Tailwheel vs impact gun

[Soundguy]

at some point there is a cost of return.. and due tot he escalating price of some name brand tools.. you get diminishing returns as the $$ goes ever higher.

at some point you hit a level that cheaper is actually cheaper. ( long run ).

there are issues like down time.. however.. given the price break.. as others have mentioned. some tools are economical enough to actually have a backup already available.

when HF has the drillmaster angle grinders on sale for 9.99 I go buy one.

I bet I got at least 2 if not more on a box on the shelf.

I abuse them mercilessly.

I do have one name brand paddle switch handle grinder that never leaves the shop.. but for any tractor or fab work where it will see dirt and rain.. might get dropped inthe dirt .. or knocked off.. or heaven forbid.. dropped in use.. 9$ wins every day.

I'll also add that i'm not afraid to pull 4 bolts and check out the pinion gear head and add lube.

over the years I have seen a switch from a brown jellied grease to a dark grey or black grease which I believe to be a molly grease.

the early units from 10-20 ys ago had the cheper brown grease that teneded to bee too thick or dry and leave a cavity.. if there was very much in there at all.

adding some grease usually extended tool life by a FACTOR or 2. nowadays when i take one apart.. there seems to be plenty of molly lube in there, and i have not had a lube related drive or driven gear failer int he last 10ys.. on some early units with the brown grease.. after a few years of lack of lube.. metal erosion was evident.

I'm also not afraid to use thaose spare set of brushes they give you.

by the time you run thru 2 sets of brushes in a 9$ angle grinder.. you've gotten 9$ out of it let me tell you..

I keep all my damaged power tools as it's not surprising to find MANY parts that are interchangeable.

many, many angle and die grinders and some side cutting saws are all using a similar armature and drive setup.. robbon sanders, angle drinders.. die grinders.. etc.. plenty of examples all using common drive components i have swapped around. when I get 2-3 dead ones it's usually at the point i can put 1-2 of them back togehter, all using old salvage parts from my parts bucket. same deal with battery tools.

I have an old bat powered sawsall type deal back from the days of homier tool shows.

it's 12v bat pack long since died.. though I did retrofit it to a different style.. but I now also run it off a cig lighter or gator clip adapter. that sawsall is from the early 90's.. runs fine....

I have done demo jobs with a motorcycle battery on a carpenters waist pack, turned around backwards so the bat pack was at my back.. with a 3' zip cord running to that sawsall. makes running thru an attick or other structure or doing trim work EZ not having to tote an extension cord.. or have a heavy bat pack on the tool. without the abt pack installed in the grip it's very ligth.. maneuverable.. gets into tighter spots.. less arm fatigue.. and a motorcycle bat runs way longer than the recharge packs.. and at lunch i can charge it up off my truck or tractor easilly during the drive to the jiffy or quikmart.

soundguy

 

[94BULLITT]

elements of that statement are unqualified.

the 1" air gun, for instance, I have from HF is the EXACT same size and within ounces of weight as the klutch model from lowes, and an IR we have at work.

you toss out 'quality' like it's a label that is affixed to anything that costs alot. and.. sadly.. it isn't

many tools roll out side by side.. some get expensive brand names.. some get cheap.

all depends on whose pockets you want to line. yours or theirs. ??

i'm lining mine.

I've no need for a 500$ IR 1" gun that i'll need 1-2 per year.. when my 100$ gun works fine... that 400$ can set in my ira or pay my mortgage or something. I'n not so into vanity that I have to have a brand name on my tool.. especially if i can get the same work out of one with a lesser name.

i know for some people brand is a manohood or 'size' issue or something... for me it's a dollars/sense/and does it work satisfactorilly / lifespan issue.

if I can substitute a cheaper product and get the same desired results, over time, for less money? I don't need a brand name.

ymmv

as I said. you are free to pay more to do the same work I have no issue at all with you paying more..

The sad thing is that if the guy that started this thread had a IR or a snap on we would not be having thins discussion, which proves my point. What kind of air wrenches do guys in tire shops use? I don't think I have ever seen a HF impact in one. How many nascar teams use HF air wrenches during a pit stop? I'll pay more and do the same work in less time. Just because two air wrenches are 3/8 or 1/2 does not mean they will both perform the same. The average person or mechanic does not even need a 3/4" or 1" gun (unless you are working on big trucks or heavy equipment), I very very rarely have the need for a 3/4 gun. You would be surprised what you can get done with a good 1/2 gun, where you have 3 guns I only have the need for one.

 

[Soundguy]

I'll pay more and do the same work in less time..

unproven. if my cheap gun will perform at the minimum specs of the task you are doing.. we will likely be doing it in the same time frame.. and I'll be cheaper.

