Air ratchets

[striker]

I've just got a cjautos tilting car lift. It has two gearboxes.linked together driving acme threads to raise the car. I was recommended a drill of 1050w to operate it. I have decent electric tools, blue Busch, Makita etc which I'm more than happy with. None are 1050w or above though. I bought a cheap one off eBay just to operate the lift. It smoked and died. I have a decent air supply so was thinking about an air ratchet. I have an impact gun but this would wreck the gearboxes.. would an air ratchet have more torque than a cheap 1050w drill? Apparently I need 90nm if torque.
Thanks.

 

[stuvy]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/2936712351...VUQVGqGsF5Ek3y4YNiCldoPjklhYB9pRoCOwkQAvD_BwE

I got this for my now ex boss(it was actually sold to him from @eLuSiVeMiTe)

I welded an old socket robin gave me and used an air impact gun to raise and lower it with no issues

 

[striker]

Yeah that's fine as there's no gearboxes. I can't use an impact wrench. It will wreck the gearboxes.

 

[stuvy]

Yeah that's fine as there's no gearboxes. I can't use an impact wrench. It will wreck the gearboxes.

lifted two engines? One axle and loaded something for chap next door with the same impact gun no issues

 

[daleyd]

Air ratchets don’t usually have that much torque - a quick scout around on google suggests that 1/2 inch ones are around 70/80nm - maybe more for some expensive ones like IR/Snap on etc but it would be marginal I think if you need 90.

 

[striker]

Yeah I've seen those figures, but was looking for real life experiences as I was told the drill I bought was 1050w which if was right then there shouldn't have been a problem!

 

[daleyd]

If torque is the important figure then your arbitrary power requirement of 1050w is kind of irrelevant (ok not quite irrelevant as they are linked but i don’t get why it was quoted as being necessary).

A 1050w motor driven through a reduction gearbox would give more torque than one without a gearbox for example. Did your drill have a gearbox? If not could you get one that has got a gearbox to give you more torque?

It’s hard to say if an electric drill has more torque than an air ratchet as they do different jobs - an air ratchet is generally quite a slow running affair whereas you wouldn’t normally use a mains drill to turn something as slowly as an air ratchet.

 

[Ashley Burton]

I've never found air ratchets that great for torque

Ingersoll Rand are probably one of the few that make decent ones, I think they use to do one & may still do one called a hammer head. But it might well of been an impact style ratchet

 

[armalites]

I've never found air ratchets that great for torque

Except when they've got your hand trapped against something

 

[striker]

No gearbox on the broken drill. Just variable speed.

 

[stuvy]

I've never found air ratchets that great for torque

Ingersoll Rand are probably one of the few that make decent ones, I think they use to do one & may still do one called a hammer head. But it might well of been an impact style ratchet

I use them for crank pulleys there the only thing man enough

 

[daleyd]

No gearbox on the broken drill. Just variable speed.

I think that may have been (partly) the issue. If you could get a drill with a 2 speed gearbox with a reduction ratio of 2:1 then you’ve doubled your torque.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Would a plaster mixer work better? Weld a chuck to the output. Loads of torque.

 

[Wildefalcon]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2100W-El...-Paint-Stirrer-Plastering-Whisk-/312775178778

 

[striker]

I actually have one of those. Good idea. It won't fit directly on as the drive of the lift is quite close to the ground. Maybe I could make something up with a universal joint.

 

[Wildefalcon]

You could gear it down, or pulley it, and put the drive above the lift gearbox.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I have seen a video on You Tube where a chap made a hand crank out of push bike bits so he just sits on a chair and winds a handle at sensible working height rather than on the floor.

 

[striker]

It comes with a handle and uj. But it takes an age to wind up or down.

 

[Cobbler]

Could you get a cheap impact gun & take the hammer bit out, or weld it up? There must be loads of worn out impact guns about.

 

[striker]

I've never had one apart, for anyone that has, is that possible?