Battery vs air

[Watthour]

Battery definitely, you can take it anywhere and there are tons of tools you can use with the same battery. I even have a little battery air compressor that will easily blow up a pickup tire with one battery. Ryobi is what I got and at least a dozen tools.

What's really convenient are the new battery media blasters. Oh, wait... The countries which have never put a man on the moon haven't invented that one yet - And let's not even get started on Wheel-A-Brators.

Same as battery-powered paint sprayers. Pump-fed painters are nowhere near the capability of air with fan/siphon for finish quality.

 

[Texasmark]

Air is still king for production type of work but for most small shops cordless is fine

What type of work with what equipment?

 

[Texasmark]

Still need to air up my 110lb 14 ply tires, run a couple of tire machines, and rarely the air tools. Also plasma cutter and dang hard to blow out carbs and fuel lines with an battery inflater. The new battery impacts are pretty dang impressive now and always my first choice. Especially when hauling tractors or hay!!!

Do they really amount to something useful? Course airing up a tire is a confined space with a confined volume. Running a rotating implement powered by compressed air, which usually really like their air volume, and doing any kind of work is a different thing.

 

[joeysmith]

What type of work with what equipment?

If i was still building trucks I wouldn't want to lug a cordless around all day doing frame an suspension work
Let alone you just know the battery's going to die at the most inconvenient time

 

[urbancase]

I have both, 80 gal compressor. Big tougher jobs still use air tools.

 

[moresmoke]

Same as battery-powered paint sprayers. Pump-fed painters are nowhere near the capability of air with fan/siphon for finish quality.

Thats about like saying a brush doesn't give the same finish as a roller. Different tool for a different job. The best finish comes from air spray with pressure delivery.

 

[Sberry]

Air is on 24/7 but battery is so much cheaper and more convenient for mechanic tools.

 

[Brendon-KS]

Air is still king for production type of work but for most small shops cordless is fine

At the large company I work at you won't find air tools in the proto shop, test lab, or on the production line. Everything is battery powered.

 

[Dusty MI]

Would anyone like a high pressure airless paint sprayer, for painting buildings? I used to paint barns as a second job.
Dusty

 

[sotxbill]

Still need to air up my 110lb 14 ply tires, run a couple of tire machines, and rarely the air tools. Also plasma cutter and dang hard to blow out carbs and fuel lines with an battery inflater. The new battery impacts are pretty dang impressive now and always my first choice. Especially when hauling tractors or hay!!!

Now that you can get battery impacts that are as strong as air impacts, at least in the 1/2 inch sizes. it really handy to use one. And as I said, I never pull a trailer now, with out one in the truck. Everytime we haul hay, we are probably grossly overloaded, and its not unusual to pop a tire in the middle of nowhere. So that and a 20 ton bottle jack along with some 2/4 blocking, and a bad thing turns into a easy thing. Yes we haul in a convoy so there are some that have tires from the late 80s in their rarely used ranch trailers. Kind of scary. Once I moved up to 14 plys at 110psi, and less than 6yo, I quit having tire problems. How ever try to fill a rear tractor tire with a battery pump and see how long many minutes the pump will last. And the coats tire machine at both locations will only work with high flow, high pressure air supply. AND you ALWAYS park tractors and trailers with in reach of the air hose!!!!! NO EXCEPTIONS. or,,, you are the the one who will have to dismount the tire and bring it up to the barn. Batteries are great, but air is still needed unless you have AAA farm style.

 

[chvet73]

It seems as if the only air tools I still use are my 1/2 impact when the cordless can’t budge it. Or my nail guns. Tried a battery powered finish nailer. It was so slooow. Returned it. But for the rest of my work I love my 18v Ridgid stuff.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Outfitting shop with some new tools, thinking about getting a bigger air compressor for painting, but was curious what’s everyone’s thought in air tools? Don’t have any because never could run them. Use my Milwaukee m18 impacts. Do you have or need both air and battery tools and why?

I don't like air tools except for a paint sprayer. I use corded tools or cordless tools over pneumatic, I'm waiting for Santa ro bring me a DeWalt 961 20 v impact. Milwaukee tools are good too, I prefer DeWalt tools because I have mant DeWalt batteries, A good battery makes the impact work best.

Dewalt 20v DC961 the industry's highest rated max torque cordless 1/2 in. impact wrench** - delivers 1200 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1750 ft-lbs of max breakaway torque
How does this compare to a Milwaukee??
The Amish that built my pole barn used paslode butane framing nailer.
A 1.5 HP portable air compressor will power a framing nailer.

Pneumatic tools are limited to the length of your air hose. Many times I use my impact away from the shop.

 

[sotxbill]

I don't like air tools except for a paint sprayer. I use corded tools or cordless tools over pneumatic, I'm waiting for Santa ro bring me a DeWalt 961 20 v impact. Milwaukee tools are good too, I prefer DeWalt tools because I have mant DeWalt batteries, A good battery makes the impact work best.

Dewalt 20v DC961 the industry's highest rated max torque cordless 1/2 in. impact wrench** - delivers 1200 ft-lbs of max fastening torque and 1750 ft-lbs of max breakaway torque
How does this compare to a Milwaukee??
The Amish that built my pole barn used paslode butane framing nailer.
A 1.5 HP portable air compressor will power a framing nailer.

Pneumatic tools are limited to the length of your air hose. Many times I use my impact away from the shop.

This dewalt.... has 3 power settings on or near the battery.. and I always use the middle setting for putting bolts back on, especially lug nuts, so that I can remove them later with out an impact, only using a lug wrench........ SO.. that later when I'm trying to remove some stuck bolts.. I forgot that it was set at middle power.. grrrrrrr.. If doesnt come off, put on the tighten mode, give it some bangs,, and then the loosen mode, some more bangs, and usually after two cycles of this, it will slowly start coming off.

The only thing better is my 1 inch "mililtarysurplus" electric Ingersal Rand 50 lbs of earth shattering torque used on the duce&half lugs. It is the only thing that removes shredder blade bolts... and it removes them!!! Problem is that a lot of woods shredders have a left handed thread on some of their products,, But the 50 lb gorilla still removes them going the wrong way... Now Im out a 30 dollar bolt and a 12 dollar nut. but it takes them off. https://www.ebay.com/itm/365914425225 If you want the ultimate destroyer of all things metal, this is your monster. And yes, its worth every penny.

 

[Texasmark]

At the large company I work at you won't find air tools in the proto shop, test lab, or on the production line. Everything is battery powered.

I'd say because there is no infrastructure expense and cumbersome air lines everywhere in your production facility, or the HP aka air volume that would otherwise be required is low.

 

[Tony in SD]

I only use air tools if I don't have a battery tool. No hose to drag around. I can use battery tools anywhere on my farm with a battery. Including in the middle of nowhere. Not true with air tools. I have only one large air compressor on the farm and a pancake that will run nail guns but not impacts, sanders, etc .

 

[Ray,IN]

A high pressure air compressor is not required for painting, what is required is high storage capacity for compressed air. One way to accomplish that is, plumb in an old 100# LP tank or two if you need that much reserve capacity, however you must use a good oil filter.
I stopped painting equipment when it started looking like I did the job__.

 

[Dinkbuster]

A high pressure air compressor is not required for painting, what is required is high storage capacity for compressed air. One way to accomplish that is, plumb in an old 100# LP tank or two if you need that much reserve capacity, however you must use a good oil filter.
I stopped painting equipment when it started looking like I did the job