2131T is the very best bang for your buck. lots of power especially in reverse. Keep it oiled and will last along time. some of the tool places around here have them on special occasionally. lots of guns out there but you can't go wrong with this piece
Just got a Harbor Freight flyer today. The 1/2" Earthquake is $94.99 and there is a 20% off coupon with it. I was a little off on the power. The Earthquake is 700 ft. lbs. It will twist off a left hand lug nut before you realized what happened!
I ended up getting the IR 232 http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_370269_370269 and an impact socket set: Ingersoll Rand SK34C86 3/8-Inch & 1/2-Inch 86 Piece Combo Standard & Deep Impact Socket Set I'm sure this will work out for my vintage car restoration projects. I ended up giving my old Craftsman Impact to my brother in law. Thanks for the feedback fellas.
Only Snap-on, I use it everyday, make a living with it, and it really kicks ass, but costs alot of money too.
I have a Sioux 5051A and a Sioux 5000A. Both rock-solid. Sioux is part of Snap-On. The 5051A would probably break the snout off of a Horrible Freight one.
A life long friend in Fl where I grew up inherited a body shop from his Father. As far as I know,they have never had anything but IR in the shop for the last 60 years.Compressors or air tools. Good luck.Have fun.Be safe. Leo
Yeah, I've got a 231c and really like it. Only thing I can complain about is that it is definitely heavy by today's standards, and I don't even use it that much like people in shops do. Maybe I'm just a weakling, but I'm sort of jealous of the modern composite impacts now, and I think if I had to do it again I'd have bought one of IR's low-end composites. They're advertised as having the same or better power as a 231c, but they're smaller and SO much less cumbersome. Anything besides lug nuts can be a bit of a nuisance, and holding it with one hand feels pretty awkward. Just like any other old-fashioned 1/2 inch impact, it's made for two hands. I guess the solution would obviously be to buy a 3/8 impact for small jobs, but I'm cheap. Also, considering that both the 231c and Harbor Freight's knockoff are BOTH produced in China now, I'm not entirely sure the IR version is any better. Not to mention HF's warranty is pretty much treated as "anything goes" where I live. Just something to consider, for those of you who care about your money more than a brand name.
I noticed that too, funny thing is some of my Matco air tools from the 90's say made it Japan ...but they're still going strong. I have to say IF you have an older air tool of quality (read made in the USA) then fix it and don't replace it.
While they are still not Made In the USA, most Japanese products shouldn't be lumped in with Chinese ones. A great deal of Japanese items are on par with German made ones for quality and precision. That said, I still prefer good ole made in the US products where possible.
The Jalopy Journal
