10 Best Air Tool Oils

Do you know what happens if you don’t oil your air tools on a regular basis?

Let me tell you, it’s not pretty!

The oil will expel out through the exhaust and O-rings will dry out.

And do you know what that means?

All the resulting increased friction and reduced performance means unnecessary wear and tear that will significantly reduce the lifespan of your air tools.

And after shelling out all that cash for quality air tools is basically money down the drain – you will not get your money’s worth out of the machine.

But, there’s an easy solution. If you were to buy top quality oil for your air tools and oil them regularly, you can safely avoid such a scenario.

The good news is that there are some great air tool oils out on the market at the moment. We’ve been going through them and after much deliberation we put together a shortlist of our top ten favorites which we’ll be reviewing for you very shortly.

But if you’re not too familiar with what air tool oils have to offer, you might struggle to decide which one to get. Which is why we’ve also put together a brief buying guide, so you know what to consider before you buy.

Let’s go!

Table of Contents

• 10 Best Air Tool Oils
• Buying Guide

10 Best Air Tool Oils

Lucas Oil 10216 Air Tool Lubricant

We weren’t at all surprised to see such great customer ratings on this air tool lubricant, what with it coming from such a top brand.

On Amazon, for example, it earned a full 5 star average customer rating – even after well over 1,400 individual customer ratings.

It’s classed as a “heavy duty” lubricant. And not only does it cushion all your air tool’s moving parts, but it also cleans them, waterproofs them, and rust-proofs them.

It’s a bestseller with the leading online retailers in the category of automotive tool equipment, but it can also be used with other air tools besides, such as painting tools.

It comes in a 16 ounce bottle, and one customer has said that even though he uses 6 air tools on a very regular basis, that this bottle will last the rest of his life! Excellent value for money.

Pros

• Comes from a top brand
• Phenomenal customer ratings
• Excellent lubrication quality
• Also cleans and rust proofs
• Excellent value for money

Cons

• Some customers have said that the cap keeps getting knocked off and lost

Ingersoll Rand 10P Edge Series Premium Grade Air Tool Oil

Now, this air tool oil has earned the title of Amazon’s Choice in the category of “oil for air tools”. Such a title is only given to products that are both of excellent quality and are also available at a good and reasonable price.

And although this premium grade air tool oil hasn’t seen quite as many sales as the Lucas one we showed you earlier, the customer feedback is just as impressive.

After over 700 individual customer ratings, the average customer rating on Amazon still comes in at a whopping 5 stars out of 5.

It’s also a bestseller with leading online retailers in the category of air compressor accessories.

It has excellent lubrication properties, and it seals the motor and lowers friction within the tools. And it also inhibits corrosion and rust to boot.

It comes in a half liter bottle, and is available at a price that’s only slightly higher than the Lucas one. But as you may know, a little air tool oil can go a long way, and again this is good value for money.

Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular oil – simply click on “Check Price” to see if there’s a deal on now.

Pros

• Winner of Amazon’s Choice
• Amazing customer ratings
• Excellent lubrication quality
• Inhibits corrosion and rust
• Great value for money

Cons

• Some customers have said that it could use a better spout for clean dripping of oil in tools

Unisport Air Tool Pneumatic Lubricant

Now, this is an air tool oil with a lot going for it…

First off, it’s the winner of the title of Amazon’s Choice in the category of “pneumatic oil”. Such a title is only given to products that are both of excellent quality and are also available at a good and reasonable price.

This is an industrial strength pneumatic lubricant, so it will really get the parts moving without causing any unnecessary friction.

Which means you get a longer lifespan from your tools. And it helps to keep the elasticity and form of the tool’s seals and O-rings.

It also helps to reduce corrosion, rust, and varnish. And all without the need for toxic substances. And if all that’s not enough, it also prevents the build up of harmful deposits, too.

The bottle is fairly large at 8 ounces, so it should really last, and you will easily get your money’s worth.

It’s a bestseller with the leading online retailers in the category of power tool lubricants, and has seen quite a lot of sales, even though it was only made available in spring 2020.

It has been met with excellent customer feedback, having earned an average customer rating of 4 and a half stars out of 5 on Amazon.

Pros

• Winner of Amazon’s Choice
• Excellent value for money
• Industrial strength lubricant
• Reduces corrosion and rust
• Prevents build up of deposits
• Excellent customer ratings

Cons

• Most of the customer reviews around on the net are brief and unhelpful

3-IN-ONE – 120049 Professional Grade Pneumatic Tool Oil

Here we have another winner of the title Amazon’s Choice. This time in the category of “pneumatic tool oil”.

