very confused - tool shopping! help!

[vash]

as i get more involved with working on my 911 (and other cars), i find myself with a perfectly working FREE air compressor. one of the older oil lubed units. thanks brian!

a few questions, that the two genious at sears couldnt answer. my AC rates at 8.2 scfm@40psi. what the heck is a scfm? basically, the "s" gets me. the rest = cubic feet per minute (right?)

tool shopping questions;
1. are the air ratchet and impact all i will need?
2. how powerful of tools can i run? what to look for in qual tools? 45 ft-lb ratchet enough?
3. will all my sockets and extensions need to be the hardened ones?
4. why are there two different types of quickrelease fasteners (M&T?) which one is better?
5. and are the kits found at stores like costco crap?

thanks, sorry for all the questions, but i was damn confused.

cliff

[john walker's workshop]

standard cubic feet per minute.
40# of air won't do much more than power a blow gun. you need at least 100# to run an impact, etc, with enough power to loosen a lugnut.
don't worry about special impact sockets, i've been using chrome snap-on sockets forever and rarely kill one.
yes, costco tools are crap, and even brand name tools are often made in china/korea now.

[makaio]

Cliff,

You need to know what the CFM is at 90 or 100lbs of pressure. If it has 8.2 CFM at 40 than I would guess it has at least 5lbs at 90.

The tools you will most likely use the most are the impact gun, air ratchet, and tire inflator. Like JW said, I use the chrome plated ones most of the time. My tools are 80% Crafstman, so if I booger one up, I just get it replaced.

[daka]

Costco tools may be crap, but what a great STAINLESS STEEL, huge tool box I just bought.... much cheaper than the Sears or any other box and it's beautiful....As for tools, I'v found that almost any descent set of toolw will be just fine for the weekend warrior...Snap on or Mac are great but really overkill if you are not a professional using them hard every day.
Just MY opinion after 55 years of workin' on cars...

[juanbenae]

ive got a compressor for sale.....

start with the impact. i have an air ratchet and it's very rare when i use it. i would imagine if your motor was on a stand or something it might be of more use. its just a hassle with the hose and getting it to fit places effective. i am not saying never used, but seldom.

[yelcab1]

Impact gun for stubborn nuts. Get a real good one, like I-R.
Die grinder for those times when you need to get something scraped fast
Cut off tool.
Possible high speed air drill.

[klaucke]

Impact gun is the most important tool, IMO. However, I also use the air rachet all the time. It fits in a lot of places that the impact gun can't. Either way, make sure you get the most torque you can. I can't tell you how many times I wish I had a more powerful gun, it's just convenient. When buying tools, you get what you pay for. I think the 1/2 inch drive a more powerful than the 3/8 drive, to generalize. I use a 1/2 to 3/8 converter so I can use my normal sockets.

Unlike these guys, I find you can mess up the chrome sockets. My 15mm 6 sided Stanley socket is definately a "looser" fit than before, after 1 day of heavy impact use. I think for the cost of some Japanese impact specific sockets, you can't go wrong. I have had awesome results with Japanese tools. China/Taiwan is junk.

Be warned, once you start doing projects with the air tools, it's hard to go back to turning all those bolts only by hand. I got spoiled quick.

[aigel]

You talked to the guys at SEARS. That means you are probably looking at their air tools. Skip them. They are junk. Anything that's not a hand tool at SEARS isnt' worth looking at. I recommend IR air tools. You can get them at www.thetoolwarehouse.net for little money, compared to other places.

An air ratched is worth a lot of time and is the second thing I'd buy after a good impact. After that comes the air hammer.

Hopet this helps.

George

[vash]

i gotta snitch on the sears guys. two different guys got stumped when i started talking about male and female connections. they both went, " male? female? i dunno, but it is a quick disconnect connection." i smiled and walked away.

thanks for the replies. especially, the standard cubic feet per minute. that was a teaser. my AC apparently maxes out somewhere at 120psi. i am so happy i get to go tool shopping.

cliff

[vash]

oh, is an in-line oiler necessary?

