When it comes to air tools, AIRCAT is a company that is relatively young compared to some of the most commonly known manufacturers of pneumatic tools. In fact, they’ve only been in business since 1998. Nonetheless, young eyes on an old problem often brings about new solutions and such is the case with AIRCAT’s line of impact wrenches. Within this realm, AIRCAT prides themselves on increasing operator comfort via reduction in vibration and noise, in addition to delivering necessary torque to get the job done.
Perhaps it is this attention to detail that makes the AIRCAT 1150 Killer Torque 1/2″ Drive Impact Wrench one of the best sellers on the market to date. Because this wrench is so good, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do a review. We liked it so much that we have also included it in our list of the best impact wrenches.
Features
The 1150 Killer Torque is an air impact wrench that is laden with features. Peak output is set at 1295 ft-lbs with a working torque of up to 950 ft-lbs. This torque is delivered with 1400 blows per minute thanks to a twin hammer design. Air consumption is 4.3 CFM under load with an air flow pressure rating of 90-120 psi.
As far as the body of the wrench, it is made out of a composite that is both lightweight and imparts vibration damping properties on the wrench. The handle is molded with comfortable finger grooves that are reminiscent of an HK45 pistol. The thumb actuated forward and reverse lever is also positioned nicely and is easy to toggle back and forth. The attention paid to the ergonomics of the touch points on this wrench are readily obvious the second you pick it up and the decrease in user fatigue is noticeable after using it for a few hours.
In addition to ergonomics, AIRCAT has paid special attention to noise output levels. While this may not seem like a big deal, any professional mechanic will tell you that the noise damage to your ears over time adds up if you don’t take pains to use hearing protection. At 86 decibels, the AIRCAT 1150 still isn’t quiet enough that we’d consider it safe to run without earplugs, but nonetheless it’s nice that it takes the edge off for bystanders in the vicinity who may not have earplugs handy.
Build Quality
When it comes to build quality, we are pretty impressed. We were a little nervous about the composite before handling it as we are used to the more common metal handles on competitive products, but at the end of the day, the composite is high quality feels absolutely great. Quality materials are used through the entire design of the wrench, which makes this a winner in our book. Furthermore, while it isn’t relevant to the quality per se, we just think the dark gray on silver looks pretty awesome. If the styling on an air wrench can make us smile, it’s worth bonus points to us. While we are at it, bonus points awarded for the name “Killer Torque” as well.
In addition to solid materials, the folks at AIRCAT get a check mark for assembling their tools in the USA! This is not to say that there aren’t quality tools coming out of other countries, but when you manufacture assemblies in your own country, it’s much easier to keep a tight watch on the quality control to prevent any issues before they arise. As a result, fit and finish are excellent.
Lastly, AIRCAT offers a pretty nice 2 year warranty on both parts and labor. Compared to a lot of guys out there who are offering only a 1 year warranty, we look upon AIRCAT’s warranty favorably for this reason.
Value
So why is the AIRCAT 1150 one of the best selling air powered impact wrenches on the market? The answer is pretty simple. It’s priced pretty well when you consider the features and specs that you get when you purchase one. You can certainly find a cheaper air impact than the 1150, no doubt. However, you just aren’t going to get the same amount of useful bells and whistles, not to mention the sweet warranty, with a cheaper down market tool. As such, the 1150 is a superb value in our opinion.
When it comes to finding a place to buy one, Amazon ships for free and beats out most of the online tool suppliers. Coupled with their excellent reputation and return policy, this is usually where we point people to when they are interested in buying.
Should you wish to learn more, you can see more pictures, read more reviews, and see prices by clicking here! Happy wrenching!