Hey guys I got a question about air tools and a compressor. I've been toying around with my car quite a bit lately and really enjoying it. I have considered getting a compressor and some air tools so I can really go to work. Anybody have any advice on certain brands that are better/worse? I know harbor freight is really cheap, do you get what you pay for there? Let me know your thoughts...
Thinking about buying a compressor/air tools, advice?
- Thread starter mdisalvo85
- Start date
harbor freight is junk, you do get what you pay for basically. My dad has a crapsman that he got from his dad and it still works great. I bought a crapsman 25gallon professional and it lasted about 7 months before it took a crap, but it has a 1 year warranty on it so they are fixing it as we speak "sears sends it in" those foreign made POS deals are hit and miss it seems with all their tools and stuff.
For a compressor I recommend Ingersoll Rand. I have mostly Matco air tools which for the most part are Ingersoll Rand. Otherwise I have a snap-on air hammer and some generic little grinders that I don't use too much. I would recommend a moderately sized air tank 25 gal + with an scfm of around 6.0 or higher.
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Ouch those look nice but a bit pricey...
How about this guy... http://www.toolbarn.com/product/portercable/C6110/ or this
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/dewalt/D55168/
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/dewalt/D55168/
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Its tough to make a recommendation when you have no idea what his plans are with them don't you think?
Let us know what your tool usage will be, also how often do you plan on using it. EX for duty cycle etc. Look at the CFM rating of the tools you plan on getting then base your compressor type around that.
Just on my own car whenever I need to fix something, eventually to pull the motor. Probably use it once every week or two in the summers (when the weathers nice). I guess I'm not really sure how often...knowing myself I'll probably find other uses for it too though so a bit more often than I think...Sorry about the lack of info...
This is a good deal, but I would like the scfm's to be a little higher @ 90 psi.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00916760000P?vName=Tools
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00916760000P?vName=Tools
My post wasn't against you, it was against giving recommendations when we have no idea what your plans are. Me personally, I have an 80 gal 5.5 hp 2 stage unit. If you're not going to be painting cars or running DA's/Palm sanders, then there's no need for me to recommend that type of unit for you when the likely hood of you using it to its full extent is slim to nill if you just plan on busting lugs loose every now and then.
Buy once... look at what you think you might be using in the future and save for that. Can't tell you how aggravating it is to have a compressor that you paid good money for, but wont run a tool you just bought.
Something to consider.. the oil less units like the above post are nice units. But they drive me nuts on how they sound. My dad has the identical one to the above post. Its a nice little unit, but the sounds is irritating to me. Though the impact that comes in that kit broke the first time we tried to use it on lugs
Check craigslist though. I had a nice 2 stage 60 gal 4HP unit that I picked up off there for 100$. It lasted for a couple years. I got my money out of it no problem and now I have a 60 gallon tank I can plumb into my 80 gallon if I ever chose too. Or at least find a used motor and toss on there.
Shop around... check Northern tools if you have one. I would tend to stay away from Harbor Freight... but Home Depot and Lowes both have nice units as well.
Air tools are handy, but mostly unnecessary unless you are doing bodywork or metal fabrication. A 1/2" air impact can come in handy from time to time but I find a proper breaker bar with a snipe will do in 99% of the situations. The biggest thing I need at times in the shop is a air die grinder. The noise a large compressor generates in the shop is also of concern.
When shopping for a compressor, ensure that you look at how many CFM it puts out at **90 PSI** or more. If it doesnt do 10 or more CFM at 90psi, its essentially useless for air tools for more than 10 seconds of use (air sanders, air die grinder, painting, etc). Then take a look at the motor size and the head unit. DeVillbiss, Ingersol Rand make a very quality piece of kit.
When shopping for a compressor, ensure that you look at how many CFM it puts out at **90 PSI** or more. If it doesnt do 10 or more CFM at 90psi, its essentially useless for air tools for more than 10 seconds of use (air sanders, air die grinder, painting, etc). Then take a look at the motor size and the head unit. DeVillbiss, Ingersol Rand make a very quality piece of kit.
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Some good info, thanks everyone!
I know they're cheap Chinese-manufactured crap, but honestly I think if specific tools are going to be in limited use Harbor Freight is OK. For instance, I bought a grinder there for $7. Will it last 10 years? No. It'll break, and probably pretty soon. But until then I have a grinder and I didn't have to spend much. Since I may use it once a month for the summer and probably never in the winter, I'm willing to put up with impending breakage. Now I bought a decent impact, but for things I won't use a ton I think HF is OK.
