Strongest .401 Air Hammer

[qaz393]

Which one and why??? Pretty much the 118max is strong but some people say snap on is stronger. Not sure if branding has better history will affect peoples choice......

What is the strongest .401 air hammer without going to .498 excluded.....

 

[Kenskip1]

This is an easy one.

 

[Buckgnarly]

This is an easy one.

Attention to detail, he specifically said .401.


That said, my PH3050 has always done what I needed, but those damn .498 have me thinking I would LOVE to try one!

 

[qaz393]

This is an easy one.

how does a 4890 work with a .498 to .401 adaptor????

 

[qaz393]

waiting. ebay has the 118max for $$$199 canadian shipped or the snap on ph3050br is $403 canadian after student discounts. is the snap on worth double???

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

I love my PH3050. Imo is one (probably the only one) Snap On air tool worth spending the money on.

 

[bcradio]

waiting. ebay has the 118max for $$$199 canadian shipped or the snap on ph3050br is $403 canadian after student discounts. is the snap on worth double???

Short answer: No

Better off getting the Astro 4980 and all new .498 bits for the same price as the SO.

Or get the 118 and 122 IR guns (which is what I did). Those IR guns are great.

 

[Tuc04]

You could also try looking at a 4x rivet gun.

 

[gdocktor3]

Mac ah650 and ah750 hit hard and can be found on eBay pretty cheap. I bought my ah650 used on eBay and works awesome. If I'm not mistaken the ah650 and ah750 are right there wth the Snap On 3050.

 

[md21722]

how does a 4890 work with a .498 to .401 adaptor????

You can, but are probably better off buying .498 shank bits.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

You could also try looking at a 4x rivet gun.

A little known fact is we make a 4X riveter .401 that's basically the .401 version of our 4980 Big Nasty.

We make a kit with it called the 4901 that's sold to the public. More than 3" stroke, 2,000 blows per minute. It's the beefiest .401 I've used. We almost exclusively sell the hammers to industrial/factories.

 

[Cope]

A little known fact is we make a 4X riveter .401 that's basically the .401 version of our 4980 Big Nasty.

We make a kit with it called the 4901 that's sold to the public. More than 3" stroke, 2,000 blows per minute. It's the beefiest .401 I've used. We almost exclusively sell the hammers to industrial/factories.

What is the warranty on the 4901, 1 year?

 

[ephotrod]

Does Astro sponsor south main auto. It is clear as mud if they do. I like his channel and the tools, but advertising should be clear that it's advertising.

 

[Loscaldazar]

A little known fact is we make a 4X riveter .401 that's basically the .401 version of our 4980 Big Nasty.

We make a kit with it called the 4901 that's sold to the public. More than 3" stroke, 2,000 blows per minute. It's the beefiest .401 I've used. We almost exclusively sell the hammers to industrial/factories.

Think it would match or beat a PH3050B? I'm in the market for an air hammer and don't want to buy the 4980 with the larger shank.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Does Astro sponsor south main auto. It is clear as mud if they do. I like his channel and the tools, but advertising should be clear that it's advertising.

Nope. And we've never asked him to make a video or feature a product of ours.

He actually made a video similar to what was posted here earlier like 6 months ago and sent it to us saying we could use it if we wanted cuz he was impressed with the tool, but we as a rule we don't market side by side brand wise so it never saw the light of day.

He does call me up around once a month (our convo's can last 45mins talking about tools) to see what I'm working on - which is how he may have some tools before everyone else.

What is the warranty on the 4901, 1 year?

Yeah, that kit is 1 year.

 

[JJThrasher]

I had the IR. I junked it after less than a year and bought the SO one. If you need something hitting harder than the SO one you're working on something bigger than me or using it wrong.

 

[ephotrod]

Thank you for clarifying, the independent tool reviews that are not sponsored are more valuable in my eyes. What led me to ask is he raves about several Astro tools not only the air hammer.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Think it would match or beat a PH3050B? I'm in the market for an air hammer and don't want to buy the 4980 with the larger shank.

