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Astro Pneumatic Tool Company

WhataTool

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Sep 8, 2015
Messages
468
@Astro_Pneumatic_Tools ....Any sales coming up any time soon? I'm looking at a few things.

"We dont actually set pricing or initiate sales anywhere, retailers can list pricing and quantities available of our product as they please."

 
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drokihazan

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Apr 8, 2018
Messages
268
+50-60% going to the 78218
Is Astro looking to manufacture more cutting tools? I noticed you discontinued the metric tap and die set and I really like using that ratcheting reversible tap handle. I think we all know you're an OEM for other brands on cutting tools, and you sell some nice drills.

Are 1/8" burrs, end mills, taps, or some other kinda of cutting tools on the table or are you leaning more away from those tools?

I was thinking about this because it's really hard to buy a quality set of 1/8" burrs for your pencil grinder. I have the Snap-On set and a few one-offs from Norseman, but the selection on the market is really lacking.
 
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Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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Oct 30, 2013
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South El Monte
Is Astro looking to manufacture more cutting tools? I noticed you discontinued the metric tap and die set and I really like using that ratcheting reversible tap handle. I think we all know you're an OEM for other brands on cutting tools, and you sell some nice drills.

Are 1/8" burrs, end mills, taps, or some other kinda of cutting tools on the table or are you leaning more away from those tools?

I was thinking about this because it's really hard to buy a quality set of 1/8" burrs for your pencil grinder. I have the Snap-On set and a few one-offs from Norseman, but the selection on the market is really lacking.
We dedicate an amount of resources for working on cutting tools more than most people might believe, but you're right it's mostly private label.
The answer to your question mainly comes down to warranty. People will invest in very good and perhaps the best cutting tools and extractors out there and the price that commands when they are covered by lifetime warranty and that process is as easy as your dealer stopping by.
While Astro has lifetime on hardline hand tools, we don't have a category or process in place for lifetime cutting tools as it's very transactional for us with shipping and even the user with the time for that single 0.1lb replacement to arrive.
For 1/8" burrs we used to way back in the day, but these days we don't for Astro or any other brand. We can't lifetime cover them for a tool truck because if you're not skilled with 1/8" burrs you can kill 12 before lunch without remorse, I won't sign us up for that :D And under Astro for the same reason, it's very easy to get 1 star reviews from an honest yet perhaps not very experienced 1/8" carbide user who also breaks their 1st one.

We sell millions... with an s individual cutting tools total per year, and made a big effort this year to develop some of that in new very cool looking and new patent pending performance ways I'm sure many of you will notice in 2026, but yeah not so much under Astro I'm afraid for these reasons.
 
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drokihazan

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Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
268
We dedicate an amount of resources for working on cutting tools more than most people might believe, but you're right it's mostly private label.
The answer to your question mainly comes down to warranty. People will invest in very good and perhaps the best cutting tools and extractors out there and the price that commands when they are covered by lifetime warranty and that process is as easy as your dealer stopping by.
While Astro has lifetime on hardline hand tools, we don't have a category or process in place for lifetime cutting tools as it's very transactional for us with shipping and even the user with the time for that single 0.1lb replacement to arrive.
For 1/8" burrs we used to way back in the day, but these days we don't for Astro or any other brand. We can't lifetime cover them for a tool truck because if you're not skilled with 1/8" burrs you can kill 12 before lunch without remorse, I won't sign us up for that :D And under Astro for the same reason, it's very easy to get 1 star reviews from an honest yet perhaps not very experienced 1/8" carbide user who also breaks their 1st one.

We sell millions... with an s individual cutting tools total per year, and made a big effort this year to develop some of that in new very cool looking and new patent pending performance ways I'm sure many of you will notice in 2026, but yeah not so much under Astro I'm afraid for these reasons.
I think there's a weird mindset around cutting tools fostered by the trucks that makes automotive users think of them as a warranty item while most industries think of them as consumables.

I definitely think of drills, end-mills, burrs, taps, and dies as consumables. If I buy a $300 set of US made drills, I don't expect them to be warrantied and when I break or dull one I expect to have to replace it on my own or sharpen it. Don't get me wrong, I love buying taps from Snap-On because I can easily warranty them, but I also buy individual taps and drills in most used sizes so that I have backups because they WILL break.

