Are pneumatic tools obselete?

[GTX63]

Both have their place, and for most it will be about preference.
I'm not getting rid of my compressor, I'm just adding more eggs to the basket.

 

[CheemsK1500]

Ebay is full of these devices for various different manufacturers if you're like me and lack brand loyalty but also hate having a 100 different batteries to keep track of. I have a Dewalt hammer drill and Sawzall that I love but i only have 2 batteries for both of them and they're both getting old. I do have a nice collection of Milwaukee batteries though, and pawn shops always seem to have them as well.

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[TX87R10]

All of my battery powered tools work, but the batteries do not. They all seem to lose power over time and not charge well anymore, on top of being double the cost of the tool. I would stick with air personally.

 

[Bennyt]

I'm still using Makita 7.2 and 9.6 and they are way past their life cycle.

I keep looking at the Milwaukee Fuel but will probably buy the Bauer and an extended warranty. Its just for home use, and all I ever use is the drill/ drivers for misc stuff. I figure I can replace the Bauer 3x for 1 Milwaukee.

 

[Ricko1966]

Ebay is full of these devices for various different manufacturers if you're like me and lack brand loyalty but also hate having a 100 different batteries to keep track of. I have a Dewalt hammer drill and Sawzall that I love but i only have 2 batteries for both of them and they're both getting old. I do have a nice collection of Milwaukee batteries though, and pawn shops always seem to have them as well.

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I adapted all mine over to ryobi one lithium batteries. The reason being ryobi designed the one plus batteries to be backwards compatible with 18v nicads. So no worries on over discharge etc. Had to make my adapters.

 

[wanderinthru]

I'm still using Makita 7.2 and 9.6 and they are way past their life cycle.

I keep looking at the Milwaukee Fuel but will probably buy the Bauer and an extended warranty. Its just for home use, and all I ever use is the drill/ drivers for misc stuff. I figure I can replace the Bauer 3x for 1 Milwaukee.

I'm becoming a fan of Bauer. Or Bauer corded tools. Started with their 7 inch grinder, that thing is a beast, not as stout as a 9 inch Makita but 200 bucks cheaper and 15 pounds lighter. Needed a new 4 1/2 inch, one hand grinder, give 150 for a Milwalkie, made in china? Seen the little Bauer, 40 bucks smaller, just as strong, made in Tawain. Got a Bauer porta band a year and a half ago, use the snot out of the thing been thru 50 ish blades works great, made in Tawain and 400 bucks less than a Milwalkie. Use the Harbor Freight bands, can't remember the name, made in the USA, bought some Milwalkie blade for prob 3 timed the money they got dull and broke faster. Don't know if these things are going to last, but as hot as that little Milwalkie grinder gets I bet it ain't going to, I'm hard on grinders. Harbor Freight gets alot of grief but, it is an American owned company and is still original. I've no idea who owns Milwalkie, DeWalt etc.. some huge congloberation I'm sure? Few, if any of the tool are American made.

Bought the lady friend a set of Ridgid cordless tools, drill, driver, multi tool, sawzall etc.. except the color one can't find a difference in appearence between them and Bauer, same goes with the 7 inch grinder. Because I just got a 3/8 drive Bauer impact do know the batteries don't interchange.

 

[CheemsK1500]

The various harbor freight brands tend to not be as powerful as the name brands, but after using them, I can confirm that times I've needed the extra power from the Milwaukee or Dewalt tools are practically non existent. My only gripe about my Harbor Freight Earthquake is that it lacks the torque adjustment/limiter settings that my Milwaukee has. However, the Earthquake has broken lug nuts loose every time I've needed to with ease, I just have to take additional precautions not to over tighten with it.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I'm becoming a fan of Bauer. Or Bauer corded tools. Started with their 7 inch grinder, that thing is a beast, not as stout as a 9 inch Makita but 200 bucks cheaper and 15 pounds lighter. Needed a new 4 1/2 inch, one hand grinder, give 150 for a Milwalkie, made in china? Seen the little Bauer, 40 bucks smaller, just as strong, made in Tawain. Got a Bauer porta band a year and a half ago, use the snot out of the thing been thru 50 ish blades works great, made in Tawain and 400 bucks less than a Milwalkie. Use the Harbor Freight bands, can't remember the name, made in the USA, bought some Milwalkie blade for prob 3 timed the money they got dull and broke faster. Don't know if these things are going to last, but as hot as that little Milwalkie grinder gets I bet it ain't going to, I'm hard on grinders. Harbor Freight gets alot of grief but, it is an American owned company and is still original. I've no idea who owns Milwalkie, DeWalt etc.. some huge congloberation I'm sure? Few, if any of the tool are American made.

Bought the lady friend a set of Ridgid cordless tools, drill, driver, multi tool, sawzall etc.. except the color one can't find a difference in appearence between them and Bauer, same goes with the 7 inch grinder. Because I just got a 3/8 drive Bauer impact do know the batteries don't interchange.

Dewalt claims “assembled in the US” I believe… We know that likely means one part was screwed on here. I agree about Milwaukee. I have a buddy that has all their stuff, has had several tools fall apart. His jigsaw crapped the bed on the first day.

