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Air tools

This topic has 22 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 16 June 2021 at 22:33 by Pete..

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7 June 2021 at 15:51 #548713
Stephen Follows
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@stephenfollows82099
Can anyone recommend a decent 1/4" chuck/mandrel air tool please?

I want some thing straight, i.e. not 90 degree, reasonably easy to hold one handed. The one I currently use is from Machine Mart, very chunky to hold and use and drains the compressor rapidly, (despite being advertised as 6 cfm).

I have a 50 litre, 9 cfm compressor. I don't expect continuous industrial use but don't want to be stopping every couple of minutes for the compressor to refill.
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7 June 2021 at 15:51 #20326
Stephen Follows
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@stephenfollows82099
7 June 2021 at 17:00 #548722
not done it yet
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@notdoneityet
I expect that if the compressor was from machine mart (or lots of cheap chinese brands) it is quoted as ‘Air Displacement’, not Free Air Delivery – whereas the tool usage will be the absolute best ‘air delivered’ when new, and likely rounded down to the nearest unit. There can be a huge difference between AD and FAD. It’s called efficiency.

Hence it is likely your compressor was never really enough for the duty. Should have bought a bigger compressor.

I looked for a decent axial air tool with low rpm, but failed to find anything suitable. Check out die grinders if high speed is required.
7 June 2021 at 17:27 #548725
Nick Clarke 3
Participant
@nickclarke3
Posted by not done it yet on 07/06/2021 17:00:45:

I expect that if the compressor was from machine mart (or lots of cheap chinese brands) it is quoted as ‘Air Displacement’, not Free Air Delivery – whereas the tool usage will be the absolute best ‘air delivered’ when new, and likely rounded down to the nearest unit. There can be a huge difference between AD and FAD. It’s called efficiency.

Hence it is likely your compressor was never really enough for the duty. Should have bought a bigger compressor.

I looked for a decent axial air tool with low rpm, but failed to find anything suitable. Check out die grinders if high speed is required.

Sadly +1 I'm afraid
7 June 2021 at 17:47 #548729
Dave Halford
Participant
@davehalford22513
Anything running on a 2hp or 2.5hp motor will only deliver 5.5cfm, most of the MM die grinders use 4 or 6cfm off load and 16cfm under load.

This one might do from Cromwell, but you would be better considering something electrical, more Dremel sized and not a Chinese low price knock off.
7 June 2021 at 18:33 #548742
noel shelley
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@noelshelley55608
Unless you have an industrial sized compressor forget air tools unless you are prepared to wait they are not going to work very well. Noel.
7 June 2021 at 21:55 #548768
Steviegtr
Participant
@steviegtr
I have quite a lot of air tools. My compressor is a large 150 litre. 14 cfm. The air tools push the compressor to the limit. So i do not think any air tools would be suitable for your needs. As already said by most comments posted.

Steve.
7 June 2021 at 22:52 #548782
old mart
Participant
@oldmart
Toolstation have a Draper air die grinder with 1/8 and 1/4 inch collets which is supposed to use 4 cubic feet per minute at 90 psi. Whatever you can find, make sure it has a rubber sleeve on the outside, not bare metal, they get very cold, hand held. I have my doubts whether an air tool would use less than 4 cuft/min.

If you had an adjustable valve between the compressor and the tool to run it at a lower speed, there might be a setting that was usable for you.

Edited By old mart on 07/06/2021 22:57:59
8 June 2021 at 08:42 #548799
not done it yet
Participant
@notdoneityet
The only ‘adjustable valve’ would be a lower air operating pressure – so by reducing the pressure regulator.

Regarding the rubber cover, rubber gloves are available, as an option. I envisaged the OP was likely wanting something in the lower speed range as he mentioned a chucked option – nearly all die grinders employ collets rather than a common chuck.
8 June 2021 at 10:28 #548814
Dave Halford
Participant
@davehalford22513
Posted by old mart on 07/06/2021 22:52:54:

Toolstation have a Draper air die grinder with 1/8 and 1/4 inch collets which is supposed to use 4 cubic feet per minute at 90 psi. Whatever you can find, make sure it has a rubber sleeve on the outside, not bare metal, they get very cold, hand held. I have my doubts whether an air tool would use less than 4 cuft/min.

If you had an adjustable valve between the compressor and the tool to run it at a lower speed, there might be a setting that was usable for you.

Edited By old mart on 07/06/2021 22:57:59

Note also that the minimum hose bore is 10mm so that tells you 4cfm is fudged
8 June 2021 at 12:59 #548833
martin haysom
Participant
@martinhaysom48469
all my air tools say they need 4cuft/min yet my compressor a laycock lx which should be 10cuft/min can't keep up with them
8 June 2021 at 14:48 #548841
not done it yet
Participant
@notdoneityet
Posted by martin haysom on 08/06/2021 12:59:34:

all my air tools say they need 4cuft/min yet my compressor a laycock lx which should be 10cuft/min can't keep up with them

Martin,

The only ‘close’ info I could find on the net was this (it may not be your machine) is reproduced here:

“LAVCOCK ENGINEERING LTD. Archer Road, Millhouses, Sheffield 8 TN Laycock's single-stage range and suitable for tyre inflation is the LX/2 portable compressor, mounted on a tabular frame with 7.5 in. rubber-tyred wheels. Its 2.5 Cu. ft. unit gives an air delivery of 1.1 c.f.m.

The LX/3 vertical compressor is fully automatic with a pressure switch cutting out at 150 p.s.i. and cutting in at 125 p.s.i. A directcoupled 5 h.p. electric motor drives the 2.5 cu. ft. unit which has a large after-cooler and condensate trap.

