Modern auto shops and availability of compressed air

[bonneyman]

Just wondering out loud. Hopefully you shop mechanics will chime in and educate me.

In the old days shops had compressed air, and just about everything used it. But today mechanics use alot of cordless tools where air tools used to be the norm. Plus, most stations don't have compressed air available for free anymore (running off the shop compressor). If anything, they have a cheapie comp station set up for topping off tires and you have to do it and pay coinage. Had some tires installed recently, and the kid used the "new" tire changer - and I didn't see an air hose. But it had an air hose hanging from the roof, so, was the thing fully electric and he used the hanging hose to fill them?
Also, I watch alot of repair vids on Youtube and I see so many cordless ratchets and drills.

Just wondering if the abundance and popularity of battery powered tools has displaced big compressors in and around repair shops.

[slip knot]

Cant speak for the auto shops but the industrial field still needs big air for cleaning purposes. The maintenance guys have all jumped on the cordless bandwagon but the shop compressor does see its uses. Blowing lines out and cleaning/drying parts are the two main uses with us.

The compressor sets outside my office. So I can tell its get lots of run time.

[pep]

For me, battery tools are more hassle than I care to live with. Charges, the batteries, and work bench space & outlets the support waste.

Some of the photos seen that the braggers post make me LMAO & shake my head.

Personally have 1 battery tool that is a drill, that one is worthwhile. But invariably, start a job, end up changing the battery pack, Older the battery the more times it needs  changing.

Only a battery tool will leave one with a drill bit stuck in a hole.

[goodfellow]

I was seeing a lot of great old corded tools (especially drills) at the recycling station at the landfill. I nearly drove over a vintage 1/2" B&D industrial drill while dropping some stuff off last year. A lot of the tools being disposed of are yard related -- blowers, trimmers, clippers, etc., but good quality corded shop tools are increasingly making their way into the trash.

I rebuild my own battery packs and that is why my cordless tools work well, but as Pep said, many times cordless tools will leave you hanging before a job is done.

[john k]

Been out of the shop 5 years, on my rare visits back have noticed more 3/8 ratchets, impact tools, drills of the battery variety, 5-6 chargers lined up on bench tops.  Even 1/2 impacts are mostly electric.  Trouble lights are cordless,  air tools in the transmission room, because they are metal which wipes off better than plastic,  every bay has air, with a regulator.  The body shop is still using  more air due to the continuous rub of sanders.  Personally have added a 1/2 dewalt impact, to my drill and 3/8 impact, all in 20 volt.  Short usage out away from the air hose.

[goodfellow]

I'm old school. I've collected tons of air tools over 50 years, and they still work. The new garage will get plumbed with lots of air drops.

[bonneyman]

I feel that having cordless dill around is probably a good thing, for those regular jobs that require one or two screws put in. Not worth the time to run out an extension cord for 2 screws. So I figured having a cordless drill might be worth having at a station when all the bays are full, it's busy, and then a customer (i.e. me) pulls up and wants a slow tire leak fixed. No room in a bay, so the guy can come out to the parking lot with his cordless impact, remove and repair the tire, and get me back on the road without my delay.

I think I'm gonna convert one of my Makita 9.6ers to LiPo cells just for the odd jobs around the house. Another thing to add to the do list.

[J.A.F.E.]

Not an exact answer but something I got a kick out of. I got tires and the shop had a line item for nitrogen in the quote, which I personally think is a lot of BS, especially for a street car and balked at the price. I requested air instead and the guy said they don't have air anymore. So I asked how they run the tire machine and airtools. The look on his face was priceless.

I ended up at a different shop.

[coolmercury]

Anybody think Nitrogen in tires is worth the cost?

[goodfellow]

Not an exact answer but something I got a kick out of. I got tires and the shop had a line item for nitrogen in the quote, which I personally think is a lot of BS, especially for a street car and balked at the price. I requested air instead and the guy said they don't have air anymore. So I asked how they run the tire machine and airtools. The look on his face was priceless.

I ended up at a different shop.

