Comment by lpcamacho
7 years ago
There is a good article about the benefits of compressed air technology on low tech magazine https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2018/05/ditch-the-batteries-...
7 years ago
There is a good article about the benefits of compressed air technology on low tech magazine https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2018/05/ditch-the-batteries-...
As a common user of compressed air tools, there are countless drawbacks that likely negate the benefits:
1. Leakage. It is hard to avoid having connectors leak, requiring very frequent recompression of tanks even without use.
2. Efficiency. Compressed air tanks are very efficient for energy storage, but compressors and especially handheld tools are not. Also, if you are using a compressor powered by another easy-to-use source of energy such as electricity, you are just pointlessly throwing energy out the window.
3. Noise. You cannot get around the fact that the tools need to expel pressurized air, commonly powering either turbines (whirring noises) or pistons (adds banging/clicking noises). Compressors are also horribly noisy, with the best ones being a deep, powerful humm.
The reason pneumatic tools are popular with mechanics and the likes is related to the built-in cooling effect allowing for dense high-powered tools, and that high-torque impact tools are also quite easy to make this way. The environment they're used in is already noisy, so that aspect doesn't matter.