Need help picking an air drill

[70NOVA]

Looking for a new 3/8" air drill. What are you guys using???

 

[peterbilr98]

snap on well worth the money great drill

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

all the sheet metal guys where I work have been buying these things like they are going out of style!

http://www.panamericantool.com/novar-compact-pistol-grip-drill.html

 

[Fixnair]

I/R. Thor dotco. What do you want to do with it. Is just a hobby or are going to do some serious drilling. The ones I mentioned are pro drills and they will cost you. If you're just doing hobby stuff then go to harbor freight & get one for $20. The pro ones will cost $125 and up.

 

[BTG]

Souix. Owned by Snap-On and will last a lifetime...

 

[joedodge]

Been using a mountain for about 7 years never let me down

 

[70NOVA]

I'm an auto tech so it won't get tons of use but when I need it, it needs to do it's job. Normally if I need a drill its to drill out a stripped fastener head or open a bolt hole up to turn some new threads into it.

 

[joedodge]

That's why I got the mountain I'm a tech also and it sees the same use your intending couldn't see laying down a ton of money for one most of the time I use a cordless anyway

 

[theknurl]

how big a drill do you want?

in other words what size holes are planning on drilling?
its the speed range that you'll need

i have one air drill, a SnapOn PD3A the Jacobs chuck on it IS THE WORST JACOBS CHUCK THAT JACOBS EVER MADE
the bleeping jaws are soft

all my corded Milwaukee's chucks are fine, they are all Jacobs

no problem with any of my Jacobs Ball Bearing 'Super Chucks' either (1/4"-1/2"-5/8"and 3/4")
in the drill press, lathe or mill

my favorites are Albrecht Keyless but they don't work on reversible drills

joedodge;
the only cordless tools i have are vibrators for the girls.....
the serious ones of those have cords too

 

[metaleltr]

how big a drill do you want?

in other words what size holes are planning on drilling?
its the speed range that you'll need

i have one air drill, a SnapOn PD3A the Jacobs chuck on it IS THE WORST JACOBS CHUCK THAT JACOBS EVER MADE
the bleeping jaws are soft

all my corded Milwaukee's chucks are fine, they are all Jacobs

no problem with any of my Jacobs Ball Bearing 'Super Chucks' either (1/4"-1/2"-5/8"and 3/4")
in the drill press, lathe or mill

my favorites are Albrecht Keyless but they don't work on reversible drills

joedodge;
the only cordless tools i have are vibrators for the girls.....
the serious ones of those have cords too

How old is the drill? Jacobs sent manufacturing to China about 2 years ago. They have suffered in quality ever since.

 

[theknurl]

How old is the drill? Jacobs sent manufacturing to China about 2 years ago. They have suffered in quality ever since.

~30 years old....

i know about chucks

 

[smalltruck]

Depending on what kind of force this drill will see, my info might be handy or not. But the one thing to pay attention to is what size the spindle shaft is. I broke several 1/2 inch air drills learning while drilling truck frames. I learned that with bigger bits and heavy steel if the bit caught and you had to reverse the drill, if it had the 3/8ths spindle the very small left hand screw that holds the chuck on will break easily. I went to a drill with a 1/2 inch spindle and the problem was solved. So when I look at air drills now I look for what has the biggest spindle size because, some, but not all have a larger hold in screw for when the drill operates in reverse.

If you stick a 3/4 bit in a truck frame and and try to reverse the drill, the number 10 screw holding the chuck on will snap like a twig. That lets the drill unscrew the chuck from the drill. Now you have a paperweight...