Are air tools obsolete?

[Mr_B]

first 3 jobs today involve smoke machine and leak down test, no other options available lol .
In shop environment air can not be replaced fully, even common tools like impact hard to beat for durability, cost, power to size/weight etc .
I'm amazed milwuakee not made a battery air hammer equivalent !
Battery tools are useful, love them out in yard, down pull-a-part and great in construction .

 

[FuzzyTiger]

They are tools. Each has its place. Power tools didn't make hand tools obsolete, and neither did ratchets make wrenches obsolete.

I think the question shouldn't be whether you need compressed air at all, its about how much you need and how much you should invest into your setup.

If you have the money for a larger compressor and you're interested in things like sand blasting or spray painting then I think there's really no way to get around a bigger compressor but maybe you can get away with just running lines to the sandblasting cabinet and using a long hose reel for the rest. If you're not going to be using things that need a lot of air then a smaller compressor on wheels that can be dragged around as needed will probably be good enough.

But ultimately I think every shop will need air at some point. Even if its just a tiny $100 pancake compressor.

 

[RedF]

Air tools are dead, just like corded tools are dead (they're not, even if you don't use them). Everything has its place; go into a welding shop and see how many corded grinders are in use, every welder has three corded grinders beside them while they work.

You'll have to have air for some things, but you don't have to have cordless for anything. Choose what works for you.

 

[malibu101]

As was said, for some things air is a must.
I recently got an Astro Pneumatic 4980 "Big Nasty" air hammer. Where has this been all my life!
Ain't no cordless model for a tool like this.

 

[gtae07]

Try building a aircraft without the steady supply of compress air. Almost all drilling is done by compress air. Installing rivets, Hi-locks, Huck bolts are all done using various air hammers, air powered rivet guns and such. It has been done this way since prior to WW II and still to this day. Battery powered tools are making in roads installing the interior components but still if you are on the flight line you cannot use a battery powered tool on a aircraft unless it is explosion proof and by the time you get the battery tool it is already done by dragging a airline out to the plane and installing it with a air powered tool.

Yeah, we (aircraft OEM) are still using plenty of air tools in production and maintenance.

At home, I have yet to find a battery-powered rivet gun—I just use the one we built his airplane with 20 years ago, and which he picked up used back then. And the angle die grinder (for scotchbrite pads) runs off air, too. But mostly, I use a cordless drill. Yeah, the air drill runs faster and is lighter, but it’s LOUD and I have to run the (loud) compressor all the time. I don’t think I’ve used my air drill in a few years. The cordless is just easier, at the scale I’m working in, even when I need to use a right angle drill. I just got an adapter and it meets my at-home needs.