Felco Tools, 919 Air Compressor Parts & Impact Sockets: A Facilities Buyer's FAQ

I'm the office administrator for a 60-person company, and I manage all the grounds and shop supply ordering—roughly $180,000 a year across 12 vendors. I report to both operations and finance, so I get pulled in both directions. I'm not a gardener or a mechanic. I'm the one who gets the call when the team runs out of something, and I've learned the hard way that the lowest price on paper isn't always the lowest cost in real life. This FAQ is based on what I've actually had to figure out since I took over purchasing in 2021.

This started as a list for our operations manager, but it turned into something I share with anyone who asks me about tools. If you're short on time, here's the directory:

• Is Felco worth the premium?
• What is the Felco 22 lopper best used for?
• What counts as Felco garden products anyway?
• Where do you actually find 919 air compressor parts?
• How to use air compressor if you're not the one fixing it?
• What sockets to use with impact wrench?
• What I'd do differently if I started over?

Is Felco worth the price?

Honestly, I used to buy cheaper pruning tools and call it smart. In 2022, I ordered a batch of budget pruners to save about $12 per unit. Two of them broke within the first month, and one spring snapped in the middle of the season. When I added the replacement cost plus the time spent finding replacements, the savings disappeared.

Felco isn't cheap. But from the outside, all bypass pruners look the same; the reality is that the Felco tools we've bought have replacement blades, springs, and parts availability. That extends the life. I can buy a replacement spring or blade for a tool we already own instead of ordering a whole new tool. For the amount of use our grounds crew gives them, that changes the math. At least, that's been my experience with professional grounds work.

According to Felco's site (felco.com), the brand was built around Swiss craftsmanship and repairability. I'm not going to quote prices because they vary by dealer, but I checked dealer pricing in early 2025, and the difference is still enough that we only buy Felco for regular professional use—not for occasional home-garden stuff.

What is the Felco 22 lopper best used for?

The Felco 22 lopper is the two-handed model in the lineup. It's for branches that are too thick for one-hand pruners. If you have a crew cutting back old growth, it gives more leverage and makes cleaner cuts than a standard homeowner lopper. I should add that I don't keep the max cutting diameter in my head—it's on Felco's spec page—so check that before ordering. But the 22 is the one our foreman asks for by name.

The interesting part for me as a buyer is that the 22 is not just a bigger pruner. The design is different enough that parts are specific to that model. When I order a Felco 22 lopper, I search by the exact model number rather than assuming all Felco blades fit.

What counts as Felco garden products anyway?

I think a lot of people say Felco garden and mean pruners. But the garden line includes loppers, hedge shears, pruning saws, sharpeners, and spare parts. That matters for purchasing because the replacement parts are just as important as the tools themselves.

When I type Felco garden into a supplier search, I make sure I'm looking at the professional section and not the small homeowner sets. If you manage a mixed crew, standardizing on one brand for the basics can reduce the number of spare parts you have to track. The key is to order by exact model and part number, not by the brand name alone.

Where do you actually find 919 air compressor parts?

This one caught me off guard. In 2023, we inherited an older air compressor, and someone told me to search for 919 air compressor parts. I did, and I didn't get far because 919 is a series number, not the full model. The compressor tank has a data plate with a model like 919.153150 or similar. You need that full number to find the right regulator, pressure switch, check valve, or pump parts.

I learned this in 2024. I called a parts supplier with the model number from the tank, and that got me to the right diagram. Generic compatible parts can be hit or miss. I should note: this isn't a recommendation to avoid all generic parts—just verify fitment before ordering. Pricing and availability check out as of early 2025; verify current inventory before you purchase.

How to use air compressor if you're not the one fixing it?

I'll be honest: I am not a compressor expert. But as the person who trains new employees and writes the simple instructions, I've learned the basics.

When someone asks me how to use air compressor, I give them the short version. Basically, check the oil level on the pump if it's a lubricated model, open the tank drain valve for a few seconds each day to release moisture, plug it in, close the drain, set the regulator to the PSI your tool needs, let the tank fill, then attach your air hose and tool. Don't crank the regulator to max just because you can.

The part a lot of people miss is CFM. The tank size matters, but CFM is the airflow the compressor delivers. If your die grinder needs 5 CFM and the pump only supplies 3, the grinder will slow down and you'll wait for the tank to recover. I learned this when we tried to run a heavy tool off a compressor that was too small. That was an expensive lesson, and it wasn't the compressor's fault—it was a spec mismatch.

What sockets to use with impact wrench?

Short answer: use impact-rated sockets. Not standard chrome sockets. Standard sockets can crack or shatter under the torque of an impact wrench. The impact-rated ones are made thicker and are usually marked impact.

People ask me what sockets to use with impact wrench all the time. The next question is usually about sizes. Match the drive size to your wrench—1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, or 1 inch—and use 6-point sockets for most jobs because they grip the bolt head better and reduce rounding. Also make sure the socket has the retaining hole or notch if your wrench uses a pin or ring to hold it.

One thing I didn't think about at first: a full set should include both metric and SAE sizes. If you buy a set that only has metric, someone will eventually need a 1/2 inch or 9/16 inch and you'll have to place another order. In my experience, that second order ends up costing more than just buying the complete set initially.

What I'd do differently if I started over

Mostly, I'd ask more questions before ordering and spend less time apologizing after. The lowest price on paper is rarely the total cost when you factor in downtime, replacements, and a different vendor for every niche. If you're managing purchases in a small company, the best thing you can do is learn the product lines you order most. Felco for pruning tools, proper 919 parts for the compressor, impact-rated sockets for the shop. Get those right and the maintenance team will trust the ordering process.

This was accurate as of early 2025. Product lines and part numbers change, so verify current specs before you place a big order.