Tools

Dec. 2, 2002

Recently I was lucky enough to obtain an air compressor. I bought a 26 gallon 5hp unit with the Husky brand from Home Depot. The unit is actually made for Home Depot by Campbell Hausfeld. Comes with a 3yr warrantee and seems like a good quality unit, not too loud either. I have it sitting right in my small workshop in the house and the noise isn't excessive when it cycles on. I paid $550cdn plus taxes. It has a regulator on the air line as well with a second air pressure gauge. It cycles up to 135psi.

Air tools have to be one of the best investments for the backyard/home mechanic. It is the best tool(s) I have invested in so far.

I found a source of cheap air tools, accessories among other things such as small engines, log splitters, hydraulics, trailer parts, electrical stuff, winches, rope, cable, nuts & bolts, boat loads of tools, etc at www.princessauto.com . Now, I admit a lot of the tools are made in China or Taiwan, and the quality probably leaves something to be desired, there is something to be said when a 3/8 air ratchet and a 1/2 air impact gun and an air blow gun only cost you $80 bucks Canadian! So what if it breaks after 5 years. Anyway, go check out their website, you can download their entire catalog and sales flyer which show pictures and pricing for everything. They have stores across Canada.

I bought a cheap Campbell Hausfeld air chisel from Home Depot to remove some ceramic tiles in the entrance of our house. It was so easy compared to using a hammer, wrecking bar, chisel, etc. A note of caution though, cement dust goes everywhere! So put up some plastic to separate your work area from the rest of the house and use a quality respirator mask with real filters and safety glasses. Air chisels cut up tiles, thinset and cement like butter. Truly amazing.

Once you have an air compressor you'll see that air tools are very cheap in comparison to their electrical counterparts and usually last much longer. They are more durable as well in case you fumble on the play and drop it while working.

Plus you have all the other benefits like using air to clean out spark plug holes, sand blasting, filling up your car tires, bike tires, etc. I recommend it!

When purchasing an air compressor there are a few points to keep in mind:

always buy a cast iron pump with oil, the oil-less models just don't last, even with recreational use.
if you can afford it get a large storage tank - 26 gallons or more.
5hp can use 115v outlet (15A), more than that needs 220v hookup so if you only have a 115 outlet then you'll be limited in motor size.
an external regulator on the compressor is a useful feature.
if you need a portable unit take weight into consideration or you'll need ramps to put it in your truck without help.
make sure to open the drain valve on the bottom of the tank to release moisture - your tank will last longer.
while you're in the store pickup some hose, a couple quick release 1/4 NPT fittings and some male style 1/4 NPT fittings for all the air tools you're going to buy. Don't forget some teflon tape for sealing the threads on those nipples.
make sure your compressor comes with pump oil or you'll need to get some separately - usually they come with the pump empty so don't run it before you put the oil in.
a water separator in the air line should be mounted closer to the tool than to the compressor, they remove water from the compressed air better if the air is cooler - the tank has pretty warm air in it if you're cycling the pump or running it constantly on.