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Air Drill Quality

There isn't any tool in your tool box that you will spend more time using than your air drill. So, IMHO this isn't the place to try to save money. Go ahead and be nice to yourself and buy a good air drill. I am working on my RV-7A fuselage and the two tools I would never give up are my pneumatic squeezer and Sioux air drill.

http://www.averytools.com/pc-565-25-sioux-14-air-drill.aspx

Steve Eberhart
RV-7A, almost ready to flip the canoe
 
the sioux

is probally the best, but like you said it wobbles so get a good one. the ats is probally that. as i think the sioux is overpriced i do however have one because it came in my kit and it is dead solid when spinning. i also have a 18 dollar drill that is very steady. go figure :rolleyes: the 60 dollar craftsman drill wobbles like mad.
 
I have heard Sioux are very quiet and excellent quality but they are very expensive, so if I can get away with the ATS that would be preferred. If I were going to be using it everyday to make a living the 210.00 might be justified. Also I see its only a 1/4" chuck
 
The little 3600 rpm Sioux is a great drill & Brown has the best price. If $ is important, you might want to try this one http://gallery.bcentral.com/GID4351...ills/2800-RPM-Pneumatic-Drill-WAS-179.95.aspx just make sure you can return it.

I have a little Rockwell & a Dotco and they are both good.

Some people are using the little Chicago Pneumatic which can be had for about $90. I believe it has bushings rather than bearings, but if it fails on you before your are finished with your project you can buy another and still be ahead of the price of the Sioux.

Whatever, you want small size for getting into tight spaces, light weight (1.5 lbs or less) because you might be match drilling 500 holes at a stretch & a speed of 2,500 rpm or more.

I bought mine off Ebay, but they don't seem to have the selection there any more. If you go the Ebay route, compare the chuck sizes in the photos to get an idea of size. And make sure the seller lists the weight of the item, not just the shippping weight. For example, the Rockwell they have on Ebay right now is a monster & you don't want it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ROCKWELL-AIR-PN...yZ109559QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 
air drill

I think the sioux drill is one of the finest drills out there. My 2600 rpm drill has the 1/4" keyless chuck option and is quite quiet (compared with others).
 
sioux drill

I cringed at the price too. But two months down the road and you will be glad you did and the price will be more than worth it in its versatility and quality. Don't get cheap here, you will waste a lot of time later. IMHO.
 
Souix me, I love it

Technically, you don't even "need" an air drill. A guy in my local EAA group has built two RVs, still doesn't own an air drill.

That being said, they sure air nice. Biggest advantages are weight, speed, and size. My advice is:

#1 Decide "Go" or "No Go" on air drill.
#2 If "Go", get a good one, and get it new from a reputable dealer. IF there are any problems, you'll be glad you did.

I got the RV kit from Avery and added a pneumatic squeezer. That kit comes with the Souix, and I love it. It is my favorite drill, hands down. That Pneumatic squeezer is the single most expensive tool I have, and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

For me, it came down this. I'm building a metal contraption that will cost me well over $30k and will hurtle my body through the atmosphere 200mph at 10,000'+. Do I want cheap tools, or do I want good tools?

Overall, I spent about $3k on tools, including the compressor. That's less than 10% of the total cost of this plane. And I use these tools for a LOT more than just airplane building. In hindsight, it's some of the best money I've ever spent.

Tools are NOT the place to skimp. Pay for quality and service, you'll be glad you did.
 
Mac Tools Palm Drill.

Mac Tools makes a 1/4" chuck palm drill that is smaller than my Sioux and is about $70.00 less. Trigger is better, too.
 
I've done most of my work with a cheap B&D cordless drill. However, I am having to use my old electric right now, because both battery packs for the cordless have given in. I hate having to drag that cord around, but new battery packs cost more than a new drill, and have to be special ordered.

I have an air drill, but don't use it much because I really hate having to drag that air hose around with me, and I cannot change drills without getting a wrench out. There are some places where you just cannot get the air hose to fit into easily. The cordless is the most convenient tool for most of the work that you have to do. Of course, if I have to drill through solid metal, then I almost always use the air drill or the 120v electric. I don't think the cordless would have lasted for a whole longeron.


Tracy.
 
Model 1410- 2600 RPM - normally $219.95, now $199.95!

Model 1412 - 3600 RPM - normally $224.95, now $199.95!

Is the only diff. the speed or is there some other trade-off?
 
Air Drill necessity

If you end up getting an air drill, DEFINITELY get a swivel and permanantly mount it to your drill and then put the male end quick disconnect into it. It makes hose management MUCh more bearable.

$15 bucks, you can probably find locally at Depot, Northern, Orchard, Harbor, etc.
 
Get more than one

I have four air drills. Thats right four. One is a OLD cheapie from Home Depot. It has a crappy trigger but it's over 15 years old and still works great. I have two "upper quality" air drills from the Depot or Lowes that cost about $50-60 that have a nice trigger and have served me well. The fourth is the little 1/4" 3600 RPM Sioux that I picked up slightly used. The Sioux is quiet and smooth but VERY pricy in my book.

Why all the drills? Simple It's saved me COUNTLESS wasted time not having to stop and switch bits. There will be many times when you will need #30 & #40 drills while working on one part. Being able to just switch the air hose to another drill for a differnt size bit saves a HUGE amount of time and aggrivation. Better yet, have two air hoses. It is for this same reason I have more than one micro stop. One is set up for #30, the other #40. No wasted time setting up, just open the tool box grab the #30 drill, and the #30 microstop and I'm off working.

Oh and the tip about the swivels is a great one. ALL my airtools have swivels on them.

This is just how I do things and it might not be right for everyone. If I was tight on cash I'd sooner buy two or three drills for $200 before I'd spend that much on just one.
 
I'm still using the first air drill that I got from Harbor Freight back in 1982 when I started my first homebuilt. $19.95. When I started my first RV in '89, I bought another one just like it. Both are still going strong.
 
Chicago Pnematic

I plan on buying a Souix, right after I win the lottery...

For the last three years I've been using my Chicago Pnematic for my A&P job, no problems, I think it is the best value on the market today!

Northern Tool
 
Ingersol-rand Palm drills are much better than souix but are $$$ I paid $400.00 but I 'm a proffesional Sheetmetal guy. a cheap cp will do but they are like using like using a sledge hammer to drive a nail in a sheet rock wall to me.
 
Drill quality

briand said:
I did a search for threads about drills but couldn't find much so... Does anyone know if this air drill is any good. I originally bought a cheap one off e-bay for 10.00 but now its starting to wobble so its gotta go.


http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/d...=ATS6101&ReturnPage=/shop/flyer.aspx?PageNo=1

I don't know if this will help but I got the ATS tool set with the 3X gun and ATS drill. I have all but finished my wing and have had no problems with anything I got from them what so ever. FWIW
 
I received my Taylor drill from Brown yeterday and its great. Quiet, straight and small. This is the straightest drill I have ever seen and I can't imagine how the sioux could really be any better, maybe a little quieter.

The one thing I noticed is the oil just poured out of it when I fired it up, I hope thats just because its new and I don't have to keep that much oil in it all the time.
 
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