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Review on AIRCAT 4451: 1/2-Inch Reversible Composite Drill Air Tool, 400 RPM, .7 HP Motor - Extreme Heavy Duty by Roger Sanders

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Heavy Duty drilling (IE Hole Saw in Metal, Wood)

Pictured with a 1/2 inch "G" air Connector.It is really meant larger hole drilling through metal. if you are drill a hole less than 3/4 of an inch grab your cordless drill. the way an air drill makes power vs a cordless drill are very different. A battery powered drill makes all of its torque near locked rotor or stall speeds. Even though this drill would make around 13 Foot pounds compared to 50-75 Foot pounds of a 1/2 drill it makes that torque at pretty much all RPMs. This drill would be worthless at drilling through wood with a twist drill bit, but need a two inch or larger hole, this drill is way faster as it takes a lot of force to bog it down. By the electric drill is making more torque than this drill it is rotating slower, due to how an electric motor makes torque. When this drill does stall it is not nearly as harsh on your wrists. However, if you have a large enough air compressor the outside temperature of this drill almost condensates it is so cold. Compared to drilling 5- 6inch holes in duct work and a cordless drill is hot. It is not all roses, it needs a pretty good size air compressor to run it. Mine is 5HP, 80 Gallons, 2 stage, 175 PSI with a 75 CFM regulator and it is just acceptably sized as long as you don't setup to drill a lot of holes and try to use it continuously for several minutes. A 120 Volt compressor is not going to run this and 3 HP single stage might struggle to keep up. Lastly because of that and like all air tools they are really inefficient at transferring energy, to run this drill wide open continuously you would need a 35 CFM or 10 HP air compressor to have a chance at it. they always rate air consumption of air tools as 15 seconds on, 45 seconds off. In reality that is probably how most people are going to use this tool, or maybe 30 seconds on 45 seconds off, which means you need a larger tank size. I also use mine to run a malt mill on my homebrew setup, usually grinding 45-60 pounds of grain for a 30 gallon batch and this drill has no problem and is cold when it is done. I have smoked 3 cordless Milwaukee drills doing this in the past. Air tools like this are no replacement for cordless and cordless is no replacement for air depending on the job; right tool for the job.

Pros
  • Thanks to its lightweight composite construction and ergonomic design, the AIRCAT 4451 is comfortable to use for extended periods of time. Say goodbye to hand fatigue and sore wrists and hello to increased productivity and precision
Cons
  • Its composite body construction may not be as durable as other heavy-duty drills made of metal, thus offering less longevity and sturdiness in the long run