Just got a craftsman 25gal 2 stage professional (black model) air compresser and am looking for tools, ratchet, die grinder, impact wrench, sander, etc.

Is there a difference in quality from one to the other? Alot of companies make these tools, how do I know what to get.

Also, I am using these tools for light duty work, but want good stuff...Thanks

 

Then Craftsmen would work good for you in tools also. My bro and dad were both mechanics, so they run all snapon/mac/matco tools. They last a lifetime, but cost enough that thye should. I think youd be okay with say Husky, Craftsman, these better names that you get at Sears, home depot, lowes, whatever hardware store. Even Northern would probably suit you just fine. Id just recommend staying away from the cheap harbor freight type tools.

 

Hes right ^^^ Ingersoll/Rand are also nice air tools.

 

everything I run is Matco, Snap-on and Ingersoll Rand. They're all good, like others have said stay away from the Chinese knockoffs. They don't last as long under hard use.

 

When it comes to air tools MAC air tools win hands down in my book for mechanicing work such a impact, air ratchet, die grinder, air hammer. It all depends on how you are going to use them. Light use go with the cheapies except on the impact and air ratchet.

 

i use snap on mac and matco mostly and they are awesome if you are willing to pay for it but for you id say theres no need so if i were you use craftsman or napa they have decent tools

 

You might check harbor freight too. They have a good return policy if the china stuff doesn't end up working well. I always start there and work towards more expensive if I have to.

 

IR, Craftsman, snapon

 

I'm partial to IR tools. I find I'm happiest either getting the very BEST of it's kind (IR impact) or the very cheapest junk I can get for cheap (Husky air hammer).

I rank order importance of tools, and spend accordingly. I'm with the earlier post that says that air ratchets and impacts are the places to spend the money.

Oh, and I'd suggest considering an electric die grinder (makita has some nice ones) vice an air-powered one. A little die grinder takes a LOT of air under load, and you'd probably burn up a little Craftsman compressor.

 

That 25 gal compressor won't like a sander, grinder, or die grinder at all. It will run constantly and use more air than it can build for those tools, I've got a 26 gal campel hausfeld, belt driven oil lubed 110v/220v, and that gets really annoying unless u build a nice sound proof compartment for the compressor. It runs paint guns, ratchets, impact guns with ease, but those other tools suck so much air from a small compressor. It's worth getting electric sanders and grinders unless u get something like 60gal or 80gal. or bigger. You should get another 30+gal tank from a garage sale or somthing that's broken and just use it as a capacity tank and plumb the two tanks together.

But Harbor Frieght has some amazingly cheap tools, and they work good from my experience. Just try to match ur compressors cfm to the tools cfm consumption. Let's say a die grinder uses 15cfm from one brand, and another brand die grinder uses 5cfm, u'll want the lower number because it will use less air. But my compressor build 6.8-8cfm, and all my tools are like 5fm, and i have a die grinder thats rated at 5 cfm, but in a matter of seconds the compressor kicks on and stays on if I keep using the die grinder and starts to slow down the tool and eventually u'll have to wait until it builds up again, so the numbers don't always work

 

If you see a 1/2 inch impact for $19.95, chances are you are getting a good paperweight. My son paid like $150 for one and that thing puts out 500 ft/lbs and is bad to the bone. You usually get what you pay for.

 

I used to feel that way until I got an unpleasant surprise buying a "quality" IR impact.
Working on my CTD, I wanted a quality, US made IR impact wrench and have used IR's Titanium impacts at work.. So, I started looking for some on the "outside".. I found several sources that had them (Grainger, etc) Too pricey and wouldn't negotiate!
I went to the one well provisioned tool store in town, inquiring about IR's top-of-the-line, 2135Ti impact.. The tool warranty repair guy stepped up and said, "Yes IR's Ti impacts are wonderful, yet rather expensive... But as the one that does all the pneumatic tool warranty repair around here, just don't ever expect to easily pay for IR's Ti series repair parts because they are exorbitantly WAY overpriced.. Reduced component count and light weight&high tech, means they have gone to a one-piece chrome plated aluminum motor barrel/end plate that cannot be reconditioned like steel can." Ok, I don't need that high a performance impact for home, so I heeded his advice about going that route.
So I lowered my expectations one notch and opted to go with IR's next most popular model. Ingersol-Rand's 231C (Classic) had almost the same performance, yet with all steel innards that can be lapped and repaired by low-tech folks. A bit more affordable...
I looked the impact over very carefully.. I bought it and later after using it for a while, I was proud to have found a(still)American made IR pneumatic tool product. Then one day I happened to discover a very tiny adhesive sticker on one corner of the bottom of the box which was still laying around in my garage.. "(Made in China for I-R)"
Carefully comparing my supposedly "American" I-R, it was in almost every way identical to the better Chinese knockoff impacts sold at China Freight, Home Despot(Husky), Sears, etc. Only the casting dies for the outside aluminum body casting logo looked to be changed for each "maker"...

So, realizing my fooli$h choice, I would now recommend going down and just buying the chinese clones that are available cheaply($40), and if it siezes up, just chunk it and go buy another for less than 1/3 the cost of the "US brand name" chinese made tool.
I gave up... I tried to avoid the chinese clones, but to no avail... Even IR is getting them over there...

K.

 

Yes, IR makes stuff in China. Heck, they all do it seems.

I've noticed that some IRs are still American made, others aren't.

Anything IR branded that you buy from Lowe's will be chinese. Ditto for Sears, and just about any other place you'd buy tools.

It seems that the only place to buy american made are the catalogs or toll trucks.

 

If you look at the top of the line craftsman it is the same as a IR gun. I will say IR is pretty good on warrantying there stuff you just have to pay to ship it there and back. I use to have to do it for a customer of ours that only bought IR tools and used them 8 to 10 hours a day on dozers and all other heavy earth moving equipment they had out in the field.