We just wanted to remind you about our RIDGID pneumatics giveaway.  RIDGID was kind enough to offer up a set of pneumatic tools for giveaway to one of our loyal readers.  Sometime in June we’ll select a winner from all of you who post valid comments here on Toolmonger since the giveaway started.

So, when you post a comment here, you’re not only sharing your experience with other Toolmongers around the world, you’re also adding a chance to win!  That’s good all ’round, yeah?

Toolmonger’s RIDGID Pneumatics Giveaway [Toolmonger]

RIDGID was kind enough to offer up a set of pneumatic tools for giveaway to one of our loyal readers. Here’s how it works: sometime in June we’ll select a comment from all the valid comments posted here on Toolmonger since today. The author of that comment receives the tools!  So, when you post a comment here, you’re not only sharing your experience with other Toolmongers around the world, you’re also adding a chance to win. Win what, you ask? You’d receive:

• Your choice of a round head or clipped head framing nailer
• A roofing nailer
• Your choice of a straight or angled finish nailer
• A brad nailer
• And a finish stapler

We’ve got a couple of hands-on posts scheduled in the next month to give you a bit more information about the line, but if you can’t wait that long, you can check ‘em out at any Home Depot.

Toolmonger’s RIDGID Pneumatics Giveaway [Toolmonger]

If you’re a fan of DeWalt’s portable compressors but don’t want to shell out $350+ for one, you’ll definitely want to check out Cummins Industrial Tools.  They’re listing refurbed DeWalt D55155R electric, two horsepower, four gallon air compressors for $199. 

The compressor’s features include dual soft start valves for cold weather use, a ball valve drain for fast and thorough tank drainage, and a built in cord wrap.  It’s also noteworthy that the refurb unit carries the same one year warranty as a new compressor.

Refurb DeWalt D55155R [Cummins Industrial Tools]
DeWalt D55155 [DeWalt]
Street Pricing [Froogle]

We’ve received a ton of email from folks asking, “Do you know of a decent starter air compressor that’ll run air tools?”  Our answer: yes, we do.  Here it is.

We spent eight weeks with Husky’s 26-Gallon compressor and the bevy of air tools that come with it — enough time to discover that it offers some serious value for its price and a great way to add air tool functionality to your home or small shop.  Read past the jump for our hands-on experiences and lots of pictures.

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Roscoe writes: “There are lots of expensive heavy-duty hose reels out there, and a few cheapies now on the scene, but this model from Northern splits the difference nicely.  They’ve been on sale for a few weeks and we just hung two in our shop.  So far we love them, and the price couldn’t be better for how well-built they are.”

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Snap-on recently released a couple of new micro pneumatic tools, including the slick-looking 3″ micro dual action sander pictured above.  Features include a one-piece polymer/composite housing, an oversized trigger — a big deal to anyone who’s had hand cramps from squeezing a trigger you can only get one finger around — and a diffused exhaust exiting at the bottom of the handle.

It spins at 15k RPM free, and draws 2.07 CFM at 90 PSI.  While this is obviously meant for prep work in a paint shop, it’d be incredibly useful around the home shop.  We’re spoiling for one to make small sanding projects easier.  You wouldn’t even need a ton of compressor to drive it.

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One of the guys from Equal-Air posted a comment this morning on our writeup of their competitor’s product, Percy’s tire pressure equalizers.  While obviously he’s interested in selling his unit, he was gracious in the comment and did have some interesting things to say regarding some of the suggestions made by other readers, specifically a 4-hose version:

“Hey guys. As a matter of practical experience, I have to tell you that we (Equal Air Inc.) have been playing around with this concept for years. Many years ago, we were building off-road tools called Equal Air Off-Road. The EA Off-Road started in prototype identically to one of the replies here, with 4 hoses with 4 quick chucks, a central 6″ aluminum maninifold, a ball valve, schrader valve (for putting pressure in) and a gauge. In theory, this is fine, but let me tell you it is a PAIN to use. Four hoses are a real octopus and take up a LOT of space. None-the-less, we used it in the field. It turns out that it was only practical for rough pressure tuning because we keep the front tire pressures about 2 lbs. greater than the rears (to help support the engine weight). The decision was made to make a 2-hose model instead and that’s how the EA Off-Road was born. We made a few for our friends who used and shared them with others, then we went into production. Bottom line advice regarding 4 hoses connected at a manifold….DON’T DO IT..IT’S A MAJOR PAIN TO MANAGE.”

He also submitted their line of tire pressure equalizers, the .25-15 PSI version of which is pictured above.  For those not in the know, tire pressure equalizers are commonly used by off-road and drag racers to equalize (and adjust simultaneously) pressure between tires on each side of the vehicle.

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Cruising the wall-o-tools at the local big box is exciting – but also scary if you’re there to shell out some hard earned green for a new power tool.  The trick is to get the most bang-for-your-buck while still netting a tool that’ll handle the job you have in mind — and maybe some future projects as well.  In short, most of us have to find versatile solution.

