Air Tool Recommendation?

Hey all,

I changed careers a few months back and am now working as a mechanic for a trucking/excavation company, and am looking for recommendations on brands of air tools to buy. I've always tinkered in the farm shop, and until now have always gotten by with second-hand auction/garage sale stuff, and TSC, Lowes, Harbor Freight, etc. cheapies just fine, but now that I'm making my living with my tools I'm finding out they're not what I need them to be.

There's only a couple of us that turn wrenches there (relatively small but growing company), they all have different ideas as to what's "good", some of it is relatively inexpensive, some is more pricey, so now I'm looking for a wider opinion base.

The things I'm looking to buy in the near future are:

1/2 and 3/4" impacts to replace my worn out guns
Air Hammer to replace my $10 Harbor Freight special
Die Grinder (my worn out right-angle died, and my $10 special is headed the same direction)

These seem to be the things we use nearly every day.

I'm not so much looking for the cheapest, but I am looking for the most "bang for my buck". I want tools I can count on to last a while and not have to be replaced constantly, and be able to "get the job done" so to speak. Looking around the web, Ingersoll seem to be respectfully priced (kinda middle of the road price), but will they last? I hear their quality today isn't what it once was. Snap-On comes to the shop, and quite a bit more expensive, but if the extra cost means a better tool, then it's a little easier to swallow, but it's still a lot of cash to lay down.

Opinions please and thanks,

Brad

As for die grinders I use quite a few differing attachments and I find it to be a lot handier to have a pile of them in the tool box with differing attachments instead of changing them all the time. I buy them on sale at HF as cheap as $5. When you have 10 of them the hours dont pile up nearly so quick but I know we have some that are 10 years old, some that died much quicker. At the first sign of a problem they go in the junk and open another box. I have had some name brand quality ones but they didn't go any longer than the average HF cheapie. Keep a bottle of air tool oil in the same drawer and give them a couple drops each time you use it and any of them will last much longer.

Years ago I paid mega bucks for a top of the line needle scaler, good old American brand and it spent as much time in rebuild as I did using it. One day I needed one bad and it was (of course) back at NAPA. Boughta cheapie at HF to use and It has given me zero problems. Sold the NAPA on Craigs list

I am NOT a HF junkie but they do have some tools that work OK for the buck.

For Impacts I am strictly an Ingersol Rand guy but the higher end HF guns are getting great reviews.

I was a professional for 27 years way back when (no HF then). I used to buy the cheaper stuff to work with and still have almost all
of it now a half century later. Used to work with many who always bought their stuff "off the truck". They were always broke like
these kids with student loans these days. The money I saved went to things like paying off my mortgage early, etc. It never seemed to
slow down my work or cause issues. I used to buy the "cheap" air guns and if I had to replace them twice as much as the "off the
truck" guns they were still much less than half the price so I was always $ ahead of the game. When I quit the profession (and you
will to some day)I was into it for a fraction of what the others had spent. A few years ago I bought one of the HF (ingersoll knock
off) air impacts and so far it has been the best I ever had. As far as air hammers go I have numerous ones for different jobs. They
are cheap online but the main thing is finding out the 'stroke' and 'bore' of the piston. The bigger the more power they have. Unless
you can find that spec don't bother with it. I have a cheap one (single hand held pistol type)that I bought using that method and it
has so much power it scares me.

i have snap on mg 725's in 3/8 and 1/2 inch drives, and an i/r 1 inch long barrel. real happy with the 725's, light weight, huge power. also have a matco 1/4 drive air ratchet. the i/r's are nice guns, but heavy and bulky on the front end.

When I was turning wrenches, I bought a CP 727 3/8 drive impact from Habor Freight. I used it for well over 10 years, then sold it
and doubled my money. If you watch what you are buying, a person can get quality stuff for not much money. I buy alot of stuff from
Pawn Shops. Last time I was in Rapid City, there were some Snap ON socket sets for well below 50 cents on the dollar. I bought a
MAC die grinder for $20 with a cut off wheel and Scotchloc pad arbor.
I WILL NEVER buy off of a truck again!!~!

after 22+ years owning a tire shop and using many brands of air guns the only ones that last are Ingersol Rand brand both 1/2 inch and 1 inch. Get the ones with the extended shaft, unfortunately I have forgotten the model numbers

Retired two and a half years ago, had them all, Snap On, Mac, CP, Blue Point, even when you oil them they're going to wear out. A couple years before I was going to retire a 3/8s came apart and my 1/2" was tired, found these 2 Ingersoll display models on E Bay, red one $51., black one about $80., nothing wrong with them, brand new, might of been on a store display rack. Bought the CP air hammer at Farm/Fleet mid 1970s about $80. Guys at work with the Snap On hammers were borrowing this one, you have to get one with the long barrel, short ones are just noise makers.

My son in law work for a dealership. Every time his H-F gun would die like one or two days outa warranty . I got him a 5 dollar one at a garage sale. He said he could feel the increase in power. He took the leather protective cover off and it was a Snap-On. Im my mechanic days the Snap-On truck sold Chicago Pnuematic which I stll have and use. It seems it is either go cheap and replace alot or go quality and use alot.THe trick with Snap-On is to not think about the money just go to the truck take the brainwashing and give him your wallet.{ but you will have nice tools]

I've had great results with CP air tools.

