What brand of air tools is the best?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
7,217
I know snap on is probably pretty good but I think half the price you pay is just for the name. What do you guys think about Ingersoll rand air tools?
 
IR is top of the top IMHO...
campbell hausfeld is mediocre at best.
snap on/mac are relabeled IR I believe..
 
Snap On makes their own air tools. The Blue point stuff is anybody's guess. I like IR's titanium line.
 
Ingersoll rand is about the only air tools i've heard of. Currently every air tool I have are porter cable. For some reason the discontinued most of their air tools.
 
When I worked as a pump jockey in the early '80's, the boss was a crusty old mechanic. He swore by Chicago Pneumatic. He didn't like Ingersoll Rand or anything else. He had an old CP impact gun that always worked.

Please note that Harbor Freight has capitalized on this by selling "Chicago Electric" and "Central Pneumatic" tools that are, of course, made in China. Chicago Pneumatic tools may not all be made in the US, but they're also not made in China.
 
Originally Posted By: Stelth
When I worked as a pump jockey in the early '80's, the boss was a crusty old mechanic. He swore by Chicago Pneumatic. He didn't like Ingersoll Rand or anything else. He had an old CP impact gun that always worked.

Please note that Harbor Freight has capitalized on this by selling "Chicago Electric" and "Central Pneumatic" tools that are, of course, made in China. Chicago Pneumatic tools may not all be made in the US, but they're also not made in China.


went to harbor, bought a Chicago pneumatic air drill, It worked great for a couple hours as i was building a deck.. then the trigger fell OFF ! i returned it, got another one hopeing it was a fluke.. this second one has about a hours use on it so far. the trigger hasnt fallen off yet.
 
I have a snap on that i have used since 83, it started giving trouble so I bought another snap on, Im a technician by trade so they get used every day.
 
Depends on how you define "best". I'd assume you're wanting automotive use, I'd say you won't go wrong with IR, Snap-On, and some of Chicago Pneumatic.

Industrial Duty air tools are a different category... Sioux, Atlas Copco, IR industrial, Cleco, Dotco are a completely different league.
 
I/R's Ti air tools are pretty darn good. Good bang for the buck would be Cornwell's CAT line. I have their 3/8 impact and that little gun has some pretty big cahones. I rarely need a 1/2 gun anymore.
 
I sell industrial maintenance supplies for a living. I call on a large number of mechanics and maintenance shops. IR tools are common at these shops, the Titanium line is popular (I've sold a few). I see ALL of the brands listed here by other posters and I can say truthfully that I do not hear people complaining about the IR titanium line. Rarely do they gripe about chicago pneumatic. Cheap, harbor freight type tools are the frequent object of outright derision. In this area, you truly do get what you pay for.
 
Quote:
went to harbor, bought a Chicago pneumatic air drill, It worked great for a couple hours as i was building a deck.. then the trigger fell OFF


No you got a Central Pneumatic. This is exactly what stelth was saying, HF is using well known high quality brand names and switches them around a bit attempting to confuse the customer.

CP has quality air tools that are at least equal to IR.
A CPT717 air hammer is one seriously powerful tool, ditto the CP7750 impact gun.

I use both CP and IR and both are great, the long stroke CP717 hammer is definitely much stronger than the equivalent IR model, the thing is like a hand held sledge hammer hitting 1800 times a min.
The IR air ratchet 109xpa is my favourite.
IMO you cant go wrong with either of these brands.
 
Ingersoll is good stuff. I tend to stay away from snap ons impacts just because of how many i have seen sent back. So my impacts are older macs which are just a rebadged ingersoll.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
Chicago Pnuematic was good stuff, but then they started cheaping out their products and their stuff became junk. AFAIK, CP is still junk today


I own both and couldn't disagree more!
Show me an IR of the same style and size that can out hammer and last longer this bad boy and I'll buy it!

http://www.eautotools.com/CPT-717-p/cpt-717.htm


The link is not working. What brand/model is it?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top