Take a nail gun for instance; you don’t need a rig that will drive a medieval jousting lance through Kevlar plating just to put up some molding in the back bedroom.  A better option might be a small finish nailer like the Bostitch SB-1850bn. 

It drives 5/8″ to 2″ 18-gauge brad nails, providing great flexibility for those putting up some crown molding around the house or working any number of other finishing projects.  It’s not the biggest nailer out there – in fact it’s one of the smallest, and believe it or not that’s a good thing.  It’s easier to fit inside tighter spaces, and its 2.7 lb. heft is easy enough for even novices to control.

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Pierce writes: “Apparently this rig runs pneumatic tools — the Lowe’s flyer shows a woman using a nail gun on a fence — using the big brother of the carbon dioxide cannisters used to power BB and paintball guns.  I’m eying this rig because my 26-gallon compressor is a thousand miles away — long story — but I wonder: will it drive three framing nails then sputter and die?”

We saw this during a recent trip to Lowe’s as well, and would love to hear from some of you that’ve used it.  Obviously it’s not going to handle major work, but could this be a handy addition for project work in tight spaces or where it’d be difficult to string line or a compressor?

Let us know in comments.

Portable Compressed CO2 Regulator [Lowe’s]

Mike R. spotted this on slickdeals.com and sent it in for all of us who might be interested.  Air tanks like this are really handy when you want to air up a tire in a place where you can’t easily get electrical power or stretch a hose.  I used to carry one to autocross events because it was so much easier to raise tire pressure with this than with the little 12V units — they can take decades to raise a tire to 45 psi or more.

And at $17, there’s really no excuse for not having one of these around the shop.

Craftsman 10 Gallon Air Tank [Sears]

When you’re buying a compressor, you’ve got to put some thought into what you’re going to do with it.  For example, if you’re planning on running an air wrench or a die grinder, you’re going to need a pretty big tank.  But if you’re just looking to drive a single nailer — like many people do at the jobsite — your needs are somewhat different. 

And that’s what makes this new compressor from Bostitch so interesting.  Its small, internal 1.6 gallon tank is plenty to drive a nailer, but because its 1.5 HP motor only draws a peak of 8 amps, you can run a lot longer extension cord to it — a big deal when you’re working on a new-build house where there’s only one power source.

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If you’ve been thinking about picking up a high-end die grinder, MAC’s offering a pretty nice deal right now: they’ll give you a free standard-duty 1/4″ mini die grinder with the purchase of a heavy-duty angle head mini die grinder for $75.  If you’re actually in need of both tools, that puts ‘em almost down into the Harbor Freight price range.

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Even if you’ve got a big-ass air compressor around the shop or house, it’s always handy to have a smaller unit around for crap like blowing up bicycle tires or pumping up a car tire when the car’s out of easy reach of your big compressor.  Enter Black & Decker’s latest version of the small, portable air pump — the Air Station.

The ‘Station’s big claim to fame is that it runs on either 12V DC or 120V AC power so you can use it in the garage or house by plugging it into the wall, then carry it out to the car and plug it in a cigarette lighter power port to air up that aforementioned flat.

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Porter-Cable’s dropping news today about this oil-free pancake-style air compressor — complete with 13-piece hose and accessory kit — that’s supposed to hit shelves in a few weeks.  Operating at 150 psi, it’ll cram a good bit of air in that small tank, and its low-amp-draw motor should go easy on your long extension cord.

The accessory kit includes a 1/4″ air hose with quick-connect coupler, a tire gauge, a tire chuck, a blow gun, and a 5-piece OSHA safety nozzle with inflator adapters.  The whole thing weighs 34 lbs., which should be pretty easy to carry.

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Phillip writes: “This is a really cool ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ tool.  It’s available from Summit Racing.  Looks like it would be useful for many applications besides racing.”

These are used most often by drag racers, who manipulate tire pressure in miniscule amounts to control traction.  Of course, since they don’t turn — at least not on purpose – they definitely want both tires with equal pressure.  These are used by road racers from time to time as well, but not by circle track guys.

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Phillip writes: “If you need an almost invisible fastener, you need a 23-gauge pinner. However, most pinners — like the Porter-Cable PIN100 or the Senco FinishPro 10 — will leave you short and disappointed if you need a pin longer than 1″.  That’s where the GREX P645 comes in: It can pin 3/8″ to 1-3/4″  23-gauge pins in thirteen different lengths, plus stainless steel pins are available, too.  The pin magazine is self-adjusting for pin length and a ‘lock-out’ version of the pinner is also available (model P645L) that prevents a dry-fire.”

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Phillip writes: “Cyclo claims to make ‘the world’s finest orbital polisher.’  They offer a full line of dual-head polishers — electric and pneumatic with pads, discs, and brushes.  The dual-head design mimics hand polishing for a great shine.”

While you could argue about the “world’s finest” claim, you can’t argue that these aren’t some sweet looking power tools.  The model 5 (pictured above in “scrub” mode with brushes attached) even comes in an optional 14-carat gold plated finish.  Wow. 

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