So, you have an air compressor in your workshop or garage. How do you make sure it stays working the way it should? The key to keeping your compressor in great working shape is preventative maintenance. This isn’t rocket science. It’s just a series a steps to keep you up and running and adding longevity to your compressed air system. If your system goes down, what’s your downtime worth to you? Your answer is the cost of a breakdown. Do you know what your equipment needs? In the owner’s manual, there’s a set of maintenance procedures to help you maintain your compressor. If you can’t find the physical copy, check the manufacturer’s website or a simple Google search. General Maintenance Schedule Obviously, make sure the switch is in the [&hellip
Air Tools Archive
If you’re a serious Do It Yourselfer, you obviously understand the benefits of a home air compressor. But have you discovered the awesomeness of a good air hose reel for your shop? A safe and organized garage is key. The best air hose reel will put a stop to common annoyances and safety hazards such as getting the hose constantly tangled around your feet or other objects and tripping you up, having to slowly unfurl the air hose and then spending time to coil it back up. When buying a hose reel, look for a heavy duty hose and a reel that is made of quality materials. Reels that weigh a hefty amount, are typically built with long term use in mind. Keep in mind that you will be using this reel a lot [&hellip
Staple guns are useful for wallboard, wiring, plumbing and other projects, and the best staple gun can be used for additional work such as furniture building and woodworking crafts. Pneumatic staple guns are the most common type of staple gun in the garage or shop, but there are also times when you need something that you can exert a little more control over, and those are the times you need an old fashioned, heavy duty, manually operated tool. If you want to have a complete tool collection, you will find that an air compressor staple gun backed up by the smaller manual version is the best way to go. TOP PICK: Made in the USA, Surebonder tools and adhesive products are popular among woodworkers and [&hellip
When it comes to getting the top rated brad nailer, there is not a lot of variation from one 2-inch model to the next. They all have to handle a range of brad sizes and work quickly, and the top rated models will always include a nose guard that prevents the worker from damaging lumber during finish operations. Two of the top 18 gauge brad nailers listed here are pneumatic, allowing fast operation without dragging an electric cord along, while the third one is a battery operated model that is unrivaled in the world of finish nailers. Often times, manufacturers like to bundle a brad nailer along with a staple gun for your air compressor. Keep in mind that “usually”, these are fairly low quality products intended for [&hellip
Think that any air hose will work well with your new compressor? Think again. With the amount of time most people spend researching and reading air compressor reviews, the air hose is usually not given much thought. Most good compressors do not include an air hose and some of the lower end models include a low quality coiled air hose (typically cheap PVC). Instead of being frustrated because you bought the cheapest air compressor hose that your local big box home improvement store carries, just get a high quality hose. Fortunately, the best air compressor hose really won’t cost much and will be frustration-free for the most part. TOP PICK: Goodyear air hoses are by far the most popular and they simply make the best rubber air hose out there. 100% made in the [&hellip
The best tire inflator gauge is small enough to take anywhere, robust enough to handle high and low tire pressures alike, and versatile enough for easy, accurate use. No garage or shop is complete without a good air compressor and the accessories that go with it, including air wrenches, ratchets, and tire inflation tools. Look for a tire inflator with gauge that includes a quick change chuck, allowing you to quickly go from inflating a car tire to blowing up the kids’ pool without having to make any complicated changes. Combine this with a top rated air hose to get the best results. TOP PICK: Topping the list, the Milton S506 has almost everything you could ask for in tire pump. It features a magnified inline, bubble lens gauge, [&hellip
The top rated sandblaster and sandblast cabinet may not always be the same product. For our recommendations, you will find one portable unit that is ideal for small projects and moving about, and a sandblasting cabinet that gives you more control over the process, but has much less portability. The AT1251 portable sandblaster is much more popular as most people want the low cost and portability but the bench top cabinet in our eyes works a bit better but it will limit you on what you can do with it. Between them, these units are ideal for all but the largest of projects, and together they fill a useful niche in every home shop or small commercial endeavor. TOP PICK: Campbell Hausfeld AT1251 Sandblaster The AT1251 provides 2.5 [&hellip
When you have a flat tire away from home, the best 12 volt air compressor is one that is compact enough to store in your vehicle. A regular air compressor for home use won’t do you much good when you’re away from a standard electrical outlet. Lightweight, small, portable air compressors for car tires can be a real life saver, because they plug directly into the accessory port (cigarette lighter socket) of your car or truck, and inflate the tires to get you back on the road again. You will need to make sure that your car furnishes enough amperage, and that the tips for the compressor will fit the tires you need to inflate, but keeping a decent car tire inflator on hand is something that [&hellip
Trying get the best 3/8″ air ratchet your money can buy may seem like a daunting search, but there are several great options to choose from. Look for a quality-built ratchet that supplies sufficient torque for your specific applications, and is designed for extended use. The best 3/8” air ratchet combines beneficial features and includes a comfort grip handle that will not wear you down. It’s also important to match your pneumatic ratchet with the best air compressor for the job, because having the right amount of compressed air flow will add to the lifetime of the tool. No single tool has all of the best features, but one of the models below should have the right amount of power and features for your specific requirements. . TOP PICK: [&hellip
The best air impact wrenches are able to put out more torque than you might think, so the drive mechanism cannot be poorly manufactured. Because commercial use is often in heavy work areas where the equipment itself takes a few hard knocks, you should check that the casing is as sturdy as the guts. Make sure that your impact tools have a half-inch drive, because anything less is not going to handle a heavy workload without frequent overhauls. These top rated air impact wrenches were chosen to meet those requirements, and have some additional benefits of their own. Obviously, you’ll need a good enough air compressor for impact wrench use and something like a Goodyear air hose which can put up with a lot of [&hellip
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