air tools

[eastcoastS14]

questionable if this is the right section but just wondering what brand of air tools you guys have...thinking about picking up an impact wrench and air ratchet to start but dont want to pay an arm and a leg...so what are some good quality brands...I found some but theyre all like $100+

[wangan_cruiser]

i just bought a goodyear racing one comes with impact wrench and air ratchet combo as well for $75-85, i dont remember. its works good and i was just using it early this morning dropping my vlsd. its nice you should get one its really handy and saves u a lot of time.

[sleepy_s13]

harbor freight special

[JesusFreakDrifter]

www.harborfreight.com good prices for good tools

[eastcoastS14]

lol impact wrench for $9.99 :rawk:

[wangan_cruiser]

thats hella cheap. i wonder how long itll last?:fruit:

[johngriff]

Harbor Freight is ok.

Save your warranty card, their warranty exchange is almost better than craftsman. Spend at least $70 on an impact gun. Make sure you oil all your tools regularly. Even an expensive impact will burn out w/o any oil very quickly.

Matco, but

"Good tools are cheap if you use them."

Just remember that.

[Wei240]

harbor freight compressor, and some tools, cheap
i had to get some umph and got that tornado or whatever that orange/red tool was from there too, otherwise, the cheapy air tools are weeeeaaaak

[na3j nitsuj]

i say buy an impact gun/wrench that doesnt require oil...

orchard has some under $150...

[mRclARK1]

Do what I did... go by a tire or mechanics shop, and ask about old tools for sale. I went by a tire shop, and noticed that the impact guns they were using looked REALLY new. So I asked about what they did with the old ones, and they said they were gonna sell them. I got 2 craftsmen guns for $60 that still work fine to this day, they're just a little beat up is all. :rawk:

[C. Senor]

i use ingersoll-rand....quite expensive but i love that gun. and it goes vreeeooom vreeeommm...lol

like john said, its definitely worth the money if you use it. but they have one for 130 bucks...
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/pc-11446-722-3692-ingersoll-rand-12-heavy-duty-impact-ir231.aspx

[chlatboy]

Dude get get something from craftsman. If you break it you can return it to get replaced. You really cant beat that. Unless you like spending money on higher end stuff, get craftsman.

[eastcoastS14]

hmmm yeah I heard good things about craftsman too...Im thinking I might go pick something up today either an air ratchet or an impact gun...Im in the process of replacing my headgasket so Im not sure which is better for removing the head studs...some of the air rachets dont seem to have enough torque...what would you guys use air ratchet or impact gun...what ever I buy today ill get the other one this paycheck

[DOOK]

Dude get get something from craftsman. If you break it you can return it to get replaced. You really cant beat that. Unless you like spending money on higher end stuff, get craftsman.

unless it's a hard tool like a ratchet or socket you best have a reciept for that tool. Buddy of mine bought a craftsman aluminum race jack 3 months ago and it took a shit. He couldn't find the reciept and tried to take it back and Sears conveniently, "couldn't find the transaction in their system".

On topic however, we use all SnapOn at the shop. You really get what you pay for.

[chlatboy]

snap on will cost you an arm and leg. Let alone they only come by once a month. Kinda hard when you need something then and there. Like i said, if money is no option, snap on or matco. If you are on a budget, craftsman.

[DOOK]

our snap on guy comes once a week actually, but he just likes grabbing a beer and bullshitting too

[Roc]

Im pretty poor half the time but I just finance the tools I use the most through snap on.. great people and normally will help you out.. even on payments.. but thats not cheap... Harbor freight or craftsman.

[burnsauto]

i use ingersoll-rand....quite expensive but i love that gun. and it goes vreeeooom vreeeommm...lol

like john said, its definitely worth the money if you use it. but they have one for 130 bucks...
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/pc-11446-722-3692-ingersoll-rand-12-heavy-duty-impact-ir231.aspx

+1 I've used IR guns for years and love them. if you wanna save a little money. Husky actually doesnt make horrible guns...not as much torque, but still not a bad guns..

[johngriff]

Craftsman will give you alot of S over returning air tools now. I only get lucky when its girls who are working behind the tool counter, and I can use a little charm. At most harbor freight, bring it back in the box, and they'll take it from you and say, "grab another one".

As much as I would LOVE to debate high end tools...

eastcoasts14: You do not want any air tools for removing the head bolts. Maybe a brand new 17mm Alan Socket. Maybe a new breaker bar from harbor freight (I just got the HUUUUGE one, and undid a head with it, it rocks).

