Needle Scalers

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I just took the 3rd one back in 2weks, they've been very good about it, no questions asked, while I was there the store manager was tellin me that Harbor Freight is coming out with a new line of air tools called Chief, sort of like their Earthquake line of impact wrenches, they are by the way very good.  He said he would put a sxaleer back for me when they come in...then he laughed and said I should be a product tester. We will see how long one of these will last
Reply:Are you giving them a regular diet of air tool oil?MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:I cautiously bought a needle scaler the mini from China freight not expecting much and I wasn't disappointed I returned the first and the second one was a little better if I remember I rebent the trig and unhook the air when not using, other it blew the trigger ti far out and wouldn't work, 2 years on the 2nd one after I figured out its shortcomings (home use), ok for occasional work but if I was paying sombody to use a needle scaler it would not be a chinko freight
Reply:Originally Posted by mla2ofusAre you giving them a regular diet of air tool oil?Mike
Reply:Lost my good CP scaler last week... I think it's riding around in the kingpin box on a hay trailer.  My guy got in a hurry to finish the deck work and forgot to check for tools.
Reply:Originally Posted by 12V71Lost my good CP scaler last week... I think it's riding around in the kingpin box on a hay trailer.  My guy got in a hurry to finish the deck work and forgot to check for tools.
Reply:I've had one of their needlers for about a year, even got a new set of pins for it, I've had some of the pins come out of the little holder so I fabbed a little jig that I clamp em in heat it red and flatten the end out a little with a hammer.IMPEACH BIDEN!NRA LIFE MEMBERUNITWELD 175 AMP 3 IN1 DCMIDSTATES 300 AMP AC MACHINEGOD HELP AMERICA!“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream".RONALD REAGAN
Reply:This is the first time I ever had the needles fall out this quick..i only had this one about 2 weeks, so it was still under warranty. I will admit I use them hard and constantly all day long peening the welds, sometimes I use the air chisel I got from them but the needle scaler just seems to work better and its easier on my hands. I went to put the needles back in and I took notice that the anvil that holds the needles was flat, the one I turned in 2 weeks ago for this one had a broken hammer after about 3 months of use, but I remember it had a recessed area in the middle where the needles went through it...the outside edge was about an 1/8 or so higher than the middle, so the hammer never actually hit the needles it hit the anvil instead, I showed this to the store manager and he told me they are always switching things up like that and it is probly cheaper to make that anvil this way.Im lookin forward to putting this new one, the Chief brand, through its paces when they get one in for me, he told me he would put one aside for me and give me a jingle when they come in.
Reply:Well I wore another one out, this is the 17th one Ive had and I only ever paid for the 1st one. In all that time they never gave me any trouble over it, and hey some of them I was bringin back evry other week, especially in the winter.  Anyway, this last one lasted 8 months, longest any of them lasted.  I did somethin different  with this last one, I got to lookin down in the barrel and at that anvil that holds the needles, So I took an old CAT washer from somethin I dont know what anymore and grinded it so it got a smaller diameter and dropped it down in the barrel on top of the needles.  This will prevent the hammer from bangin the crap out of the top of the needles causing them to fall out. I suppose any good grade 8 washer would work, but I figured a CAT washer would take anything that hammer can dish out. Well it worked I didnt lose any needles this time, where before Id be losin them in a week or 2.So anyway they didnt have any of the regular Central Pnuematic scalers there but they did have one of the Chief brand that I talked about earlier. So I bought it and I will see if this one holds up better than the others. I asked the guy if they really were any better he said he was told they are, and that I am the guinea pig because I bought the 1st one sold there...hoopdedoo...I guess Im gonna let em know how it holds up. If it lasts one winter here in this environment then its a good product. We will see
Reply:Glad to see this thread pop back up. A needle scaler is on the list. Let’s us know how the chief holds upMillermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Originally Posted by Popeye an old minerWell I wore another one out, this is the 17th one Ive had and I only ever paid for the 1st one. In all that time they never gave me any trouble over it, and hey some of them I was bringin back evry other week, especially in the winter.  Anyway, this last one lasted 8 months, longest any of them lasted.  I did somethin different  with this last one, I got to lookin down in the barrel and at that anvil that holds the needles, So I took an old CAT washer from somethin I dont know what anymore and grinded it so it got a smaller diameter and dropped it down in the barrel on top of the needles.  This will prevent the hammer from bangin the crap out of the top of the needles causing them to fall out. I suppose any good grade 8 washer would work, but I figured a CAT washer would take anything that hammer can dish out. Well it worked I didnt lose any needles this time, where before Id be losin them in a week or 2.So anyway they didnt have any of the regular Central Pnuematic scalers there but they did have one of the Chief brand that I talked about earlier. So I bought it and I will see if this one holds up better than the others. I asked the guy if they really were any better he said he was told they are, and that I am the guinea pig because I bought the 1st one sold there...hoopdedoo...I guess Im gonna let em know how it holds up. If it lasts one winter here in this environment then its a good product. We will see
Reply:Originally Posted by farmshopGlad to see this thread pop back up. A needle scaler is on the list. Let’s us know how the chief holds up
Reply:sounds like cheap junk. at work we use texas tools scalers and they hold up fine
Reply:Originally Posted by cornchipsounds like cheap junk. at work we use texas tools scalers and they hold up fine
Reply:Originally Posted by Popeye an old minerWell maybe so, but the Harbor Freight store isnt far away from me, they never give me a hard time about replacing them, and I dont have to wait for one to be shipped. If it stops workin today, I get a new one that night...that works for me
Reply:My harbor freight also never gives me crap about returns (love them for that), though I can't say I've gotten to Popeye's level I have returned my share.
