"Bang" for the buck air hammer

[daithi]

There was a thread on this before but I don't want to revive an 8 year old thread...
Looking for an air hammer. I don't need one all that often and the guys I work with are pretty good about letting me borrow stuff, but it's near the top of my "to buy" list as I fill out my toolbox.

I don't do a huge amount with them, we work on pickups but we're not an automotive shop (also not flat rate so saving 30 seconds means very little to me as long as I get it done).

Looking for something capable of: "peeling" exhaust parts off each other (where the two are joined like a slip fit) (we also have an internal bushing that gets changed semi-regularly where you peel the bushing inside a steel tube); knocking studs through a hub; maybe occasionally persuading a stubborn u-joint or ball joint.

I don't really want to spend mega bucks on one considering how often I use them - definitely way less than once a month maybe less than once every two months on average (maybe I would reach for it more if it was mine).

Couple options I've found on Amazon (prices Canadian):

$110 - IR 114GQC: Cheap and cheerful? Comes with 3 "bits"
$180 - Astro 401K "Thor": I think this is a pretty new model to the market, not many review but the bigger "Thor" seems popular
$190 (reg $215) - Sunex SX243: Don't know where I found this mentioned but it's got decent reviews
$226 - IR 119MAX: 118Max was recommended in the older thread, this it the new one.

If I could get away with the 114 that would be great, I'm waiting for someone to come tell me why it's a waste of time GJ style. Have been happy with any Astro tools I've tried in the past. I don't know if the Sunex is really worth it sitting between the AP and 119 pricewise. 119MAX is more than I'd like to spend ideally but I can wait another paycheque/postpone another tool if it's really really worth it.

Also interested in recommendations for bits/chisels, especially the exhaust "peelers".

 

[Jswain]

Out of those 4 I would go with the 119max first and the Thor second.

The cheaper IR ain't gonna do anything for a stubborn balljoint, maybe ujoint. Once you have a decent air hammer you will find many uses for it

 

[scooby074]

Torque test channel did a set of tests. Myself Id probably get the IR 119 Max if I was in the market for a low cost model.

 

[Hohn]

My only suggestion is be sure to get one with a trigger that lets you modulate the power. Like the Sunex. I have the HF chief, and while its powerful, it’s also very difficult to control to where you might regret using it.

 

[gizardlizard]

I own the 119 max and love it. It’s the one I reach for on a daily basis. The trigger control on it is awesome. For really stubborn stuff, I have the Astro “Thor” 498K. That thing is in a league of its own for power. It destroys bits pretty easy. Even Mayhew stuff but has never failed me getting stuff apart.

 

[demarpaint]

Astro Thor FTW!

 

[Hohn]

I'm kinda thinking I need a Sioux 270, I've always wanted to get into solid riveting.

I watched a riveting documentary once on aircraft construction.

 

[daithi]

I might schedule a trip down to the States one of these cold November weekends when there's nothing else for me to do. Looks like the Thor 401 can be had much cheaper if I ship it to a package holding place down there. Was already planning to send some Astro Nano Sockets that route as they're perpetually out of stock in Canada.

Anyone chime in and suggest some decent but not break-the-bank bits/chisels?

 

[dnschmidt]

ASTRO is unveiling new bits at SEMA for the 0.41 but they probably are going to be available sometime later. Until then AJAX are the way to go.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I bought a friend the Astro 401 thor right when it came out, primarily to feed my own curiosity. It is not a 3050b snap on in power or finesse. It is 75% the finesse and 90% of the power. It feels like more of a rattler and vibratory tool than using the force of blows alone. Gift and a curse.

I think the 401 thor is the best thing on the market right now given the price. Good enough trigger control for frozen slide pins and exhaust work, but can still punch out rusty exhaust studs.

For bits, I prefer AJAX. They seem to last the longest. Some Snap On bits carry a lifetime warranty. This can be worthwhile depending on use. For peeling exhaust pipes, you need to be careful as many cutter bits can dent the internal pipe as they slide over it meaning you need to fix those dents to allow a good fit. I prefer to air hammer against something like the muffler body, flange, or even just crush the pipe in with a normal round bit and push the outside pipe off

 

[Steve_P]

My original air hammer, which I still have for nostalgia purposes, was a $9.95 HF that I bought in the 1980s. In retrospect, it doesn't hit very hard, but I got 50X my $ out of it over the decades. I didn't oil it enough and it seized at some point in the '90s, but I took it apart and freed up the piston and oiled it - and the stupid thing still works fine today.

10-15 years ago, I wanted something better and bought the IR 114; what a disappointment. It doesn't seem to hit any harder than the HF when doing a test with a round hammer type bit on a 2X4. To be fair, I think I paid $40-50 for it at the time, and it came with some bits (probably garbage), so it wasn't a big loss; but I was definitely expecting more given the barrel length, and that it was an IR.

