Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_0619 - 46

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

AIRCAT
Pneumatic Tools

VIBROTHERM DRIVE 1178VXL 1/2" Impact Wrench
Reduced vibration and tuned exhaust
keep noise to a minimum.

The AIRCAT Pneumatic VIBROTHERM
DRIVE Impact Wrench Series is
designed for professional automotive
technicians and service shop professionals. The impact wrenches offer high
torque, low vibration, low noise, low
weight, shorter length, longer working
life, and operating comfort and convenience, the company says. AIRCAT
includes a three-year warranty on the tool.
Circle 163 on card, or
enter at "e-inquiry" on
VehicleServicePros.com

by Emily Markham, Assistant Editor

THE REVIEW:

W

orking in the shop can
get noisy, but with the
AIRCAT Pneumatic Tools
VIBROTHERM DRIVE 1178-VXL 1/2"
Impact Wrench, technicians can eliminate some of that noise, and they
won't have to sacrifice on the tool's
power, says reviewer Jeff Buckley.
Buckley, owner of My Father's
Shop in Midlothian, Texas, put the
VIBROTHERM DRIVE to the test. This
model is designed to have a much quieter
impact with a greater amount of power, so
Buckley compared the noise level of the
AIRCAT tool against the usual impact
wrench used in his shop. With its new
mechanism to reduce vibration and tuned
exhaust to keep noise to a minimum,
Buckley noticed a difference.
"[The VIBROTHERM DRIVE] actually does quiet down the noise quite a bit,
so whether you have one of these going
in the shop or several, it's going to be a bit
quieter," Buckley said.
The testing didn't stop there though.
Buckley used the tool in a variety of jobs
around the shop, including standard tire

46

PTEN

JUNE 2019

service, brakes, and
suspension. Featuring
1,300 ft-lbs of loosening torque at 90psi,
Buckley decided to test
the power of the VIBROTHERM
DRIVE on a particularly stubborn crankshaft bolt, and the
tool removed the bolt with ease.
When a tool isn't tough
enough to do a job, it can
cost technicians valuable
time when they have to
go searching for a tool
that can. According
t o B u c k l e y, " [ T h e
VIBROTHERM DRIVE] seems
to have plenty of power to do the standard
jobs that we need to do as mechanics."
Buckley was impressed with the
AIRCAT impact wrench from the
moment he laid his eyes on it. Pulling the
tool from its box and removing it from the
black, cloth bag, he said, "The first thing
[you] notice when you get this out is this
is a really good-looking tool."
The molded handle offers a comfort-

www.VehicleServicePros.com

able grip
that "fits
right in the
palm of your hand,"
Buckley says. He adds, the
switch for forward and
reverse is simple enough
to flip with just a flick of
your thumb.
Additionally, Buckley
found the VIBROTHERM
DRIVE easy to use, with
little set-up required -
the technician only had
to install the connector to
prepare for use. Though
Buckley found it unnecessary
for this very straightforward tool,
the impact wrench does come with an
instruction manual.
After finishing the reviewing process
for the VIBROTHERM DRIVE, Buckley
had just one thing to say, "I know where
this one's going - into my toolbox!"
To see the VIBROTHERM DRIVE
1/2" Impact Wrench in action, check out
Buckley's video review.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_0619

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