air impact wrench/tools

Guys,

I'm thinking about getting into air tools for an impact wrench. Seems like when I'm working on an old car, what stops me more than anything is bolts I can't break free. I've thought about buying an electric impact wrench, but someone wiser than me suggested looking into a small compressor, and an air impact wrench. The air tool set up would cost a little more to get started, but would allow me to power nail guns also, etc.

So are there recommendations for air wrenches? I assume stay away from Harbor Freight, but are there any recommendations for a hobbyist user?

TIA

Tom
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
So are there recommendations for air wrenches? I assume stay away from Harbor Freight, but are there any recommendations for a hobbyist user?

Craftsman stuff is usually OK; I've had one of their compressors and wrenches for about 40 years, which actually isn't a testimonial really since I haven't used them that heavily, and by now the available tools would all be different I assume. But the brand has a good reputation for quality and reliability relative to cost. At the time their compressors were said to be made by DeVilbiss. The real money here is in the compressor and not so much the wrench, but be carefull buying both.

You also need "impact" sockets. The normal sockets for hand use may fracture when used with an impact wrench. That's a personal safety issue so be careful.

Northern Tools is another low cost source, but do review research on the unit in question.

Compressors have a lot of other uses so you might want to go a little bigger in SCFM than just what's needed for the wrench. Sand-blasting, for example, is very useful in restoration but uses a lot of air. IAE be sure to get a compressor who's SCFM rating is adequate for what the wrench requires. The max PSI rating is essentially meaningless. Most tools want to run at around 90 PSI, so look for the "x SCFM at 90 PSI" rating.

Regarding Harbor Freight you don't necessarily need to stay away; some of their stuff is quite good. The trick is in figuring out which and this requires some effort. There are some HF review sites and threads that help separate the gold from the garbage. Harbor Freight Reviews - Home of Reviews, Ratings, and Comments on Harbor Freight Tools and Equipment for example, is often useful.
 
Alan gave some good tips.

I would stress that you should consider buying more compressor capacity than you think you'll need...as Alan pointed out.
 
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Another thought--I have a reasonably powerful compressor with a too-small tank. I bought a portable tank for very little money, and plumbed it in-line with the main tank, doubling my capacity. As a bonus, the portable tank can be detached from the main system and used as originally intended. :thumbsup:
 
guys, thanks for the hints. With regards to compressors capable of running other tools such as sand blasters, what kind of numbers should I be looking for on CFM and storage capacity?
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
guys, thanks for the hints. With regards to compressors capable of running other tools such as sand blasters, what kind of numbers should I be looking for on CFM and storage capacity?

For a lot of sand blasting you want at least 10 and better 15 CFM at 90. But I think it is by far the biggest air hog of all the applications. To get 15 you're in the $800+ 5-ft tall vertical tank region and would probably need 220V to run it eg Craftsman Professional 80 Gallon High Flow Single Stage 3 Cylinder Air Compressor - Tools - Air Compressors & Air Tools - Air Compressors.

In sand blasting a smaller CFM means you have to run a smaller nozzle which means it takes longer to get the work done. If you stick to relatively small parts ( eg 6" on a side) you'd probably be fine with something like this: Portable Air Compressor by Craftsman: Get the Job Done with Sears. But if you try to blast thick two-part paint off a 15" wheel you'll be there all day, so there you think about chemical strippers instead.

For the other applications I would just look at the various tools you might use and check their SCFM requirements.

Tank capacity is an interesting question: roughly speaking it just determines what % of time the compressor motor runs for any given application. On the other hand, however, a big tank can make up for a small pump and motor in the sense that the tank can give you bursts of air volume that the pump can't sustain.

The other think I've heard but have no experience with is that the compressors with "oil-less" motors are really noisy. Unfortunately it's really hard to get comparable noise specs for compressors.
 