After the IR purchase, based on posts in threads like this, I bought the Snap On PH3050B. I bought it on Ebay, new, so I got it below list price, but it was still expensive; still, I was very impressed as it basically destroyed the 2X4 in my test. At that time, the import copies of the big guns hadn't really started, so there weren't any good lower cost options then. If I was buying today, I doubt I'd buy the Snap On, because the current big import guns are excellent for the $; I'd probably buy the Thor.

I also have primarily Ajax bits. They aren't always easy to find online, but for the price, they are great. I also have some Mayhew / Old Forge, and they seem to be about as good, or as good, as Ajax.

 

[Shoreline_]

ASTRO is unveiling new bits at SEMA for the 0.041 but they probably are going to be available sometime later. Until then AJAX are the way to go.

I know it's a typo but imagine if they made air hammers that have shanks 40 thou in diameter lol

 

[Steve_P]

I know it's a typo but imagine if they made air hammers that have shanks 40 thou in diameter lol

It's their new line for dentists

 

[tak1313]

If you need bits, look at the Landmesser catalog (landmessertools.com). They have good bits at really reasonable prices. They are old fashioned though - no internet ordering that I can tell, you have to call or fax your order in.

Edit: forgot to point out that they have a good variety of .498 bits, which can be hard to find sometimes.

 

[tak1313]

I should add that for those who don't want to 'flip' through the pages (yes, they're so old fashioned, going through their online catalog is essentially 'flipping' through the pages as if you're looking through a paper catalog), the air hammer accessories / bits start on page 71.

 

[daithi]

I bought a friend the Astro 401 thor right when it came out, primarily to feed my own curiosity. It is not a 3050b snap on in power or finesse. It is 75% the finesse and 90% of the power. It feels like more of a rattler and vibratory tool than using the force of blows alone. Gift and a curse.

I think the 401 thor is the best thing on the market right now given the price. Good enough trigger control for frozen slide pins and exhaust work, but can still punch out rusty exhaust studs.

For bits, I prefer AJAX. They seem to last the longest. Some Snap On bits carry a lifetime warranty. This can be worthwhile depending on use. For peeling exhaust pipes, you need to be careful as many cutter bits can dent the internal pipe as they slide over it meaning you need to fix those dents to allow a good fit. I prefer to air hammer against something like the muffler body, flange, or even just crush the pipe in with a normal round bit and push the outside pipe off

Thanks for everyone's input. I've decided to order the 401 Thor to a package holder in the states and drive down to get it. Will be ordering some other Astro stuff at the same time. The US prices make it a much easier choice, in Canada it's almost the price of the 119MAX but in the US I found it 40% cheaper.

I just did an exhaust with a "peeler". Sure enough it dented the internal pipe - I managed to fix it up more or less with a needlenose vicegrips. In this instance the muffler had failed at the flange so there was nothing else to attack other than the overlapping portion.

Will keep an eye on SEMA and see what bits Astro come out with in the 401 size. But for today I'll just order the hammer before my cart gets any bigger/more expensive!

 

[GeoBruin]

I've been waiting for @Torque Test Channel to test out the Thor .401 and the IR 135 Max before I make my decision.

 

[daithi]

I've been waiting for @Torque Test Channel to test out the Thor .401 and the IR 135 Max before I make my decision.

They've already done the 135 but it was out of my price range

 

[demarpaint]

Thanks for everyone's input. I've decided to order the 401 Thor to a package holder in the states and drive down to get it. Will be ordering some other Astro stuff at the same time. The US prices make it a much easier choice, in Canada it's almost the price of the 119MAX but in the US I found it 40% cheaper.

I just did an exhaust with a "peeler". Sure enough it dented the internal pipe - I managed to fix it up more or less with a needlenose vicegrips. In this instance the muffler had failed at the flange so there was nothing else to attack other than the overlapping portion.

Will keep an eye on SEMA and see what bits Astro come out with in the 401 size. But for today I'll just order the hammer before my cart gets any bigger/more expensive!

You made a wise decision, you won't regret it!!

 

[GeoBruin]

They've already done the 135 but it was out of my price range

Thanks for that. I hadn't seen it. Looks awesome, especially the trigger control, but yeah it is expensive compared to the 119max. The proportions look amazon though. Meanwhile, the mini Thor looks reaaaaaly long.

 

[Steve_P]

....I just did an exhaust with a "peeler". Sure enough it dented the internal pipe - I managed to fix it up more or less with a needlenose vicegrips. In this instance the muffler had failed at the flange so there was nothing else to attack other than the overlapping portion.

