Using Pneumatic Tools.....

howareb · 01-15-08, 05:18

I was given a cheaper pneumatic drill ($20) from Pep Boys in which I was going to use for polishing glass, restoring headlights and also wheels with the Flitz polishing system. I got the connection set-up on the compressor with a non-marring hose, an in-line oiler, a swivel and lastly the drill. Well the drill works just fine, the problem is the amount of residual oil that is blown out of the exhaust of the drill with the exiting air. This is my first pneumatic tool, so I have very little experience with them. Is this the difference between a cheaper pneumatic tool and a more expensive one? Do the more expensive ones keep the oil in better? Having residual oil would obviously be a "no-no" for detailing. I may just be better off in going back to my cordless drill or use a cheap electric drill.

What are you guys experiences with pneumatic tools, if you use them? Do you like them any better than their electric or cordless counterparts? Are pneumatic tools dead?

Stephenwz968 · 01-16-08, 08:01

I use a pneumatic ratchet, impact gun and drill, and I have no oil residue at all. All of mine are Husky from Home Depot....

Gears · 01-16-08, 08:48

Maybe the problem is with the in-line oiler?

howareb · 01-16-08, 09:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gears

Maybe the problem is with the in-line oiler?

Well you may be right, I could take it out of the mix and I guess that I would be alright with dropping in some oil before each time I start to use the drill. Like I said I am new to using pneumatic tools so I am open to trying anything. I will remove it to see what happens (and also see if I have it in the proper orientation). The in-line oiler that I am using is below:

Craftsman 1/4 in. NPT Thread Air Tool Oiler
Sears item# 00916309000 Mfr. model# 16309

I guess the only way to tell if the tool is the problem is to get a higher quality drill, like this one:

Craftsman 3/8 in. Right Angle Reversible Drill
Sears item# 00918514000 Mfr. model# 18514

Thanks for the help

weekendwarrior · 01-16-08, 09:58

I have some Porter Cable (expensive air tools), and some cheap Harbor Freight ones. I don't get oil discharge from any of them, but I put a few drops in the tool before each use - no in-line oiler.

howareb · 01-16-08, 11:40

I removed the in-line oiler and I still have the same issue. I packed up the drill and I am going to take it back to Pepboys. I am just going to get the Craftsman pneumatic drill instead. Sears has a Chicago Mini Polisher as well, that looks pretty nice.

iamwiz82 · 01-16-08, 12:06

My some of my cheapie Campbell Hausfeld air tools do this. The Impact wrench, especially.

porcupine73 · 01-22-08, 07:31

It is almost certainly the inline oiler. Does it have any adjustment? Any oil entering the tool has to go somewhere....yes some stays in on the vanes etc but oil in=oil out the exhaust. I use a lot of air tools but I just oil them before use rather than the inline oiler. If I have an issue with oil spray, I wrap a shop towel around the exhaust while I use it to catch the excess oil blow through. Typically, air tools say you should get a fine mist of oil on a sheet of paper held near the exhaust.

howareb · 01-22-08, 08:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by porcupine73

It is almost certainly the inline oiler. Does it have any adjustment? Any oil entering the tool has to go somewhere....yes some stays in on the vanes etc but oil in=oil out the exhaust. I use a lot of air tools but I just oil them before use rather than the inline oiler. If I have an issue with oil spray, I wrap a shop towel around the exhaust while I use it to catch the excess oil blow through. Typically, air tools say you should get a fine mist of oil on a sheet of paper held near the exhaust.

Thanks for the response. I guess when I took the inline oiler off, I did not give the drill enough time to expend the excess oil that was in the tool. OK I will remove the in-line oiler and only oil when I begin to use the tool. Is it safe to continue to run the tools in this fashion? How do you know when you need more oil?

I have since replaced the tool with a craftsman that is on order, however when I recieve it I will do what you suggested and remove the in-line oiler. Again thanks for confirming this for me.

porcupine73 · 01-22-08, 08:45

Hi. I'm not suggesting removing the inline oiler; I just don't have one so I oil the tool before use and during use when it seems like it needs some. An inline oiler is good for air tools. They like to be oiled and will greatly increase their life. If too much oil seems to be spraying out, see if the oiler can be adjusted to inject less oil, or maybe wrap a cloth around the exhaust to catch it. No one likes to aspirate the oil into their lungs either hehe

howareb · 01-22-08, 08:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by porcupine73

Hi. I'm not suggesting removing the inline oiler; I just don't have one so I oil the tool before use and during use when it seems like it needs some. An inline oiler is good for air tools. They like to be oiled and will greatly increase their life. If too much oil seems to be spraying out, see if the oiler can be adjusted to inject less oil, or maybe wrap a cloth around the exhaust to catch it. No one likes to aspirate the oil into their lungs either hehe

The shop rag idea sounds good, but I first want to test the thoery. The main reason that I got the in-line oiler was becuse I thought that it was a necessity. Now, however everyone is saying that they oil their tools before they start using them. I do not mind the oil when I am working on the mechanics of the car, however when I am doing details I want to keep the area as clean as possible. I will try the shop rag idea and see how that works.

Also, what happens to pneumatic tools when they fail?

howareb · 01-22-08, 12:25

I got my Craftsman 3/8" Angle Air Drill and Makita 9227C Rotary from UPS today. This drill is very well constructed and is not as noisy as the other Drill that I got from Pep Boys. I connected up the Drill to the line with the in line oiler and the oil residue has decreased significantly to where it is barely noticeable. What a change. Being that this is normal behavior for air tools, I guess that I will have to live with it. However with the miniscule amount of oil that I am now getting, I can consider using the air tools for detailing. Thanks everyone for their help.