Air Tools

I would like to know if there is a big different in air tool efficiency between cheap air tools vs brand name. My air tool collection consists of cheap harbor freight and the likes. My compressor is a 2 hp 29 gallon tank that puts out 5.9 SCFM @ 90 PSI, 7.3 SCFM @ 40 PSI. I noticed some tools lack torque and I wonder if its the tool or a compressor that is not powerful enough. For example I have a mini reciprocating air saw that runs off a piece of metal just fine but when I go to cut, it either stops immediately or a few seconds after and just makes a hissing sound even if I crack the air pressure way up. Would my experience be different say with a blue point or snap on?

 

first off you are working with low air pressure. crank that air compressor up. yes i know the safety people will call me out on this. in the heavy truck shop i work in our line pressure is WAY higher than that. hp freight tools are fine but there is a reason more name brand stuff is higher price.

 

I have both... the pricier stuff is better.

 

My recip saw needs about 6 CFM @ 90 PSI. That is a 25% Duty Cycle. Full time running needs 4X the CFM.

 

Your compressor is the limiting factor, you can only ask so much from one of the 2 hp versions. We have a bunch of air tools, some HF and some name brand ones, and even the cheapos work pretty well because we have a 3 cylinder compressor and 80 gallon tank. Surprisingly, the HF air tools aren't bad at all. We have a bunch of the small angle grinders, air saws, and other tools that we've used to death and they keep on ticking. We always buy them when they go on sale and sometimes pay only about $10 for some of them.

Don

 

i have both big name... and cheap HF .. I oil my tools more than religiously . no issues.

 

you're not gonna get much done with 5.9 cfm @90psi. You need at least 15cfm, and no, expensive air tools don't consume less air.

 

thanks guys, i really wish i decided to run 220 into my garage before my recent replacement compressor purchase

 

You get what you pay for.... Maybe check the pawn shops and 2nd hand tool dealers for used QUALITY air tools. Or ebay too... I've really had good experiences with used stuff. The 2 Snap-On air ratchets I purchased second hand, have actually been better than new Harbor Freight units.

 

Make sure you use hi-flow fittings as well.

 

thanks never checked that

 

I have a few good name air tools, and a few cheapies, and the expensive ones seem to work better and last longer. Of course all of them are old now, so my experience doesn't help much if you're shopping for new air tools.

 

This may sound like a dumb question but I'm curious. Say I have a 33 gallon craftsman compressor and I need to paint a car and use a DA. The little thing just can't hang. What if I added a second 33 gallon and plumb the outs to one line. would that effectively hook me up or would I be better off getting one 60 gallon? Always wondered if two would work out...

 

two tanks and one pump? or two tanks and two pumps. Might work but could they flow the same, electrical load may be a factor. If its two tanks one pump it will take longer to fill up.

 

All of my stuff is ingersol rand and it gets beat on day in day out because I use it for a living and the stuff I buy for home is the same. You could spend more on stuff but ir is the way to go!

 

Two tanks two pumps. Two different smaller compressors..

 

The compressor CFM rating (cubic feet per minute) tells how much air it pumps in a given amount of time. The tank size tells how long it will take until the pressure drops, and it needs to run the compressor to refill it. If the compressor can't keep up with the air tool, you need more CFM, either by buying a more powerful compressor, or adding another compressor.


You can add the cfm of both compressors and compare to the CFM rating of one large one...make sure you compare cfm numbers at the same pressure rating though.

two small compressors will need to run on two separate outlet circuits in the shop, if they're both on the same breaker it would probably pop.

 

1 unit is probabaly better because it takes up less space, but I am connecting 2 units together for sandblasting. the second unit sits in a shed outside and is powered by a gas engine. I figured if the connecting piping is large enough I should get roughly double the volume.

 

Question on the high flow fittings/quick disconect. What should the ID Be say for 3/8 IPS ? I am not sure if I am using the high flow fittings.

 

air power tool requirements are rated at 90psi at the tool RUNNING anything less will affect the performance

 

When I had a small hp 20 gallon air compressor I got used to checking the air requirements on every tool I looked at buying. Sometimes the more you spend, the less air they use. I looked at many D/A sanders to find one I could use.
Then I got a big compressor and now buy whatever tool I want, without worrying about air requirements.