Air tools

[bushbean]

Do airtools make life much easier? They're very expensive. I just finished swapping out the engine block, and my whole body is quite sore. I ain't a young man no more. I think I need help. What air tools do you find indispensible?

[88lxi-shortram]

impact gun, air rachet, die grinder comes in handy sometimes

[ghettogeddy]

impact gun always seems to be the best for me gets just about any tight bolt un done lol

[nswst8]

A good selection of extensions and universal joints make air tools even more indispensable.

[carotman]

The impact gun is the only one I would never part with. Most of the time there's no other way to remove those bigger bolts (CV Joint, crank pulley)

I find the zip gun quite handy sometimes when doing bushings. The air ratchet is a bit bulky and very noisy for nothing.

You can always use an electric grinder. If you want to use an air grinder, you need a big compressor anyway.($$)

[2oodoor]

air tools are not that expensive, particularly, if you are only going to use them around the house and not in professional atmosphere, because you can buy them at local retail stores in packaged kits.
Almost everything is available in electric or cordless now days.
surface prep tool would be the one I would miss, and maybe an air rachet on those long wtf is it so long bolts.

[bushbean]

I just hate those hard to reach places. I'm not sure if airtool can reach them. For example, the ac compressor. It took me awhile to bolt that stupid thing on the engine. It's often the little bolts in hard to reach places that frustrate me the most.

[88lxi-shortram]

idk if youre using any but universal joints help loads as long as theyre not in a spot thats more than a 45 degree angle. and they dont help as much for thin headed bolts because they tend to make sockets slip of which could posibly result in rounded heads. but they do help and i would recomend them. like someone said on here... if you buy a impact universal joint and some extensions youll save yourself alot of anger and curse words

[Pnem3]

Craigslist is your friend. Air tools do make a big difference. Unless you plan to be a professional mechanic, you don't need the newest or best. If you can make repairs to a used compressor that isn't too beaten up then you can find some sweet deals too. Even Wal-Mart tools will hold up if you oil them like you should.

An air ratchet works great on the AC compressor too.

[AccordB20A]

i swear by air tools now i have some, doesnt take so long to change shit

[gp02a0083]

best air tool ever, paid for itself quickly with local auto body jobs

[firefighterwhite89]

Do airtools make life much easier? They're very expensive. I just finished swapping out the engine block, and my whole body is quite sore. I ain't a young man no more. I think I need help. What air tools do you find indispensible?

1/2" Impact Wrench w/10mm,12mm,14mm,17mm and 19mm Deep-well impact sockets. Impact wrenches work amazing wonders and make life simple, though you still require general strength to keep the wrench from spinning out of your hand.

Pneumatic Die grinders are amazing as well. Paint guns are awesome too. There's two types of guns though, for low and high pressures.

Air tools make taking motors apart at least 2x faster, at least.

[Dr_Snooz]

My only air tool is this gun from Harbor Freight.



There are a few times each year I simply cannot get along without it. The rest of the time, I can. The tool that I can't live without is this stupid cordless impact wrench.



It's just strong enough to break loose 75% of all bolts but not strong enough to break anything. That makes it very nearly perfect. If you're installing a trans pan, nothing sucks worse than lying under the car for a half-hour tightening all 83 bolts holding it on. With this, it takes about 15 seconds to spin them all tight. If you're putting a wheel back on, you just hang it on the hub, put the lug nut in the socket, stab blindly at the nearest lug stud, pull the trigger and the wheel is on AND snugged up in 4 seconds. The plastic splash pan under the car (which is always the first thing the manual tells you to remove) comes off (and goes back on) in record time with one of these. If you're removing the transmission and have a mounting bolt at the bottom of the engine bay that's covered by hoses, vacuum lines and wires, you just rig up 36" of extensions and a swivel socket and it comes right out, no problem. I'm telling you I can't live without this stupid thing. If you're considering an air ratchet, definitely get this instead.

[MessyHonda]

yup its always nice to have some good air tools...cuts time in half if you know how to use them right

[2oodoor]

best air tool ever, paid for itself quickly with local auto body jobs

wow I didnt consider paint gun an air tool but I guess it could be in that group, lol so add that to mine I own several...
very nice gun gp02a0083

[A18A]

I get by fine without them, but if I had one it would definitely make doing shit a lot faster lol

[gp02a0083]

There's two types of guns though, for low and high pressures.