Lisle makes a tube "expander", #32500, that works well for minor corrections like this. They call it an expander, but IMO it's really just for making tubes round again and fixing minor defects; don't expect to use it to actually expand the size. They also make a true tube expander, 17350, that costs a lot more. If you do a decent amount of exhaust work, you'd probably be better off to put the $ towards the more expensive option.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Thanks for that. I hadn't seen it. Looks awesome, especially the trigger control, but yeah it is expensive compared to the 119max. The proportions look amazon though. Meanwhile, the mini Thor looks reaaaaaly long.

It's not really any longer than a normal length "long barrel" model.

 

[Terra Nova]

I'll toss my vote for the 119Max. Picked one up earlier this year for doing ball-joints on my 2012 ram. 10 years of Michigan roads and it walked the wheel bearings out without even slowing down. It would work excellent for cutting exhaust tubing. Last winter I used a Harbor Freight special to cut the muffler off the same truck and it was seriously riding the struggle bus doing it.

 

[GeoBruin]

It's not really any longer than a normal length "long barrel" model.

So TTC just released their video and in the chart you can see it is the longest air hmmer they've ever tested by a non-trivial amount.

It does have the power and the trigger control however. And it's cheap.

 

[dchawk81]

Astro Thor FTW!

Exactly.

Downside is it's all or nothin' on the trigger. But that all is sweet.

 

[daithi]

Nice to see a TTC video reinforcing the purchase I just made

 

[2ndGearRubber]

So TTC just released their video and in the chart you can see it is the longest air hmmer they've ever tested by a non-trivial amount.

It does have the power and the trigger control however. And it's cheap.

It's 1.4 inches longer than the snap on. It's not wildly long. I've had it in my hands and it doesn't feel unwieldy or abnormal to use.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Harbor Freight CHIEF Professional Long-Barrel Air Hammer is an excellent value. It is a straight knock off of one of the major brands, except for the trigger. The trigger is very full ON/OFF !

 

[robinlee]

Harbor Freight CHIEF Professional Long-Barrel Air Hammer is an excellent value. It is a straight knock off of one of the major brands, except for the trigger. The trigger is very full ON/OFF !

Isn't it the knock off of the CP 715?

 

[GeoBruin]

Isn't it the knock off of the CP 715?

Maybe, but in the TTC videos they always say it is identical to the Mac.

 

[tak1313]

Isn't it the knock off of the CP 715?

It's definitely not a knockoff of the CP715. I have the CP715 and the body, etc. is completely different. The current version of the 715 is the CP7150 - pretty much the same tool, but with a red body instead of bare metal. I don't think anyone would copy the 715. Although it was good for the price, these days you can get much better for just a little more.

 

[VolvoRyan]

Funny that the TTC *just* released that today. I saw it, and thought of this thread.

That Astro does look nice. And a steal of a deal. I have an IR 118MAX, so I'm not in the market. I'd love to hear of folks' experiences with the .401 Astro.

The HF is a knockoff of the MAC, and TTC is always quick to point out that the trigger control is not great with the HF flavor.

-Ryan

 

[Steve_P]

What is interesting to me, is that the Snap On is still such an excellent gun overall- ignoring the price. For an old design, it's really held its own over a lot of years; this is surprising when you consider how easy it is to copy something and make a minor change to improve upon the original. Whoever designed it obviously really knew what they were doing.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

Some years ago I dumped all my air hammers and now use aircraft rivet guns instead. They have more power, but are controllable. You can do as little as one hit. I have three of them in sizes 3X, 4X, and 5X. If someone was looking for a good powerful overall one, a 4X aircraft gun would work well. 3X and 4X are .401 shank so everything interchanges.

 

[bcradio]

Some years ago I dumped all my air hammers and now use aircraft rivet guns instead. They have more power, but are controllable. You can do as little as one hit. I have three of them in sizes 3X, 4X, and 5X. If someone was looking for a good powerful overall one, a 4X aircraft gun would work well. 3X and 4X are .401 shank so everything interchanges.

What are some good brands for the money on these?

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

What are some good brands for the money on these?

For non aircraft work/air hammer substitute just about any will be a significant improvement over an air hammer. The name brands can get pricey when bought new. I purchased all of mine used on Ebay. Think I paid around $100 for the 3X one. The 4X one I think was around the same price, the 5X one which is a big mutha I paid around $175.

Here is a new 4x from Brown Aviation Tool for less than $200

BATCO "4X" Rivet Gun | Brown Aviation & Aircraft Tools

www.browntool.com

Ebay link for 4X guns as an example Chinese haven't got around to copying these too much so most of the listing will be made in America/quality stuff.

Pardon Our Interruption...

www.ebay.com