In case you missed it earlier, the title of Amazon’s Choice is only given to products that are both of excellent quality and are also available at a good and reasonable price.

As you may imagine from the name, this oil has 3 functions all together. First off, you get professional grade lubrication to extend the life of your air tools.

And it prevents rust and corrosion, and it also dissolves gum and sludge, thanks to its ability to remove calcium build up and moisture.

It works great on nail guns, impact wrenches, and spray guns, and it’s great for all kinds of other use, including automotive, construction, marine, and shop use.

The other thing we love about it is the Marksman twist spout, which makes it easy to use and apply, and helps to prevent any unwanted leaking.

And it’s also a waterproof formula to boot. This helps to minimize rust formation in extreme conditions.

We were also reassured to learn that this oil comes from the world renowned WD-40 company.

Customer feedback has been very positive, achieving an average Amazon rating of 4 and a half stars out of 5.

The only real drawback is the small size of the bottle. But a little does go a long way.

Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular product, simply click on “Check Price” to see if there’s a deal on now.

Pros

• Winner of Amazon’s Choice
• Professional grade lubrication
• Dissolves gum and sludge
• Has a Marksman twist spout
• Comes from a top brand
• Excellent customer ratings

Cons

• The bottle is quite small and won’t last as long as it’s competitors
• It’s relatively expensive if you don’t manage to catch a deal

Marvel Mystery Air Tool Oil MM080R

Here we have another air tool that’s received phenomenal customer ratings and reviews. It received a full 5 star average Amazon customer rating, even after well over 800 individual customer ratings. Not bad hey?

It’s one that ticks all the boxes. It provides great lubrication to reduce friction and lengthen the lifespan of your air tools.

It also prevents the formation of rust, and it dissolves all that gum and sludge that can really drive down the tool’s speed and performance.

It’s a bestseller with the leading online retailers in the category of engine cleaners and degreasers.

If you click on “Check Price” you will be taken to the product page (don’t worry, it opens in another window) where you will find a video that demonstrates how best to use the oil with your air tools.

The only real drawback is that it comes in such a small bottle, coming in at just 4 ounces, but on the flip side, you don’t have to pay as much as you would for a bigger bottle. Besides, a little goes a long way.

Pros

• Phenomenal customer ratings
• Excellent lubrication quality
• Prevents formation of rust
• Dissolves gum and sludge
• Prolongs lifespan of your tools

Cons

• Comes in a very small bottle

Sta-Lube SL2531 Air Tool Oil

This is a great air tool oil with excellent lubrication properties. It also works to reduce rust, varnish and sludge. And that’s not all – it also removes any harmful deposits that build up in the machinery.

It can be used on a wide range of air tools, including the likes of air ratchets, grinders, hammers, impact wrenches, sanders, air motors and drills. And it has excellent customer ratings and reviews.

At 15 fluid ounces in size, this is a bottle that will REALLY last. And it doesn’t cost much more than those smaller bottles you can get. Superb value for money. But if you want an even bigger bottle, Sta-Lube also does a 1 gallon bottle.

Pros

• Excellent lubrication properties.
• Reduces rust, varnish and sludge
• Removes any harmful deposits
• Comes in a large 15 ounce bottle
• Excellent value for money

Cons

• Not VOC Compliant for California & OTC

CLIsyntec Premium Industrial Pneumatic Tool Oil

If you’re looking for a really big bottle of air tool oil, you need look no further. This bottle is a whopping 64 fluid ounces in size, but is still available at a very reasonable price, giving you a bottle that will really last and giving you the most bang for your buck.

Not only does it provide industrial strength lubrication for all your air tools, and thus boosting the lifespan of your tools, but it also reduces rust, varnish and sludge.

And it will also remove any harmful deposits that build up. It also works to preserve the elasticity and form of seals and O-rings.

There hasn’t been a huge amount of customer ratings and reviews, but we can confirm that it’s a bestseller with the leading online retailers in the category of power tool lubricants, and what little feedback there has been is very positive.

Pros

• Comes in a huge 64 ounce bottle
• Provides industrial strength lubrication
• Reduces rust, varnish and sludge
• Removes any harmful deposits
• Preserves the seals and O-rings
• Good customer ratings & reviews

Cons

• You might find that it provides a lot more oil than you actually need

Metabo HPT Air Tool Oil

If you have a particularly tight budget to work with, then this might be the one for you, available at about half the price of some of the other air tool oils that made our shortlist.

For those of you who don’t already know, Metabo HPT is the new name for the brand formerly known as Hitachi power tools. So it’s definitely a brand that you can trust.

