Posts tagged air powered tools
Working with Air Tools
Jan 22nd
The biggest advantage of using air powered tools is that they have much more power than traditional electric powered tools. If you need to secure the tire back on to your car, then only an air powered ratchet will provide the safest, tightest fit. However keep in mind that in this case you will need a good, solid T-wrench and a lot of elbow grease to get it off by hand. You may want to consider keeping a T-wrench and extension (any hollow pipe that increases your lever arm) in your trunk for an emergency.
If you are looking for a compressor to power your various tools then you should become familiar with some abbreviations that are essential to understand. The first is CFM, which means cubic feet per minute and the second is PSI, which means pressure per square inch. Both these terms describe the air flow and power that the compressor is capable of and knowing how muh of them you need will tell you what kind of compressor to buy.
Most household tools only need 5 CFM and 80-90 PSI, however some larger tools may need as much as 10-12 CFM and 100-130 PSI. You will need to check tools that you already have or want to buy for their requirements. There is nothing wrong with buying a compressor that is too powerful, besides of course that it will probably cost more. If you have some old air tools and you aren’t sure what they need than here is a general list from my experience:
(CFM estimates assume 90PSI)
| Angle Disc Grinder – 7″ | 5-8 |
| Brad Nailer | 0.3 |
| Chisel/Hammer | 3-11 |
| Cut-Off Tool | 4-10 |
| Drill, Reversible or Straight-Line | 3-6 |
| Dual Sander | 11-13 |
| Framing Nailer | 2.2 |
| Grease Gun | 4 |
| Hydraulic Riveter | 4 |
| Impact Wrench – 3/8″ | 2.5-3.5 |
| Impact Wrench – 1/2″ | 4-5 |
| Impact Wrench – 1″ | 10 |
| Mini Die Grinder | 4-6 |
| Needle Scaler | 8-16 |
| Nibbler | 4 |
| Orbital Sander | 6-9 |
| Ratchet – 1/4″ | 2.5-3.5 |
| Ratchet – 3/8″ | 4.5-5 |
| Rotational Sander | 8-12.5 |
| Shears | 8-16 |
| Speed Saw | 5 |
One final number that you will often see talked about no matter what you need the compressor for is tank size. Many models boast large tank sizes as a big selling point, but really it is not that important. In fact, I would say that if you need the air compressor to be portable than just get a small tank (2-5 gallons). However if you plan on working with air tools extensively than a larger tank is nice because the unit will not have to run as much, and they are usually loud. Also, if you are using a tool consistently for a prolonged time (i.e. sander) than it is good to have a big tank to maintain the proper pressure the whole time you are working.
Where to Start?
Jan 19th
If you are considering purchasing a portable air compressor than you need to narrow down your search a bit. There are a wide range of options which vary greatly in price, quality, and power. The model you need, and the price that you pay will depend on what you intent to use the compressor for. There are several basic functions for a portable air compressor including inflating small products around the house, inflating larger objects like tires, connecting to air powered tools, and running industrial power tools. Lets say, for starters, that you need a small portable air compressor for use around the house.
The first decision that you have to make, even with small air compressors, is if you want an electric powered or gasoline powered compressor. You definitely want an electric compressor if you will ever be using it inside the house to avoid harmful fumes. Also, the extra power that can be achieved by a gasoline powered compressor is not necessary for inflating simple household objects. As far as voltage goes, the standard of most small models is 12 volts. This is completely fine for objects such as snow tubes or bicycle tires, but keep in mind that the higher the recommended PSI the longer a small 12 volt compressor will take to inflate the object. If you are impatient, or have larger objects that need a PSI greater than 30/40 than you may want to consider a higher end model that runs on 120 volts.
Secondly, you will need to decide how much you are willing to pay. Again, this depends on what you need the compressor for. If you are just an avid bicycler and only need to keep your tire pressure at the right PSI than a simple $10-15, 12 volt model will do just fine. However if you are going to be powering tools in your basement workshop than you may want to look at the 120 volt models that run in the $70-80 range.
Hopefully this helps you narrow down your search. Check out other posts and pages for more specific direction on different uses and various models.