Whoah! How noisy are air tools...?

[e9999]

Man, the other day I was at Harbor Freight and on an impulse I bought this air ratchet. Very inexpensive (of course, HF on sale etc...) but I felt like giving it a try since I've never really used one before. Yup, am a manual tool guy mostly. Anyway, I felt like seeing if this would save a lot of time and if it might be a good idea to invest in some good ones.

So I fire it up at 90 psi, and I'm thinking, man, this is pretty noisy. Not painful noisy but up there. Kind of a high pitch screech.

Anyway, so far so good. That is until I went under the truck to remove a couple of plates. With the thing 6" from my head it was damn loud. There I was thinking man I should wear earplugs if I'm gonna use that thing a lot.

So, now, I'm wondering. Is this one so noisy cuz it's a cheapo or are they all like that? (The impact wrench I have is not that noisy FWIW.)

And what about high rpm tools like grinders and cutters and the like...? Are these objectionably loud?

 

[CruisinGA]

So, now, I'm wondering. Is this one so noisy cuz it's a cheapo or are they all like that? (The impact wrench I have is not that noisy FWIW.)

And what about high rpm tools like grinders and cutters and the like...? Are these objectionably loud?

I think it depends on your definition of objectionable.

Seems like your "objectionable" might be lower than most that own air tools.

And no, higher quality tools (in my experience) have not been any quieter than lower quality.

 

[e9999]

I think it depends on your definition of objectionable.

Seems like your "objectionable" might be lower than most that own air tools.

snip

well, the objectionable part is clearly a moving target. If you don't object to it at first, the noise will become less objectionable as time goes by...











and as your hearing becomes more objectionable...



but, of course, really, these things are pretty quantifiable. dBs at 2' should be below xxx level for yyy hrs / day etc.....
In practice, the rule of thumb should probably be that if it's painful, it's too late already. And if it feels uncomfortably loud, protection is likely necessary. In this case, it felt OK in the open. Under the truck it was not OK.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Higher cost tool may be slighty quieter, but you'd likely need a Db meter to tell. Air ratchets in general are louder then other styles of air tools.

I took my Db meter out in the shop - here are some results at 24" - all measurements at the same ambient conditions.

Makita 9005b 5" electric grinder - 92 Db
Chicago Pneumatic CP778 5" air grinder - 98 Db
Chicago Pneumatic CP875 2" air grinder - 105 Db
Dynabrade 56826 6" air palm sander - 92 Db
Makita 1/2" drill - 92 Db
Shop stereo @ 24" - 96 Db
Cheap Chinese 1/2" air drill - 98Db

I do believe my Bluepoint 1/2" impact would be in the 90 Db range and my Cambell-Hausfeld 3/8" ratchet would be louder than all of them (they are at home so no actual readings taken).

 

[Cruiserdrew]

They are super loud. I wear those pink foam ear plugs when I use the air tools longer than a few seconds. It can't be good for you hearing, especially close up.

Also, I have an IR ratchet and a HF ratchet. Both are equally loud. My hearing is still pretty good and I want to keep it that way.

 

[e9999]

Higher cost tool may be slighty quieter, but you'd likely need a Db meter to tell. Air ratchets in general are louder then other styles of air tools.

I took my Db meter out in the shop - here are some results at 24" - all measurements at the same ambient conditions.

Makita 9005b 5" electric grinder - 92 Db
Chicago Pneumatic CP778 5" air grinder - 98 Db
Chicago Pneumatic CP875 2" air grinder - 105 Db
Dynabrade 56826 6" air palm sander - 92 Db
Makita 1/2" drill - 92 Db
Shop stereo @ 24" - 96 Db
Cheap Chinese 1/2" air drill - 98Db

I do believe my Bluepoint 1/2" impact would be in the 90 Db range and my Cambell-Hausfeld 3/8" ratchet would be louder than all of them (they are at home so no actual readings taken).

those are pretty high levels. IIRC, OSHA and the like are clamping down at around 85 or 90 dBs...



anyway, sounds like my ratchet is no exception then. Unfortunate that the better tools are not less loud, though.