That must have been quite the conversation -- LOL

[bonneyman]

Anybody think Nitrogen in tires is worth the cost?

Can't say. But many years ago I switched from N to CO2 for pressure and leak testing, and bought a bunch of adaptors so I could hook into any system. (In fact, just hauled out the cylinder today to blow out the dryer vent piping to the roof. A spring cleaning thing for me. Worked great!) A tire knuckle was included - figured if I got a leak out in the boondocks I could top off with CO2 and get back to town. A tank of liquified CO2 goes a LONG WAY when it turns to gas.

As it turned out I never go a chance to try it - which I guess is a good thing.

[slip knot]

I'm also of the old school when it comes to the shop. I've got a pretty good assortment of air tools. BUT I also would not be without a cordless impact driver. That was a game changer for me. In fact I now have two of them...... Yeah I lost one for a while

[bonneyman]

I'm also of the old school when it comes to the shop. I've got a pretty good assortment of air tools. BUT I also would not be without a cordless impact driver. That was a game changer for me. In fact I now have two of them...... Yeah I lost one for a while

That's another reason I like old school tools. They don't sprout legs and wander away much.

[nelstomlinson]

Air is 70% nitrogen. I don't see much value in going to 100% nitrogen for normal automotive use.

[stokester]

When I worked at the Chevy shop a few years ago I too saw the change from pneumatic to battery operated tools.  With the introduction of 20v Li-ion many started using the powerful impacts for most everything.  Torque requirements be damned... (just one of my peeves).

I used air for everything; impact, drill, angle grinder, ratchets and only have a battery 1/4" drill and impact.  The old 7.2v NiCad 1/4" tools worked particularly well for dash removal/installation and accessories.

The adding of nitrogen to tires always seemed to be an upsell to me with limited to no practical benefit.  With the atmosphere at about 78% nitrogen and "pure" at 95% the claim of less air loss over time is minimal at best.  It was not available at our shop and I remember a few customers asking us to be sure to use nitrogen when we added air to their tires.  They found it difficult to accept that regular air would not have a negative effect on them.

[muddy]

We have a large industrial grade scroll compressor at work.

I use cordless 3/8 impact and 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets. To zip a bunch of bolts out it's just easier IMO. 

I still use air for 1/2 impacts, die grinders cut off wheel, air hammer etc.

I have been keeping an eye out for a sale on the m12 right angle die grinders.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[fatfillup]

Shops are using less air but they still have big air available.

I use battery more often they air but I still use air. 

Body shops will continue to use air as sanders and grinders consume a bunch. 

Heavy equipment guys still use a fair amount of air, especially for 3/4 and 1 inch guns. 

[bonneyman]

I was thinking about getting a real air compressor for the home shop (don't know where I'd put it though) and then try picking up some used impacts and attachments for it. But then saw the rise of battery tools and have rethought the idea.

[goodfellow]

I was thinking about getting a real air compressor for the home shop (don't know where I'd put it though) and then try picking up some used impacts and attachments for it. But then saw the rise of battery tools and have rethought the idea.

Having a good reliable air compressor is a necessity in my opinion. I've worn out a few over the years, but never regretted having spent the money on shop air. These days there are many choices, but a quality oil lubricated pump unit will make your shop work so much easier.

[fatfillup]

George, air tools bring little on the used market so you should be able to get them cheap BUT, there are a lot of worn out tools out there, so beware

[bonneyman]

George, air tools bring little on the used market so you should be able to get them cheap BUT, there are a lot of worn out tools out there, so beware

10-4 so I'd have to learn the power tools upfront and be able to do repairs on them. Just thinking about topping off tires, rotating them instead of going to the shop, maybe getting a sandblaster to use in restorations. That kind of thing. Nothing too heavy duty.

[stokester]

I was thinking about getting a real air compressor for the home shop (don't know where I'd put it though) and then try picking up some used impacts and attachments for it. But then saw the rise of battery tools and have rethought the idea.

Having a good reliable air compressor is a necessity in my opinion. I've worn out a few over the years, but never regretted having spent the money on shop air. These days there are many choices, but a quality oil lubricated pump unit will make your shop work so much easier.

