Best value in air tools

[bkvanbek]

I just finished plumbing my garage. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=273787&goto=newpost

I have an Air Cat impact and a craftsman chisel. But I want to get a few air tools, same brand. Recommendations?

 

[xjfish]

Air Cat!

 

[248superduty]

Aircat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aircat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aircat!!!!!!!!!!

 

[alpaca]

why same brand?

I really like my cp grinder

 

[92integra]

Lol hf earthquake products.

 

[bkvanbek]

Aircat doesn't make many different tools. My OCD wants me to get one brand.

 

[PJNJ]

Forget your OCD

3/8's air ratchet -
Harbor Freight Impact Ratchet. Got one a couple of months ago and it is nice not to smack my knuckles anymore.

http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-professional-impact-air-ratchet-wrench-68426.html

Sunex and Husky sell the same ratchet for more.

I have an Ingersoll Rand air hammer (Asian made - can't remember where right now). I beat the heck out of hit chipping out concrete from between my bathroom joists about 8 years ago and it still works great.

Right now I am about to pull the trigger on a Astro Pneumatic Nano mini impact.

http://www.astrotools.com/index.php/onyx-1-2-nano-impact-wrench-450ft-lb.html

The M7 mini impacts are also very good.
This is the shortest version -
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YG7OXII/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I also have an IR right angle die grinder, Aircat 1/2 impact, Craftsman lube gun and an old Bridgeport blow gun (from a garage sale).

Maybe OCD has a place somewhere (IDK) but not with air tools.

Good luck and good hunting.

 

[engineer031]

chicago pneumatic 30 years and still going strong

 

[kirkkw]

Forget your OCD

Maybe OCD has a place somewhere (IDK) but not with air tools.

Good luck and good hunting.

I agree, I mean isn't it enough that I am ADD?

 

[rice rocket]

Aircat doesn't make many different tools. My OCD wants me to get one brand.

No single brand makes the best of everything.

People with drawers full of the same brands come off as uneducated, misinformed, or easily duped by the tool man IMHO. Or maybe they just don't care.

Either way, variety is the spice of life. Do some research, get the most bang for your buck.

 

[woody 73]

I am with the others screw the OCD buy that M7

 

[hangfirew8]

I am with the others screw the OCD buy that M7

Buy the best tool in each category. The M7 looks good. I'm waiting for Astro Pneumatic to come out with a 3/8 Nano impact, hinted for October.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Forget your OCD

3/8's air ratchet -
Harbor Freight Impact Ratchet. Got one a couple of months ago and it is nice not to smack my knuckles anymore.

http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-professional-impact-air-ratchet-wrench-68426.html

Sunex and Husky sell the same ratchet for more.

I have an Ingersoll Rand air hammer (Asian made - can't remember where right now). I beat the heck out of hit chipping out concrete from between my bathroom joists about 8 years ago and it still works great.

Right now I am about to pull the trigger on a Astro Pneumatic Nano mini impact.

http://www.astrotools.com/index.php/onyx-1-2-nano-impact-wrench-450ft-lb.html

The M7 mini impacts are also very good.
This is the shortest version -
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YG7OXII/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I also have an IR right angle die grinder, Aircat 1/2 impact, Craftsman lube gun and an old Bridgeport blow gun (from a garage sale).

Maybe OCD has a place somewhere (IDK) but not with air tools.

Good luck and good hunting.

I have older Husky air tools (some made in the USA) and they are even lifetime warranty (saved that paperwork). Florida Pneumatic via Fuji in Japan makes a lot of the Japanese air tools, including some IR product.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Well I'm bias so no need to ask me.

But if you like hanging around GJ, it's a good way to get instant help from Astro with any of questions on your tools, warranty/repair or just free extras.

 

[HammerRed]

AIR CAT/NITRO CAT are the best air tools for the money. Ive bought all mine from tooltopia.com , and i have lots of em. no issues after 2 yrs daily use.

 

[Ign]

I've got an AP right angle die grinder that is really nice.

I've got a Husky Pro right angle die grinder that is really nice.

I had one poorly manufactured CP (yes, Chicago, not Central) die grinder that was relatively expensive too and have never bothered to touch another CP tool.

But honestly.....even the consumer-grade IR is great and they make virtually every tool.

I see no reason for CDO with air tools, it's not like cordless where you're tied to a battery system. I have almost every brand.

 

[rustbucket5]

each brand has its strengths and weaknesses, just like any other tool category, best way is to look at each tool individually then decide. dont just decide on a brand

 

[logical]

The best deals I've found building my air tool drawer were NOS Dayton and IR stuff on Ebay. It just takes some patience.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

CP and IR for any future purchases..

My old Blue Point pair of 1/2" impacts are still running strong after 30 years.

CP air chisel dates to 1972.

CP 774H 3/4" impact dates to 1999.

I have other kinds of air tools that are newer: IR 1/2" air ratchet, CP air drill, that I am pleased with, along with some HF 3" cutoff wheels and die grinders that seem to run forever.

Some future boat anchors resemble a pair of gutless HF 1"drive impact wrenches, a Craftsman 3/8 impact wrench, a SnapOn air ratchet that looks like new that I cannot get a new set of PLASTIC vanes for, a SnapOn air scraper that self destructed when a little over a year old, a Hf air ratchet and air drill, CH air drill.