Alot of the guns now are High volume low pressure guns. Can use then with even smaller air compressors

[Rendon LX-i]

i have a 3/8,1/2 impact guns i got from craiglists new. Ingersoll Rand for 100 bucK LOL. i jumped on that like a fat kid love cake. Very hand. im 25 and it beats breaking your knuckles on those very tight bolts and breaking your rachet on a axle nut lol....

harbor frieght has cheap air tools. There off brand but good and last long. check it out man.

[88Accord-DX]

I use air tools on a daily basis. Depending on how much you use them depends on the money you should spend on them - per say. My 1/2" impact is Ingersall Rand (Titanium) with a nut busting power of 1100 ft. lbs., it's the most used air tool... I use my Bluepoint 3/8 cordless impact more than any air tool.... . Close quarter 3/8" air wrench is handy on them wtf so long bolts. If your using air impacts, it's recommended to use impact sockets!
I did get an air hammer from harbor freight tools & it has had the shit beat out of it, to my surprise it still works. For cheap air tools at a cheap price, can't beat H.F. tools. My list goes from used to least used, all used fairly often. I have more air tools, just made a quick list.

1/2" Impact Driver
cut off wheel/ prep tool
3/8" side air wrench
blow guns-24" & 5"
air hammer
close quarter 3/8 chuck air drill- 90 degree
leak down tester

edit- I need to mention that a water seperator is needed on the compressor for longer tool life. Also, use air tool oil for lubrication of the internal parts.

[lostforawhile]

Craigslist is your friend. Air tools do make a big difference. Unless you plan to be a professional mechanic, you don't need the newest or best. If you can make repairs to a used compressor that isn't too beaten up then you can find some sweet deals too. Even Wal-Mart tools will hold up if you oil them like you should.

An air ratchet works great on the AC compressor too.

you have to be very careful with a used compressor, somewhere on the tank is a destroy by date, older compressors 20 years ago, had some very heavy well made tanks, that would last for years, anything newer then that is probably lighter gauge cheaper steel, the problem, is no one ever drains the tank, even if you do, there is no way to tell how much rust is in a used one, eventually the steel will weaken to the point of it rupturing. if you are near the tank it's like a grenade exploding. the tanks are required to have a destroy date on them now, once it's past that point, get a new tank, or a new compressor. If you buy a new one, instead of that drain you can't reach on the bottom, run some copper tube to a valve on the side of the foot, make sure to blow it down every time you are done with it. if you do this your compressor will last a long time.

[Dr_Snooz]

you have to be very careful with a used compressor, somewhere on the tank is a destroy by date, older compressors 20 years ago, had some very heavy well made tanks, that would last for years, anything newer then that is probably lighter gauge cheaper steel, the problem, is no one ever drains the tank, even if you do, there is no way to tell how much rust is in a used one, eventually the steel will weaken to the point of it rupturing. if you are near the tank it's like a grenade exploding. the tanks are required to have a destroy date on them now, once it's past that point, get a new tank, or a new compressor. If you buy a new one, instead of that drain you can't reach on the bottom, run some copper tube to a valve on the side of the foot, make sure to blow it down every time you are done with it. if you do this your compressor will last a long time.

It's mellow. The motor and compressor will burn up long before the tank ruptures. It's all disposable nowadays. If you extend the life of one under-engineered part, another will break shortly thereafter, followed by another and another, ensuring that you have to go buy an entirely new compressor at the time appointed by the marketing dept. They are very clever at building garbage now. If they were as clever at building quality, you'd be passing down stuff for generations. Which would be impossible, really. Can you imagine your great-grandkids howling when they try to decide who's going to take granddad's frumpy old compressor? My god, it's still that horrible shade of color they used way back in 2011. Eeewwww! Let's just throw it away and go buy the new one that spritzes perfume into the air every 5 minutes. It's like having a fresh mountain breeze in the shop. Yay!

[lostforawhile]

It's mellow. The motor and compressor will burn up long before the tank ruptures. It's all disposable nowadays. If you extend the life of one under-engineered part, another will break shortly thereafter, followed by another and another, ensuring that you have to go buy an entirely new compressor at the time appointed by the marketing dept. They are very clever at building garbage now. If they were as clever at building quality, you'd be passing down stuff for generations. Which would be impossible, really. Can you imagine your great-grandkids howling when they try to decide who's going to take granddad's frumpy old compressor? My god, it's still that horrible shade of color they used way back in 2011. Eeewwww! Let's just throw it away and go buy the new one that spritzes perfume into the air every 5 minutes. It's like having a fresh mountain breeze in the shop. Yay!

yea my dad has one thats over 40 years old, it's built like a boiler tank. you can tap on it and it clunks not rings hollow, took 5 people to get it in the garage