But air... no way man. Your going to f something up, there is a pattern you have to untorque those head studs, and you have to loosen them little by little, not just burn them off.

[eastcoastS14]

hmm my FSM has a loosening order but no stages to loosen but it has stages to tighten....i thought you could loosen them all the way but had to tighten in stages

also how long is your breaker bar?

[Lucient]

whatever impact gun you get make sure it has at least 400 in-lbs of torque. My air compressor came with an impact that was rated to 250 in-lbs and it wouldnt even loosen my lug nuts. I bought a kobalt one from Lowes and I love it. It was like $70

[johngriff]

iirc its 28" Half inch drive. For the studs I used a craftsman 1/2 to 3/8 adapter and a 3/8 drive 17mm alan key.

I loosen the head studs in the reverse order of the tightening sequence. As you loosen them you will notice they are very hard to come off, and will make a "crack" sound as you initially loosen them.

Loosen a slight. Until you get that small "pop/crack", stop, move onto the other bolt. I do this because of the remote possibility the head will flex and warp if it is tight on one side, and loose on the other. I also do this for the higher likely hood that the amount of torque required to loosen the last few bolts if all the others are loose will probably strip the heads on the studs.

You are working with an alan key, not the most precise fastener. I have stripped the heads on them years ago, and forcing a torx into it is a royal pita. If you go slowly, probably making 6 or 7 passes when loosening in order, you will NOT have a problem.

[s13silvia123]

i have craftsman and MAC tools. i also have Husky too. but the husky is wack. its not as good as my craftsman and MAC. the warrenties is alot better with the Craftsman and MAC too. Husky's are a waste of money they dont work too well and not enough power compare to the ones above.

[Sir]

IR if you can afford it. Or go used though fleabay.

Lucient: in/lbs?? maybe thats your problem.

Also guns will have different force in forward and reverse, so look for that.

[Edgar]

harbor freight special

these arent that bad believe it or not

[MURPHY]

Ir2135ti

:) $$$

[s13drift240sx]

Just go to the swapmeet and get some mexman tools they put it down all day.

[Jung918]

Tools are something you should not cheap out on. Unless you really do plan on use it just once. Otherwise, it is just a better investment to put up the cash for nice tools. It will not only make the job easier, but you will be thanking yourself later for not being the typical zilvian.

[RPS1392]

I finally paid off my SnapOn dealer...22k later. And I dont even wrench for a living any more. Ill Pass em on to my kids when Im too old to work on cars any more.

[Edgar]

Tools are something you should not cheap out on. Unless you really do plan on use it just once. Otherwise, it is just a better investment to put up the cash for nice tools. It will not only make the job easier, but you will be thanking yourself later for not being the typical zilvian.

Not to be a dick but Harbor Frieghts tools arent that bad.
I agree tho, I had a cheap socket set and my 13mm socket cracked while I was trying to undo a bolt. I should have gotten some Craftmen earlier.
Learn the hard way, FUCK IT

[nassin31spr]

Double post sorry.

[nassin31spr]

Lowes has some pretty quality air tools. I bought a impact wrench from them last year and I like it a lot. It was about $80. I had a snap on but got sick of trying to get up with my dealer for warranties. Its much easier buying name brand cheaper tools. Just make sure it comes with a lifetime warranty and make sure you don't need the receipt to get a replacement. Watch sears because they are starting to not give you new tools for replacement. I had a broken 3/8 ratchet and took it to them for the warranty and they tried to send it back to get it fixed. This is probably just my location but this threw me off buying craftsman.

[YoungRookie]

I baught a 30 gallon craftsman air compressor for $299 st my local sears. It came with an impact wrench, butterfly impact wrench, and all the air fittings and connections i need.

[johngriff]

No sears/craftsman has been getting ALOT worse.

And F husky and lowes. Royally. All over the store you sill see "Hassle Free Lifetime guarantee", yet any time I return/exchange any thing, all I get is a hassle.

"do you have the receipt for this ratchet?"

"Its about 6 years old so, no."

"that is just going to make it harder..."

Plus, my new husky 1/2 drive i did get for that 6 year old ratchet, broke is 2 weeks.

STAY AWAY.

[nassin31spr]

The one I bought was kobalt. The seals gave out after about 6 months and they did give me another one with out a receipt. But I do wonder about them in 5 years when the model is no longer carried. I do agree with you one craftsman though. They are getting pretty damn bad about their exchange policies.