Cordless vs pneumatic tools?

[drummerdimitri]

I need a few tools for my shop and I know that I would much rather get cordless tools vs. corded ones as from experience, the later is always a pain in the rear to store back in its place as the cord always drags on the floor, accumulating metal dust and chards and is in constant need of cleaning.

That being said however, since I do have access to a vast amount of compressed air, I was thinking maybe pneumatic tools were the way to go as they are often cheaper to purchase compared to corded let alone cordless tools and their chargers/batteries.

I like the size and weight as they are mostly much more compact and built like a tank (full metal body). The fact that the air hose can be attached and detached so easily is also a huge plus and at least only one hose needs to be cleaned off every so often.

Looking to get a die grinder, a cut off tool, orbital sander etc. so should I go for the pneumatic or cordless models?

What are the pros and cons of each and is there a general philosophy on when to chose the method of power delivery?

Or are there tools that should only be bought in pneumatic or cordless variants?

 

[KWtech90]

For the high power consumption tools you mentioned I would definitely stick with pneumatic tools. Cordless tools are fine for intermittent use tools like drills, impacts, saws, etc, however when using grinders and sanders you will go through batteries in a hurry.

 

[drummerdimitri]

For the high power consumption tools you mentioned I would definitely stick with pneumatic tools. Cordless tools are fine for intermittent use tools like drills, impacts, saws, etc, however when using grinders and sanders you will go through batteries in a hurry.

I understand your point from a power supply perspective but surely it would be very inefficient to cycle a 10 HP screw compressor to use a 0.33 HP die grinder if at that moment, nothing else is drawing air am I right?

 

[Wrench97]

Battery powered tools are expensive to buy, batteries are expensive to replace, they have come a long way in power and can be equal to many pneumatic tools in short bursts, they are great for portability, field use, road calls ect. But air when available still rules in my book for speed, cost, staying power.

 

[Davefr]

Looking to get a die grinder, a cut off tool, orbital sander etc. so should I go for the pneumatic or cordless models?

Opinions will vary, but I absolutely hate using a pneumatic sander. You have a big stiff air hose that hinders maneuverability and these things are huge air hogs. My little 5" Sioux DA consumes >15 CFM which runs my noisy 5 HP compressor continuously. So compared to a simple corded electric sander, it's less ergonomic to use, requires >5 HP to run and is deafening. (all at high duty cycles). No thanks!!

I think there's a place for corded, cordless and pneumatic depending on the tool and task.

 

[CS454]

If you have access to good shop air it's hard to beat IMO.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you have access to good shop air it's hard to beat IMO.

Concur !
Sanders and grinders consume batteries fairly quickly. You had better have a couple of spares.

For tools that get used hard, day and day out, likes impacts, they can be rebuilt. Electric can not.

There is nor electric equivalent of a good air hammer !

 

[rlitman]

Opinions will vary, but I absolutely hate using a pneumatic sander. You have a big stiff air hose that hinders maneuverability and these things are huge air hogs. My little 5" Sioux DA consumes >15 CFM which runs my noisy 5 HP compressor continuously. So compared to a simple corded electric sander, it's less ergonomic to use, requires >5 HP to run and is deafening. (all at high duty cycles). No thanks!!

I think there's a place for corded, cordless and pneumatic depending on the tool and task.

And I hate using electric sanders. Huge motor under my palm that I have to muscle around, and hardly enough power or speed. Plus electric sanders sit way higher, making my hand work harder at keeping it flat, and then there's the fact that electric sanders get warm, whereas air sanders get cooler as you use them

Yes, my 6" Dynabrade is an air hog. But my compressor is quiet enough (or to put it better, well placed so the noise isn't a bother), and has no trouble keeping up.

As for the hose, I have a swivel with a lightweight whip on my sanders that I tie to my vacuum hose. The dust collection is hose WAY more restrictive than any air hose.

 

[Monte]

And I hate using electric sanders. Huge motor under my palm that I have to muscle around, and hardly enough power or speed. Plus electric sanders sit way higher, making my hand work harder at keeping it flat, and then there's the fact that electric sanders get warm, whereas air sanders get cooler as you use them

Yes, my 6" Dynabrade is an air hog. But my compressor is quiet enough (or to put it better, well placed so the noise isn't a bother), and has no trouble keeping up.

As for the hose, I have a swivel with a lightweight whip on my sanders that I tie to my vacuum hose. The dust collection is hose WAY more restrictive than any air hose.

 

[Don1357]

I understand your point from a power supply perspective but surely it would be very inefficient to cycle a 10 HP screw compressor to use a 0.33 HP die grinder if at that moment, nothing else is drawing air am I right?

Not necessarily so.

I have killed quite a few cordless drills, that would have paid for a whole lot of electricity for running the compressor. The last one is on its last leg when I was using it to drill holes on studs to run my electrical; my big electric drill would not fit between studs. It was painfully slow going and because the temperature was in the high 10's I had to keep remembering to put the battery on my pocket or it would drain in a hurry. With enough air a pneumatic drill would fit just about anywhere, it has power to spare, and bogging it down will not kill the motor which is ridiculously easy to do to a high torque battery drill.

