Hello, my uncle just gave me an air compressor to use in my garage. It is a 6 gallon pancake style compressor that's 1.6hp(2.0hp peak) with 3.4cfm @40psi and 2.7cfm @ 90psi. I know its not a big compressor and isn't ideal for a garage, but hey it was free! I would like to know what tools I can get by with using this compressor. I am going to get an air nailer or 2 for house work, but as far as the garage, can I use an impact gun and an air ratchet with this compressor? Most of the impacts and ratchets that i have seen on harbor freight etc.. seem to be rated around 5cfm. Can these still be used with a lower rated compressor? Would I only get half the power of these tools using this compressors ratings? Can these tool be use on a compressor that doesn't meet the full air requirements of the tool? I would only be using these tools for general maintenance like tire rotations etc.., so can I by with this compressor using these air tools? My plan is when i refinish my garage down the road i am going to get a bigger 30+ gallon compressor just for the garage and use the pancake one as portable unit, but this is a few years away, so i am hoping i can get some air tools to use for general maintenance on my vehicle until i get the bigger compressor. This is my first compressor and don't know much about them or the air tools yet, so that's why i am posting these questions. thanks for all the help.
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What tools can I use with my Air Compressor?
- Thread starter SR77
- Start date
I have both compressors and the small ones can be used with power tools, BUT power tools require 3/8" connectors and the small compressors are made to be used with 1/4". If you use an impact gun or any other tools then you probably wont be running at full capacity. The compressor will run out of air quick and it will constantly be running in order to keep up. I would just invest the $100-150 for a 30 gallon.
thanks for the reply. I am mainly just going to use this compressor for light maintenance work like tire rotations etc. to hold me over unitl I get a larger fixed until in a few years. Being that this is my first compressor, I am just alittle comfused on the cfm vs. psi vs. tank size thing. I was looking at a 400 torque 1/2 impact gun and it was rated at 5cfm@90psi. Since my compressor is rated at 2.7cfm@90psi does this mean that if i use this particular impact gun that I will only get 200 torque out of it. Just want to know how it all works together. What other specs are important when buying a tool. Some places doesn't seem to really give any specs, so i was wonder if some are more important then others. thanks for the help
I think you would still get the full power out of the tool but you couldn't use the tool at full power as long. As I understand it if a tool is rated at 5cfm@90psi and you have 2.7cfm@90psi, you could use the tool at full power for about 8.1 seconds in a minute. Assuming it's rate on a 25% average usage cfm. More at link below.
http://www2.northerntool.com/aircompressors.htm.
http://www2.northerntool.com/aircompressors.htm.
pharo, thanks for the link.
Tell me if I got this right! My compressor is a 6 gallon 2.0hp rated at 3.4cfm@40psi and 2.7@90psi. According to that compressor guide on NorthernTool ("Air tools are often rated as “Average CFM.� “Average CFM� is typically based on a 25% duty cycle (15 seconds out of a min.")) So, If I have a 400 torque Impact gun rated at 5.0cfm@90psi since my tank pressure will be atleast 90 psi, I will be able to get the full 400 pounds of torque out of the gun, but I will really only be able to use it for about 7.5 seconds based on the 25% duty cycle mentioned in the guide. Since my compressor is rated at half that required by the tool , i will still get the full torque of the gun, but the time usage is cut in half. Am I correct here, is this how it works? So basically my compressor will run twice as much as a larger one, if I got this right then i can deal with the compressor running more often for a few years until I get a larger one, like i said, I am only going to be using an impact or ratchet every so often for general vehicle maintenance. thanks again for the help
Tell me if I got this right! My compressor is a 6 gallon 2.0hp rated at 3.4cfm@40psi and 2.7@90psi. According to that compressor guide on NorthernTool ("Air tools are often rated as “Average CFM.� “Average CFM� is typically based on a 25% duty cycle (15 seconds out of a min.")) So, If I have a 400 torque Impact gun rated at 5.0cfm@90psi since my tank pressure will be atleast 90 psi, I will be able to get the full 400 pounds of torque out of the gun, but I will really only be able to use it for about 7.5 seconds based on the 25% duty cycle mentioned in the guide. Since my compressor is rated at half that required by the tool , i will still get the full torque of the gun, but the time usage is cut in half. Am I correct here, is this how it works? So basically my compressor will run twice as much as a larger one, if I got this right then i can deal with the compressor running more often for a few years until I get a larger one, like i said, I am only going to be using an impact or ratchet every so often for general vehicle maintenance. thanks again for the help