Basically, my rule is if it's something that I'll need more than a few times, buy good stuff. But if I can only imagine limited use, HF is fine. It's super cheap, and with limited use price is more important than quality. So if you're on a budget, there's nothing wrong with a cheap price on a lower quality limited use tool. If you're going to need a tool once every year, there's no real reason to pay a premium for quality. Once you start using something a ton, then you pay for something good. Just my $0.02 tho
Basically, my rule is if it's something that I'll need more than a few times, buy good stuff. But if I can only imagine limited use, HF is fine. It's super cheap, and with limited use price is more important than quality. So if you're on a budget, there's nothing wrong with a cheap price on a lower quality limited use tool. If you're going to need a tool once every year, there's no real reason to pay a premium for quality. Once you start using something a ton, then you pay for something good. Just my $0.02 tho
If you maintain the harbor freight air tools, they'll last a year, maybe even more. But like most of harbor freight's stuff is junk, say away from the jacks and anything electrical.
Northern Tools has some of the same tools as harbor freight does, just like OEM, Pitbull, MIT, and others. They are manufactured in bulk and several tool company's' buy it and slap their name on it. Hell even name brands like General do it with some items.
dude you need a compressor i have a snap-on compressor that i paid bout 3,800 for new and i havent used...ill take 3 grand its still on a palett with origional cling wrap around it. never got to use it cause i moved and im renting right now, figureed i can just buy one later down the road..ive never used it. I have it inside my house..lol. I take real good care of all my snap-on tools.
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I'm just starting to get air tools set up myself. I have a 3hp Craftsman compressor 30 gallon tank that was my gradfathers when he was alive. I will have to look to see what the CFM @ 90psi is but I know that he use to paint car with it without issues. I bought a used Ingersol Rand 1/2 (231G-twin hammer) impact at a flea market for 50 bucks and used is just last night on a couple of tough bolts. It worked like a charm. My next purchase will be an air ratchet and I looked at a Porter Cable today but it didnt seem like it was built very well. I have been shopping on line and may go with a IR ratchet as well.
I did go to harbor freight and most of what they had looked like it was made real cheap.. so I left empty handed.
Good luck :beer:
I did go to harbor freight and most of what they had looked like it was made real cheap.. so I left empty handed.
Good luck :beer:
Get some craftsman tools... Go on your local craigslist and search for them.. you'll find them and they have a lifetime warrenty at sears w/o a reciept..
I was wondering about that "lifetime warranty" deal. I was looking and they (Sears) want to sell "extended coverage".
Protection Plan
Add 12 months to the original warranty and replace your product rather than repair it $ 37.50
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...=cf&vName=Tools&cName=Compressors+&+Air+Tools
click on options.
I wonder if Sears still has lifetime coverage on their tools.. if so why do they sell extended coverage?
EDIT* Found more on Wicki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craftsman_(tools)
A common misconception among consumers still exists that the lifetime warranty includes Craftsman power tools and precision hand tools. Craftsman portable power tools, bench power tools, air compressors, powered lawn & garden products and other powered items carry various warranties while many specialty hand tools such as torque wrenches, except beam-type torque wrenches which carry a Lifetime Warranty, and work lights carry a one year warranty. Sears offers Merchandise Replacement Agreements and Master Protection Agreements on most of their tools that extends the basic warranty
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buy broken wreches and sockets on ebay that are mac, sears, snap-on, matco.. things that have a lifetime warr. and find a rep and get them replaced. as far as air tools. Ingersol rand is the best ive used. im a ford tech and use mine everyday, many times a day. so the get beat to death, and havent ever let me down (thats with proper oil and pumping grease in the rear bearing. ive had my IR thunder gun 1/2 impact 8.5 years, still kicks out the beef. as far as compressors.. ya kinda get what ya pay for, and they do need maintence. for a weekend warrior, you shouldnt need a large one.. go check some smaller ones out at home depot or lowes
The worst part about buying matco, snap-on, and mac tools is you have to find the rep which is hard sometimes, ask around the dealerships when they show up because they don't like stopping buy local shops just to replace broken wrenches, it's losing money just to replace something without you buying off them.
Their lifetime warranty is only for Hand tools, and they changed the name 'Lifetime' to 'Guaranteed Forever' which sounds cooler now, heh. The extended warranty is for the other stuff they sell
If you get unknowing teeny behind the counter your warranty is endless with any craftsman tool :rockon:
I don't know why people slam craftsman (crapsman) Their hands tools always outlasted all the other brands I've had, and that includes Husky sockets (american made) and alot of Snap-on, hell the Snap-on's are what broke the most.
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