Bottom line air tools if you keep them clean and oiled there is no motor to die on you.

 

[drummerdimitri]

I think this thread was pretty conclusive.

Air tools it is!

 

[itwnexus]

If you are a diyer go cordless. Why deal with an air line, loud compressor, pneumatic sounds? In addition compressors take up valuable space in the garage.

Maintaining your compressor requires oiling, draining the air tank, keeping everything free of moisture, and making sure the tank still holds air properly. Years after your purchase, it will need a new tank.

 

[richfinn]

Air tools generally last 25 years (with care)

Cordless tools maybe 5 before they quit or become obsolete

Watch Indycar or F1 pit stops, they aren't fooling with no battery tools

 

[Skin]

To me, this question should always be dictated by whether you have ready access to an air line. I like my pneumatics a lot but am also quite pleased with my smaller cordless stuff in things like compact impacts and ratchets. For commonly used tools its nice to just grab it and use it and not having to constantly switch the fitting around. Cordless also has the advantage for quick tasks like removing tires since you're not charging a compressor and unraveling an air line for a handful of fasteners. For a full sized impacts and other tools like die grinders, sanders, air hammer, blow gun, tire inflation etc.. cordless is either not ideal (less power for its weight, poor run time, more fragility etc..) or doesnt have a competent replacement.

 

[Rinspeed]

Air tools generally last 25 years (with care)

Cordless tools maybe 5 before they quit or become obsolete

Watch Indycar or F1 pit stops, they aren't fooling with no battery tools

Great post that I've made several times myself. My IR die grinder is 10 or 12 years old. I've thrown out two or three battery operated tools in that same time frame.

 

[vanapplebomb]

I understand your point from a power supply perspective but surely it would be very inefficient to cycle a 10 HP screw compressor to use a 0.33 HP die grinder if at that moment, nothing else is drawing air am I right?

With pneumatic tools, it’s not about energy efficiency. It’s about productivity, operator comfort / muscle fatigue, and reliability.

 

[Don1357]

If you are a diyer go cordless. Why deal with an air line, loud compressor, pneumatic sounds? In addition compressors take up valuable space in the garage.

Maintaining your compressor requires oiling, draining the air tank, keeping everything free of moisture, and making sure the tank still holds air properly. Years after your purchase, it will need a new tank.

If you don't have an specific use for air it is probably not worth the hassle and you are better off with battery tools. The problem is that most of what you say doesn't jive with what most compressor owners experience.

My 60 gallon tank is under the stairs, it is taking space that would other wise be use for what; storage of ****? It is actually not that loud at all and behind insulation even less so. Hoses? You mean the retractable hoses on opposite walls that I pull as much or as little as I need? Oil changes? Drain, fill, done, from the standing position an at eye level. Making sure the tank holds air? Heck even easier, you don't have to even check for that. Either it holds pressure or it doesn't. Needing a new tank? Who told you that? There are 40 year old tanks that are still working just fine.

I love my compressor for running my sand blaster, cleaning the shop, and spraying paint. Everything else is a bonus.

 

[demarpaint]

I have both and prefer air tools unless I'm on the road or working somewhere where an air tool is not an option.

 

[SeisMec]

... the cord always drags on the floor, accumulating metal dust and chards and is in constant need of cleaning.

That being said however, since I do have access to a vast amount of compressed air

Overhead reel.

Also, air tools are generally much easier to use with swivel at the inlet and a whip hose.

 

[drummerdimitri]

Overhead reel.

Also, air tools are generally much easier to use with swivel at the inlet and a whip hose.

I'm not familiar with those, could you please elaborate?

 

[Wrench97]

I'm not familiar with those, could you please elaborate?

See > https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003V5CCVG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

The short end in the picture is a ball joint that swivels.
This but one example I tend to use the double swivels with a 3' long lighter hose.> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9XILNS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[drummerdimitri]

See > https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003V5CCVG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

The short end in the picture is a ball joint that swivels.
This but one example I tend to use the double swivels with a 3' long lighter hose.> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9XILNS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Makes sense to relieve the sensation of wrestling the hold around and in turn reduces operator fatigue.

 

[setfocus]

See > https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003V5CCVG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

The short end in the picture is a ball joint that swivels.
This but one example I tend to use the double swivels with a 3' long lighter hose.> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9XILNS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Makes sense to relieve the sensation of wrestling the hold around and in turn reduces operator fatigue.

I've got the 6' flexzilla whip at work. The hose in the pull down reels at work have some pretty heavy/thick/stiff air line in them, the lightweight whip makes a big difference

the ball swivels on the flexzilla seem to wear out pretty quick with heavy use, mine leaks if not positioned straight and it's probably about a year old

 

[drummerdimitri]

I've got the 6' flexzilla whip at work. The hose in the pull down reels at work have some pretty heavy/thick/stiff air line in them, the lightweight whip makes a big difference

the ball swivels on the flexzilla seem to wear out pretty quick with heavy use, mine leaks if not positioned straight and it's probably about a year old

So let me see if I understand the setup correctly:

I get myself a retractable hose reel, attach a quick connect coupler the end of it, get myself a whip hose and attach the respective quick connect fitting and then permanently attach the other end of the hose to the pneumatic tool?

