I hate stupid loud air tools!

[chris142]

I needed a new 3/8ths air ratchet. I know that the HF ones are too loud so I bought a new IR SR10B. I figured that the $80 tool would be quieter than the $18 HF one.

Boy was I wrong! I used it today to remove 4 bolts this morning. My ears were ringing after this. Even my boss looked up from his desk to see what the racket was.

I removed my coupler, dug the box out of the trash, found the reciept and that sumbitch is getting returned tomorrow!

There has to be a way to have reasonable TQ from an air tool W/O too much noise. My other IR that this one was supposed to replace has plenty of power and a reasonable sound level.

 

[86k10]

I got a Aircat and it is fairly quiet and has decent power.

 

[Muffduster]

www.aircat.com

 

[DSLTRK]

I would think quieter air tools would lack a little power compared to the "loud" ones, but that's my op.

On the long jobs, I just wear those throw-away earplugs, no more issues.

I'd be interested in seeing (and hearing) a video of some quiet air tools.

Good luck

 

[LGMechanical]

Go electric I guess. IR has that electric ratchet, 70 lbs-ft I believe.

 

[Murphy4570]

Some tool makers make quiet versions of air tools. You probably bought the old beastly style air ratchet by mistake.

I have a Matco branded composite 3/8 air ratchet, made by IR, and it is a lot quieter than my old junk Craftsman one was.

 

[pipsters]

I have the Harbor Freight 1/4" Earthquake. Rated @ 79 db and I believe it. Nice and quiet.

I haven't tried an Aircat air ratchet but they are supposed to be quieter as well.

Grainger also sells mufflers you can put in your air tools. No idea if they do much or not. For $3 I might even try to quiet my ratchet down even more. I don't use an air ratchet for torque, I just break the nut with the ratchet (like a breaker bar) then zip it off.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/SPEEDAIRE-Exhaust-Muffler-1A326?Pid=search

I don't really know how that fits into the tool though.

 

[jrlp]

I bought a set of nice ear plugs. I've been through a few different brands / styles. I found a real nice set at Napa for around $10. So far I've really liked them, really saved the ears when I was hammering with an impact and hammer for what seemed like hours on a dodge diesel front end, replacing suspension links / track bar. And removing the upgraded parts from my wrecked truck.. It was for a buddy of mine, and speaking from experience the 3050 really rings the ears after a few seconds.

took a while to get the upgraded (3rd gen style) trackbar and bracket off my wrecked truck to put on his but everything was still straight. Getting it off was a pain, and those plugs made it bearable.

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=SASEP6M_0006418077

They're really comfortable as well, the neat part is they have 2 settings, open and closed. I run them in the open position most of the time, they're comfy enough to leave in for hours.

 

[JKady]

I would think quieter air tools would lack a little power compared to the "loud" ones, but that's my op.

On the long jobs, I just wear those throw-away earplugs, no more issues.

I'd be interested in seeing (and hearing) a video of some quiet air tools.

Good luck

Sound level has nothing to do with output power. Granted, put a muffler in a Snap-On impact and you completely neuter it, but that's because it's restrictive as hell. My NitroCat 1/2 gun is the one that gets borrowed in our shop when someone else can't do it with their mac/matco/snap-on, and it's also the quietest. Air ratchets seem to by their nature be loud tools, my IR 109xpa is a killer ratchet, but it is not fun to be in an enclosed space with, the reason the exhaust can be rotated becomes immediately apparent as soon as you hit the button.

 

[HubbaBubba]

I put my volume control to 11. That's my type of muffler.

 

[Bull]

I put my volume control to 11. That's my type of muffler.

Spinal Tap references are always welcome here!

I bought a nice, used IR air ratchet off of a member here. I enjoy using it. Maybe because I grew up listening to loud metal bands, a little ol' air ratchet isn't going to bother me any, even without ear plugs.

 

[jrlp]

Spinal Tap references are always welcome here!

I bought a nice, used IR air ratchet off of a member here. I enjoy using it. Maybe because I grew up listening to loud metal bands, a little ol' air ratchet isn't going to bother me any, even without ear plugs.

Unfortunately it's not about comfort. It's about long term damage... It just kind of creeps up on you, and by then it's too late.

 

[Bull]

Unfortunately it's not about comfort. It's about long term damage... It just kind of creeps up on you, and by then it's too late.

I can see this being a concern, especially if you are a pro. As a hobbyist, I don't run an air ratchet or any other air tool frequently enough to worry about hearing loss. Trucks and Harleys going by on my street every day are louder than these things!

 

[e30bradley]

Snap on makes an air rat with a switch to change between muffled and unmuffled. I think muffling it only makes you loose a few ft-lbs

 

[greasemonkey44]

i have a red HF; its quiet and pretty good
aircats are usually quiet too
the more basic and rugged the ratchet the louder

 

[JKady]

i have a red HF; its quiet and pretty good
aircats are usually quiet too
the more basic and rugged the ratchet the louder

I dunno about that, the Matco Pitbull and my 109XPA are both at the upper end of the ratchet market, both are pretty dang loud.

 

[Guns R Tools]

IR makes Quiet Tool in 1/2 impact. They might make ratchet with Quiet Tool.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

I don't pay for my tools at work, my co workers complain because I made sure to get the 2135timax and not the quiet version. I like the extra power, I would rather put ear plugs in over going to get a 3/4 impact.

 

[pendragon1998]

Hearing damage is cumulative. If your ears are ringing then you have done damage. I, for one, don't intend to be unable to hear my grandkids talking to me one day in the far future. I wear ear protection when working with loud equipment.

 

[ndoran]

I have the Harbor Freight 1/4" Earthquake. Rated @ 79 db and I believe it. Nice and quiet.