It's a shame about the 1/8" burrs. Almost no one reputable makes them and the last thing I wanna do is buy a set off Amazon with a brand name that sounds like Elon Musk's kid and will of course break but might do so in a way that injures me or damages the workpiece. I certainly hope that's a product line you consider going back to one day, because I'd feel confident buying them from AP.
 

Hannahranga

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Mar 8, 2023
Messages
213
I think there's a weird mindset around cutting tools fostered by the trucks that makes automotive users think of them as a warranty item while most industries think of them as consumables.

I'm curious if it's part of mechanics etc having to buy their own tools. If they're shop supplied tools the shop can deal with replacements at the most cost effective way to them
 
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Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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South El Monte
I think there's a weird mindset around cutting tools fostered by the trucks that makes automotive users think of them as a warranty item while most industries think of them as consumables.
It's one of the harder principles for new hires from other industries to wrap their head around. "Why would this be lifetime? No drill bit is lifetime, they wear out"
I still don't have a good answer. Someone long before me decided it's the standard and once we started making them en masse our customer brands required this same standard. It's massively painful haha as we are the ones to hand over the free replacements
 

pfbz

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Dec 17, 2008
Messages
956
Tool truck 'warranties' are less about expecting a tool to not break or wear out and more about paying a premium for extended repair/replacements... They are betting (correctly) that the extra premiums paid overall exceeds the repair/replacement costs. Simple as that.
 

nicks78camaro

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Dec 15, 2011
Messages
1,532
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Another great Astro customer service experience. Blew up my 78318 and lost a tiny little 1/4" 10mm nano socket in an engine bay. Messaged Astro asking to warranty the ratchet and buy a socket, got a response within an hour probably and they sent me both in a few days and didn't charge me for the socket.

About to order another few hundred bucks of Astro stuff.
 
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Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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South El Monte
Loving the blue band!! No SEMA this year for me but, have a great show and post the new products :beer:
Thanks Fed!

Any hope for a 21,22,23 set for those of us that already have 10-19? Granted I'm tempted to get a new set, the blue paint looks really nice (they also didn't have that indent before).
They are also stamped on the back in massive numbers indicative of the front laser design. I'll have to see what the feedback is on a bumper set at the show, it wont match the 10-19 visually. It also doesn't come on a rail due to length and weight, so wouldn't have a good way to store them
 

Callelle

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Location
Depew NY
They are also stamped on the back in massive numbers indicative of the front laser design. I'll have to see what the feedback is on a bumper set at the show, it wont match the 10-19 visually. It also doesn't come on a rail due to length and weight, so wouldn't have a good way to store them
The lack of a rail doesn't bother me, I have my own. Nor does the visual difference since my 21/22/23 are Gearwrench garbage so they don't match anyway. I just think there should be a way to expand for those that already have the original set.
 
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308guru

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Jun 17, 2017
Messages
460
That color of blue is our company color.
More brands are entering the pinless space outside of a tool truck these days, so its simply helping to show which ones are Astro when someone says to another person while holding it "I really like these"

I see. I wasn't sure if you were using colors to differentiate Metric/English or similar.
 

AJHD

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Jan 4, 2020
Messages
3,019
Location
AZ
That color of blue is our company color.
More brands are entering the pinless space outside of a tool truck these days, so its simply helping to show which ones are Astro when someone says to another person while holding it "I really like these"

As opposed to Milwaukee for example, whose impact sockets have a red band.

There are random Chinese brands on Amazon selling similar impact sockets with various color bands as well.

That said, not sure I've seen any impact swivels with color bands.
 
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Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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Oct 30, 2013
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South El Monte
@Astro_Pneumatic_Tools , thanks for bringing the
91405 QR and 91405S Sealed to market. I tried to buy one from overseas months back. Did these delay until the 1/2-in-3/8 and 3/8-in-1/4 showed promise?
Yes, that's about right. There was no real name for a 1/4" in a *** whatever is smaller than 1/4", so it basically sat by the wayside until we could tool up for sealed head non push release
 

hbabler

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Jun 17, 2014
Messages
145
Location
North Texas
@Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Would running a 52SL down until it powers off cause it to no longer work?

I bought mine last January and finally used it for the first time last week. I wasn’t paying attention and used it until it turned off. Initially it wouldn’t charge but after leaving it on the charger for a day it shows a full charge but still will not turn on. Did I cause the issue by running it all the way down?
 

