Using Pneumatic Tools.....

H

howareb

New member
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?
 
Gears said:
Maybe the problem is with the in-line oiler?
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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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
porcupine73 said:
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.
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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. ;)
 
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 :)
 
porcupine73 said:
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 :)
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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?
 
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.
 
I got my Craftsman 3/8" Angle Air Drill and a new Makita 9227C Rotary :o ( to replace my cheapy Habor Freight) 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 minuscule amount of oil that I am now getting, I can consider using the air tools for detailing. Thanks everyone for their help.
 
asleepz said:
Most higher grade pneumatics have a thick mesh over and inside the exhaust port to catch residue.
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Man where was this answer at last week.:chuckle:



from what I see with the performance of the new dril, you are right about it. I never buy cheap tools, but I did not think anything of it with the PepBoys drill. Oh well I learned my lesson on that one.



I am also thinking about that ingersoll-rand polisher. It look like it would be good with headlights and glass.
 
It is the in-line oiler. Take it off. Cheap or high quaility tools are the same in this respect in that 95% of the oil that enters will come out. Think about it, excess oil (more than 3-4 drops per hour) and 60-120 psi? It's gotta go some where! In-line oilers are made for production shops where a tool starts at 8:00 runs till 10:30 and the operater can't be trusted to oil his equipment at each break time, then runs till 12:00 and then the rest of the day etc. and mainly for grinding /cutting equipment.



I use 1-2 drops every 20 min. or so. No more is needed and is a waste. Heavy grate just collects till it's full then it "pukes", not good. I do use a old cotton towel on the exahaust.



Try it, u will be ok!



________

James
 
James Thomas said:
It is the in-line oiler. Take it off. Cheap or high quaility tools are the same in this respect in that 95% of the oil that enters will come out. Think about it, excess oil (more than 3-4 drops per hour) and 60-120 psi? It's gotta go some where! In-line oilers are made for production shops where a tool starts at 8:00 runs till 10:30 and the operater can't be trusted to oil his equipment at each break time, then runs till 12:00 and then the rest of the day etc. and mainly for grinding /cutting equipment.



I use 1-2 drops every 20 min. or so. No more is needed and is a waste. Heavy grate just collects till it's full then it "pukes", not good. I do use a old cotton towel on the exahaust.



Try it, u will be ok!



________

James
Click to expand...



I will give it a shot. Thanks James
 
In-line oiler, for sure, I had one installed and it blew oil everywhere! You only need one to three drops of oil before using the tool, but I'll be honest, I forget 3/4 of the time and I've never had a problem with ANY of my air tools! I get all of mine at Harbor Freight!
 
Many high end tools will have a rear exhaust as well. This will keep the oil off of your surface and I guess all over you instead.

I used a pnuematic D/A for a while and attached a tube to route everything out the back and attached it to the handle and hose. Made a big difference.
 
Hi Guy;

For many years I was a professional mechanic and used air tools on a daily basis. I would give each of my air tools one to three drops of oil a day, and that was it. This was the "norm" with the guys I used to work with.

Now regarding the in line oiler, that is overkill, reduce the delivery of the amount of oil or better stll disconnect it and lube your tool with a couple of drops from a bottle.

Hope this helps...

Good luck

Roger :brit





howareb said:
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?
Click to expand...
 
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