So basically I will have to have a whip hose with a swivel joint connected to each of my air tools right? As I don't see how one might use just one whip hose and have a quick connect coupler at the swivel joint

 

[richfinn]

So let me see if I understand the setup correctly:

I get myself a retractable hose reel, attach a quick connect coupler the end of it, get myself a whip hose and attach the respective quick connect fitting and then permanently attach the other end of the hose to the pneumatic tool?

So basically I will have to have a whip hose with a swivel joint connected to each of my air tools right? As I don't see how one might use just one whip hose and have a quick connect coupler at the swivel joint

I only had a swivel connector on the tools I used in tight areas, impacts and ratchets

The other stuff I didn't bother

 

[setfocus]

You can do it either way. I have just the one whip hose threaded to the reel hose with the quick connect on the other end

I have seen people who have a whip hose threaded directly onto an air tool instead.

separate swivel adapters are normally threaded on the tool before the quick connect fitting

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you watch South Main Auto Channel on YouTube, you might have noticed that Eric O. has pretty much gone back to 100% pneumatic. The stuff he uses is well worn so it is not like he is getting free replacements.

 

[rlitman]

If you watch South Main Auto Channel on YouTube, you might have noticed that Eric O. has pretty much gone back to 100% pneumatic. The stuff he uses is well worn so it is not like he is getting free replacements.

We all have our reasons for making our choice. I'm mostly pneumatic, and it works for me, but following my lead is a path that may lead to misery, which is why I prefer to present the pros and cons as I see them, rather than just my decision.

Anyway, as I see it, asking "cordless vs pneumatic" is like asking "boxers or briefs".

 

[dswensen]

Are there certain types of air hoses that you recommend that would remain flexible even in colder conditions?

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I use mostly cordless but I still use air quite a bit

 

[Wrench97]

Are there certain types of air hoses that you recommend that would remain flexible even in colder conditions?

I like Parker Push Loc hose and fittings, the hose holds up very well, no clamps needed to hold the ends on and it's easy to repair.
Most truck shops require you to have leader hoses on your air tools to save the hose on the reels the last 6" is the part that wears the fastest, and repairing incorrectly with hose clamps is a OSHA problem.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Are there certain types of air hoses that you recommend that would remain flexible even in colder conditions?

100% rubber or Flexzilla

 

[The Fall]

Air will always be king. I'm one of the "younger guys" too.

NEVERTHELESS, cordless tools have advantages and they can/should happily coexist alongside pneumatic tools. Y'know where I really like cordless? Impact wrenches. Super handy when you need to work in the parking lot. They've got all the torque you're gonna need nowadays.

I had to wire wheel a bunch of window garnish on the '56 Chevy I'm working on for my dad. I used cordless drills at home to finish up what the bench grinder didn't get. Depleting batteries gets old. You'd want to go pneumatic on sanders and die and angle grinders.

 

[BBE]

agreed with the above. Air will always be king, but it's not always practical for everyone. Milwaukee is what we use everywhere for cordless

 

[gahrajmahal]

Bought one of these to use this year when painting our MGB. It is super light, runs quiet and barely uses air. I use it now for wood working stuff too instead of my Bosch electric palm sander.



https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-professional-orbital-composite-sander-64416.html

 

[jsaw]

I have a couple cordless impacts, but mostly I use the pneumatic ones.
My 1/4 "air impact will remove fasteners that the 3/8 cordless will not touch. The cordless impact is a lot bigger than the pneumatic impact.

 

[drummerdimitri]

So I've been shopping for air tools online and would like to know why one of these two angle die grinders costs twice as much as the other while the specs are pretty much identical:

https://www.intlairtool.com/ingerso...er-40-hp-20-000-rpm-1-4-collet-front-exhaust/

https://www.intlairtool.com/ingerso...der-40-hp-20-000-rpm-1-4-collet-rear-exhaust/

I'm guessing the latter is the Chinese variant and the former is the made in USA model am I correct?

Which one of these should I go for in that case?

 

[vanapplebomb]

Price difference isn’t country of origin. It is based on use. The pricy one is for production use. It has add on options such as ducted exhaust, etc. The less expensive one is for industrial use.

Both of these are far above a DIY guy. They are both serious serious heavy heavy duty use.

 

[drummerdimitri]

Price difference isn’t country of origin. It is based on use. The pricy one is for production use. It has add on options such as ducted exhaust, etc. The less expensive one is for industrial use.

Both of these are far above a DIY guy. They are both serious serious heavy heavy duty use.

So for a metal fabrication shop, would the cheaper alternative be good enough or am I better off going for the higher end model?

At the end of the day, if one tool is going to last me 20 years instead of 10, that tool is the one I would purchase. Otherwise I don't see the point in spending more for a tool of similar features/specs.

 

[vanapplebomb]

I would think you would be just fine with the cheaper one. Should hold up to daily use just fine as long as you keep the motor oiled and the gear box greased.