Air Tool Noob - a little disappointed

[general x]

Do your air tools preform satisfactory after the compressor just finishes recharging? If not then a better compressor won't give you the performance you're looking for, you'll just be able to use them for longer. Electric tools do tend to have more torque than air tools; comparing my 1/2" Air drill to a 1/2" electric drill is no fair to the air drill. You'll get more torque and trigger precision from the electric (Maybe even less noise) I've only used one or two air angle grinders as well and they've proven to be tamer than the cheap Mastercraft angle grinders you can buy for half the price and the larger more expensive models you'd be hard pressed to stall (Though they're quite large). Using cutoff wheels in air die grinders I've found you really can't bury the cutting disk or it just kills all your speed and usually stalls them completely. Keeping the disk above the surface of the metal and carefully cutting through as you go along has been what's worked best for me.

At home my compressor suffices but I can't say it's not without it's downfalls. It has a big tank but a tiny little compressor on top so I spend a lot of time waiting for it to fill. In both the shops I've worked at there have been very large compressors supplying for the most part continuous air pressure (We could bring the charge pressure down if we REALLY hammered on some stuck bolts with a 1" impact for a while but that's about it). In that shop environment, using dual orbital sanders, air spray guns, sandblasting equipment, air grinders and the like it just makes sense to use mostly air tools I suppose. I think for the brute power you're enjoying you'll have to stick with electric tools for certain things.

[BonesDT]

240V is out of the question. First of all, I'm renting my house. Trust me, 240V is what I always wanted. Actually, the 240V dryer in the garage was one of the main "selling" points for renting the house, but after I moved in, I realized the dryer outlet wasn't up to Amp-snuff (different plug), so I did have an electrician in there, but there's no room on the breaker panel and it is apparently max'ed out. So to get a real 240V supply would be serious work beyond my rental status.

Originally Posted by theluke19

Now look through those to find something 6+ cfm @ 90 PSI.

Got my craftsman 120v 6.5cfm@90psi for $125 or so

Am I missing something? What's the model of your Craftsman? That's exactly why I went with this HF unit. It's rated at 5.9 CFM @ 90psi, which is the best 120V I could find. Yes, I know, HF stats are inflated, but it still seems to be amongst the largest 120Vs. The biggest 120Vs on Craftsman's site are rated at 5.8 CFM @ 90psi. The only thing above 6 on NorthernTool is the Makita MAC5200 rated at 6.5 CFM @ 90psi ... but it's only 5.2gals.

I understand 240V is superior. But we're comparing apples to oranges. The point of my thread was to express my disappointment with the performance of the largest 120V air compressors.

[theluke19]

Mine is an older model, off craigslist. The newer ones prices are inflated and the performance is less.. Imo.

[BonesDT]

Do u think 0.5 cfm will make that much of a difference? I dont know if I can return mine to HF.

[Turdle]

I had an oiless 175psi craftsman 30 gallon compressor, and thought my air cut off wheel and mini grinder sucked, until I got my larger compressor.

Ratings are wierd for compressors, there is no established "time" for the ratings. Sure, it may do 6 cfm, but for how long? 5 seconds? it it inflates a .5 cubic foot baloon in 5 seconds this is 6 cfm--correct?

Ok, how well does it do now pushing a load? Does it still flow 6 cfm while inflating a tire? While running a cut off tool?

Oh, how about the regulator? You need to be sure the regulator will flow too. Most cheap ones do not.
Another thing I found, all quick connectors are not created equal. Look for the largest center hole you can find. Hi flow is not a gimmick here.




One way to tell if your compressor is large enough for the tool is to run the tool, until the compressor kicks on. Keep running it, within a minute the compressor should cycle off.

I know you aren't getting the answer you want to hear, but you need a good 220v compressor to effectively run rotary tools. Remember--the compressor needs to kick off while working. I had t go thru several jet sizes in my blasters to get mine to shut off while blasting.

(hint--look for the words duty cycle. It will be a percentage . Multiply all "rated" numbers by this figure for real world use)

[BonesDT]

Originally Posted by Turdle

One way to tell if your compressor is large enough for the tool is to run the tool, until the compressor kicks on. Keep running it, within a minute the compressor should cycle off.

This is interesting. I will try this. I doubt the motor will be able to keep up with the tool, but we'll see.

[colintrax]

I didn't know they made high flow connectors...
Also, since we're talking about this, is the regulator on my compressor going to be good? It's pretty old.

