Impacts: air cat or IR

97rada

97rada

New member
I am looking in to impacts at the moment and curious what your opinions are. Looks like the options are Air cat or IR. Will be getting 1/2in and 3/8in.
Please share personal experience
Thanks Austin
 
Snap on just can't hang with the IR. the snap on guys will even admit that. My reason for asking is the are the same price for me. Cliff What one has more power ?
 
97rada said:
Snap on just can't hang with the IR. the snap on guys will even admit that. My reason for asking is the are the same price for me. Cliff What one has more power ?
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Depends on who you ask. I've heard the opposite.
 
My aircat is my 3/8 and my ir is 1/2 soooo the ir LOL honestly I like the trigger on the ir much better but don't know if I get a bad trigger on my aircat
 
I've owned Aircat before wasnt to impressed. On the other hand I have a Matco (IR built) 3/8 and 1/2 love both of them.
 
When I was looking at impacts, I went to the local tire shop. They all had IR impacts, and have had minimum issues. So, I have IR
 
IR titanium are what I have on the 1/2". I own 6 IR impacts, 2 snap on, and 2 mac. The others hardly get used compared to the IR impacts. Especially the half inch titanium, I use it in places I would use a 3/4"impact
 
I have a 3/4" IR and love it. Tons of power even on 3/8" line. I took the cheaper route out and bought the cornwell 1/2" that is made by IR, it is a pretty damn good gun too. If you can stand just a couple more ounces of weight in your 1/2" gun, I would recommend the cornwell for the money.
 
Thanks guys. Sounds like IR is still in the lead. I get there products at 50% cost so that's who I think I am going with.
The only reason I asked was we just got an air cat half at work and it removed pinion nuts with ease. Did jobs the 3/4 couldn't
 
Th IRs are the best impact made, bar none. Had the same 1/2 one for 15 years still hangs with the new titanium one. Got a new titanium 3/8 and it is unbelievable, really light and powerful.
 
97rada said:
Thanks guys. Sounds like IR is still in the lead. I get there products at 50% cost so that's who I think I am going with.
The only reason I asked was we just got an air cat half at work and it removed pinion nuts with ease. Did jobs the 3/4 couldn't
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My old Composite IR 2125 1/2" gun will annihilate any new 1/2" drive AirCat, been there, done that.
The 3/4" Composite IR will out perform any other comparably priced 3/4" and 1" guns.
 
The red SnapOn guns suck. They have power, but the triggers are worthless.

I have an IR 2135timax that I've been using for 3 or 4 years. I love it, it gets used on jobs too big and has the finesse for the small jobs.

A couple guys I work with have Aircats. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of those either.

With my IR 1/2 gun, I don't need a high Zuk 3/8 gun. I just need something to zing bolts in without twisting them off. So I ended up with a cheap azzed blue point 3/8 that I like a lot as well.
 
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Where can you get repair parts & instructions for an IR impact? I bought an older 1/2" model at a swap meet and it doesn't do anything but blow air when you pull the trigger.
 
Michael said:
Where can you get repair parts & instructions for an IR impact? I bought an older 1/2" model at a swap meet and it doesn't do anything but blow air when you pull the trigger.
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Try running oil through it. My cousin had one that would do the same thing. Took it apart and put some oil and grease in it and work just fine. If that doesn't work I can get kits at my work for it if you can find a model number on it.
 
Michael said:
Where can you get repair parts & instructions for an IR impact? I bought an older 1/2" model at a swap meet and it doesn't do anything but blow air when you pull the trigger.
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Snap-on guy got parts for mine.

IR titanium all the way.

Have a brand new aircat nitro cat that replaced the backup 1/2 and ran them both for a day switching on and off and the IR has better ergonomics as for weight displacement (how its balanced), easier to switch directions, better "feel" to how tight you are actually getting things and I like the ir had a separate switch for limiting power selections. But the IR is louder for sure but not horrible, the Cat seems like it has less power due to the impact being muffed better but they are pretty much the same even though the Cat was suppose to be a lot more powerful especially against a much older IR.
 
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I run the trusty old 231c ingersol gun for 1/2 drive. I use my impacts every day, beat the piss outta them, and go thru a gun about once every 2 years. The ingersols are the only ones that make it that long for the 1/2 drive. For 3/8 I have a Snappy MG31, and it has a ton of power. Made it 3 years on my last one, traded it in for a new one, and the new one crapped out in 2 months.
 
Go with the Air Cat NITROCAT 1200k it is a mean lite weight unit! We have snap-on guns, IR guns and one guy has a Klutch gun.. NOT one of them hold a light to my Air cat.. Went through one snap on gun and one cornwell IR titanium. The IR is more smother when free reving and less fatigue on the hand..
 
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