Reply:Originally Posted by cornchipsounds like cheap junk. at work we use texas tools scalers and they hold up fine
Reply:Originally Posted by Popeye an old minerWell maybe so, but the Harbor Freight store isnt far away from me, they never give me a hard time about replacing them, and I dont have to wait for one to be shipped. If it stops workin today, I get a new one that night...that works for me
Reply:Originally Posted by CAVEMANNThe HARBOR FREIGHT scalers are fine for what they cost, I think the last one I bought was $14.99, & I've been using it for 3 years or more. The biggest issue I've had is the flare on the needles, I just made a jig that allows me to reflare the ends. Not everyone can justify paying for top tier tools that don't get used day in & day out 8 hours a day.
Reply:Originally Posted by cornchipi hear what your saying. if youve only had to pay for the very first one then perhaps its worth while to stay with the HF brand.  i believe the ones we have at work are a bit over $200. but in 10yrs on the job i cant recall one failing to work. usually the needles wear down, then fall out over time. we dont install new needles but just grab a new complete scaler from the storage locker . large companies can be funny in the sense that they dont want employees rebuilding certain tools . throw it away and grab a new one even if nothings wrong with it
Reply:Well that Chief brand needle scaler lasted through the winter, didnt have any problems with it so we will see how much longer it will hold up, I still have a regular brand needle scaler from Harbor Freight too and my old Ingersoll Rand scaler...now all i gotta do is grow 1 more hand so I can use all of em at once
Reply:Originally Posted by Popeye an old minerAbsolutely. You cant beat the price of these things even the Chief brand, its only about 25 bucks more, and the IngersollRand Ive got was 160 bucks and change almost 20 years ago. The way I use these Harbor Freight scalers  in this environment (dirt, mud, dust, cold weather, rain snow and whatever else gets in the way especially in the winter) and the fact that they have never sqwalked once about me bringin 3 or 4 in for 2 or 3 months makes it worthwhile for me, and throw in that they are right down the road from most places i work is damn convenient. Take it in tonite, walk out with a new one 10 minutes later.Summertime they last about 6 or 7 months, usually til November or December when its starts gettin cold, I take em apart and clean up the parts with mineral spirits if that dont help I take em back.Caveman, try the deal with a washer on top of the holder for the needles, I bet you wont have to flare the needles anymore.The Chief scaler Ive got so far is performing quite well but its only  2 weeks I been usin it, if it makes it through the winter here its a good tool
Reply:Originally Posted by CAVEMANNThanks Popeye, I haven't been doing ANYTHING, This winter has been HE11 with my back this, I live in one of the warmest places in the US, I can't even imagine living in cold country, I've got a blade going for the tractor, and a set of car ramps that I'm building, neither has been touched for quite some time, it sucks having a hobby you enjoy, & not feeling like doing anything, I just turned 66.
