If you’re just getting into automotive repair and restoration you may not be blessed with a full tool box. We’re all working on a budget and unless you have a large amount of money to invest in a full kit of tools you may want to get the best bang for your buck when starting out. We decided to put together our top 6 air tools a beginner or entry level mechanic can get the most use out of.
- Rockwood 1/2″ Pneumatic Drill– Whether you need to drill out a stuck fastener, rivet, or drill a new hole a pneuamtic drill is crucial. We suggest making sure you get a drill that can handle up to a 1/2″ shank for the largest variety of bits you can use. The Rockwood 1/2″ Pneumatic Drill features a positive-locking forward/reverse control. A high-torque, 5-vane, ball bearing air motor and a hardened planetary gear set provide smooth operation and long life. Speed is easily controlled with an infinitely progressive throttled trigger control. The Keyed chuck offers the advantage of applying additional torque on the bit when slippage is a concern during heavy-duty applications.
- Rockwood Air Hammer And Chisel Set– An air hammer is one of those tools you don’t realize you need until it saves your butt once or twice! An Air Hammer allows you to put different attachments in it to cut metal, drive things out, hammer things in, or vibrate parts loose. We suggest getting one with a chisel set and also investing in a set of air hammer drifts. The Rockwood Air Hammer And Chisel Set features a high-performance 4500 bpm (blows per minute) design for quick and efficient operation. It accepts any standard 0.401″ Parker Taper shank air hammer tool bit and includes four of the most popular tool bit configurations.
- Rockwood 1/2″ Twin Hammer Impact Air Wrench– An impact gun will allow you to loosen and tighten hardware quick. Whether you’re removing lugnuts or tightening up hardware on an engine or suspension an Impact Wrench will speed up your work and save your arm with a ratchet or wrench. The Rockwood 1/2″ Twin Hammer Impact Air Wrench features a large-capacity six-vane, ball bearing motor with a twin-hammer impact drive. It is fully reversible with 6 forward and reverse torque settings and an infinitely progressive throttled trigger control.
- Rockwood 1/4 Inch Angle Air Die Grinder– A die grinder is an extremely valuable to a mechanic or restoration pro. You can quickly change attachments and do everything from grind metal to lightly sander or wire wheel something. We often use these for sanding welds, removing old engine gaskets and removing surface rust from parts before installing. The Rockwood 1/4 inch die grinder features positive 1/8” & 1/4”, non-slip collets for quick, convenient and secure accessory changes. A high-torque, 4 vane, ball bearing motor with hardened bevel gears provide smooth operation and long life. Speed is easily controlled with an infinitely progressive trigger control.
- Rockwood 3″ Air Cut Off Tool– There’s no two ways about it you’re going to run into instances where you can’t just remove a part on a vehicle with normal hand tools and you may need to cut something off. That’s where having a cut off tool comes into play. A good pneumatic cut off tool will allow you to cut metal thick and thin. We like to use this to lop off rusty, stuck hardware and to cut metal when fabricating. The uses are endless and you’ll wonder how you lived with out one before. The Rockwood 3” Cut-Off Tool is a heavy-duty professional quality tool ruggedly designed for many years of reliable service. It features a heavy-gauge wheel guard for maximum safety and a ball bearing motor for smooth operation and long life. Speed is easily controlled with an infinitely progressive throttled trigger control.
- Rockwood 3/8″ x 13″ Pneumatic Mini Belt Sander– A mini belt sander can really get you out of a jam and helps you get into tight areas to sand welds, rust, or prep for welding. We like to use these to sand areas that need spot welds highlighted on patch panel projects. For mechanical work these work well for cleaning up ground attachment points or getting into a tight area to clean old gasket material off a surface before reinstalling. The Rockwood Pneumatic Mini Belt Sander features a sealed ball bearing drive assembly for smooth, low vibration operation and long life. The precision diecast housing provides a solid foundation and offers ergonomic, one handed operation with a convenient handle mounted paddle trigger.
If you want to save money we offer our Top 6 entry level air tools as a kit for a discounted price. You can find the full Kit HERE.