Van's Air Force
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air drill
- Thread starter jany77
- Start date
alpinelakespilot2000
Well Known Member
jany77 said:
I have a Sioux (and paid for it). It's great, but nextime I'd look around. In my opinion, the only thing that really matters is that it has a good teasing trigger to control speed. I've heard good things about Dotco drills (from ATS, I think) that cost about $70 instead $200 for the Sioux.
rv9aviator
Well Known Member
My Dotco Mini palm drill costs $239.00 from the cheapest place I could find a year ago. I need to check ATS looks like.
One thing I learned about air drills is you don't need a high speed drill for most of what you will be using it for. When opening up rivet holes slower is better and that is 80% of what the drill is used for. For countersing and deburring the slower the better. I use my cordless on the screw driver speed for countersinking and deburring. If the cordless wasn't so heavy and combersome I would use it for everything. BTW, I love my Dotco air drill. I may buy it a valentine
One thing I learned about air drills is you don't need a high speed drill for most of what you will be using it for. When opening up rivet holes slower is better and that is 80% of what the drill is used for. For countersing and deburring the slower the better. I use my cordless on the screw driver speed for countersinking and deburring. If the cordless wasn't so heavy and combersome I would use it for everything. BTW, I love my Dotco air drill. I may buy it a valentine
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Bought a ?? Palm Size Air Drill for $99.00 from Professional Air Riveting Tools and have had no problems. Also bought a Pneumatic Squeezer and die sets. This is a great place to buy air tools with good prices.
http://www.rivettools.com/air_drills.htm
Squeak
http://www.rivettools.com/air_drills.htm
Squeak
az_gila
Well Known Member
Cheap ones...
I bought a Sears one, and it was useless for fine work.
Make sure any one that you buy has a "teasing" throttle... some of the cheap ones are either ON or OFF, with a small kick back as they spin up... this makes it difficult to locate a hole precisely.
Also, since all of the power is back in the compressor, go for the lightest one you can get....
gil in Tucson
I bought a Sears one, and it was useless for fine work.
Make sure any one that you buy has a "teasing" throttle... some of the cheap ones are either ON or OFF, with a small kick back as they spin up... this makes it difficult to locate a hole precisely.
Also, since all of the power is back in the compressor, go for the lightest one you can get....
gil in Tucson
happy with this one:
Brand new c.p. mini reversible drill for 89.95. I have it and am happy with it, much better than the taylor I started with.
http://browntool.com/productselect.asp?ProductID=653
no affiliation whatsoever.
Brand new c.p. mini reversible drill for 89.95. I have it and am happy with it, much better than the taylor I started with.
http://browntool.com/productselect.asp?ProductID=653
no affiliation whatsoever.
McFly
Well Known Member
I am happy with my CH, purchased at Home Depot
I think I paid $30 for it. You could bye three units and permantly mount a #30, #40, and a stepbit (or whatever) and still be money ahead compared to a Sioux/Dotco purchase.
I have used a friends Sioux. It was certainly a better unit but 6 times better? Hardly. Good luck.
Hugh
I think I paid $30 for it. You could bye three units and permantly mount a #30, #40, and a stepbit (or whatever) and still be money ahead compared to a Sioux/Dotco purchase.
I have used a friends Sioux. It was certainly a better unit but 6 times better? Hardly. Good luck.
Hugh
Get one that is small & light weight. Small in diameter is reallly helpful when you are drilling inside tight places.
You want one that will turn 2,500 rpm minimum.
If price is an issue, buy from Brown for a new one or buy off Ebay. Brown's price on a 3,600 rpm Sioux model 1412 is $185, vs. $239 at lots of other places.
Richard Scott
RV-9A Wings
You want one that will turn 2,500 rpm minimum.
If price is an issue, buy from Brown for a new one or buy off Ebay. Brown's price on a 3,600 rpm Sioux model 1412 is $185, vs. $239 at lots of other places.
Richard Scott
RV-9A Wings
rzbill
Well Known Member
Teaser
I'll jump on the bandwagon for teasing trigger. Get at least one drill with that.
I have an ancient ARO with teasing trigger (had it for a long time and it was old when I got it.) and aquired another off brand drill with my project tool purchases. It has digital trigger. ON/OFF. Sux. I use them interchangeably ('cause I keep them with bits loaded) but the ARO is preffered. Especially for those "test" rivets that need to be removed before the real one is installed.
Oh yeah. Pay attention to the air exhaust. My cheapo has the exhaust on the top. It will blow every piece of paper off the bench on the first drilled hole. The ARO exhausts back through the bottom of the handle. No problemo
YMMV
I'll jump on the bandwagon for teasing trigger. Get at least one drill with that.
I have an ancient ARO with teasing trigger (had it for a long time and it was old when I got it.) and aquired another off brand drill with my project tool purchases. It has digital trigger. ON/OFF. Sux. I use them interchangeably ('cause I keep them with bits loaded) but the ARO is preffered. Especially for those "test" rivets that need to be removed before the real one is installed.
Oh yeah. Pay attention to the air exhaust. My cheapo has the exhaust on the top. It will blow every piece of paper off the bench on the first drilled hole. The ARO exhausts back through the bottom of the handle. No problemo
YMMV
