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Harbor Freight Inline Air shears

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DavidApp

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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
 
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.
 
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
 
DavidApp said:
It looks well made but would not cut 18 gauge steel as it was advertised to cut.
Click to expand...
I couldn't find anyplace where it says 18 gauge steel; just 18 gauge sheet metal, which of course could mean anything.
 
Oops, I looked up a different one. SORRY!
 
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.)
 
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
 
DavidApp said:
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
Click to expand...

See my post above before you try to cut any 14 gauge material with the electric shears.
 
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
 
Sounds like the HF one would be more effective
if you unplugged it,& beat the metal with it!
 
AngliaGT said:
Sounds like the HF one would be more effective
if you unplugged it,& beat the metal with it!
Click to expand...

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.
 
dklawson said:
I cannot comment on the effectiveness of the pneumatic shears. However, the electrics are good at what they do.
Click to expand...

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.

dklawson said:
HF and others have unfortunately misrepresented their capabilities.
Click to expand...

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:
 
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/

 
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