I have had good and bad experiences with various cheapo and expensive tools, but only good experiences with the CP and IR ..
I look at the money I spent of some of the failed air tools, and re-pencil it into the Education Fund for the School of Hard Knocks....

 

[davethorik]

We have some AP die grinders at work both straight and 90 they are very nice. I have 2 HF die grinders that are ok, easy to bog with 36 grit roloc discs. They have been abused and were cheap so I can't complain. I have 2 tools made by Dynabrade, a Dynafile and a composite da sander, they both kick ***.

 

[kctyphoon]

 

[ed_v]

I still like Ingersol Rand. I use their products daily at home and work.

Ed

 

[bkvanbek]

How about Sanborn? Menards carries Sanborn and Powermate.

 

[vanapplebomb]

How about Sanborn? Menards carries Sanborn and Powermate.

Sanborn/Powermate are brands of MAT Industries. Some are good, some are cheap.

I personally have yet to find something I do not like with the Sanborn name on it, save for the composit impacts. The aluminum ones are great, and conservatively rated in my opinion. Both my 3/4 impacts from them (one a pin clutch, the other twin hammer) hit every bit as hard as the IR we use at work, which I think it over rated. The Sanborn branded products are the premium ones and are identical to the Powermate PX line, just a different name.

I would avoid the VX series from Powermate, as it is their economy line.

I have the Sanborn die grinder, angle die grinder, 1/4 air ratchet, 3/8 reactionless impacting air ratchet, 1/2 compact stubby impact, 1/2 pin clutch impact, 3/4 pin clutch impact, 3/4 twin hammer impact, and the Powermate PX inflator. No complaints with any. I particularly like how the pin clutch impacts are a two piece body. Very rugged. Sadly, they no longer offer the 3/4 pin clutch, which was replaced with the twin hammer with a three piece body. Not that a three piece body is worse, I just like the two piece body guns.

 

[sberry]

These are deals, very rugged. I like the right angle for cut off wheels too.

 

[ekimneirbo]

Don't worry about matching tools, just buy things that work well. That being said, don't overlook a 3/4 drive Earthquake impact and a 1/2 adapter and put it right next to the more expensive tools. While your there you might want to buy some impact sockets too. There are a few HF tools that are worthy of a place in your box. You will also find some of the "1 time" use HF tools need a place to reside cause you might actually use them a few times.
That being said, virtually everyone who has high quality tools in their box has used HF stuff some time or another. For the rest of your air tools I'd look at the better brands.
HF has a lot of junk stuff, but they do make a few things that are worthwhile.
I have my own milling machine for precision stuff.....but I have two HF drill presses. One is a small tabletop unit to drill small things up to 1/2". The other is the big $500 unit with a large crank up table. Its perfect for me. I can drill large holes and use my hole saws. It drills just fine and the belt slips when it bites too much metal. I'm lazy and don't like to clamp everything down. The slip works well for me. I just hold things by hand or clamp them in a vice and grab the vice handle. Instead of ripping things out of my hand and hurting me, it slips....... Now I know all the safety rules say not to do that, but it works for me. I wouldn't even dream of trying that when drilling a precise hole with the milling machine, it would have my arms and fingers wrapped up in a second. The thing about buying tools is you should realize that many "name" brands offer some things that are not that great, but still expensive. Pick the best value no matter what the name is.........

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Look for Japanese made air tools, I was told by a guy I considered an expert in the field , they make the best air tools. . I know our Fuji in line grinders at work were great. I had a couple of CP 747?? 1/2 impacts, I was much more impressed with the IR Titanium that replaced the last one. It's expensive but worth the money. I can't say the same about the IR die grinder. Astro was a no-name made Japan air tool, the last one I bought was made in Taiwan.

 

[Mecha]

Aircat, Chicago pneumatic, and IR. Aircat holds up the best.

 

[Rabid Badger]

4 year old thread.

 

[sberry]

I like the 747 impact. Some of the CP are good deals especially in the more common models. I think the 7 inch sander I post above is about 400$,, but that's from memory. I think the IR might be cheaper but I used both and the knockoff is about as good and I got some worn out IR, might as well wear out a 70$ on as as 400. I replaced it once in a career and it still works.

 

[sberry]

I had a guy run a 4 inch right angle pretty steady for a month once. I got 3 of them and never so much have had to tighten a screw on one. The top will unscrew on the rotary with lots of use, it should have a shot of lock tight but it's not a deal breaker and has the power and wear of a 100$ or more unit, has well outlasted some really expensive ones.
A better tool could last longer, it's speculativebut tossing more money at it won't do any more work for less cost. Most that buy these will die with a grinder still works.

 

[Mr_B]

select models from astro, facom aircat and kuani proved game changers in how we use air tools in my shop .
They all super reliable and incredible good value for what they offer in power to size and working speed .

 

[d.mcfarland]

Old thread guys. Old thread.

 

[seber]

The only air tools I haven't been able to destroy are Dotco. Unfortunately you pay for that kind of quality.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

This is a worth while thread even if the OP has long since moved on.

 

[noid]

Purely from a power per dollar (best value) prespective, its hard to beat chicago pneumatic.

Prime example is the cp 7150, there is nothing that hits like that air hammer for that price.