Reply:Originally Posted by Popeye an old minerOuch, Im sorry to hear about your aches and pains I know it aint fun. The only back trouble Ive ever had has been this sciatic nerve thing once in awhile. It flew in there once or twice this winter Im pretty sure it was from slidin around on my butt welding on the floors on all them haultrucks we been doin since last summer. I got a bit of a break from that work when I did that dozer blade and some other stuff. Id much rather stand up and work like a man instead of on the floor like that. Hell i could stand up or set on a bucket and weld all day long vertical and overhead and be quite happy and content, and I really never liked welding flat.Most my aches and pains is in my knees my shoulders and my hands, but it something I can live with as long as I keep myself moving, Monday is always rough if I dont do nothin but usually Im doing some kind of maintenance on my rig on Sunday so Im movin, but i found out last weekend I cant throw a baseball anymore. The grandkids were playin ball up at the firehouse on Easter Sunday and one of em hit a foul ball so I got the ball and went to throw it to my grandson and it went 15 feet and I grabbed my shoulder it hurt that bad. 20 minutes later same thing happens. Me and Jesus is gonna have to have a serious heart heart discussion about this aging process and why it gotta be so damn painful.This winter was pretty mild compared to some we been through here but evry year it gets harder for me to deal with. Like my youngest grandson says to me sometimes...Suck it up Buttercup. Little smartass...but he and the other 2 are my buddies so its all good Well I hope you soon feel better and can get back in the shop
Reply:Originally Posted by CAVEMANNThanks agai Popeye. I've been using some veterinary medicine to keep goin, it's a horse linimint made by ABSORBINE Jr., I get it at TRACTOR SUPPLY, or order from AMAZON, I've suggested and/or given it out to friends & family, they all thank me & tell me how much it helped. It's about 16 bucks a bottle. I get out there to start doin some welding & when the back gets to goin I start holding my breath & after a little bit I'm gasping & my welding turns to crap, you can follow my gasps by the long arcing, LOL. I gues the gasping probably comes from my smoking history, I quit in 91, a started again for a couple of years in2008, it got to the point that I felt like I was gonna suffocate when I laid down, quit again & vaped for a bit & threw it out in about 2012, NO MORE, I still live with the effects. Your back sounds like the way mine started out, by about 2005 I was feeling it pretty good & put up with it until 2009, they put me on heavy narcotics until I got some epidural injections, that bought me about a year, I had my first surgery in October 2010, got back to work until February 2013, the back failed, first surgery had to be redone & 2 more levels, never allowed to return to work. What I want to say is, if you can get along without surgery then by all means don't do it. My research indicated that there's a 58% failure rate on lower back surgery, they even have a name for it, BACK SURGERY FAILURE SYNDROME. Take care my friend and follow your heart on decisions, I'm not sure of your age, but I think your close to my age.Anyone who stands by their spouse for that long deserves a lot of praise and recognition. It sucks that just about the time we get things figured out to make lives easier our bodies fall apart and we are back to difficult againMillermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Originally Posted by farmshopAnyone who stands by their spouse for that long deserves a lot of praise and recognition. It sucks that just about the time we get things figured out to make lives easier our bodies fall apart and we are back to difficult again
Reply:Originally Posted by CAVEMANNThat's true! My wife & I are heading for 46 come September, she'll be 64 in August.it's awesome when two people are right & can go for 50 or more years. My mom passed 4 months before their 50th anniversary.Popeye, I feel for ya with the knees, mine are both bone on bone, but I don't want surgery, I had a good friend die in February, he went in for knee replacement, got through the surgery and died while in the recovery room, he was 58. You mentiond guys getting upeer back & neck surgery that were never able to return to work, I think that has a higher success rate than lower back surgery, my second injury happened at work & our workers comp insurance carrier never batted an eye or questioned anything about my injury, and in fact my adjuster told me that no-one questions my injuries.
Reply:Got my needle scaler fired up yesterday... put a whip hose on it after I took the pic as per recommendations here. Cool little toy and I got it on sale.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Originally Posted by whtbaronGot my needle scaler fired up yesterday... put a whip hose on it after I took the pic as per recommendations here. Cool little toy and I got it on sale.
Reply:That Chief needle scaler is still goin strong. The deal with the washer on top of the needles worked great too. I wore the needles down to the point where only about 3/8 inch was stickin out through the barrel...thats since December of last year...yeah i use em hard. So I put new needles in it and away we go for another go at it.I never ever wore the needles down that hard before, they either fell out or the needle scaler quit workin altogether. This Chief scaler impressed me a lot, and the washer works good
Reply:The Pro Point I posted is on the higher end of the cheap Chinese junk... I won't be using it as often as you so I think it should last me a while. Got it on sale for around $65 Cdn. Even the cheap ones on sale are around $45 here.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes