Matco/SnapOn vs Ingersoll Rand air tools???

[TougeSR20Kid]

So I'm a mechanic at a shop that uses air tools every day (praise to the man that invented them!!!) And I recently decided that I need some new air ratchets. My 3/8ths is too big and bulky to get into those hard to reach spots. Anyways I've been looking around at prices and what's out there. I'm really leaning toward buying some new IR brand stubby air ratchets since they're a good price and seem to be quality. I've been using an IR 1/2" impact gun for some time now and love it.

What I'm wondering is have any of you used the IR stubbies and how well do they stack up against the heavy weights like matco and snapon? Given the price?

Also does anyone have any input on other air tools? More specifically air hammer and die grinders? I need to get new ones since the China made harbor freight shiza definitely isn't cutting it haha.

[TougeSR20Kid]

Damn I totally posted this in the wrong section. Mods can you please move it. My bad lol :picardfp:

[DanielS14]

I would go with IR since they are usually cheaper and the quality is great.

plus i think snapon and matco rebrand their names on the brand air tool.

[SaVAgES14]

I have air cat air ratchets in 1/4 and 3/8th's, they haven't failed me yet after 2 years. But I do use my snap on cordless ratchet a lot more. There's a couple techs at my job that use the ir hammer head and they love them. For an air hammer it's snap on without a doubt.

[wenlusge]

There's a couple techs at my job that use the ir hammer head and they love them. For an air hammer it's snap on without a doubt.http://goo.gl/NQIZBB

[Triumphx]

Air cats and IR are both great, I really feel like with snap-on/Mac/matco impacts/electric tools you are really just paying for the name. Hand tools is a different story all together

[TougeSR20Kid]

Air cats and IR are both great, I really feel like with snap-on/Mac/matco impacts/electric tools you are really just paying for the name. Hand tools is a different story all together

This is kinda what I was getting a sense of. I know that the matco impact gun is essentially a slightly beefed up IR one and thusly why I bought an IR one when I was in the market. When it came time to get the electric impact and drill I just got some makitas. Everyone else in my shop uses the snap on one and they work fine but mine does the same stuff for like half the price.

I mean the hand tools with lifetime warranty makes sense to buy from a tool truck because they are nicer and they come to you and usually have the replacement on board. I've been having more and more issues with sears because they've been cutting down on what they carry in store so getting something warrantied is more often than not a giant pain in the booty. But at the end of the day the only thing you're paying for with the hand tools is the convenience factor and the name.

[DansS13]

I work in a shop and everyone here uses mostly snap on for air and hand tools (Our Mac guy is kinda a dick). Theres a couple guys who have harbor freight die grinders and shit, they are ok at best but you cant expect them to last very long. All of the snap on tools i have are amazing and I've never had a problem with them. We work on skid loaders and trucks that are rusty as fuck and the snap on air tools always seem to get bolts off easier and strip less bolts

[tromer9]

I have the SO air ratchet and air hammer. Great quality and sturdy. For impact guns, I like using the IR.