Air Tools Vs. Electric

[GoodoleBoy]

Any advantages of having air tools over electric say with drills and grinders?

 

[REAL HOT SCHITT]

Air...if you want to breath in oil vapor which caues certain cancers?, its bad enuff with grinding discs causing possible lung probs due to fibre glass reinforcining mesh blowen over air that we breathe.

 

[ddawg16]

Depends on how much you use it.....small jobs, electric is ok....

For continuous use....air.....as well as power....you will be hard pressed to find an electric tool...such as an impact wrench that will stand up as long as an electic one...much less have the same power.

Additionally....air hoses are much easier to maintain and tollerate the abuse a cord gets on the floor.

 

[yhprum]

I have both, but think electric is better unless it is used 8 hours a day. It seems a bit of a waste to use 5 horsepower motor on the compressor to run a grinder or drill. That and the noise of the running compressor.

 

[SledgeFix]

I recently moved over to air, I just use the portable compressor for most work so the compressor noise isn't an issue (some air tools can be loud though), and the electric bill doesn't change just because you went from an electric drill motor to an electric compressor motor, you're still turning the same drill bit, energy in, energy out. If anything, a compressor is a more efficient way to store energy, but in the real world the difference is negligible. I find that the tools themselves are smaller and lighter, and I prefer the steel construction to the plastic of electric tools. The air tools fit all in one roll cab drawer while the cases for the electric tools took up an entire shelf of the same footprint.

Electric tools are convenient, you have to consider whether you can just run an air line from the garage into the house if you needed to, or if you don't mind putting the portable compressor in the truck to do something at a friend's house.

As for carcinogenic air tool oil, if you're doing any work with power tools at all, you've already breathed in, processed out, and been cut worse than any oil could harm you. There is a reason mechanics wear rubber gloves and body men wear paper masks for sanding and solvent filters for painting, use your head, but know that we'd never get anything done if we completely protected ourselves from all the chemicals we need to work with. Grease is a badge of honor! And it gets the women all uppity.

 

[crewchief888]

when i have an abundant air supply, i use air

when i dont, i use electric.

i keep the majority of my air tools in my service truck, most of my electric tools are in the garage.

 

[reinhardt]

i feel air tools are safer than electric. when an electric drill catches, you go for a ride. when a air drill catches, it may jerk a little but stalls. same goes for grinders. not to mention, i've never had a air tool shock me. and i echo the lighter, more rugged too.

ben

 

[Steve from Socal]

Air tools are often used on jobs where electrical safety is a concern; battery powered tools have replaced air tools in some of these applications. Air tools are also much lighter weight and smaller for similar power vs electric tools. There are some places where an air tool will fit and an electric tool won't.

I have and use both however; as somebody earlier noted it is more efficient to use electric tools when you can. For nut turning I prefer air tools, for drilling and grinding I prefer electric.

Steve

 

[voetsek]

Heat $$ and power. You can usually get more power out of a tool of the same size and run the tool for much longer because it doesn't heat up.

Think sander/grinder or impact wrench.

 

[djd99]

There's only 3 electric tools I use over air, Drill,grinder, polisher other than that I use air ratchets or impacts.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I think it all depends on what the job is. Sometimes air works better, other times, an electric does the trick. Alot of times, a battery tool is the option when you have no close air or electric.

 

[yhprum]

I knew it was not efficient use of energy to use air instead of electric but not just how bad. It cuts it by half at least.
http://www.tech.plym.ac.uk/sme/THER205-web/enrgyeff.pdf

 

[Bookworm]

If you need torque, go with the electric tools. If you need RPM's (like a drill, grinder, cutter) use air power.
I use electric (battery) drills, and air ratchet/impact tools.

 

[Vicegrip]

Electric for everything but the big impact gun and air ratchet. Small impact is battery, no cords or hose hanging over the side of the car or to trip on. Way less maintenance on an electric tool and can be used in more places. No wear and tear on a compre$$or when you use electric tools over air. Less power cost considering the compressor has to turn electricity into compressed air and then compressed air into rotating force which is what you just did in the first place. Skip the energy loss and turn electricity into the tool's rotating energy directly. Air sanders and polishers as example are compressor pigs. 5 hp motor to drive the equivalent of a 1100 watt tool? Cords are less stiff and obtrusive than air hoses. cheaper and longer lasting too. I have at least 8 angle grinders each loaded with a different grit or type of wheel or brush. During a project 5 or so might be plugged in hanging on the grinder rack and at the ready.

Electric drills are way stronger for the $ than air drills and far less noise. High RPM drills burn bits anyway.

Don't have an electric media blast cabinet yet.

 

[Ign]

From time to time I get in the habit of using mostly air tools and I love it.

I only return to electric because it is overall more convenient.

Just some of the advantages of air tools, some of which have already been noted:
-last longer under continuous use
-really don't overheat, but can freeze up
-don't care how many times you stall them
-will just blow off if stalled rather than break your wrist
-more compact
-fewer internal parts and generally easier to service

Go stall your electric drill 10 times in a row, each time holding the trigger for 10 seconds once it's stalled. Then come back and post up how sore you are and how much magic smoke the drill released.

Once I get used to my 4" Aircat grinder all my 4.5" electric angle grinders seem HUGE.

 

[KenS]

Electric for everything but the big impact gun and air ratchet... I have at least 8 angle grinders each loaded with a different grit or type of wheel or brush.

I sure would miss my air angle die grinders with Rolocs and my air cutoff tools.

 

[kwb]

For small work or quick speed controls - air.
For jobs that need power or sustained for long times - electric.

I like air tools in general but most of the time the 4" electric with a 24grit disc is better than an air grinder with 24 grit disc.

I really would like to find an electric DA that came close to my Dynabrade (knock-off) for quick/fine controls when you get to the edges.

Big bolts - air impact, most other battery impact.

 

[Vicegrip]

I sure would miss my air angle die grinders with Rolocs and my air cutoff tools.

This is the best part of home shops. No wrong answers!