Allsource's 41003 Vs. Harbor Freight's Abrasive Blaster: What's The Difference?

Nothing tends to clean a surface better than a powerful abrasive blaster. Whether you're using sand, water, or air, the right tool can leave you with a clean, fresh surface to either repaint or leave au naturel. If you're noticing a drop in pressure or that surfaces aren't getting as clean, it may be time to replace your current abrasive blaster.

While shopping for a replacement, you may have narrowed your choices down to Allsource's 41003 and Harbor Freight's Central Pneumatic 110 lb Pressurized Abrasive Blaster. On the surface, both look to be fairly similar, offering a compact alternative to larger, stationary blasters designed to clean parts and tools. They appear to have the same configuration, and both being red certainly lends to the idea that they may be very similar as well. However, there is a $220 price difference; there must be a reason for that, right?

To help you suss out which of these abrasive blasters may work best for your needs, such as restoring rusty tools, we're going to do a quick rundown of what's different between the two of them. There aren't many features that differentiate the two abrasive blasters, and for the most part, they tend to fall in line with one another.

Looking at the unit sold by Global Industrial, the Allsource 41003 20 Gallon Portable Deadman Blaster measures 23 x 15 x 34 inches. It does have a little heft to it at 51 pounds when it's empty, and its all-steel drum is designed to withstand a total weight of 160 pounds. When it comes to common abrasive blast media, that's a 20-gallon capacity.

Though Global Industrial doesn't specifically list which blast media works with the Allsource 41003, based on its recommended uses of stripping away paint, scale, rust, and oxidation from surfaces, it likely could use silicon carbide or aluminum oxide, which are both ideal for removing paint, scale, and rust. When the appropriate materials are used, the blaster can achieve a psi range of 80 to 125, which is sufficient enough for most abrasive blasting applications, as 100 psi is a good middle ground for most jobs.

Though the listing doesn't note an inlet size, it does state that the blaster comes with an 8-foot hose and nozzle sizes of 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, and 9/64 inches, so you can better shop for blast media without worrying about whether it will clog the nozzle. Additionally, the Allsource 41003 features a deadman shutoff, which is a common safety feature among potentially dangerous tools that could possibly kill the abrasive blaster instantly.

Available at Harbor Freight, the Central Pneumatic abrasive blaster is similar but not quite identical to the Allsource 41003. It's actually a little bigger than the 41003, measuring 24 x 15 x 40, which is interesting considering it has a considerably lower capacity. The product listing doesn't include how many gallons of blast media the tank can hold, but it does only have a 110-pound weight capacity, resulting in a 50-pound difference between the two.

Harbor Freight does list the media that the abrasive blaster can use, and per the listing, silica, silicon carbide, and aluminum oxide are recommended. These materials will work with the included 8 ½-foot hose and fit in the ¼ inch-18 NPT inlet. Like the 41003, the blaster ships with multiple nozzle sizes – including a 2.4, 2.7, 3.2, and 3.6 mm (which equates to the same size nozzles that come with the Allsource blaster) — and also has a deadman switch. Additionally, this model does have a slightly different psi range, with a low of 60 and a high of 125 psi.

For the most part, the two blasters are fairly similar. They both support the same recommended blast media and, while their capacity is a bit different, their maximum psi is identical, making them equally as efficient. Though they're both quite similar, they are separated by a considerable price gap, with the Allsource 41003 running $379.95 compared to the Harbor Freight Central Pneumatic at $159.99.