Need to buy air tools

Jon718 · 03-20-03, 09:00

I am looking to get :

1/2" drive impact wrench
air hose and reel

I am considering buying from Harbor Freight and Tools but someone mentioned to me that they are garbadge esp their "Chicago Pneumatic" brand.

I don't want to spend too much as the impact wrench will mainly e used to for taking out lug nuts and some other small work.

Is there a good place where I can get this stuff?

IndigoGTI · 03-20-03, 09:12

Back when I worked as a car stereo installer, we used some of the Chicago Pnuematic brand for doing various jobs. We mainly used their tools for removing seats, and installing running boards and brush guards. Never had any reliability issues with them. You will probably be OK using them for the occasional wheel rotation and the such. You might also want to check some pawn shops for air tools, they seem to be popular as far as used tools go.

turnipgreen · 03-20-03, 11:05

You might want to check on EBay. I've been watching other tools on there, been able to get some reasonably good deals over time on Snapon stuff (1/2 price is when I start considering it a good deal). You just have to know what you want, know what the market price is, and wait. I know they have lots of impact stuff listed, as I always have to filter it out.

germancarnut · 03-20-03, 12:11

Harbor Freight's "house brand" is Central Pneumatic, not Chicago Pneumatic, and they are very inexpensive, very low quality air tools. Chicago Pneumatic is a medium quality, name brand tool, which Harbor Freight also carries. I just looked at Harbor Freight's web site, and they currently have an Ingersoll-Rand 231C 1/2" impact on sale for $105.99, which is a GREAT price for that tool - a lot of professional mechanics use that gun. Parts for it are very available, and any air tool repair shop can repair and rebuild them.

I'd be very leery of 1/2" impact guns on eBay. Pros use and abuse that particular tool all day every day, and don't usually replace them until they're pretty well worn out. Pawn shops can be a good source, but I'd shy away from anything that looks like it's been heavily used, and I wouldn't buy anything unless they had some kind of return policy in case it didn't work properly. Good luck!

Chris325i · 03-20-03, 01:10

I just got the Harbor Freight corded electric 1/2" impact wrench for 39.99. I am using it for the same thing, removing wheels and miscellaneous occasional jobs. I don't expect a lot from it, but so far it has worked fine.