Needle Scalers

J

jhowes

Well-known member
I was wondering if anyone on the barn knows what the difference is in needle scalers. The price varies from 20 bucks to over 300 and I would guess that it is made in the USA as opposed to the far east that accounts for some of this price difference. However what does the length of the needles have to do with it? Some are 5 inch and others 7 inch. Most do not advertise what the needle length is. Anyone know? Jack
 
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I bought a cheap HF one to retexture cast iron repairs, not a lot of hours on it but shows no wear like it is going to quit----and it does what I bought it for----i would suspect the larger ones are better for structural steel
 
The price is mostly in quality. . . which translates to how long it will hold up under use.
The HF scaler is a fine scaler for the occasional project. If you are using it "a lot" you will wear it out and have to replace it. If it takes 2 to do the entire project the cheap ones are just fine. I finally bought a more expensive one, which came with different length and different diameter needles as options as well as being able to control how "violent" it is when running.
I have found the length just changes how far into a recess I can push it but the size of the needles leave a different texture after scaling.
My .02
 
After a while the needles will become rounded on the tips and not as effective. Grind the tips flat and you will be good to go again.

John
 
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