Needle Scalers

[Popeye an old miner]

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

[mla2ofus]

Are you giving them a regular diet of air tool oil?
Mike

[pat h]

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

[Popeye an old miner]

Are you giving them a regular diet of air tool oil?
Mike

Twice daily sometimes 3 times if I run out of gas in the compressor the 3rd time. I have the air turned back to 85 pounds...at the end of the hose it might be 80. Some of them have lasted longer, longest Ive ever had one going from Harbor freight was about 7 months. Sometimes you get a good one sometimes not...hell I took 2 back already that never even ran right out of the box. Store manager has been very good about it, he knows what they are used for and has no problems with it. I asked him once if they ever gave him grief over it and said no they haven't. This about the 13 or 14th one and Ive only ever paid for the first one. Have an Inger soll Rand I bought at a shipyard for 14 years now, never had any problems with it, being as how it is no longer under warranty I keep it for a backup

[12V71]

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.

[Popeye an old miner]

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.

Damn, that's why I like workin for and by myself. Years ago some young fella wanted ME to put together another weld rig and outfit it like the one I had so he could work with me. I looked at him like he was nuts. He said whats wrong? First off I said I never saw you weld anything in my life, number 2 Im not gonna put together and outfit a rig so you can go joyriding in my truck burning my fuel and my truck gets beat to ****. I seen enough of that workin construction, if it aint their own truck they don't givadam what breaks on it, never check the oil, burn the tires off of it drive like a nut and so on just run it til it don't go anymore. I told him if you want a rig and want to work with me fine...you get the welder the torch the grinder the truck the steel and whatever else you need. You build the truck, if you want me to help you build that truck I will. But its coming out of your wallet not mine. Then you can work with me


He never did. I want no employees, their are guys I work with most of em work for Joe, Joe has the stuff on their rigs they need, I have the stuff I need on mine and it belongs to me. If they wear something out on the job yes I will help them out, Joe will reimburse me or replace what they used. But for the most part they are on their own, when it comes to me outfitting them, just like I am on my own.


Im thinkin get another one and give him the bill for it, or a very very good talkin too and a stern warning.

[CAVEMANN]

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.

[Popeye an old miner]

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.

[Popeye an old miner]

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

[farmshop]

Glad to see this thread pop back up. A needle scaler is on the list. Let’s us know how the chief holds up

[Popeye an old miner]

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

I forgot to mention that the anvil that holds the needles is the same as the Central Pneumatic, so I put that washer in this one as well. To be honest this Chief scaler dont look any different from the other one, maybe its just made from better material. The Cheif only costs about 20 or 25 bucks more

[Popeye an old miner]

Glad to see this thread pop back up. A needle scaler is on the list. Let’s us know how the chief holds up

I will. If these things are anything like the Earthquake impact wrenches they sell along with their Central Pneumatic brand it should be goo, that 1/2 drive Earthquake Ive got is a damn beast

[cornchip]

sounds like cheap junk. at work we use texas tools scalers and they hold up fine

[Popeye an old miner]

sounds like cheap junk. at work we use texas tools scalers and they hold up fine

Well 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

[Oscar]

Well 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

I have some of their Chief air tools. The 4½" grinder is just like the Northern Tool "Klutch", and the 4" extended air grinder is just like the air-cat from the appearance. Both are nice and hefty. Oh and the 1/2" air drill is solid. With a 20-25% off coupon, they work well.

[SlowBlues]

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.

[CAVEMANN]

sounds like cheap junk. at work we use texas tools scalers and they hold up fine

The 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.

[cornchip]

Well 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

i 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

[Popeye an old miner]

The 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.

Absolutely. 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

[Popeye an old miner]

i 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

Yeah the company I am doin a lot of this work for is like that, they wont let anyone repair a tool, I guess its a liability thing.
Me bein as how Im an independent contractor can pretty much do what I have to do as long as it dont violate any MSHA regs.

But they have more boxes filled up with stuff in various states of disrepair or junk that could be fixed with a bit of ingenuity but they wont. And they wont part with it for a guy like me either, they just let em set there in the box and rust away

[Popeye an old miner]

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

[CAVEMANN]

Absolutely. 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

Thanks 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.

[Popeye an old miner]

Thanks 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.

Ouch, 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

[CAVEMANN]

Ouch, 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

Thanks 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.

[Popeye an old miner]

Thanks 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.

I use the same linament about a year now, it seems to help my shoulders. The back troubles come and go and dont bother me much but I take much better care as to what I do to prevent troubles. The shoulder troubles I really dont know what caused this problem unless weldin overhead for years is the cause. My hands and knuckles is from borken hands and fingers and bein frozen and normal day to day constant use. Ive found that WD40 helps my hands a lot and helps to keep them warm in the winter, hey whaever works, I dont think that horse linament would work to good on your hands gett that stuff near your eyes rubbin your face through the course of the day wouldnt be good

You mentioned back surgery and the falure rate. I know a lot of men from my underground mining days that had the back and neck surgery done and never got back to work and they were in their early 30s. It never entered my mind to have back surgery, after the 1st and 2nd knee operations I had that didnt go well I decided never was anyone gonna cut into my back unless it got broken in haf in an accident in a mine or a car. Most of the back troubles the miners i worked with was from lifting the heavy timber and pulling that timber up the the pitch. It was brutal work some days. Anthracite mining is all bullwork.

Im not far behind you, I am 63. I thought that at 63 I woukd be having more trouble with my knees than what I do after 7 knee operations, the last one was when I was 40 or 41 and it didnt go well, it was a major reconstruction on my left one, it was all tore up. After the troubles i had with that knee for about a year I decided no more knee surgery, so I did a whole lot of exercise and did some serious leg exercise on a weight bench and watch what I do at work, I wear knee braces I buy at the drugstore and the kneepads like i used to wear when I was wrestling in high school and I know what will make em go to **** in a hurry. I know which way I can move em with a certain ammount of weight and still be able to walk. Shucks I can dislocate either one of my knees now just pulling my boot or my socks on the wrong way so I take my time doin that and evrything else I do.

As long as I can move I intend to keep working, I saw many men who retired and sat for a month or 2 and when it came time to go huntin deer or go fishin or somethin they found they couldnt move, that aint gonna be me...if I live to be 90 I still hope to be doin the work I do. I enjoy what I do, I think its the challenge of it that gets me goin I dont know. Not many people do this work around here anymore, there isnt many mines left and the kids today dont seem to be intrested in workin like this.

My apologies for this bein so long a reply, I hope things start goin better for you. I will take your advice, I been following my heart for years and plan to keep doing so. Fortuantely I have a good woman here who has been by my side for 41 years tommorrow and she takes very good care of me and supports me in all i do. God Bless her.

Take care my friend and be safe, Giod Bless You