Technically speaking the stroke is slightly longer and the blows are more powerful.

Just keep in mind big blows vs a lot of blows (of an also powerful hammer) means the thing ur hammering is more likely to break as opposed to move. Also, our kit doesn't come with a quick-release chuck so factor that in as well.

But I'm not here to pretend the PH3050B is not a fantastic air hammer. I bought one with my own money years ago.

 

[md21722]

New PH3050 vs Atlas Copco 4X rivet gun... Atlas Copco 4X wins on "hard stuff". Half the weight, more controllable, and more power... and usually half the cost if you get a nice used one.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Thank you for clarifying, the independent tool reviews that are not sponsored are more valuable in my eyes. What led me to ask is he raves about several Astro tools not only the air hammer.

I've literally told him he needs to cool it before, hah! - that people are going to think its SMA brought to you by Astro. Just continue beating on our tools and let me know what breaks.

New PH3050 vs Atlas Copco 4X rivet gun... Atlas Copco 4X wins on "hard stuff". Half the weight, more controllable, and more power... and usually half the cost if you get a nice used one.

This.
If anyone can find a Copco 4X around the same price point, forget everything else in this thread and buy that.
Atlas Copco makes me wish I had legitimate use for their air riveters.

 

[ttpete]

A little known fact is we make a 4X riveter .401 that's basically the .401 version of our 4980 Big Nasty.

We make a kit with it called the 4901 that's sold to the public. More than 3" stroke, 2,000 blows per minute. It's the beefiest .401 I've used. We almost exclusively sell the hammers to industrial/factories.

I like riveters because they have very controllable triggers. I can run at full line pressure and control the gun from light taps to full bore. I have a 2X and a 4X.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

I like riveters because they have very controllable triggers. I can run at full line pressure and control the gun from light taps to full bore. I have a 2X and a 4X.

Agreed.

That's the one thing I feel our 4980 is lacking a bit on, technically it's just an industrial .498 5X riveter - but for a riveter the trigger control is not super progressive. It's basically death and DEATH.

I like the finesse of the .401 4X

 

[Cope]

We make a kit with it called the 4901 that's sold to the public. More than 3" stroke, 2,000 blows per minute. It's the beefiest .401 I've used. We almost exclusively sell the hammers to industrial/factories.

Have you compared the 4901 to the IR 118Max?

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Have you compared the 4901 to the IR 118Max?

I have not.

 

[qaz393]

A little known fact is we make a 4X riveter .401 that's basically the .401 version of our 4980 Big Nasty.

We make a kit with it called the 4901 that's sold to the public. More than 3" stroke, 2,000 blows per minute. It's the beefiest .401 I've used. We almost exclusively sell the hammers to industrial/factories.

so the 4901 is the 4980 but .409 form?

I had the IR. I junked it after less than a year and bought the SO one. If you need something hitting harder than the SO one you're working on something bigger than me or using it wrong.

looks like no 118max? thats what you had?

 

[qaz393]

A little known fact is we make a 4X riveter .401 that's basically the .401 version of our 4980 Big Nasty.

We make a kit with it called the 4901 that's sold to the public. More than 3" stroke, 2,000 blows per minute. It's the beefiest .401 I've used. We almost exclusively sell the hammers to industrial/factories.

Stronger than the 3050????

 

[qaz393]

Weirdly i havent found anything on the 4901 on garage journal.....

 

[qaz393]

how does the astro 4901 compare to the snap on 3050???

 

[Cope]

It (4901) better be the bee's knees, because I just ordered one.

 

[Wesley B]

stronger than the 3050????

how does the astro 4901 compare to the snap on 3050???

read post #18

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

It (4901) better be the bee's knees, because I just ordered one.

If you don't like it let me know, I'll make sure either the retailer or we take it back.

 

[Cope]

If you don't like it let me know, I'll make sure either the retailer or we take it back.

Thanks, I'm sure it will do just fine. It will replace my old Snap-on PG50D that suddenly quit working. Never used heavily, just died, and rather than spend too much on repairs, I decided to buy new.

 

[Loscaldazar]

I started looking at offerings from Atlas Copco and Chicago Pneumatic, and as far the joules rating goes, the Chicago Pneumatic CP7150 is rated at 9.5 joules, which makes it the most powerful .401 air hammer/riveter between CP and Atlas Copco (Copco's top 4x riveter is 8.0 joules). Seems too good to be true for the price of the CP ($65).

I also emialed Snap On what the joules rating of the PH3050 is, and they said they had no rating (probably don't want to share it?). Not too many other manufacturers have actual joules ratings on them.

Anyway, the CP7150 is advertised as being able to do 1/4" cold steel rivets and 5/16 cold rivets (guessing this second rating refers to aluminum rivets?). Does that make it a 4x or a 5x since it can do 5/16" rivets? Or are rivet guns rated by the max steel rivet capacity? I know pretty much all 5x rivets are .498, but I've also never seen a 5/16" claim on any .401 hammer. CP doesn't really advertise the 7150 as a riveter either, but they do include its rivet capabilities in the spec sheets.

http://www.cp.com/usen/whatwedo/powertools/ecatalogue/?family=9&filterby=all

Edit: Did some research and it looks like 4x rivet guns are rated at 3/16" steel rivets and 1/4" aluminum rivets (which is where the rating comes from, 1/4"=4/16", so that would be a 4x rivet gun).

That makes the CP7150 a .401 shank 5x rivet gun. That means it's the weakest 5x rivet gun on market (by at least 2-4 joules, or 15-38% weaker than other 5x guns). All other 5x guns, however, are .498 shank. The CP7150 is a .401 shank, which quite possibly could make it the most powerful .401 air hammer available?

Feel free to correct me if I'm understanding all of this wrong! Rivet guns and air hammers aren't my speciality....

 

[md21722]

The CP7150 appears to be 20% more powerful on paper than the RRH08P-TS. Both are rated the same for size rivets, 1/4" and 5/16" depending on if steel. Would be interesting to try one.

 

[Cope]

What differentiates a rivet gun from an air hammer?

 

[Wesley B]

I just pulled the trigger on this 4x rivet gun since every thread someone mentions a rivet gun being the best air hammer. Time will tell, all of my coworkers have the snap on 3050.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-CP-4X-AERO-RIVET-GUN-/172419587288

 

[Loscaldazar]

What differentiates a rivet gun from an air hammer?

In general, air hammers hit quicker and with less power, as well as don't have very good trigger control (relatively unimportant if your goal is to hammer out a bolt from the hole it was in, or to shear a bit of thin sheet metal).

Rivet guns hit harder and slower. They are built for "smashing" a solid rivet to hold two pieces together. The triggers are designed to allow the operator to precisely control how much frequent the hammer hits so they don't destroy what they are riveting together. Similar to how an IR 2235 impact you can use the trigger to easily control the speed of the anvil from a few RPMs all the way up to its max speed. Not all air tools can do that

 

[Cope]

In general, air hammers hit quicker and with less power, as well as don't have very good trigger control (relatively unimportant if your goal is to hammer out a bolt from the hole it was in, or to shear a bit of thin sheet metal).

Rivet guns hit harder and slower. They are built for "smashing" a solid rivet to hold two pieces together. The triggers are designed to allow the operator to precisely control how much frequent the hammer hits so they don't destroy what they are riveting together. Similar to how an IR 2235 impact you can use the trigger to easily control the speed of the anvil from a few RPMs all the way up to its max speed. Not all air tools can do that

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[qaz393]

im guessing a heavier air hammer bit will hit harder than a lighter one or it doesnt matter?

 

[qaz393]

I have not.

How does the 4901 compare with snap on 3050