• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Harbor Freight Inline Air shears

DavidApp

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Just bought an Inline Air shear from Harbor freight. CentralPneumatic brand. Item No.88833

It looks well made but would not cut 18 gauge steel as it was advertised to cut. I cranked the air pressure up from 90 PSI to 120 PSI and it struggled to make a short cut.

I think I will return it and try the electric version. Wanted the air tool because it was so much smaller and looked more handy for tight spaces.
I may have got a bad one.

David
 

dklawson

Yoda
Offline
I have a set of Clarke electric shears. These are the same as HF 62213 and 68199. I know they are the same because when I broke the Clarke blades and needed replacements... the HF blades fit perfectly. These are all copies of some once famous U.S. brand tool.

The HF electrics are listed as good to 14 gauge sheet. Maybe in un-tempered aluminum but certainly not steel. I would consider the electrics good to maybe 18 gauge steel. Certainly nothing thicker.

I broke the Clarke blades trying to use them on 16 gauge stainless. Big mistake. I will never try that again. On stainless I would stop around 20 gauge.
 

Jerry

Darth Vader
Gold
Country flag
Offline
I have one of those sheers. I could only get them to work when I got a new larger compressor. They like a lot of volume of air. Then they work OK, Still takes a lot of effort to push them through steel
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
It looks well made but would not cut 18 gauge steel as it was advertised to cut.
I couldn't find anyplace where it says 18 gauge steel; just 18 gauge sheet metal, which of course could mean anything.
 

TR3driver

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
Oops, I looked up a different one. SORRY!
 

Popeye

Darth Vader
Bronze
Country flag
Offline
No worries - just want to make sure we don't give harbor freight too much credit! :smile:

(I shop there all the tine... yet complain ceaselessly about the quality.)
 
OP
D

DavidApp

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Reading the reviews of the air shears I notice one comment that he was cutting 16 gauge SS. I must have got a bad one because even at 120PSI it hardly cut 18 gauge steel.
Swooped it for the electric version that is said to cut 14 gauge.

David
 

dklawson

Yoda
Offline
Reading the reviews of the air shears I notice one comment that he was cutting 16 gauge SS. I must have got a bad one because even at 120PSI it hardly cut 18 gauge steel.
Swooped it for the electric version that is said to cut 14 gauge.

David

See my post above before you try to cut any 14 gauge material with the electric shears.
 
OP
D

DavidApp

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Thanks for the reminder.

The air ones would not cut 18 gauge they just stalled.

The electric ones seem to have more go. I can not imagine any of them making it through 14 gauge anything.

If I have material that thick I get the angle grinder with cutoff wheel.

David
 

PAUL161

Great Pumpkin
Silver
Country flag
Offline

AngliaGT

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
Sounds like the HF one would be more effective
if you unplugged it,& beat the metal with it!
 

dklawson

Yoda
Offline
Sounds like the HF one would be more effective
if you unplugged it,& beat the metal with it!

I cannot comment on the effectiveness of the pneumatic shears. However, the electrics are good at what they do. HF and others have unfortunately misrepresented their capabilities. It is as if their metal gauge ratings are based on how far the shear jaws open... not on what the shears really have the power and strength to cut.
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
I cannot comment on the effectiveness of the pneumatic shears. However, the electrics are good at what they do.

I agree - I have a number of air powered tools that sit lonely in the toolbox because I bought the long before I understood about compressor requirements - electric is becoming my go to for a lot of than.

HF and others have unfortunately misrepresented their capabilities.

Seriously? Seriously! I am scandalised! when did this happen? Has it happened before and why weren't we told? If this is allowed to continue soon gas mileage will be misrepresented, politicians will lie and don't even get me started on dating sites! Oh the humanity... :devilgrin:
 

PC

Obi Wan
Country flag
Offline
Had to form a section of duct to connect the microwave/convection/vent unit to the house ducting. (Tight space, major PITA.) It was was only a small piece so I tried to just use manual snips at first. Total waste of time, other than to prove I needed a power tool.

Picked up an attachment to use an electric drill as a shear on Amazon.

tshd_apart_catalog_2015-000.jpg


Worked great. Not sure how thick the sheet was, polly 20 awg, I guess. Attached to my Milwaukee hole shooter, it cut through it like butter.

And it's made in USA.

https://malcoproducts.com/product/h...assisted-cutters-shears/turboshear-heavy-duty

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002894R0/

 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
JPSmit Product Review - air compressor drain valve. Harbor Freight Restoration & Tools 9
steveg Harbor Freight jack stand recall Austin Healey 7
TomMull Harbor Freight "Earthquake" impact wrench Restoration & Tools 10
M TP Tools vs. Harbor Freight Restoration & Tools 12
steveg Canadian Equivalent to Harbor Freight Austin Healey 3
Rut Harbor Freight Spridgets 0
Rut TR4/4A Harbor Freight Triumph 2
Rut Harbor Freight/Tractor Supply Spridgets 4
bighealeysource Harbor Freight mig welder Restoration & Tools 1
tahoe healey New Harbor Freight floor jack Austin Healey 5
M Harbor Freight Restoration & Tools 42
L Harbor Freight Rolling Tool Cabinet Restoration & Tools 31
G Harbor Freight Car Dolley Restoration & Tools 2
Brosky Harbor Freight Tools New Years Day Special Triumph 5
tony barnhill Harbor Freight Tool Deal Restoration & Tools 13
DNK Harbor freight Triumph 14
DrEntropy HYLOMAR at Harbor Freight! Restoration & Tools 8
tony barnhill Harbor Freight Sale Restoration & Tools 33
tony barnhill Harbor Freight Parking Lot Sale... Restoration & Tools 27
eejay56 Tool rolls at Harbor Freight Restoration & Tools 22
L Went to Harbor Freight Restoration & Tools 4
jlaird Harbor Freight again Spridgets 2
jlaird Harbor Freight came to my house Spridgets 10
coldplugs MGB's and a Fiat in Boothbay Harbor [Maine] Spotted 5
RickB Harbor Fright hvlp guns? Spridgets 21
RickB Bugeye in Friday Harbor Craigslist - lower price Spridgets 0
J Harbor Frieght Engine Stand? Triumph 0
J Harbor Frieght Engine Stand? Restoration & Tools 15
jlaird Harbor Frieght Spridgets 1
AweMan Harbor Frieght Sandblast cabnet Restoration & Tools 13
J say what you will about harbor frieght Restoration & Tools 25
Patton Horrible Freight MIG Welder??? Restoration & Tools 6
S License plate light - inline fuse, BJ8 Austin Healey 7
K TR2/3/3A 5/16 inline fuel filter? Triumph 2
P Inline Fuel Filter Austin Healey 10
ChrisS Inline / transverse engine differences British Motor Corp 12
ChrisS Inline / transverse engine differences Spridgets 5
B Using inline fuses? Austin Healey 65
R Installing a block or inline heater in a v8 SD1 Rover / Land Rover 7
V great deal on a rebuilt inline six Triumph 0
TNMGB Stubborn inline fuseholder... MG 6
tahoe healey Inline Fuses [ and Fuse Theory & Application ] Austin Healey 19

Similar threads

Top