Posted by Peter S on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 at 2:44PM :
In Reply to: Tip Tools posted by gtk on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 at 12:06PM :
Good reliable outfit, lots of good products and some good prices. They changed their name to TP Tools. I have had one of their pressure blasters for years and their cougar valve beats anything else available. Highly recommended. Paid for itself on the first job. If you want something done right, on your timetable, do it yourself.
As far as compressors go, a used industrial unit (5hp 2-stage,80 gallon tank minimun) will far outperform anything made for household use. I got my 1948 QUINCY at a business liquidation auction 12 years ago for $200. A brand new single-phase motor for $250 and I was back in business.
For a welder, get yourself a little Lincoln 110v. I have the Weld-Pak 100 which I upgraded to MIG with their solenoid kit. Home Depot carries it and small spools of wire. Save money by buying larger spools from a real welding supplier and storing it out of humid areas. Easy to learn and capable of even big jobs with time and patience.
For a parts cleaning fluid, I use mineral spirits. When it becomes filthy, I use an old pressure cooker I converted to a still. Boil off the good stuff and reuse, scrape out the bad stuff and wrap up in newspapers. I use an electric stove in my basement which I scrounged for powder-coating. DO NOT try this in the kitchen, you will suffer in ways you could not imagine.
For Air tools, avoid anything from taiwan and especially china. They are built down to a price and replacements are unobtainium. Chicago Pneumatic, Viking and Ingersoll-Rand are three good brands I personally own. Sioux and Thor are tools I have used in the workplace and found to be reliable and serviceable. You do get what you pay for. Avoid also Florida Pneumatic and Campbell Hausfeld cheapies. Better to have one good impact wrench which will last forever than 4 or so pieces of junk which will let you down when you most need them. Always run tools off a regulator and filter at a minimum and a properly adjusted oiler will add to tool life if you cannot remember to add a couple drops at each use(before and after is best). Forgive me for the long post, I could go on and on, I just love good tools.
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