You can find red Makita tools that are still made in Japan online, though you pay a premium. As I start replacing tools, I may go that route. The Makita stuff refuses to die, though. I had one hammer drill that sustained damage, but that was my fault. I was mixing thin set with it all day. That’s a no-no. There’s a reason I own a gear reduction mixer for things of that nature. I bought the brushless impact driver at the same time as the hammer drill. They were the first brushless variants about 12-13 years ago. That impact has been dropped many times, worked out in the rain and left wet, you name it. It still works great.

 

[Frankenchevy]

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Here’s an example of a Japanese made Makita Red. About $170 for the impact driver.

 

[wanderinthru]

Dewalt claims “assembled in the US” I believe… We know that likely means one part was screwed on here. I agree about Milwaukee. I have a buddy that has all there stuff, has had several tools fall apart. His jigsaw crapped the bed on the first day.

You can find red Makita tools that are still made in Japan online, though you pay a premium. As I start replacing tools, I may go that route. The Makita stuff refuses to die, though. I had one hammer drill that sustained damage, but that was my fault. I was mixing thin set with it all day. That’s a no-no. There’s a reason I own a gear reduction mixer for things of that nature. I bought the brushless impact driver at the same time as the hammer drill. They were the first brushless variants about 12-13 years ago. That impact has been dropped many times, worked out in the rain and left wet, you name it. It still works great.

I don't have a bad word to say about Makita! Their grinders are unbeatable in my opinion, have 3, the 9 inch is only a couple years old but am confident it will last till I can't pick it up. Their 5 inch grinders are the toughest things ever, have 2 of them that have had forever. Problem with them is, I'm getting old, hands are getting stiff and not as strong and they are to stout for me to run one handed anymore. Gets pretty damn exciting when one of those gets aloose from ya with a wire wheel spinning at 16000. Wish they made a smaller version of that grinder, it's what I would have. Little Bauers kinda are, have a handle with a finger switch, not a paddle thing one has to reach around the motor, or some kind of thumb slide deal.
DeWalt, just sucks anymore. All I have left that is Dewalt is an 20 year old, 3/8 drill.

 

[Ricko1966]

Yea,try having a plug in router get away from you while holding the workpiece in your lap. Quick thinking, yanked the cord out of the wall before it could get my balls.

 

[Bennyt]

On a lot of my corded and pneumatic grinders, etc. I find it better to use the cheaper HF stuff as I can buy 10 of them and keep a different wire brush, disc, grinding grit on each instead of having to swap and change over. I probably have 5 different dies grinders with 3m discs, cut off wheels, stones, etc. 3-4 4" grinders with cut-off wheels, flap disc, stone, etc. Cant afford to do that with cordless.

 

[Juggernaut]

If you have the cash, and want top of the line, unkillable battery tools, I would recommend Hilti. I have worked as a field service technician for 17 years, and have used battery tools on a daily basis the entire time. I used 18 volt Dewalt most of that time and burnt up or broke to many to count. We started using Hilti in 2018 and I haven't destroyed one yet. It really impressed me when I was able to drive 45 tech 5 self tapping screws into 3/4" steel plate. I know from experience it would have killed a Dewalt impact driver.
For out in the field, battery tools are the only way to go, but at home working on the old truck, I still have, and probably will always use air tools

 

[SirRobyn0]

I'm becoming a fan of Bauer. Or Bauer corded tools. Started with their 7 inch grinder, that thing is a beast, not as stout as a 9 inch Makita but 200 bucks cheaper and 15 pounds lighter. Needed a new 4 1/2 inch, one hand grinder, give 150 for a Milwalkie, made in china? Seen the little Bauer, 40 bucks smaller, just as strong, made in Tawain. Got a Bauer porta band a year and a half ago, use the snot out of the thing been thru 50 ish blades works great, made in Tawain and 400 bucks less than a Milwalkie. Use the Harbor Freight bands, can't remember the name, made in the USA, bought some Milwalkie blade for prob 3 timed the money they got dull and broke faster. Don't know if these things are going to last, but as hot as that little Milwalkie grinder gets I bet it ain't going to, I'm hard on grinders. Harbor Freight gets alot of grief but, it is an American owned company and is still original. I've no idea who owns Milwalkie, DeWalt etc.. some huge congloberation I'm sure? Few, if any of the tool are American made.

Bought the lady friend a set of Ridgid cordless tools, drill, driver, multi tool, sawzall etc.. except the color one can't find a difference in appearence between them and Bauer, same goes with the 7 inch grinder. Because I just got a 3/8 drive Bauer impact do know the batteries don't interchange.

Me too. At this point I have a number of cordless bauer tools on the farm. They are all used roughly, dropped in the mud, and put away dirty and wet, next time they work just fine. Has saved me a bundle too.

 

[RecklessWOT]

In the garage, air tools are still my go-to. I don't mind the air hose, it's far less annoying than having to charge batteries all the time. The air tools also aren't as bulky. I won't say that my Snap On impact gun is stronger than my Dewalt 20v XR impact, but it certainly is more durable, has much better speed control and doesn't peter out when the job gets tough. Not to mention all the other tools I use that don't yet have a battery powered counterpart. Air hammer, die grinders, mini angle grinders, DA sanders, air file, mini reciprocating saw, etc. Also one of my most commonly used air tools, the blow gun. There's no way to replace that.

Now for mobile work, yeah... you can't beat the battery powered tools.

Couldn't have summed it up better myself