guns out there
i am starting to wonder whether i will ever need something that strong and i am leaning towards the 2131qti which is very quiet and has only 600 ft/lbs of torque as opposed to the other one that has 780.

the ratchet concerns me, i am trying to do as much research i can of that, but i cant find any sound specs on those
that is something i use right now a lot and i hate the snap on one, it is really really loud; so i will look into the one that someone mentioned here of the 79db

thanks people

 

[gofastman]

Looking for a quiet air impact is the wrong way to go, too many sources of dangerously loud stuff in a shop, better to find some hearing protection you can wear all the time. I used to carry a pair of these with me all the time. They block loud sounds really well, but don't cause problems with normal conversations by using some kind of chamber or valve.

North Sonic II Hearing Protectors

I agree to a point, I love my tools QUIET, but hearing damage will occur in an auto shop enviroment without earplugs IMO theres no way around it.
if you want a really quiet impact(or ratchet) look at Aircat tools, they dont have the same power output as the IR's but its more than enough for all but the toughest fasteners, and there cheep!
keep in mind the socket banging on the fastener is what makes a large part of the noise, so any impact even an electric, has the potential to cause hearing damage.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Look at the Aircat air ratchets, they are quiet and have good power. I have both the 1/4" & 3/8" ratchets from aircat and another 3/8" I got from eaton compressor. My youngest daughter will stay around while I run the aircats but will take off running to the house if I use the other one because its so loud. I would say the aircats are a little louder than a 3/8" corded electric drill but not by much.

x2 on the aircats, I love them.

 

[tooldawg]

Andrew Markel, editor of Brake & Front End, just did a review of Chicago Pneumatic's CP7830Q 3/8" Inch Air Ratchet. He even included some video to show the sound levels. It may be a good option for you.

http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/...tic-cp-cp7830q-3-8-quot-inch-air-ratchet.aspx

 

[zuspiel]

I have an Aircat 3/8", as well. I can run that without waking up the whole neighborhood...

 

[Togorashi]

I'm thinking about picking up an Aircat ratchet.

What's the difference between these two?

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/acaacr802r.html

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/aca-acr802r.html

The specs look almost identical.

 

[eschoendorff]

As far as an impact wrench, I am VERY happy with my Snap On MG 725. It is remarkably powerful, and barely breaks a sweat, even on tough corroded fasteners (like the bolts that hold the bed onto the frame of my 1994 Chevy Silverado - that has 177,*** miles on it and spent most of its life on a dirt road). AND this is when the gun is run off a small 25 gallon Craftsman Professional compressor that provides 7cfm on a good day.

Definitely worth the $$$$.... especially since my dealer sold this to me at a discount. He buys them in bulk!

 

[Diesel-Mech]

Agreed, the MG725 is not the most ergonomic 1/2 I have ever owned or used but it is the most powerful with out a question.

 

[eschoendorff]

Agreed, the MG725 is not the most ergonomic 1/2 I have ever owned or used but it is the most powerful with out a question.

I knew it was powerful - but I was most impressed by just how powerful it was with such a limited air supply as I have. It does not take no for an answer and by little compressor barely kicks on when I use the thing....

Some damn good engineering there!

 

[Danglerb]

Maybe I am just too lazy, but anything a decent 3/8" drive impact won't take off makes me grumpy.

I don't usually wear hearing protection using the impact wrenches, just the air blow off when cleaning parts. The whistles you get blowing out holes are instant hearing damage.