Callelle

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Messages
640
Location
Depew NY
@Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Would running a 52SL down until it powers off cause it to no longer work?

I bought mine last January and finally used it for the first time last week. I wasn’t paying attention and used it until it turned off. Initially it wouldn’t charge but after leaving it on the charger for a day it shows a full charge but still will not turn on. Did I cause the issue by running it all the way down?
Unlikely. I run my 52SL, 52SLMax, and 100SL down till they turn off. They always charge and always turn back on.
 
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Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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Oct 30, 2013
Messages
2,108
Location
South El Monte
@Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Would running a 52SL down until it powers off cause it to no longer work?

I bought mine last January and finally used it for the first time last week. I wasn’t paying attention and used it until it turned off. Initially it wouldn’t charge but after leaving it on the charger for a day it shows a full charge but still will not turn on. Did I cause the issue by running it all the way down?
All the lights are on and green to show charged? Try plugging it in with a USB
 

dnschmidt

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Oct 3, 2014
Messages
7,275
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Chris, I like Fed, will not be going to SEMA this year as I simply can't tolerate Vegas anymore. What once was fun is now nothing but a rip off. It was always a highlight of my year but those days are past.
 
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Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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Oct 30, 2013
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South El Monte
Posting a thread for feedback on this as well, only listing here for historical thread finding

What's the good folks of GJ's thoughts on this prototype we showed at SEMA, 2nd half of this video. A ratcheting 12-point that you can keep on top of a bolt head or nut, or not should you choose. Sort of like the Joker wrench, but on a box end ratcheting end so you dont have to keep placing it on that point to sit attop, you just ratchet

Any downsides? May make a thread just to ask for feedback as well

 
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IndyGarage

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Joined
Apr 29, 2010
Messages
9,684
Location
Indy
Recently received and reviewed the new Astro 78320 Nano Impact Torx, Metric Hex & Triple Square Bit Socket Set... I love the rest of the Nano impact product line and this one rounds out the offering nicely!

I did a short youtube review of the set, along with some comparisons to to other bit sets on my ToolsAndTwisties YouTube channel if anyone is interested.
Here:

Also, Nano impact tools mentioned/compared in this earlier video...

Hopefully of interest to the GJ community?
I just had a chance to do my first major engine teardown and replacement since I got the Astro Nano 3/8 ratchet and I must say it came in very handy.

The engine was on a large outboard motor, which I've never worked on before, but there's a lot of tight stuff on one of those. I liked the nano sockets without the ratchet, but with it is even better. I would say there is some overlap with my double box flex head ratchet heads, but I can pull harder with the Nano and the long ratchet.

I'm ordering the bit set today to go along with it.
 

daithi

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Joined
Jul 29, 2019
Messages
224
Location
Canada
We dedicate an amount of resources for working on cutting tools more than most people might believe, but you're right it's mostly private label.
The answer to your question mainly comes down to warranty. People will invest in very good and perhaps the best cutting tools and extractors out there and the price that commands when they are covered by lifetime warranty and that process is as easy as your dealer stopping by.
While Astro has lifetime on hardline hand tools, we don't have a category or process in place for lifetime cutting tools as it's very transactional for us with shipping and even the user with the time for that single 0.1lb replacement to arrive.
For 1/8" burrs we used to way back in the day, but these days we don't for Astro or any other brand. We can't lifetime cover them for a tool truck because if you're not skilled with 1/8" burrs you can kill 12 before lunch without remorse, I won't sign us up for that :D And under Astro for the same reason, it's very easy to get 1 star reviews from an honest yet perhaps not very experienced 1/8" carbide user who also breaks their 1st one.

We sell millions... with an s individual cutting tools total per year, and made a big effort this year to develop some of that in new very cool looking and new patent pending performance ways I'm sure many of you will notice in 2026, but yeah not so much under Astro I'm afraid for these reasons.
Am I right in thinking that the 7850 and 7851 are discontinued, never to be in stock again? Pretty disappointing, I just found out about their existence and they're exactly what I wanted - a handful of useful sized taps and the corresponding drills. Can't walk into the hardware store and buy an 8.7mm or "C" drill.
If you happen to have any sample kits lying around you want to sell/get rid of DM me ;)
 
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