Which impact is better, air or electric?

[f-two-fiddy]

As I said: If Your using an impact in a commercial application, big air, and big impacts are the cat's meow.

But I'd tell You Guys to try a cordless. Man, they are nice. Grab it, and go. Does most of the jobs I need it for. No hose to drag with Ya, and no compressor to listen to.
I never thought I'd like it, and I admit that it's not as powerful as either My Pneumatic, or Corded Electric. But I still grab it 90% of the time.

 

[cuda757]

Rob, Are you using a 1/2" or 3/8" cordless and which brand... Thanks Richard

 

[pybyr]

In my experience, the biggest drawback of cordless anything, if you can't justify it as a business tool, is that in 3-5 years, the battery back is toast, and will cost you a sizeable chunk of the original cost of the tool to replace, and you have few options (aftermarket is rare). Cordless tools have lost their appeal to me on that basis.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

I posted the tools I use in a previous post. Milwaukee's

The L-ion batteries have VASTLY improved the performance of these cordless tools. My 18V L-ions are 2 years old now. I use them daily on the job. Mostly drilling, driving. Then I use them for wrenching on the weekends. They have not shown any signs of fatigue.

As I stated, they wont do all of the heavy jobs. But for 90% of them it's wham, bam, thanks for the t-shirt

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

In my experience, the biggest drawback of cordless anything, if you can't justify it as a business tool, is that in 3-5 years, the battery back is toast, and will cost you a sizeable chunk of the original cost of the tool to replace, and you have few options (aftermarket is rare). Cordless tools have lost their appeal to me on that basis.

I must agree with the short life of cordless tool batteries.

I have not tried it out, but there is some concern on E-Bay that claims to have some means of re-celling or rejuvenating old dead batteries.

I have about equal success with the chargers that come with the tools, if the battery doesn't die, the charger will.

I am planning soon to gut one of my dead batteries and see if I can retrofit plain old re-chargable Ni-Cad or NMH batteries into it.

 

[fx4wannabe]

I have had my cordless makita batteries rebuilt and they work great. Its about half the cost of a new battery and they worked better than new. Of course that is providing a quality job is done on the rebuild.

 

[fx4wannabe]

Ok for ya'll that like the electric ones which corded would you recommend? I have a makita cordless that works great for spinning stuff on and off and light work but I need something bigger for the big stuff.

 

[fields_mj]

I've had the same result with battery tools. I have a nice Dewalt cordless drill at work that I use a lot, and the batteries last about 2 years tops. I've wondered about gutting the packs out before. I have the same drill here at the house, and that would make for some much cheaper replacements when my personal batteries.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Are they lithium batteries?

 

[fx4wannabe]

Mine were nicads that I had redone.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

The Lithium Ion batteries are 10X better than the old NiCad's

My Cordless Circular Saw was relegated to the shelf with Nicads. It would only cu 10-15 cuts and the Nicad battery was dieing. I bought a set of LiIons and now it's on My rig full time. I can cut waaaaay more with it without the battery going dead.