Tom,
Any tool that is continuous duty like a sand blaster or sander needs a large tank. I would not buy any compressor smaller than 80 gallons. You can use 2 stage compressors with smaller tanks like 30-40gal, but you will have to start and stop a lot. Spend a few hundred more and get the largest tank you can afford/fit. (If it has to be portable, then you will be stuck with a 30-40gal size)

Air tools........ Ingersol-Rand and Chicago-Pneumatic are good choices for light to medium duty. Cheaper stuff will work, but not for very long........... ;o) Have fun, Scott
 
The air powered impact guns generally have a much lower torque rating than the battery ones unless you are spending big money, even wheel nuts can be torqued more than an air gun will remove....
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
You can use 2 stage compressors with smaller tanks like 30-40gal, but you will have to start and stop a lot.....Cheaper stuff will work, but not for very long

That's not been my experience. I routinely run my single stage, 15 gal, 9 scfm 40 year-old craftsman compressor driving a 3/32" blast nozzle for hours at a time without stopping. I'm the one that wears out. It's willing to go all day. It's easy to advise the other guy to spend more of his money. This is a hobby and money spent on tool capacity not needed is money not available for parts, gas, tires, etc.

Now if I were running a repair shop the thought process would be different...
 
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Alan,
The other guy has to make his own decision. I have oil-less and lubed, single stage, and two-stage compressors from 30gal up to 120gal tanks. (I don't really see much of a difference in noise levels between any of them) They are ALL loud!!

That being said, the advice to buy as big a tank as possible when using constant load air tools is sound. Having worked my way up from using pancake compressors for roofing to larger capacities for automotive and bodywork, I will always reccomend buying the largest capacity tank you can afford and store. Kinda like you can never have too much room in your race-trailer!! ;o) You gave your opinion, this is mine. Cheers, Scott
 

Seymour Snerd

Lifetime Supporter
I will always reccomend buying the largest capacity tank you can afford and store. Kinda like you can never have too much room in your race-trailer!! ;o) You gave your opinion, this is mine. Cheers, Scott

I understand your perspective, but not the certainty implied by "you will have to start and stop a lot" and "Cheaper stuff will work, but not for very long" because I have factual counter-examples to both those generalizations. I always like to provide actual data which is different from "opinion." As another example, I don't know any hobbyist who has worn out a "craftsman-quality" compressor. Do you?

Also, bad example on the trailer: there are many many times I wish my 24' trailer were smaller.

Anyway, I'm really just trying to provide a counter-point to the majority's tendency in discussions like this to say things like "don't buy HF" or "you gotta buy Snap-On." without providing the data that backs up that relatively expensive recommendation. The fact is that hobby quality equipment, carefully purchased, most of the time, works fine for hobbies and purchasing that way frees up a lot of idle money for other uses.

And yes, I know it's the other guy's decision. This being the USA and all that strikes me as a bit obvious. I've never quite figured out why people say that in the "what should I buy or do?" discussion context.
 
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Alan,
The other guy comment was directed squarely at you. I dont see any point in arguing with you about my opinion. And as an aside, I have worn out a small craftsman compressor..........and countless other tools! :O)
 
Tom,

When I worked in the field, the #1 choice was Ingersoll Rand. Yes, Craftsman is decent for home use if you want to go down that route, but from a constant beating day after day in the shop Ingersoll Rand was the way to go. That's coming from both personal experience and from what I learned from my teachers when I was in school. Personally I wouldn't buy an electric impact gun. I've always used the pneumatic guns and they've earned my trust. I don't have anything against the electric ones, I just don't have any experience with them so I prefer what I do have experience with. Now that I'm out of the field, if I were to buy an impact gun though I would just pick up a Craftsman one. Craftsman ids great for the homeowner/backyard mechanic. Ingersoll Rand is for the pros.
 
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Something else to be aware of is the salesmanship compressor manufacturers use when specifying the horsepower of their units. Not too long ago a class action lawsuit forced manufacturers to stop using the absolute maximum horsepower their motors developed on a transient basis in their specifications without including the true horsepower they produced in operation. Running horsepower is what you want to look for. The big print on the side of the compressor is usually about double what the actual running horsepower is. Anything above about 3 hp is going to require a 220 volt connection, and be suspicious if the motor voltage is specified 110/220 for a hp above that.
 
Air compressors are my business.
Air tools are something we have supplied for 30 years.
I would suggest use good tools, buy the best you can afford.
Look at the cfm ( cubic feet per minute ) requirement of the tool.
The compressor you buy must be rated accordingly, the bigger the tank the better.
Look out for displacement figures on literature, there not the true output.
Ask what the free air delivery figures are.

Ask me any questions before you buy anything, and if your in the uk I can supply you most things at cost,, no mark up, at cost... Only to forum members
 
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