I haven't tried an Aircat air ratchet but they are supposed to be quieter as well.

Grainger also sells mufflers you can put in your air tools. No idea if they do much or not. For $3 I might even try to quiet my ratchet down even more. I don't use an air ratchet for torque, I just break the nut with the ratchet (like a breaker bar) then zip it off.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/SPEEDAIRE-Exhaust-Muffler-1A326?Pid=search

I don't really know how that fits into the tool though.

79dB is not quiet, that is on the edge of requiring ear protection anything over 80dB requires ear protection here.

 

[chris142]

I can't do ear plugs since I have to listen for the phone too

 

[OEXL16B]

^ You're gonna have to do ear plugs if you want to save your hearing. Look into the Howard Leight Quiet series earplugs. They don't cut all the sound out, just the high pitch that's harmful to your ears.

 

[zsuperbee]

noise canceling head phone that what I'm using when not hammering away you can hear fine

 

[Lotek]

I don't pay for my tools at work, my co workers complain because I made sure to get the 2135timax and not the quiet version. I like the extra power, I would rather put ear plugs in over going to get a 3/4 impact.

How considerate...

 

[Marlin]

I needed a new 3/8ths air ratchet. I know that the HF ones are too loud so I bought a new IR SR10B. I figured that the $80 tool would be quieter than the $18 HF one.

Boy was I wrong! I used it today to remove 4 bolts this morning. My ears were ringing after this. Even my boss looked up from his desk to see what the racket was.

I removed my coupler, dug the box out of the trash, found the reciept and that sumbitch is getting returned tomorrow!

There has to be a way to have reasonable TQ from an air tool W/O too much noise. My other IR that this one was supposed to replace has plenty of power and a reasonable sound level.

SR10B is not the model #, do you know what model you bought?

 

[bayoutoolguy]

friend of mine has a 3/8 drive IR titanium impact, cant stand to use it unless im wearing ear plugs.

 

[dsmnickk90]

So form what I read AIRCAT makes the best air ratchet. How does their impacts compare to IR? IR has the quiet tool titanium series now so as far as power and weight is concerned who makes the better impact IR or AIRCAT?

 

[Chadwilliam1]

How considerate...

Lol, we have a quiet version too. We use that most of the time.

 

[pipsters]

So form what I read AIRCAT makes the best air ratchet. How does their impacts compare to IR? IR has the quiet tool titanium series now so as far as power and weight is concerned who makes the better impact IR or AIRCAT?

I had a 2135qtimax and an Aircat 1100k. The Aircat was quite a bit stronger than the IR.

Returned both in favor of the Harbor Freight 1/2" Earthquake, it was equal in power to the Aircat and half as much. For someone who uses it daily though, the ergonomics weren't great. But I'm a home guy.

This test mimics my results as well:

IR 410 vs Nitrocat 1200k 568 = 38% stronger

 

[Dave.R]

I have the IR Quiet gun, and I love it. Freespin is about as loud as a 18v drill, but when it hammers you obviously hear it. But I've never had anything not come off, I only work on cars and trucks, nothing crazy heavy. But I'm in Michigan and anyone in a snow salt state knows how fun those bolts can be.

This is the one I have.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VZC9P8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I just use the 3942Ti for a while, and then virtually no other air tool bothers me.

 

[bsaint]

you should hate my aw434m. Its definitely on 11.

 

[redwrench60]

Then take some cotton from your ******* and put it in your ears.



Just kidding, I had to!

 

[chris142]

SR10B is not the model #, do you know what model you bought?

It said SR10B on the box and the tool. I assumed that was the part #. It also said "Edge". I returned it yesterday.

I can't do ear plugs since I also answer the phone, talk to customers etc at work.

It was this one. 1770g I guess.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ingersoll-R...260?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5891b26b5c

 

[osborn.ozzy]

you should hate my aw434m. Its definitely on 11.

I used to work next to guy that had one of those and all he did was did tires and oil so it ran ALOT that thing is so damn annoying.

 

[osborn.ozzy]

FWIW one of the guys I work with now has a 1/2" aircat (not sure of the model) but only thing you can hear is when the hammer hits, its really quiet.

 

[KinzeMech]

I don't pay for my tools at work, my co workers complain because I made sure to get the 2135timax and not the quiet version. I like the extra power, I would rather put ear plugs in over going to get a 3/4 impact.

timax is no more powerful that a Qtimax.

It's about perception. The fact that a Qtimax sounds like a dental drill (generally regarded as a weak sound) makes one predisposed to consider it a weaker tool.
I've run a timax side by side with my Qtimax. I've found no reason to believe one stronger than the other.

Even though I have one, I don't see the point of a quiet impact. The real noise isn't coming from the gun, it's from the metal you are hammering that fastener onto.

 

[OEXL16B]

I can't do ear plugs since I have to listen for the phone too

I can't do ear plugs since I also answer the phone, talk to customers etc at work.

You're gonna have to start wearing ear plugs because if you don't, eventually you're not gonna be hearing the phone or your customers anymore anyway. Try the "Howard Leight Quiet" earplugs; they're real comfortable.

 

[Mr_John]

I use ear muffs and ear plugs all the time and if you're around air tools constantly I'd highly recommend them. If you want to hear more of the outside noise and want the plugs to be a bit more "stealthy," one of the things I've done in the past is take one of those cheap disposable yellow foam earplugs (in a cylinder shape) and rather than using one for each ear, cut one in half and use one for both ears. It tends to allow more noise in, but cuts out all of the very loud noise and on top of that, most people don't really even notice you're wearing them (and it's cheap).

 

[crewchief888]

Then take some cotton from your ******* and put it in your ears.

if you dont like noise, then you're in the wrong trade.