Same here.  Cost of the top of the line Craftsman Professional 220v, 2-stage compressor was figured in the cost of putting up my garage.  A couple of regulator/filters, some pipe with fittings and I plumbed it for ease of filling tires and use of my air tools to include the air guns for blowing debris out of items.  I find it indispensable.

[wantedabiggergarage]

I rebuild my own battery packs and that is why my cordless tools work well, but as Pep said, many times cordless tools will leave you hanging before a job is done.

Lithium ones as well?  (have one tool, recently ended up with, due to another death, that the battery is bad and about 2 years old)

I am trying to remember what year the old shop I worked at, ended up replacing the old lifts from 1953.  The new ones are quite a bit different and the compressor isn't used as much.
My old compressor, is a 60 gallon that is going to a siblings farm and the new house compressor, puts out 80% of the air of the larger one, but is a much smaller Quincy Industrial that was a CL find.

[walrus]

Modern shops have plenty of air and I'm sure lots of air powered tools. But cordless tools are extremely prevalent in shops. I laugh at the folks who say cordless tools aren't all that. Milwaukee Fuel cordless tools make life so much easier on a job site. In my experience no one uses corded tools on a job site. No cords, no Osha. I've been using a cordless circular saw for cutting Galv pipe for 15 years, same saw, improved batteries from the original ones. Even the older batteries would cut conduit all day. I have a M18 Chainsaw. When I first got it I put it to the test , cutting firewood out of a pile of tree length logs. It would cut for an hour, put another battery in cut for an hour and by that time the original battery was charged again. Now would I cut all my firewood with that saw, no, gas powered saws are more powerful, faster.

I was waiting for Milwaukee to develop a cordless Romex stapler. It finally happened but about 18 months ago I bought a Dewalt cordless Romex stapler as I needed on a couple projects(I normally don't run a bunch of Romex), the thing is awesome. Not only does it save time but it saves wear and tear on the body. I've tried to make it drive a staple thru a cable, its hard to do. It automatically adjusts to depth of whats being stapled and won't over drive a staple.

Milwaukee makes over 100 battery operated tools, I'm sure Dewalt does also. I would only recommend Milwaukee Fuel tools as battery life is longer and more power in a smaller package. Maybe if different in your own shop where you don't have to pack every thing up at the end of the day but doing service on the road, Cordless is much better.

[fatfillup]

Walrus, you are right and I never thought about OSHA and drop cords but they are picky and likely pricky

I bought a Greenworks 80 volt saw and hand held blower in a large tool deal.  They were new and I had an ongoing need for a blower and a sometimes need for a chainsaw.  Note, I don't like chainsaws and really didn't want another gas engine to sit around. 

Well we had some storm damage last week that took down some limbs, up to 10 inch.  That saw worked like a charm with decent battery life and the batteries like yours charged quickly. 

As to brands, Milwaukee is favored by lots of folks and Dewalt has a good following with tradesman but not so much mechanics.  Had a Makita fanboy in the store the other day too which is rare.

Because of the way I buy tools, I have many platforms in my collection which is a pain but most I have minimal money in.  My latest is Snap on 7.2 volt (I think) lithium. Small 3/8 impact and a 3/8 and 1/4 ratchets.  Learning to like the ratchets a lot.  Even with low voltage ratings, life is good and power decent. 

For me, battery life isn't critical as my use is not constant nor heavy and rarely mobile.  For a tradesman, that would be a different story.

As to air, and I may have said this before, body shops will be running on air for a long time as their tools use huge volumes of air and batteries aren't there yet.

[nonhog]

For decades I only used hand tools even though I had air. I liked the process. Now that my health is worse I really like having my cordless tools. Keeps me in the garage! And yes drilling can be a bitch sometimes but most instances you grab the corded and be prepared. My latest garage has little room for a compressor but when the day comes I may put one outdoors and put a cover over it. (sun protection) until I get a shed build. I won't run it enough to p/o the neighbors.