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INTRO
I am not a rich man, and have to "make do" with the cheap Chinese alternative for most of my power tools. Exceptions: My hand tools and tool box are all Craftsman, with a few key pieces being Snap-On, Matco, MAC or the like. Most of my air/power tools are Chinese, again, with a smattering of Craftsman, Snap-On, Matco, Miller and MAC for the "critical" stuff. I buy what I feel is the best tool for the money, factoring in amount of use it will get and replacability. I never buy the warranties on Chinese tools, because they are usually "throw away" replacement priced. For many "low use" tools you can get a cheaper version for 1/5th the cost or less than name brand. For some semi-critical items, this means you can by 2 copies of the same power tool and still be at less than 1/2 the cost of the name brand version (and for many tools, I do own multiples). I'd love to "buy American" for the best quality tools (or German or Japanese in some cases) but the price differences are staggering for most things. I'd rather have a "cheap tool" than no tool for the job at hand.
Buying Air Tools
Some of you tool noobs out there need some air tool additions in a bad way. Many of you here at <insert auto related forum> have air compressors (or should!) but few or no air tools to use with this powerful "tool mover".
I don't expect any of us to have a fully equipped metal fabrication shop, but all of us <car fanatics> have had to do some basic "reshaping" or cutting or drilling, or needed some serious air power for busting loose big suspension bolts or wheel lug nuts.
Here's my list of basics, which can be purchased from Craftsman and Harbor Freight:
+ 1/2" Impact Wrench: Spend the money and get a U.S. built 1/2" impact. Craftsman is a good place to start. Plan on $99 or so. Look for 400-550+ ft-lbs of nut busting torque (ouch!). Advanced users can look to Ingersol-Rand for lighter titanium impacts with 1000 ft pounds of torque! Plan on $250+ for all brands "above" Craftsman. Don't go cheap Chinese for this one important tool!
+ 3/8" Impact Wrenches & Ratchets: Once you get to using the 1/2" impact on lug nuts, and larger suspension, chassis and engine bolts, you might want to move up to the "advanced" tool user and get a 3/8" impact ($20, HF) and even 3/8" and/or 1/4" air ratchets ($20 range). My little baby 1/4" air ratchet is so handy - it'll go anywhere a ratchet will fit, and can spin out bolts like crazy. Using hand tools on substantial repair/replacement work is so "old skool", but not in a cool way. Think "Chinese" for sources on these, and all other "lesser used" air tools. I use my air ratchets enough to have warranted MAC/MATCO/Snap-On quality versions, which cost a good bit more, but were worth it (to me).
+ 1/4" Chuck Die Grinder: Some of you may have electric Dremel tools (1/8" chuck) but these don't have a fraction of the power or usefulness of a 1/4" chuck air powered die grinder. Prices should be around $10-20 for a rear exhaust straight unit, and slightly more for a 90 degree angle drive units (these are great for a second unit and work well for ScotchBrite pads, for fast gasket removal, and small air sander heads).
The Chinese versions are "disposible cheap", so when they start losing power, just toss it in the recycle bin and replace (yet they seem to last many years, regardless). They usually come with 1/8" collet adapters to work with smaller "Dremel" sized bits and attachments. This is a must for everyone's toolbox if you have an air compressor! I use my die grinder almost every time I am in the garage, to cut/grind/smooth something metal.
+ Die Grinder Attachments: The die grinder does you no good without an assortment of cutting, grinding and cut-off attachments to go with it! Some die grinder units like this or this come with a few attachments, but you will need to get a few carbide cutting burrs made for aluminum (single cut; also works for plastic) and some for steel/iron (double cut). These are great for slotting, shaping, and enlarging holes or contours, and the best way to buy them is in assortments. I prefer "tree", "radiused end" and "cylindrical" shapes. Next, you'll want some 3" cut-off wheels and an arbor to hold them; these are great for cutting through anything metal (like sheet stock, angle iron, bolts, etc). I use a cut-off wheel every time I am fabricating anything. I am not a big proponent of grinding stones, but some folks love them. I admit to using them for clean-up work on poorly welded steel joints.
+ Air saw: The high speed air body saw is a great tool, but I don't use it very often. $20 and it does have it's uses (esp. in tight confines where a 3" cutting wheel/die grinder won't fit).
