# Compressed air Blow Guns you like?



## Alan H. (Apr 6, 2017)

We all have collected these over the years.   

Here's a photo of some I have.  I have several more in the garage, just too lazy to retrieve them.   None that I have are great.  The best I have is a Wilton (second from left in the photo). (Edit: Milton not Wilton)

I like the shape of the one on the left but the valve is sticky.  I'd like one with that shape and with a good throttling valve. 

Recommendations would be appreciated.


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## T Bredehoft (Apr 6, 2017)

My "best" air nozzles were made before OSHA stepped in. They'd put a 1/8 ball bearing through a cardboard box at 20 feet. Not that I ever was involved in any sort of horseplay in the shop, Oh No.


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 6, 2017)

I have a couple of the one on the left, but mine still have the rubber tip, they are excellent for cleaning carburators. And then I have some like the rest. I also have a sprayer wand that I screwed an air fitting into, great for hard to reach places, and because osha is not allowed in my garage or shop, lol.


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## Bob Korves (Apr 6, 2017)

I am happy enough with OSHA approved nozzles.  The one I use the most is my 18-230 Tru-Flate, OSHA approved, regulated, and old.  Never leaks air!  Zero.  I really think OSHA did us all a good thing when they put the side ports on the tip and added a pressure regulator to air guns.  I remember a lot of stupid and dangerous things that people with the direct blast and the de-OSHA'd air guns did in shops.  Any air nozzle is dangerous...


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 6, 2017)

Any tool is dangerous if your not careful.
Been injured by hammers and screwdrivers more than any air nozzle or blow gun. You should be wearing safety glasses anyway if your using compressed air.


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## woodchucker (Apr 6, 2017)

My best is I believe a coil hose from the 80's
and a high volume gun I bought from a machinist.  
All those cheapies you are showing are just that. My least favorite are my cheapies... which I do have.


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## Alan H. (Apr 6, 2017)

Anyone have one of these from McMaster?  Don't know who makes it but I have never been too disappointed with what I get from them.  It says it has an adjustable rate (meaning trigger is throttle?).


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## Bob Korves (Apr 6, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> Any tool is dangerous if your not careful.
> Been injured by hammers and screwdrivers more than any air nozzle or blow gun. You should be wearing safety glasses anyway if your using compressed air.


We should be wearing safety glasses at all times while working in the shop.  And our eyes are not all that is threatened.  I am not a safety Nazi, just someone who really cares about not getting hurt doing what we do, whether for enjoyment or for income or both.


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## woodchucker (Apr 6, 2017)

Left CoilHose, Right High Volume SafeTAir Model 1B.. Love how they all say 30psi max..


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## FOMOGO (Apr 6, 2017)

I have a drawer full of different ones, but the one that Alan shows on the left I use the most as they seem to be the most comfortable in my hand. I have them in different lengths, and they seem to hold up well. I have pulled one or two apart over the years to clean up the valve. Mike


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## Joncooey (Apr 6, 2017)

I guard this one jealously.  Some people that I know are like crows and like 'shiny things'.  May be as old as I am and will no doubt, be around long after I'm gone.  Used to be in any shop but I don't know if you can buy them like this any more.


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## darkzero (Apr 6, 2017)

Here are my favorites...

These 2, I keep one by the mill & one by the lathe. They were made by Guardair. The models are Jet Guard which I believe was made by someone else before Guardair. The tips have a safety feature that blasts a cone shape of air to protect the user from chips or debris so they are OSHA approved (not that I care). Not sure how well that "safety shield" function works. Air output can be adjusted with the knob just behind the trigger. These are their older models which are no longer made.

They now make a new style which are bulkier and they consume much more air cause the safety shield output has been increased. I actually took mine apart & limited even more flow to the safety shield. I didn't like the new ones so I gave it to a woodworker friend.












The other ones that I have (don't ask me why I have so many). 






The conical tip ones don't have a hole in the tip. The air outputs around it & follows the conical tip. I use this one for blowing off my workbench or an area on the floor. The tip makes it quieter too than the others.






And my others that I don't use that often anymore. One is an older USA made Craftsman. It has a quick release collar for the tips. The other is just a pocket pen type I kept in my pocket when I was a mechanic. Not sure who makes it, I think Amflo, just says USA on it.


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## Alan H. (Apr 6, 2017)

Wow Will!  Thanks for the wealth of photos.  

Per your request, I will not ask why you have so many.  But - do you like tools?


