Inherited some air tools - what do I need to know?

[Spacey_G]

My father recently passed away and left a small collection of air tools. He had 1/2" and 3/4" IR impact wrenches (the latter is IR model 251, not sure about the former), along with an air ratchet, air hammer, cutoff wheel, and I think a reciprocating saw.

My father did a fair amount of work on his own cars, but not a whole lot recently. These tools have probably been used either not at all or pretty lightly in the last ~10 years.

If I were to start using them, what sort of maintenance would they need? Should I take them apart and clean them first? Just oil them up and go?

 

[DavidB]

I'd oil them up and go. If they give you problems you can look into cleaning them.

 

[L.Cheapo]

First, sorry to hear about your dad.

Second, if it were me, I'd use a couple drops of air tool oil into the air inlet of each tool and run them for a bit. I wouldn't take anything apart unless the simplest method failed. Honestly, unless they were underwater or already broken, they'll probably work just fine.

 

[Schurkey]

Check the tools for a small dimple having a check-valve in the center. Any number of air tools--impact wrenches primarily--have a tiny grease fitting. In occasional homeowner use, greasing once a year is probably fine.

No, I would not take the tools apart for "cleaning". Lube as needed, apply air via high-flow couplers and plugs and suitable air hose, and have fun.

 

[coljar]

3 drops of Marvel mystery oil down the air fitting into the tool every other time you use it and you're good to go. Some of mine are 40 years old and still going strong. I use an old Loctite bottle that I cleaned out for the oil dropper.

 

[M_George]

If you've never used air tools before. You can find some very good primers on You Tube.

 

[lilredex]

Air tool MMO comes in small dispensing bottles like the one shown and also with regular MMO in the "Flip Spout" version.

For Canadians around here, I got my MMO in those bottles at Steel City Surplus in Hamilton.

 

[Spacey_G]

Thanks for the advice. I'll just lubricate and see how the rest of the air system is set up.

I have no experience with air tools and I'll definitely watch some videos first. Maybe set up some kind of test piece to get a feel for how they behave before I start snapping bolts on my car.

 

[skruft]

Just be careful and read or view instructions for each type, like do not activate air hammer unless bit is against something.

 

[johnnyradiant]

What's the difference between MMO and regular air tool oil?

 

[rlitman]

What's the difference between MMO and regular air tool oil?

Price.

Air tool oil is not magic. It's just a light weight lubricating oil that has rust preventatives added.

I've bought MMO air too oil, because I like the bottle. It makes it easier to drip into the tools. There's not much special about the oil, just the container.

 

[pstemari]

MMO is made with three drops of unicorn blood and two pinches of fairy dust under the light of a full moon.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[rlitman]

MMO is made with three drops of unicorn blood and two pinches of fairy dust under the light of a full moon.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Is that what they put in that frappuccino? Anyway, I wouldn't suggest drinking it.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Some may take this as sacrilege, but I've used full synthetic 0W10 or 0W20 in my air tools for years and years... same thing, couple drops every time I go to use it (I don't want to contaminate my hoses), relube if I'm using it a LOT (like all day), and have yet to have an air tool worked on or rebuilt. When I was on the bridge we got IR Air Tool oil, because they were on our purchasing contract. My thought was it felt the same as light motor oil.

Maybe I'm lucky, maybe there's something in that synthetic oil that works, I don't know.

Little bit o' history... MMO was originally a sewing machine oil... they put peppermint oil as an additive in it so the ladies at their sewing machine would like the smell (and use more)... saying that, I've restored a couple (badly gummed up) antique sewing machines... so I shy away from MMO. Started using 0W20 Syn (at the recommendation of my local sewing machine house) and no gum up problems yet.

I dunno... whatever works for you, I guess!

 

[rlitman]

just use ATF

It would work, but I don't care for the smell.

Some may take this as sacrilege, but I've used full synthetic 0W10 or 0W20 in my air tools for years and years... same thing, couple drops every time I go to use it (I don't want to contaminate my hoses), relube if I'm using it a LOT (like all day), and have yet to have an air tool worked on or rebuilt. When I was on the bridge we got IR Air Tool oil, because they were on our purchasing contract. My thought was it felt the same as light motor oil.

Maybe I'm lucky, maybe there's something in that synthetic oil that works, I don't know.

Little bit o' history... MMO was originally a sewing machine oil... they put peppermint oil as an additive in it so the ladies at their sewing machine would like the smell (and use more)... saying that, I've restored a couple (badly gummed up) antique sewing machines... so I shy away from MMO. Started using 0W20 Syn (at the recommendation of my local sewing machine house) and no gum up problems yet.

I dunno... whatever works for you, I guess!

But MMO smells so nice.

 

[Schurkey]

ANY oil is better than NO oil.

NO oil has been used on more air tools than a person can imagine, and they work fine--although probably not as long as if they had been lubed.

I've never actually seen an air tool motor with worn-out vanes. Yeah, I see that vane kits are available; some folks must be replacing them...but not me. Every air tool problem I see is wear on the mechanism AFTER the motor. The impact mechanism of impact wrenches breaks or the metal edges round-off, or the forked end of air ratchets spreads apart. I've seen bad bearings in die grinders, that's as close to an air-motor problem as I've come across.

I worked for a company that used air tools extensively. They put a fleet of self-lubricators in the air plumbing to keep the tools lubed. After about five years, I asked the Maintenance Supervisor (a ****!) how often he was adding oil to the auto-lube devices...


...he was amazed that they might have to have oil added to them. They'd never been refilled in five years, and they were all still reasonably full. The things were non-functional from the beginning! The entire fleet of "company" air tools had seen zero lube. (MY air tools got a few drops every day, installed manually.)

 

[rlitman]

There's some truth to this. The earliest air tools came from steam piston designs that were lubricated with a watery oily fog. Condensation in air tools absolutely provides some vane lubrication, even if no oil is added. Vanes themselves often contain a lot of graphite to self lubricate.

 

[mlum6969]

grease them if they have grease ports, and add some oil and use them!