+ Air Drill: I cannot live without my 3/8" Reversible Air Drill. Tons of torque and super fast "spool up" in a tiny package. I use this more than any of my other 5 drills, and only go to the electric drill when I need to hold 1/2" shank bits. A good $40 assortment of bits is a must, and I have recently found reduced 1/2" shank bits for cutting BIG holes (how did I live without these for so long?!). Anything bigger than 1" diameter is time for a bi-metal hole saw assortment, which gets expensive for cutting into steel sheet (way beyond Chinese cheapness; I have a $70 Bosch hole-saw set that has a mandrel and 4-5 sizes).
+ Air Nozzle: This is a stupid thing to mention, but I use it so often it needs it's own section. A simple "safety tipped air nozzle" is a great tool for cleaning up your workbench, floors, and blowing metal shavings out of your hair and clothes (after doing any metal fab. work, shavings and metal dust gets everywhere!). A nozzle with a 3 foot extension works even better in some cases. I also use the hell out of an air nozzle for cleaning out car interiors (prior to vacuuming/detailing; really gets into the crevices and around buttons), drying underhood areas (after engine compartment washing) and spreading Armor All (for engine detailing), cleaning out dusty computer cases (every few months), and all manner of other cleaning uses.
NOTE: Many of these air tools, esp. the attachments, cannot be found in every Harbor Freight store. Most of the bigger things are easier to find/choose from IN the stores, however, and sales are more likely to be found in person rather than online. Once you buy from HF online, though, you'll be buried in bi-weekly sales supplements. These have different part numbers that unlock temporary on-line sale prices.
AIR TOOL OIL
Don't forget to buy a $1-2 bottle of "air tool oil" (probably just a lightweight oil with some anti-corrosion additives) and use it every day that you use one of your air tools. Just squirt a few drops into the quick-connect air inlet end of the power tool, give it a "buzz buzz" to circulate the oil, and you just coated all the inner bits with enough oil for an hour or so of use. It keeps your tools from all rusting and gumming up inside and can noticeably increases the RPMs of a rotary tool that has "gone dry".
Some anal retentive tool people (and those in production line work) will add an in-line "oiler" to their air supply for tools. I don't like this because you then coat all of your lines with oil, and they can then never be used for "dry" work, like paint sprayer. To use your air for that you'd actually need a drier, and it's smart to get a separate set of hoses for paint work anyway (that has never even seen compressor oil blow-by).
Edited 8/12/05 with advise form Costas and others
Edited 2/26/06 to repost in a public area of the forum
I am not a rich man, and have to "make do" with the cheap Chinese alternative for most of my power tools. Exceptions: My hand tools and tool box are all Craftsman, with a few key pieces being Snap-On, Matco, MAC or the like. Most of my air/power tools are Chinese, again, with a smattering of Craftsman, Snap-On, Matco, Miller and MAC for the "critical" stuff. I buy what I feel is the best tool for the money, factoring in amount of use it will get and replacability. I never buy the warranties on Chinese tools, because they are usually "throw away" replacement priced. For many "low use" tools you can get a cheaper version for 1/5th the cost or less than name brand. For some semi-critical items, this means you can by 2 copies of the same power tool and still be at less than 1/2 the cost of the name brand version (and for many tools, I do own multiples). I'd love to "buy American" for the best quality tools (or German or Japanese in some cases) but the price differences are staggering for most things. I'd rather have a "cheap tool" than no tool for the job at hand.
Buying Air Tools
Some of you tool noobs out there need some air tool additions in a bad way. Many of you here at <insert auto related forum> have air compressors (or should!) but few or no air tools to use with this powerful "tool mover".
I don't expect any of us to have a fully equipped metal fabrication shop, but all of us <car fanatics> have had to do some basic "reshaping" or cutting or drilling, or needed some serious air power for busting loose big suspension bolts or wheel lug nuts.Here's my list of basics, which can be purchased from Craftsman and Harbor Freight:
+ 1/2" Impact Wrench: Spend the money and get a U.S. built 1/2" impact. Craftsman is a good place to start. Plan on $99 or so. Look for 400-550+ ft-lbs of nut busting torque (ouch!). Advanced users can look to Ingersol-Rand for lighter titanium impacts with 1000 ft pounds of torque! Plan on $250+ for all brands "above" Craftsman. Don't go cheap Chinese for this one important tool!
+ 3/8" Impact Wrenches & Ratchets: Once you get to using the 1/2" impact on lug nuts, and larger suspension, chassis and engine bolts, you might want to move up to the "advanced" tool user and get a 3/8" impact ($20, HF) and even 3/8" and/or 1/4" air ratchets ($20 range). My little baby 1/4" air ratchet is so handy - it'll go anywhere a ratchet will fit, and can spin out bolts like crazy. Using hand tools on substantial repair/replacement work is so "old skool", but not in a cool way. Think "Chinese" for sources on these, and all other "lesser used" air tools. I use my air ratchets enough to have warranted MAC/MATCO/Snap-On quality versions, which cost a good bit more, but were worth it (to me).
