Lighter in weight, and more efficient than their electric rivals,
air screwdrivers are one of the most flexible and useful tools for the modern workshop, and have literally hundreds of uses. There are many different models of air powered screwdrivers on the market, and all of them offer a number of advantages, as well as fulfilling different roles and purposes.
In the right hands, an air screwdriver will allow you to get a job done more quickly, and more accurately than any other version and thanks to the high but controllable power offered by these tools, users will find that they are surprisingly easy to use.
One of the biggest disadvantages of a conventional manual screwdriver is that it can take an awful lot of effort to tighten up or loosen a screw, and if there are a lot of different fasteners on a job, then it can be extremely time consuming. By using a powered screwdriver you can cut the amount of time and effort involved in any job, and improve your efficiency enormously.
The three main types of power screwdriver are cordless electric (battery powered), powered screwdrivers with a cord, and air screwdrivers , and all three have their own advantages and disadvantages. With a cordless screwdriver, the biggest problem in use is that the battery runs out over time, and they are not generally able to handle very long jobs. They are also relatively heavy thanks to having both a weighty battery and an electric motor, meaning that they can be quite tiring in use.
With a plug in electric screwdriver, you are able to solve the problem of the unreliable power levels caused by a gradually discharging battery, however the unit is still quite heavy thanks to the motor, and the trailing power cord can be a hazard in use. With an
air screwdriver on the other hand, you are able to enjoy a tool that is much more lightweight than its rivals, has greater power in use, and also has excellent torque control.
One of the main advantages of an air screwdriver over any of its rivals is the way that it will tighten the screw up to a point, after which the air will automatically vent around the motor and prevent over tightening, which can cause problems such as stripping the thread, or distorting the screw head and making it extremely difficult to remove the screw in the future.
There are a number of different air screwdrivers available from Red Hill Supply, and these offer a variety of options including different power levels and shapes so that you can find a tool that is both comfortable in use and appropriate to the kind of jobs that you are going to be carrying out with it.
Essentially, there are two different style of air screwdriver. Pistol grip screwdrivers and standard shaped ones. Pistol grip models tend to be more comfortable in use, although they are a little heavier, and are generally designed to perform best on harder jobs thanks to the additional power allowed by their larger size.
Air screwdrivers connect directly onto a standard compressed air system, and typically have an air consumption of around 4 CFM. A number of different manufacturers produce the tool, including the well known Ingersoll Rand Company, who produces a pistol grip screwdriver - the IRT371, which offers variable power, and a fully reversible system to make tightening and loosening of screws a simple task.
Other manufacturers of
air screwdrivers include Chicago Pneumatic, who produces a range of ¼ inch models such as the CPT 782. a model that combines an ergonomic design with plenty of power to provide users with one of the most flexible and easy to use tools available.
