Technology Tools
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ByRon King/
Harbor Freight offers a complete line of air tools, or pneumatic tools, for use in your DIY endeavors or on a professional level. While there are a variety of brands available within the store and online, they're still Harbor Freight brands with various quality levels. One way to find air tools best suited for the task is to look for those with the highest user review score.
Harbor Freight allows users to review tools based on a scale of one to five stars on its website. Reviews include the mandatory star rating, plus text, photos, and videos if the reviewer desires to include those. For this top user-rated air tool lineup, most of the tools have hundreds of reviews. The tools that have lower user review numbers still have a high score but are new to Harbor Freight so not as many customers have reviewed them.
We've also taken the time to explore a variety of air tools to ensure this isn't solely focused on air nailers or air hammers. While we do include each of those here, we also took a look at other highly-rated air tools, such as orbital sanders, cut-off tools, paint guns, and die grinders. A necessary item that we omitted from our list is an air compressor, since we've already reviewed the highest user-rated air compressors at Harbor Freight.
Banks 20 Gauge 7/16-inch Wide Crown Stapler
The Banks 20 Gauge 7/16-inch Wide Crown Stapler, priced at $34.99, has 400 user reviews with an average of 4.8 stars. Of those 400 reviews, 389 are four or five stars and six are less than three stars, with 98% of customers indicating they would recommend this item. The lowest user ratings indicate the stapler was either defective out of the box or failed within a few hours of use.
Harbor Freight sells many types of nail guns, from framing nailers to finish and brad-types. The Banks Wide Crown Stapler is a pneumatic nail gun that, as the name implies, shoots 20-gauge staples with a 7/16-inch-wide crown that vary in length from ¼-inch to ⅝-inch. Crown staplers are best suited for installing trim such as baseboards and crown molding but could also be used to install chicken wire or other screening material on a chicken coop or other project.
The compact stapler stands 6.75 inches tall, 9.25 inches long, and is just under 2 inches wide, weighing 1.9 pounds. It features an aluminum body with a 360-degree adjustable exhaust port and carbon steel magazine that holds up to 100 staples. Air compressors supplying pressure ranging from 70 to 110 PSI are recommended.
McGraw Long-Barrel Air Hammer
The McGraw Long-Barrel Air Hammer, priced at $39.99, is new to Harbor Freight's air tool offerings. While it currently only has six user ratings, they're all five-stars, and it's recommended by 100% of those responding. The reviews highlight the long-barrel air hammer's quality, value, and power. The only negative comment was that the air hammer didn't include chisels, requiring the customer to purchase them separately.
McGraw's Long-Barrel Air Hammer has a 3.5-inch piston stroke, longer than short- or medium-barrel air hammers, for more impact force. Pair the air hammer with an appropriate 0.401-inch diameter shank punch, hammer, chisel, or scraper for cutting and shaping a variety of materials including metal and stone.
The McGraw Long-Barrel Air Hammer features an aluminum alloy housing with a front-facing exhaust port, weighs 4.9 pounds, and measures 10.6 inches long, 5.9 inches tall, and 2.3 inches wide. Under continuous use, it requires an air supply of 2.7 CFM at 90 PSI and has a 102 dB sound rating.
Chief Pneumatic 1/4-inch Professional Mini Angle Die Grinder
Harbor Freight's Chief Pneumatic 1/4-inch Professional Mini Angle Die Grinder, priced at $49.99, is another air tool with a 4.8-star average user rating, with 97% of customers recommending its purchase. Out of 297 reviews, 285 are four- and five-star ratings, with only three reviews falling below the three-star mark. While the lowest reviews faulted the mini angle die grinder for a lack of power, over 100 respondents said the unit's power was a feature they liked best.
The list of uses for the compact die grinder includes deburring, grinding, sanding, and polishing. Its 90-degree angled head makes it ideal for use in cramped spaces, and it has an adjustable speed regulator for use on a variety of materials and tasks.