Just because two air wrenches are 3/8 or 1/2 does not mean they will both perform the same..

correct.. and I never said they did. in fact.. I said buy the level you need. if there are 10 cheap 1/2" guns from weak to strong.. buy the one that suits your application. I've never advocated doing a head to head comparison against a cheap and spendy gun with an application where the cheap gun is simply not rated for the job. get 2 guns that meet the minimum job ratings and then compair. work vs dollars. ( Hint.. if they both spin the nut off.. the expensive one has a worse ratio! )

The average person or mechanic does not even need a 3/4" or 1" gun (unless you are working on big trucks or heavy equipment),.

again.. I've already said this

where you have 3 guns I only have the need for one.

I doubt that. there may well be places that your 1 gun will be too big or too small.

I'm guessing my cheap 1" gun is gonna do at least as good as just about any 1/2"


gotta cut the talk short... I just, as of 5 m ago.. started a new job!

 

[94BULLITT]

I also have a 3/8 gun I rarely use my 1/2 gun.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Sounds like a lubrication problem with that gun, leaving the vanes in the air motor stuck a bit -- doesnt take much. Have you been feeding it a few drops of light oil and/or Kroil before and after each use. If not feed it a bunch and let it blow thru and see if you can get it to start and run both ways. This willblow out the small amt of crap caked in the vane grooves and it will be good as new ... almost.

...It may also be that the particular gun you have isnt a high power design and wont be enuf even working right. If that turns out the case, shop Ingersol Rand, Chicago Pneumatic, and other name brands for ones in the 600ftlb torque delivery range. Usually $200 or less can get you a good, very powerful gun. Cheaper powerful ones will be slightly less durable but for home shop use they should still last well.
larry

Someone gave my dad a impact years ago when i was just a small kid. It sat in my dads shop for years and never got used, not once. When i was about twelve i pulled it out of the pile and tried it. I wouldnt do anything but blow air thru. I took it apart and cleaned the vanes and the slots that they go into. Sure enough, the tool was brought back to life. I think i would try cleaning it before going out and buying another.

Its several days later now and it would have taken several minutes to find out.:confused3:

 

[OcalaPat]

does it count if I say I've never had a failure of an air tool from harbor freight.. yet in many cases I paid a fifth of what a name brand costs?

To be fair.. I use them a fifth of what a pro mechanic would too..

the 'you get what you pay for' deal has another facet.

the average homeowner who may use an air gun 1/per month.. don't always need a pro gun that has the quality to be used 8hrs a day 40 hrs a week.. nor the cost

True enough. I've got a 1" HF that I used when I had my Renegade Columbia Freightliner hot rod hauler. I used it quite a bit and still use it without issue.

I purchased my last Snap-On 1/2" just before "coming off the floor" in 1985. I still have that impact and use it quite a bit. My friend has one from HF that works OK, but I wouldn't want to count on it to take the blades off my old rotary mower.

 

[Soundguy]

I also have a 3/8 gun I rarely use my 1/2 gun.

with most of my work being on tracgtors int he 30-70hp range, my 3/8 gun hasn't been used in half a decade. 1/2" now and then.. 3/4" mostly.. and 1" infrequently.. but enough to need/want it..

 

[Soundguy]

True enough. I've got a 1" HF that I used when I had my Renegade Columbia Freightliner hot rod hauler. I used it quite a bit and still use it without issue.

I purchased my last Snap-On 1/2" just before "coming off the floor" in 1985. I still have that impact and use it quite a bit. My friend has one from HF that works OK, but I wouldn't want to count on it to take the blades off my old rotary mower.

my 3/4" and 1" gun buzz rotary mower blade bolts off with a quickness. that's the only real thing i use the 1" for anymore, past the 1 -2 specialty job I actually got it for.

it doesn't play. mind you i have a decent 60g comp, large air line and big qd ends..

 

[LTEnterprises]

The BEST and most convenient impact gun I use is a Matco 1/2 drive Lion 18v 3.0 AH impact. I use it daily @ my repair shop, has 780 ft lbs of torque !!

I believe ingersol ( who makes matco impacts) NOW offer this unit in their name.

The snap on 1/2" impact is brutal too !!

They are both a little pricey...but what good quality isn't ?

 

[DennisTC35]

Perhaps someone else has already answered, but in case:

Your impact is suffering from stuck air vanes. Doesn't take much! A little gummed up lube, grit or rust and air won't spin them free. Try a lot of rust penetrant and let it soak. Might tap the housing a few times and try again. If it doesn't eventually loosen up then it will need to be disassembled. Most likely all you will need is to free the vanes and reassemble. A parts diagram should add some confidence, but it's not that big a deal.

2-3 drops of oil and a quick "burp!" of air before you store it might prevent the vanes from seizing again.

Good luck!

Dennis T