Where do you buy your air tools? And which one is your fav? (1 Viewer)

[Mikesta]

I've gotten mine at Lowes, Sears etc.

I am in the market for some more tools:

Grinder
Hammer/chizel
buffer
etc.

Which tool is your favorite air tool?

 

[lingo]

I usually pick up what I need at Sears. I work 1/4 mile from a decent one. Favorite tool would probably be the cut off wheel. It's good at f'n stuff up.

 

[miletwo]

It's all about Harbor Freight. Prices are cheep... so is equipment, but at the prices you can throw them away if they break. Or.... they also offer very inexpensive protection policy on their tools.

I bought 90° cutoff and a disc sander, with arbors and wheels, pads, etc... all for under $50 out the door.

 

[yooper]

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net

I hate Harbor Freight. I won't do business with them anymore by mail order. The store is ok - I'd shop there if there was one within 200 miles...

 

[haystax]

Northern Tool seems to be about the best in terms of price and stock on hand - eBay and pawn shops for high end brands

My favorite tool is my IR Titanium 3/8 impact - most popular air tool in the shop by far. Second favorite is my neighbor's Snap-On air chisel, it will bust through anything. 1" impact is a life saver around our shop as well, hell all my air tools are favorites depending on the job at hand, wrenching w/o air tools sucks ass.

 

[David Clayton]

fav air tool

my Snap-On 3/8 drive air ratchet. Strong and dependable.

 

[RavenTai]

Which tool is your favorite air tool?

90 degree die grinder, I went through several cheapies, finally ponied up and got a Mac on recommendation of coworkers, quite happy with it.

Use Snap-On air ratchets

Sioux makes great drill motors. have their 1/4" and a 90 motor

a good 4x or 5x rivet gun is generally a better air hammer than most air hammers. I have a Chicago pneumatic that is ancient but great gun. (Not to be confused with the very close sounding name on HF)

Generally IR makes Ok stuff for the money, use them for just about every thing else.

 

[Blue77FJ40]

I second the toolwarehouse. My favorites are the titanium IR impact wrenches. Fantastic power and control, and really lightwweight. I have the 3/8" and 1/2". The 3/8" is tiny and has more power than some 1/2" at 260 ft/lb. Have IR's hd die grinders, angle and straight.

 

[Tools R Us]

For grinders I have a bunch from little 1/8" collet pencil to 4hp, 8" cup wheel grinder. The three types most used are the 90 degree and straight 1/4" collet and 4" grinders. In the 1/4" collet grinders I find that the best cost/quality for the small or home shop is the IR 301 and 308 or the Astro T20AH and T210. The Astro 3006 4" grinder is one of my favorites, my electrics rarely get used.

Air hammers are the only common hand tool where size/power selection is critical to the life of the tool, the fastest way to destroy one is to use one with more power than needed to do the job. My favorite for "all around" small shop use is the IR 121, it's a well made tool at a good price. If your going to do light work get a shorter barrel tool, for heavy work a longer one. Don't get a long barrel tool and use it to scrape undercoat!

I prefer vertical buffers, like this, they are well balanced and more reliable.

The most often and expensive failure in grinders and buffers is the angle gears, if you can use a straight/vertical grinder it will be more reliable and they deliver more power from the same size motor. I only use cutoff wheels on angle heads for occasional light work, like cutting hose clamps in obstructed areas, the vibration and torque load from cutoff wheels is the fastest way to destroy angle gears and housings.

Run from any tool imported by Sunex, if your shopping on the Matco truck that's any tool with RL in the model number, I have no idea how they get away with passing that junk off as professional tools!

 

[Tools R Us]

I second the toolwarehouse. My favorites are the titanium IR impact wrenches. Fantastic power and control, and really lightwweight. I have the 3/8" and 1/2". The 3/8" is tiny and has more power than some 1/2" at 260 ft/lb. Have IR's hd die grinders, angle and straight.

IR is one of the few companies that under rates their tools, I regularly see IR 2112 & 2115's put out more than 300 ft/lb! My 2115 is my primary gun.