[makaio]

Originally posted by vash
oh, is an in-line oiler necessary?

I don't think so for the ocasional user. I just drop 4-5 drops of air tool oil in my gun, grinder, or whatever I may be using when I use it.

[ChrisBennet]

Impact wrench is the biggie. Sears carries IR. I had a IR2131 and loved it. I have an IR2135Ti now and love it even more. I use it all the time.
Those 2 wrenches are rated at 600 and 700 ftlbs in reverse respectively. A "normal" 1/2" impact gun is only rated at 250 ftlbs.
Don't skimp on the impact gun.

A cheap cut off tool ("wiz wheel") and a cheap die grinder are fine IMO.

If I lost my air ratchet I wouldn't notice it for a year (I almost never use it).

-Chris

[anthony]

Cliff, where in the bay area are you? You need to get acquainted with Harbor Freight (Vallejo or Newark) or harborfreight.com. They have a huge selection of air tools. Most of the stuff is cheap Chinese or Taiwanese made but it's dirt cheap. And, quite frequently it looks exactly the same as the stuff with the Craftsman label. Also, little stuff like hoses, connectors and fittings, socket sets are way cheap. For example, Sears wanted $80 for a deep socket set and Harbor Freight wanted $20.

Many people will say that you get what you pay for but when the cost is 1/10th of retail at Sears you can think of the stuff as disposable and for a DIYer I think cheaper stuff often makes better financial sense. For less than $10/ea. I got a die grinder, cut off tool, and air chisel. If I had to pay $150/each I wouldn't have bought those tools but at $10 they have provided far more than $10 worth of usefulness.

That said, I think you should splurge on the impact gun and the ratchet. The reason is that the cheap ones don't have enough umph to break tough frozen bolts. I bought a really nice IR impact gun similar to the previously mentioned 2135TI except it doesn't have the titanium. My next purchase will an IR ratchet. The other thing I've noticed about the IR tools is that they are a lot quieter and lighter if they have the composite body compared to the cheapies.

[randywebb]

I thought there was risk of having sockets not engineered for impact use break -- and maybe send a chunk of metal into your hand or eye?

[Westy]

Cliff,,who gave you a compressor? What a great guy,,,,wish I know him


B

[vash]

Originally posted by Westy
Cliff,,who gave you a compressor? What a great guy,,,,wish I know him


B

naaa, you wouldnt like him

[RickM]

Originally posted by randywebb
I thought there was risk of having sockets not engineered for impact use break -- and maybe send a chunk of metal into your hand or eye?

I though the same. I figured plain-o socket would explode or shatter when pushed.


I'll agree with some of the favorite tools.

- Impact wrench...not my first choice but a gift. A HD Husky jobber. Hasn't let me down yet.

- Cut-off tool....used alot...can't live without it.

- Air rachet....used occasionally.

- Right angle air drill.....used more than I thought. Very handy!


....and one of the best accessories, makes using air so much more convenient.......a retractable hose reel.

[David]

I've got a nice $200 IR 1/2" impact gun for normal stuff, it's rated at about 450 ft-lbs. I also have a $90 chinese 3/4" impact that's also rated at 450. They may be rated the same but the 3/4" can get the job done when the 1/2" can't. I only need the 3/4" a few times a year, but I'm awfully glad I have it when I need it.

[john walker's workshop]

cracking a socket is the worst i've done. never had an exploder. just don't use a 3/8" socket adapted to a 1/2" impact gun. and short sockets are stronger than deep ones. cheap taiwan sockets may shatter, but nobody buys those anyway, right?

[carmen78sc]

It goes without saying, but wear eye protection, fellas. The danger with using standard sockets with an air gun is not so much that the socket will get destroyed but rather that the chrome will splinter and fly off. Those little shards can be pretty sharp! (ever had a metal splinter?)