The other great thing about this oil, besides its lubrication properties, of course, is how it can be used in any season, no matter what the temperature or weather conditions.

This air tool oil is specifically aimed for use in pneumatic nailers, so as to how it would hold up with other air tools we’re reluctant to guess.

It’s a bestseller with the leading online retailers in the category of air nailer accessories, where it has been met with excellent customer ratings and reviews.

Pros

• Bargain, affordable price point
• From a top, well known brand
• Excellent lubrication quality
• Can be used any season

Cons

• Aimed at pneumatic nailers only
• Comes in a very small bottle

Red Line 80321 Air Tool Oil

As you may have already inferred from the product name, this air tool oil is aimed at automotive usage. So we’d be reluctant to recommend it for other uses.

However, it does have a lot going for it. It comes from a top brand in the industry, and is designed to really improve and maximize vehicle performance. It’s a fully synthetic oil, complete with chemically advanced additives.

Its star features are its extreme stability at high temperatures and superior film strength, which is owed to its superior ester base stock.

The other drawback is the price, which is significantly higher than competing products. However, it’s still very affordable and is of excellent quality.

Pros

• Maximizes vehicle performance
• It’s a fully synthetic oil with additives
• Extreme stability at high temperatures
• It also features superior film strength

Cons

• Premium product at a premium price
• Aimed at the automotive industry only

Super Lube 12016 Air Tool Lubricant

Here’s yet another great air tool oil. Thankfully, this one is designed for use on all types of pneumatic equipment. It has excellent lubrication properties and really reduces friction in tools.

It’s composed of a special base fluid that has been blended with rust and corrosion inhibitors. It has a very wide temperature range, and comes in a relatively large bottle, coming in at 16 ounces. It’s also very competitively priced.

Pros

• Can be used on any pneumatic tools
• Includes rust and corrosion inhibitors
• Works at a very wide temperature range
• Comes in a relatively large bottle
• Competitively priced

Cons

• There aren’t many customer reviews around for this product
• If you buy it as a set of 4, it will cost you more than if you bought 4 of the single bottle

Buying Guide

As promised, here’s your buying guide.

Lubrication Quality

The foremost task of the oil is to sufficiently lubricate the equipment, and this should be one of your foremost considerations. To that end, you should look for “Premium” or “Industrial Strength” or “Professional Grade” lubrication if possible.

Viscosity

The viscosity of oil is basically how easily it pours at specific temperatures. The thinner and more viscous the oil, the more smoothly it will function with all the tool’s components.

Reduction Of Corrosion And Rust

Most of the air tool oils currently on the market have properties that help to reduce corrosion and rust in your tools, and this is certainly something worth looking out for.

Prevention Of Sludge Build Up

Another common feature of air tool oils is how they can help to prevent a build up of sludge in the machinery that can slow down your tool’s performance.

Brand

There are some brands of air tool oils that not only see better sales than the others, but also outperform the competition, and receive much better customer ratings and reviews. Top brands include the likes of Lucas, Ingersoll and Marvel.

Value For Money

It can be tricky to compare the value for money you get with different air tool oils, because they tend to come in different size bottles.

Most bottles will cost about $10 or less, but if you intend to buy a quart bottle, you can expect to pay more. Be sure to check prices as you go along.

Additional oil reading:

• Air Compressor Oil Capacity Guide – Air Compressor Oil Levels
• How to Change Air Compressor Oil – Guide to Replacing Compressor Oil
• Air Compressor Oil Types GUIDE – What Oil to Use in Air Compressor
• Air Compressor Oil Sight Glass – Oil Level Sight Glass Guide, Replacing & Reading
• Air Compressor Oil Related Issues – Oil Damage To Compressors
• Air Tool Oil Substitutes And Alternatives
• Air Compressor Oil Substitute – Alternatives Compared
• Oilless Air Compressors vs Oil Compressors – Differences Between Oil and Oil Free Air Compressors
• 10 Best Oil Free Air Compressors
• How to Quiet An Oilless Air Compressor
• Air Over Oil – Air Over Hydraulic Cylinder Benefits & Uses
• Air Compressor Oil Breather / Crankcase Breather Cap Buying Guide
• Air Compressor Oil Separator Guide – Air Oil Separators & Oil Water Separators
• What Happens if an Air Compressor Runs Out of Oil?
• Air Comes Out of the Oil Fill Cap
• Compressor Has an Oil Issue
• Oil in compressor tank drain water
• Why air coming from our compressor has bad smell same as burned oil
• Why does oil come out of the oil fill tube?