+ 1/4" Chuck Die Grinder: Some of you may have electric Dremel tools (1/8" chuck) but these don't have a fraction of the power or usefulness of a 1/4" chuck air powered die grinder. Prices should be around $10-20 for a rear exhaust straight unit, and slightly more for a 90 degree angle drive units (these are great for a second unit and work well for ScotchBrite pads, for fast gasket removal, and small air sander heads).
The Chinese versions are "disposible cheap", so when they start losing power, just toss it in the recycle bin and replace (yet they seem to last many years, regardless). They usually come with 1/8" collet adapters to work with smaller "Dremel" sized bits and attachments. This is a must for everyone's toolbox if you have an air compressor! I use my die grinder almost every time I am in the garage, to cut/grind/smooth something metal.
+ Die Grinder Attachments: The die grinder does you no good without an assortment of cutting, grinding and cut-off attachments to go with it! Some die grinder units like this or this come with a few attachments, but you will need to get a few carbide cutting burrs made for aluminum (single cut; also works for plastic) and some for steel/iron (double cut). These are great for slotting, shaping, and enlarging holes or contours, and the best way to buy them is in assortments. I prefer "tree", "radiused end" and "cylindrical" shapes. Next, you'll want some 3" cut-off wheels and an arbor to hold them; these are great for cutting through anything metal (like sheet stock, angle iron, bolts, etc). I use a cut-off wheel every time I am fabricating anything. I am not a big proponent of grinding stones, but some folks love them. I admit to using them for clean-up work on poorly welded steel joints.
+ Air saw: The high speed air body saw is a great tool, but I don't use it very often. $20 and it does have it's uses (esp. in tight confines where a 3" cutting wheel/die grinder won't fit).
+ Air Drill: I cannot live without my 3/8" Reversible Air Drill. Tons of torque and super fast "spool up" in a tiny package. I use this more than any of my other 5 drills, and only go to the electric drill when I need to hold 1/2" shank bits. A good $40 assortment of bits is a must, and I have recently found reduced 1/2" shank bits for cutting BIG holes (how did I live without these for so long?!). Anything bigger than 1" diameter is time for a bi-metal hole saw assortment, which gets expensive for cutting into steel sheet (way beyond Chinese cheapness; I have a $70 Bosch hole-saw set that has a mandrel and 4-5 sizes).
+ Air Nozzle: This is a stupid thing to mention, but I use it so often it needs it's own section. A simple "safety tipped air nozzle" is a great tool for cleaning up your workbench, floors, and blowing metal shavings out of your hair and clothes (after doing any metal fab. work, shavings and metal dust gets everywhere!). A nozzle with a 3 foot extension works even better in some cases. I also use the hell out of an air nozzle for cleaning out car interiors (prior to vacuuming/detailing; really gets into the crevices and around buttons), drying underhood areas (after engine compartment washing) and spreading Armor All (for engine detailing), cleaning out dusty computer cases (every few months), and all manner of other cleaning uses.
NOTE: Many of these air tools, esp. the attachments, cannot be found in every Harbor Freight store. Most of the bigger things are easier to find/choose from IN the stores, however, and sales are more likely to be found in person rather than online. Once you buy from HF online, though, you'll be buried in bi-weekly sales supplements. These have different part numbers that unlock temporary on-line sale prices.
AIR TOOL OIL
Don't forget to buy a $1-2 bottle of "air tool oil" (probably just a lightweight oil with some anti-corrosion additives) and use it every day that you use one of your air tools. Just squirt a few drops into the quick-connect air inlet end of the power tool, give it a "buzz buzz" to circulate the oil, and you just coated all the inner bits with enough oil for an hour or so of use. It keeps your tools from all rusting and gumming up inside and can noticeably increases the RPMs of a rotary tool that has "gone dry".
Some anal retentive tool people (and those in production line work) will add an in-line "oiler" to their air supply for tools. I don't like this because you then coat all of your lines with oil, and they can then never be used for "dry" work, like paint sprayer. To use your air for that you'd actually need a drier, and it's smart to get a separate set of hoses for paint work anyway (that has never even seen compressor oil blow-by).
Edited 8/12/05 with advise form Costas and others
Edited 2/26/06 to repost in a public area of the forum