What I was thinking, you could buy those little portable tanks. Hook up 1 or 2 and have a "larger" tank so maybe the compressor won't have to kick in until you're taking a break anyways. Walmart has a 8? gallon tank for $25

[Turdle]

http://www.tptools.com/p/172,181_Hi-...upler-Kit.html

[DB_1]

Originally Posted by BonesDT

240V is out of the question. First of all, I'm renting my house. Trust me, 240V is what I always wanted. Actually, the 240V dryer in the garage was one of the main "selling" points for renting the house, but after I moved in, I realized the dryer outlet wasn't up to Amp-snuff (different plug)

If that dryer outlet supply's enough amperage just make your own extension cord. Probably cost you around $70-$80 for the plug ends and wire depending on how long of a run you make. The best part is you don't need an electrician, it's very simple to wire everything up.

Unfortunately, I think you are asking too much of that compressor for what you are doing. Ideally you're gonna need something in the 60 gal (and 240v) range to keep up with the sustained usage.

There's no one magic number that makes a compressor great, meaning having just a high CFM or PSI rating...they all work in conjunction.

The higher the HP, the faster it will replenish the tank which builds up the PSI (pressure) which in turn gives you your output or CFM.

On your compressor, you are using the air supply faster than the tank can replenish it. Which means that 2hp motor can't keep the tank filled up, the pressure drops and slows down the final output.

[BonesDT]

Originally Posted by Turdle

One way to tell if your compressor is large enough for the tool is to run the tool, until the compressor kicks on. Keep running it, within a minute the compressor should cycle off.

Here's what I got. First of all, the regulator kicks off the motor when it gets to 140psi, not 150 like it's rated. Can probably fix that with an electrical mod. Anyway, running my Ingersoll Rand 326G with no load at 90psi (btw, this is 90psi with the tool not running, it drops down to like 60-something when it's running, that's what it's suppose to be, right, not 90psi while running?):

The tank went from 140psi to 115psi (when the motor kicks in) in 24.5 seconds.

The motor then kicked in ... and could not keep up ... so the tank went from 115psi to 90psi in another 1min-15secs.

...so, yes, that is 1min-40secs of work WITH NO LOAD until power drops below optimum (90psi) ... hence my disappointment.

This is with a 50' goodyear hose and "low-flow" quick connects. I'm def going to pick some of those high-flows up.

[Turdle]

The regulator should be adjusted to the tool's rating while the tool is running.

[Sedition]

Wind the regulator all the way down untill you can't turn it any more (wide open). I can't beleive your standard power points are only 120V are they only rated at 10amps too? or do they give you 20amps so you can still make 2400Watts?

In Australia our standard power points are 240V single phase supply at 10amps. We also have the option of 415V three phase at 15amps.

[kert0307]

Most junction boxes in houses are 240v single phase with a neutral. One leg of the 240 is paired with a neutral giving all the outlets 120v. Amperage depends on the breaker and wire size installed most are 20 amps some run 30 amps to kitchen and garage areas. Things like ovens, air conditioners, clothes dryers, and hot water heaters get both legs for the full 240 volts and usually either 30 or 40 amp service.

[koda2000]

most air tools require 90 psi and a compressor capable of 5 cfm min. I have a 5hp sears compressor with has 2 gauges on the regulator. tank pressure and output pressure. tank pressure is set to 120 psi and output pressure is set to around 90-100 psi. this will work all of my air tools pretty well (impact gun, ratchet, drill) my cutoff wheel (which is cheap one) works very well, but it will use up the compressor air supply quickly. i usually have to stop and wait for the compressor to catch up when using the cutoff wheel for any length of time.

[MrQ]

There are two air tools I bought at Harbor Freight, the Earthquake 1/2" Impact (old one, not the new one) and an air chisel. Both tools have worked flawlessly. I love the impact, use it all the time when working on my vehicles. Unfortunately I have a Husky 17 gallon tank. I really need a bigger one for all the other air tools I use, but you gotta use what you have.

I really recommend the older Earthquake impact. I have used the newer one and I felt that it had lost a lot of strength and durability, not to mention power.

[Maniak]

Originally Posted by MrQ

I really recommend the older Earthquake impact. I have used the newer one and I felt that it had lost a lot of strength and durability, not to mention power.

They also lost adjustability. They only have IIRC 3 settings now when the old ones had 5.

I also have a 3/8 impact (old earthquake) which I carry in the trunk of the honda.. Never have issues pulling lug nuts off (I use 150 psi with my co2 bottle and that impact).

~Mark

[MrQ]

6 actually. It makes it much easier to adjust the proper torque in different applications.