So, follow up.
I got the Aircat 6520, ordered Friday from Amazon and got it Sunday. The 6520 has the usual annoying lockout lever, Speed is adjusted via a thumbwheel on one side, Forward/Reverse is a thumbwheel switch on the other side. I got it because it is reversible, unlike the 6505. That is important to me, because I can't anticipate which side I'm going to be cutting something, and I don't want sparks in my face. It would be nice if it had the variable speed trigger like the 6505, but I can't have it all.
First of all, it uses 3/8" arbor hole disks. The web page, Fact Sheet, and Owner's Manual PDF's all fail to mention this. Maybe this is obvious, but the guy at Aircat didn't know off hand, but he did keep repeating "it uses the usual" which doesn't help me at all since I'm a first time cutoff tool buyer. (Actually I owned a CH briefly about 20 years ago; I returned it the next day, as it spun about once per second at 100PSI. Since then I've been getting by with grinders and dremels).
Second, air. I tested it with disc installed, continuous use and no load with the compressor running around 100PSI at the tank. (No regulator/dryer/cooler, straight through GuardAir High Flows.) On the highest speed the compressor just barely loses ground to the tool. I'm talking losing 1PSI a minute or so. On the lowest speed, the compressor is just barely able to build pressure at the same rate. So call it 100% duty cycle at no load and Medium speed.
Not sure how much the load affects the tool's air draw, I was happy and didn't test that (yet). I'm sure the compressor will meet my needs, though.
I got the Aircat 6520, ordered Friday from Amazon and got it Sunday. The 6520 has the usual annoying lockout lever, Speed is adjusted via a thumbwheel on one side, Forward/Reverse is a thumbwheel switch on the other side. I got it because it is reversible, unlike the 6505. That is important to me, because I can't anticipate which side I'm going to be cutting something, and I don't want sparks in my face. It would be nice if it had the variable speed trigger like the 6505, but I can't have it all.
First of all, it uses 3/8" arbor hole disks. The web page, Fact Sheet, and Owner's Manual PDF's all fail to mention this. Maybe this is obvious, but the guy at Aircat didn't know off hand, but he did keep repeating "it uses the usual" which doesn't help me at all since I'm a first time cutoff tool buyer. (Actually I owned a CH briefly about 20 years ago; I returned it the next day, as it spun about once per second at 100PSI. Since then I've been getting by with grinders and dremels).
Second, air. I tested it with disc installed, continuous use and no load with the compressor running around 100PSI at the tank. (No regulator/dryer/cooler, straight through GuardAir High Flows.) On the highest speed the compressor just barely loses ground to the tool. I'm talking losing 1PSI a minute or so. On the lowest speed, the compressor is just barely able to build pressure at the same rate. So call it 100% duty cycle at no load and Medium speed.
Not sure how much the load affects the tool's air draw, I was happy and didn't test that (yet). I'm sure the compressor will meet my needs, though.