Four models arc listed in the vertical range, LX/5V having a displacement of 5 c.f.m. and a working pressure of 150 p.s.i. The other three models, LX/9V, LX/15V and LX/20V have working pressures of 200 p.s.i. Displacement in c.f.m. is denoted by the model number.

In the horizontal range, six models are available prefixed by LX 5, 10, 15, 20, 35, 42, the numbers denoting the displacement in c.f.m.”

If this is the range, what number is the suffix on yours?
8 June 2021 at 15:22 #548845
Dave Halford
Participant
@davehalford22513
Or this one , which ticks the boxes

Edited By Dave Halford on 08/06/2021 15:24:00
8 June 2021 at 19:29 #548891
not done it yet
Participant
@notdoneityet
Posted by Dave Halford on 08/06/2021 15:22:45:

Or this one , which ticks the boxes

Edited By Dave Halford on 08/06/2021 15:24:00

Saw that one. Not ~~a lot~~ any help, really.
13 June 2021 at 23:53 #549682
John Reese
Participant
@johnreese12848
Consider an electric die grinder. I only uses 1/2 hp while a pneumatic tool is going to draw the full 2.5 hp of your compressor. Pneumatic is very inefficient.
14 June 2021 at 20:46 #549809
Stephen Follows
Participant
@stephenfollows82099
Thanks everyone. The reason for wanting to use air is that I have had problems with electric. I had one from a large DIY chain, cost £30. Burnt out after 13 months with little use. Bought a Dremel, switch burnt out after three months. The replacement lasted long enough to get out of guarantee. If Dremel are unreliable, what hope cheaper makes. By the way, they didn’t get hammered, only light work.
14 June 2021 at 21:02 #549812
Nick Wheeler
Participant
@nickwheeler
Stephen, Dremels are tools that really ought to be sold from market stalls by a salesman whose pitch is carefully developed to show how perfect they are for tattooing mouse ears. And he'll throw in not one, not two, but nine extra motor brushes!

An electric die grinder is going to cost over £100 and will come with 6mm collets for tools. It will also be about 5 times more powerful than a Dremel.

I have to agree with the above posters who suggest that air tools(except for sprayguns) are only useful if you have a massive, permanently installed compressor. I would also add that it helps if you're already deaf and immune to the bloody things icing up
16 June 2021 at 17:04 #550060
Stephen Follows
Participant
@stephenfollows82099
Which electric tool is good then? I’ve looked at a Mikita, over £100 but still had some bad reviews.
16 June 2021 at 17:45 #550063
Nick Wheeler
Participant
@nickwheeler
Posted by Stephen Follows on 16/06/2021 17:04:50:

Which electric tool is good then? I’ve looked at a Mikita, over £100 but still had some bad reviews.

I'm happy with my Draper DG528 electric die grinder, having ported several cylinder heads with it and ground lots of welds. But I've had it over twenty years, and it doesn't seem to be available now.
16 June 2021 at 18:14 #550071
Steviegtr
Participant
@steviegtr
Stephen, i commented earlier in this thread , but omited to say. Using a die grinder or any air tool can be ran from any compressor. It is the time thing. Example. I used one & other air tools to mirror polish a Suzuki motorcycle frame & swing arm. I was using the tools all day long. The compressor was pretty much flat out all the time. If i had a small job to do then your small compressor may well do the job. Pic shown of mine. US pro tools do one as do Bergen tools. Then the trusty Draper ones. Too many to list. Electric ones i cannot comment . As an aside if you do go the air route you need a good set of ear defenders as they are noisy sods.

Steve.

Edited By Steviegtr on 16/06/2021 18:16:19
16 June 2021 at 19:15 #550090
Dave Halford
Participant
@davehalford22513
Posted by not done it yet on 08/06/2021 19:29:24:

Posted by Dave Halford on 08/06/2021 15:22:45:

Or this one , which ticks the boxes

Edited By Dave Halford on 08/06/2021 15:24:00

Saw that one. Not ~~a lot~~ any help, really.

DUH!

Until you read the motor label and see the capacity is 15, which would translate to a good 10 FAD, it's just an LX and looks the right age and size..

It was meant to stop you being so rude to Martin.
16 June 2021 at 20:08 #550097
pgk pgk
Participant
@pgkpgk17461
Posted by Nicholas Wheeler 1 on 14/06/2021 21:02:45:

Stephen, Dremels are tools that really ought to be sold from market stalls by a salesman whose pitch is carefully developed to show how perfect they are for tattooing mouse ears. And he'll throw in not one, not two, but nine extra motor brushes!

My Woolies 'dremel' died last year and get replaced with another cheapo..
Lidl had a mini pneumatic rotary tool on sale a few months ago. I haven't used it in anger yet but it looks quite the biz. in a nice case with an in-line oiler. For jobs where a 'dremel' is going to get stressed.

Off topic but my best air tool may well be my Parkside brad/staple gun – used for pinning all the edging for a whole house laminated floor and currently stapling chicken wire to fruit cage frames.

pgk
16 June 2021 at 22:33 #550113
Pete.
Participant
@pete-2
Posted by Stephen Follows on 16/06/2021 17:04:50:

Which electric tool is good then? I’ve looked at a Mikita, over £100 but still had some bad reviews.

I just had a look at the corded Makita die grinder on ebay, the only negative review was from from someone claiming it had to be sent back to makita for repair after 10 mins use, makita tools have a 3 year warranty if you register them, first year the retailer takes care, 2 and 3, you contact makita directly, you'll always get those "I bought a 6" rule, it's smaller than it looks in photos" reviews.
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