The Chief Pneumatic 1/4-inch Professional Mini Angle Die Grinder has a 0.25-inch collet for use with a variety of accessories rated at 22,000 rpm. The grinder is 1.3 inches tall, 4.9 inches long, 2.97 inches wide, and weighs under a pound. The tool comes with two collet wrenches for changing accessories and has a paddle trigger with a safety lock to help prevent accidental starts. A 90 PSI compressed air source supplying at least 4.0 CFM is recommended for the best performance.
Baxter 6-inch Professional Orbital Composite Air Sander
The 6-inch Professional Orbital Composite Air Sander by Baxter sells for $99.99 at Harbor Freight. It carries a 4.8-star average with 175 total reviews. While 170 of those reviews are four- and five-star ratings and 98% of customers recommend the sander. The most enlightened of the low-score reviews find fault with the orbital sander's speed control, either not offering enough adjustment or its placement leading to accidental adjustment while in use. Overall, customers reported liking the sander's price, quality, power, size, and weight the most.
This Baxter Orbital Air Sander spins up to 12,000 rpm and has adjustable speed control for use on various materials including metals, plastics, and wood. The sander's lightweight composite housing, ergonomic grip, and adjustable speed palm trigger increase user comfort while reducing fatigue. In addition, the variable speed regulator is convenient and adjustable using only one hand.
With a 360-degree adjustable rear exhaust port, the 6-inch orbital sander is 4.75 inches tall, 3.87 inches wide, 7.25 inches long, and weighs under 2.5 pounds. At the recommended 90 PSI working pressure, the unit requires 4 CFM and has an 84 dB sound rating.
Chief Pneumatic 4-inch Professional High Speed Extended Reach Cut-off Tool
The Chief Pneumatic 4-inch Professional High Speed Extended Reach Cut-off Tool, priced at $129.99, is perhaps the most specialized tool on this list, but it might also be the handiest to have in your DIY toolkit. Yes, Harbor Freight sells other highly-rated cut-off tools for lower prices, and you could use an angle grinder for similar tasks. However, for those times that you need the extra reach to cut out a rusted muffler hanger or a rounded off hex-head in an engine bay, you'll be glad you have a tool like this.
The Chief Extended Reach Cut-off Tool has 193 reviews, with an average 4.8-star customer rating. 186 of the reviews are four- and five-star ratings, with only two reviews coming in below the three-star midpoint. One of the negative reviews said the user cannot find the proper sized cutting wheels, so check with your Harbor Freight, and the other implies the tool failed just after the 90-day warranty period expired. Overall, 97% of customers would recommend the tool and most often liked the tool's power, quality, price, and ease of use.
The Chief Extended Reach Cut-off Tool has a 0.375-inch diameter arbor and takes 14,000 rpmrated cut-off bladesup to 4-inches in diameter. The tool features a cast aluminum gear housing and a composite body and measures 11.375 inches long, 3.2 inches wide, 2.5 inches tall, weighs under 4.4 pounds, and uses 4 CFM at a recommended 90 PSI.
Black Widow by Spectrum Professional HTE Compliant Gravity-Feed Air Spray Gun with Rear Fan Control
Another new product to Harbor Freight, the Black Widow by Spectrum Professional HTE Compliant Gravity-Feed Air Spray Gun with Rear Fan Control paint gun, sells for $179.99 and has 25 reviews with an average 4.9-star rating. While 25 reviews is a small sample size, 23 of them are five-star and the other two are four-star ratings. One of the four-star ratings docked the Black Widow because it didn't come with multiple tip sizes, and the other had "no complaints with the gun" but found the included multi-wrench didn't fit anything on it. Most users like the gun's quality, price, and great value, and 100% of customers would recommend it.
The Black Widow Gravity-Feed Air Spray Gun features a forged aluminum body with high-flow internal air passages for use with top coats. The "Quick Clean" interior prevents material adhesion to make clean-up easier and enhance flow. The spray gun also features precise spray pattern adjustment controls and self-adjusting seals to reduce maintenance downtime.
The spray gun kit includes a wrench, cleaning brush, and an adapter for the Spectrum Cup System. The gun features aluminum and stainless-steel construction to keep the weight down to 1.56 pounds. It works with air pressures ranging from 14 to 35 PSI and uses 11.7 CFM at 29 PSI.
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