Like someone else said, a drawer full of cheap die grinders with different attachments is a good idea.

When I was in service management, I used to hate the Snap On truck.

Your day would be going great, everyone busy, customers waiting in the customer lounge 'cause I told them their car would be done in a half hour, etc.

Then the Snap On truck would pull up and the entire shop would empty out for a half hour. Unfortunately, this Snap On driver liked to BS as well as sell stuff. I finally laid down the law and said no more than two at a time out to the truck, and no more than ten minutes. If someone couldn't buy a tool they needed in ten minutes, they didn't need it as bad as they thought they did. The driver finally got the message and didn't BS as much, also.

Buy yourself a 1/2 Milwaukee fuel cordless and kick the hose. You can thank me later! Aircat makes some high power impacts for a reasonable price.

I'm a fan of most Snap On air tools. 1 tool that I would never buy elsewhere is an air hammer. Nothing compares to the PH3050B in the .401 class. But you
have to have to air to back it, as well as the hi flow couplers with a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hose. Also, buy only Snap On air hammer bits. Everything else is made
of play doh in comparison.

I have an IR2135timax and it compares very well on a power level to a MG725. The one really nice thing about the MG725 is that it has a brake and doesn't
throw nuts, etc. The 2135timax is lighter and cheaper though. Not that I've had the experience yet, but Snap On is better about the warranty. IR is extremely
picky about lack of lubrication and water contamination. Have heard that from multiple sources. If you're going to buy a new IR gun, buy the 2235timax. Not a
lot of extra cost, but the gun has a bit more power. For someone that already has the 2135timax, it's certainly not worth updating though, if the 2135 is
working well. Like said, the power difference is there, but there is not nearly the difference that the specs claim. If you want really good power and low
noise, you may also consider an AirCat 1200K. Normally cheaper as well.

I'd hold off on the 3/4" impact. In a shop that works on a large number of articulates, combines and 8000's, there isn't a single 3/4 inch impact. If the 1/2
inch can't handle it, we get out the shop's Wurth Nut Buddy. We likely use that 5 times per year in a 11 tech shop. There are also other things that a 3/4
inch wouldn't touch, mainly large disc gangs. (You need the large hose and hi flow couplers for this paragraph to hold true) At a minimum, hold off on the
3/4" impact. I may be under-estimating the size of const. equip you work on.


For a die grinder, I have the 1HP Snap On model. I really like it, but can't say for sure what IR is like. The biggest thing, especially at the 1HP level
(meaning there will almost never be a shortage of power) is the vibration level. You don't want something that has a high level of vibration.

Something to consider as well, Snap On has a lot of outside suppliers and they themselves(SO) warehouse their(outside suppliers) products. You can get a
2235TIMAX for a fairly competitive cost, while retaining the service that the SO truck offers

Like I mentioned with the air hammer, all these tools need a 1/2" hose and hi flow quick couplers to attain maximum performance. The hi flow couplers are an
absolute must, the 1/2" hose only makes a difference at the very top end of the impacts and air hammer, but when working on combines, that little bit of
difference can be the difference between moving the shaft and not. I assume the same would hold true for const. equipment. At a minimum, hold off on the 3/4
" impact. I may be under-estimating the size of const. equip you work on.
Snap On hi Flow coupler

3x multiple grinders. A great way to save time. I just started doing it a few months ago.

x4 on multiple grinders

and throw a [i:13930a4d6e]corded[/i:13930a4d6e] electric, die grinder, drill, 1/2 drive impact, in your toolbox too.
Will they work/last as your everyday all the time tools?...no.
But sometimes you will need them...quick job..or a machine outside where after you run enough airline...all your air tools will have lost their muscle.

I have wrenched for 41 years and still at it... As far as any impacts IR can not be beat... I can get 10 years out of a IR impact and maybe 5 are so from IR air ratchet (good ones not a Home improvement IR special)

NEVER buy a snap on impact they are junk and they ram it up your arse to do a simple repair I never owned a SO that would out perform a IR... BTDT and NEVER got good service from a snapper air tool... Anyone that thinks a snapper air tool is gods gift has never used a good air tool...

I like my snap on tools but don't even think about selling me a snapper air tool... SO even admitted prior to a couple years ago there air tools were sub par...

I agree on the CP air tools however there are 2 CP air tools Central Pneumatic and Chicago Pneumatic, a world of difference in price
and performance!!! Get the Chicago Pneumatic, higher price but much better quality and power!! IR has greatly improved their air
impacts in design and performance and are also a great tool!!!

I have one like the Red 1/2" Ingersoll and I really like it. Its been used regularly in the mower shop for the last 5 years.

I'll second IR. I've used them for years without fail. I've had a 231 that works great. One of my students recently bought a 1/2 drive cordless IR impact and it's a beast. Loads of power. I do like the 1/4 inch drive Snap-on air ratchet that splits lengthwise.