Choose the Best Air Tools for Your Project

A hopper gun is a special type of nozzle that’s attached to a hose and fed with compressed air. You can use it to spray a textured material onto ceilings, walls and other surfaces. Although there are a variety of uses for a hopper gun, the most common are applying drywall mud and textured finishes. Using a hopper gun in place of a simple trowel can make quick work of otherwise labor-intensive jobs.

An air blow gun attaches to an air compressor and blows a high-pressure stream of air. You can use it to clear waste materials away from machines, such as drill presses or table saws, and for a variety of other cleaning purposes, including detailing automobiles and clearing dust from electronics.

An air impact wrench connects to an air compressor. You can use it to tighten or loosen fasteners, such as bolts, screws and nuts. This type of wrench is especially useful for fasteners that require a lot of force to remove or install, such as lug nuts on automotive wheels. Air impact wrenches come in different sizes to fit various types of fasteners.

An air inflator, or tire inflator, is a device primarily designed for inflating bicycle or automotive tires. However, you can also use these devices to inflate other things, including rafts, air mattresses and kayaks. Instead of connecting to an air compressor tank like other air tools, a tire inflator uses a small built-in air pump.

An air hammer is a tool that takes the place of a chisel and hammer combination. You can use an air hammer for chipping away at concrete, stone or metal and for doing demolition work. Air hammers are useful tools for automotive repair and on construction sites. They also have many industrial applications.

You can use an air sander — sometimes referred to as a pneumatic orbital sander — to smooth and shape wood. This type of sander can make quick work of many jobs, especially considering the time it takes to sand wood by hand.

Air grease guns make it easier to apply lubricants to mechanical parts on factory assembly lines, in automotive garages and more.

Air drills are used for heavy-duty applications, such as in factories and on construction sites. The main advantages to this type of drill are speed, power and durability. Air drills are also much less expensive to maintain than power drills since they don’t use batteries, which you’d need to charge and occasionally replace. They also have fewer parts that can wear out over time.