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## darkzero (Apr 6, 2017)

Alan H said:


> Wow Will!  Thanks for the wealth of photos.
> 
> Per your request, I will not ask why you have so many.  But - do you like tools?



Yeah, I know, I got issues. 

Great thread by the way. I wanted to start a thread like this. I know they're just blow guns but I too would like to see what others use.


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## Bob Korves (Apr 6, 2017)

Many of us have issues with lots of tools.  Then there are the others who haven't been bit, so far...


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## darkzero (Apr 6, 2017)

Well good thing is at least we all know we have a problem & here we can share our issues that others just wouldn't understand. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.


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## Bob Korves (Apr 6, 2017)

darkzero said:


> Well good thing is at least we all know we have a problem & here we can share our issues that others just wouldn't understand. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.


Nah, we are just looking for company and affirmation.


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## GarageGuy (Apr 6, 2017)

I've had a couple like the black plastic one in Alan's first photo, but they don't survive high pressure.  I run 175 psi, and the valve gives up after about 5 minutes of use.

These are the ones I have.  The center one is an older model and has a piece of brake line soldered into it.  That's my favorite.  The one on the right is a Harbor Freight, and is my second favorite.  The Milton second from the right is my oldest, and third favorite.  The two on the left are also HF, but just don't seem to measure up to the others.

GG


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## Alan H. (Apr 7, 2017)

Made a trip out of town to visit to my son.  We went to his shop and look what I found.    

It's what I thought he used and what I am now going to buy.  It came from McMaster and is not that expensive.  It works really well and the valve throttles the air really well.


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## Ken from ontario (Apr 8, 2017)

Bob Korves said:


> Many of us have issues with lots of tools.  Then there are the others who haven't been bit, so far...


I'm one of those who hasn't been bit yet, is it too late to start collecting at age 63? lol.
I have only 6 or 7 of these blowers but the one I like the best is the plastic one on the left in Allen's  first post,  the pressure  in mine can be controlled by how much  the trigger is pushed which I like when blowing aluminum chips off the mill.
We still have not talked about "tire inflators" , or  "sand blasters", yet.


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## Bob Korves (Apr 8, 2017)

Ken from ontario said:


> I'm one of those who hasn't been bit yet, is it too late to start collecting at age 63? lol.


Hell, no!  I have been collecting tools (sometimes they collect me) since being a poor teenager, but only really have got into it for the last 10 years or so when I started looking toward retirement.  Some have been inherited from my family.  I realize quite well that there is none of this stuff that I NEED to have.  There is no rush to acquire anything.  I only buy when the pricing is really good, REALLY good!  I am not afraid to clean up old tools that need it, unless I am looking at a rare and valuable antique, but I don't have many of those.  I like to use what I have, not just polish them, and I think that best honors the previous owners...


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## LarryJ (Apr 8, 2017)

T Bredehoft said:


> My "best" air nozzles were made before OSHA stepped in. They'd put a 1/8 ball bearing through a cardboard box at 20 feet. Not that I ever was involved in any sort of horseplay in the shop, Oh No.



Ditto.  I have only two nozzles, both rubber-tipped like Alan's righthand model.  One is short, one has a 30" extension tube on it.  Eye protection mandatory.


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## Franko (Apr 8, 2017)

I like these because they can vary the air pressure. I put a valve on one for my metal shop so I can turn down the pressure and not blow chips all over the lathe, mill and shop. This is just a cheap HF air gun. I've also gotten them at Auto Zone. They eventually break but they are cheap and I can have them all over the shop.


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## Alan H. (Apr 8, 2017)

The plastic one from McMaster is ~21 bucks.  It has a very good throttling lever on it and is more robust and durable than I would have expected.  The cheap one I have is from a big box store and it works but the throttling action is sticky (photo in post 1, one on the left). 

*McMaster link*


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## Flying A (Apr 8, 2017)

Joncooey said:


> View attachment 230735
> 
> I guard this one jealously.  Some people that I know are like crows and like 'shiny things'.  May be as old as I am and will no doubt, be around long after I'm gone.  Used to be in any shop but I don't know if you can buy them like this any more.


Have one just like it JO, it's a goody!


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## rgray (Apr 8, 2017)

O'Reilly's has "vaper" blow guns and the same gun is in autozone also.
Vaper # 19360 $6.99 at auto zone and $8.99 at O'Reilly's
I got one from O'Reilly's a couple of years ago and it has been great.
Got one of those black Harbor freight ones and threw it away the same day.


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## BrianT (Apr 8, 2017)

This is an oldie I found in a factory that was being prepared to tear down.  Its heavy cast iron and I dont think ever used before I got it.  Works very good and does not leak.  The issue w/ newer ones I have found is that they seem rather delicate.  Ive dropped a couple newer metal ones and they split right at the 1/4 npt inlet.


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## woodchucker (Apr 8, 2017)

BrianT said:


> This is an oldie I found in a factory that was being prepared to tear down.  Its heavy cast iron and I dont think ever used before I got it.  Works very good and does not leak.  The issue w/ newer ones I have found is that they seem rather delicate.  Ive dropped a couple newer metal ones and they split right at the 1/4 npt inlet.
> 
> View attachment 230954


Dude, OIL THOSE WAYS..


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## BrianT (Apr 8, 2017)

woochucker said:


> Dude, OIL THOSE WAYS..


Ha ha.  That does look bad, recently acquired...its a project.


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## Ropata (Apr 10, 2017)

Airboy from Denmark, had mine for 22 years used every day. It looked well used when I got it.


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## Kiwi Canuck (Apr 10, 2017)

This is an interesting thread as I just bought a new one that looks like the one from Mcmasters, my original one I used for 4 years came in a kit and looked like the right hand one in the first post.

I had been using my old one to remove seized caliper pistons, but they wouldn't come out, so it was time to get something better.

The new one was so powerful it almost blew a motorcycle brake caliper out of my hand when I first used it, I was surprised how much more powerful it was. 

Here it is, from Astro Pneumatic. $17.99 CAD regular price.







https://www.kmstools.com/astro-pneumatic-4-blow-gun-with-rubber-tip-1125


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## Millbo (Apr 14, 2017)

I have a 1/4" ball valve with two foot of 1/4" SS tubing for a nozzle that works great. I flattened the tip of the tubing just a bit to get a fan pattern of air.


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## RandyM (Apr 18, 2017)

Here is the one item I can rave about from Harbor Freight. In fact, I liked the first one so well that I bought years ago I bought a half a dozen more to equip my shop. They are cheap and work great. I outfitted them with the long nozzle and quick disconnects.




Here is the link, http://www.harborfreight.com/air-blow-gun-with-4-in-nozzle-68258.html


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## Alan H. (Apr 20, 2017)

Alan H said:


> We all have collected these over the years.
> 
> Here's a photo of some I have.  I have several more in the garage, just too lazy to retrieve them.   None that I have are great.  The best I have is a Wilton (second from left in the photo). (Edit: Milton not Wilton)
> 
> ...


Okay, discovered why the one on the left in my photo that kicked this thread off is no good.  Made in China, sold in the Big Box store, and dirt cheap at <$6 bucks!  What was I expecting?


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## Alan H. (Apr 20, 2017)

Thanks to all that responded to this thread.  I suspect that most of us had fun getting to see all the air blow guns folks use and like, new and old.  

I have a new nozzle via my weekly McMaster delivery.  Here's my new air blow gun, it is not Chinese, and it works well.  Has a 16 bar pressure capacity and the trigger is not sticky and it throttles the air as needed.


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## kd4gij (Apr 20, 2017)

RandyM said:


> Here is the one item I can rave about from Harbor Freight. In fact, I liked the first one so well that I bought years ago I bought a half a dozen more to equip my shop. They are cheap and work great. I outfitted them with the long nozzle and quick disconnects.
> 
> View attachment 231683
> 
> ...




I have a couple of them in the shop.. Great for dusting off and when you don't want a full 90psi blast.


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## Larry42 (May 2, 2017)

I like the Guardair  80WJ. It has the conical tip, no center hole. We've got quite a few of them in the shop and they have been very durable.


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## KBeitz (Jun 23, 2018)

Got plenty... Best one is home made using a air over oil jack valve with 24" of brake line. It's strong enough that I like to keep back away from what I'm blowing off.


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## kvt (Jun 23, 2018)

I have everything from little short ones with fine tip, to one that I can extend to up to 3 feet.   and one that is about like blowing air straight out of the hose.   Even have an old one that you put on a air chuck that you use to air up tires.   They kinda multiply


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## juiceclone (Jun 23, 2018)

HarborFright  makes one that looks like the one on the left. They work well for about a month, then start leaking.  Disassembly shows an engineered in failure in the design.  Not repairable....don't buy...  oops been thru three....


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## Larry42 (Jun 23, 2018)

We use "AirGuard classic+" models for cleaning areas and the one from AutoZone for when an extension is needed. The AirGuard ones are a lot more durable and have the conical air around the outside tips. It says not to exceed 120psi!


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