Best pneumatic 3/8” drill for $$

[Devinarends]

What is the best pneumatic 3/8” drill I can buy for my money? It would be used very moderately, once a month would be the most. Snap-On is in my blood and I will be the first one to jump on an affordable deal. However, I am a weekend warrior and can only get what is reasonable and affordable. I have seen deals on Ebay but am skeptical or the condition.

 

[t100]

paid $40 for a Snap On PDR3 last month on ebay, reversible with keyless chuck.

air drills and die grinders are air hogs, unless you've got a good compressor, cordless is the way to go for home users.

 

[Devinarends]

I have a good 26 gallon compressor that hasnt failed my paint gun, impact, or air chisel. I have a corded Snap-On 1/2 drill in the shop and a Crodless B&D in the house for honey do duties. I'd like to have something at my work bench that is light and convienent. Sounds like you got a deal, Im just worry about used air tools being worn out.

 

[purplezr2]

Souix

 

[crewchief888]

kinda depends on what you're gonna use it for....

1/8" holes in sheetmetal ?
3/8" hole in 1/2" plate ?

i've never used an air drill in the garage, and rarely at work.

i have an astro brand nonreversible i bought years ago, light and compact, it's great for small holes, but you cant hardly "feather" the trigger and runs way too fast for most drill sizes.

higher priced drills have better trigger control.

parts are available for most of the more expensive air tools, snap on has a flate rate repair program for air tools.

 

[Devinarends]

For the occasional 1/4 steel I will have the 1/2" Snappy or the Delta drill press. I guess I am looking for light drilling and driving screws into wood.

 

[jbighump]

fwiw i have a 3/8 craftsman that works great for occasional use and its quiet to boot,,,i believe it was 70 bux

 

[RivennHewn]

I bought a new 3/8" aircat for $60 on Ebay.

You have to watch a lot of auctions, but there are still good deals out there.

 

[shockwave]

I like the pdr3a with the keyless chuck or try the new PDr3000 (can be pricey thou)

 

[sparky7]

mac tools 3/8 made by florida pneumatic

 

[billymade]

I have PDR3A and PDR5A; drills can be found for good prices, not used as much as impacts and air ratchets. Be sure to get reversible; makes your life much easier when they jam, working with metal!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=snapon+air+drill&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

[d_rock]

Dont get matco's silver eagle drill. the chuck *****, you always hit the reverse when drilling with your left hand, and it runs way too fast.

 

[Monte]

 

[IHI]

I bought MAC when I ran an OTR truck repair shop, and bought coleman's to keep in the shed at home. I used the MAC's alot in the shop and to be honest, the air drills (both 3/8 and 1/2") rarely get used since my cordless stuff eats them up in both power and speed. When I started my business I brought all my shop tools home and even today, the air drills sit and cordless is the goto simply because of speed.

I bought the MAC since we ran everything off air at the shop, but if I was a typical weeekend warrior, I would never entertain the thought of owning air drills simply because they are easily out muscled by the cordless stuff. If I have big holes in thick material, just like all the heavy cutting with saws on my jobsites, the cordless stuff sits and I go straight to corded tools-they will never be outperformed by air or cordless

 

[pipsters]

For driving screws into wood? Why in the world would you want an air drill?

 

[IHI]

For driving screws into wood? Why in the world would you want an air drill?

Right out of high school I worked at Bertch Cabinets, obviously on our production line we used air drills for everything since it was easier/safer than running electrical drills for all day, 2-3 shift production on the line...but for home use, anything air drill would be the last thing I would buy and my other than my air ratchets/impacts, diegrinders, and once in a great while my air hammer....anything that drills/screws and runs off air has'nt seen the light of day in years and will probably forever stay nestled in the air tool drawer. I've never found a reason at home that made the drills running off air "a goto tool". It'd be like having 2 corvettes, one with an inline 4 and the other with a V8.....why would you ever voluntarily use the under powered version, other than to make you appreciate how powerful the other version is LOL.

You dont dare use them on unfinished wood projects for fear of a seal leaking and misting any sort of oil on a fine wood working project.

 

[southernstyle88]

i bought a kolbalt new for around $50 and have no complaints so far.. use it fairly often.. it will drill stainless and thats about the hardest thing i have to mess with..