 

[RavenTai]

I cannot think of many air tools that I use without ear plugs, maybe my small 1/4" sioux drill

I still have hearing loss and a constant ringing mainly from air tools.

 

[cruiserjunktion]

always wear ear buds when using air tools-

 

[Tools R Us]

Air tools can be very noisy, some more than others. ATSCO 4hp grinders sound like an air raid siren, TC's 4hp grinder is much quieter, it's due to the shape/size/placement of the exhaust ports and chamber. Early Snap-on FAR72 ratchets made a shriek that I find very offensive, but I rarely use ratchets, noisy and slow.

Years ago a buddy's shop looked at moving to an area where noise was an issue. We did a noise study with the engineering dept from ASU and I-R, we found that noise could be greatly reduced with little to no reduction in performance. Simply wrapping a shop rag around the exhaust makes a big difference, but is temporary. Most tools have an internal exhaust chamber, if stuffed with scotch-brite, this can be very effective, depending on the type of tool.

The next problem is user perception, if a user has run very loud tools for years, they will often swear that a quieter tool has less power, even if the tool makes more power on the dyno.

Ingersoll-rand and TC now make quiet/muffled tools. The 2135QTi 1/2" impact is very effective, when run the hammer mechanism makes the most noise. The only significant difference is a piece of scotch-brite over the exhaust ports on the cylinder. The TC 4hp with muffler chamber and hose away sounds like a whisper when compared to a normal grinder, even an electric that makes equivalent power.

 

[RavenTai]

Along those lines I put a small amount cheese cloth in the exhaust chamber of my IR 3/8" impact, made a huge difference, still had to wear plugs though as the impacts would resonate through the structure, especially light weight composite.

 

[lowtops]

Off the subject a little, but if you are "a manual tool guy mostly" you will use that air ratchet a few times and put it away.
I have busted more knuckles, gotten my hand stuck, and painfully torqued more times with an air ratchet than any other tool I have ever used. They are cumbersome and will strip a bolt really quick. I used mine everyday for about six months when I first bought it and have not used it since.

I have much more control with hand tools. If I have the room I use a Dewalt 1/4" cordless impact gun. Yeah, they are cumbersome too, but much easier to use and not near as loud.

That reminds me anyone want to buy a Bluepoint 3/8" air ratchet. Low hours and I will even clean the blood off first.

 

[Tools R Us]

For old school design ratchets it's easy, the exhaust is in the center of the tool. Cut a piece of scotch-brite and tape/shrink wrap it leaving the far end open, makes a big difference. This one is an old blue point, no it wont help with the bloody knuckles!

 

[Tools R Us]

The IR-212 3/8" impacts are dead simple. Remove the snap-ring and exhaust screen, insert rolled scotch-brite or in this case open cell foam and reassemble.

Scotch-brite and open cell foam work well, cloth will pack down and reduce air flow/power. All of it eventually gets dirty/clogged and needs to be cleaned/replaced.

 

[e9999]

seems like any obstruction to the flow would reduce the power and/or speed. Is it noticeable with the "mufflers" you guys put on?

 

[RavenTai]

Maybe a slight difference but the noise reduction is worth it, my 3/8" impact was used for 3/16" screws, thousands of them a day. did not need full power anyway.

 

[Tools R Us]

As long as you use a large enough muffler, don't choke it, there is no difference. I have an air tool dyno, torque tester, so pretty sure! The air ratchet pictured above is a customer rebuild that I did this morning, tested it with and without, it makes the same torque and rpm. It's pretty simple stuff, so try it, if you don't like it, remove it! If you want the "flowmaster" version, stack up two pieces of scotch-brite!

 

[Family 40's]

Wear hearing protection, I work in a shop my hearing protection is my best friend considering I need to hear I am a Certified Flight Instructor. I use impacts and air ratchets all loud but the air ratchet and 1/4 inch impact are the loudest. You may not feel like it is loud but it is hurting your hearing health.