Hey

I'm ready to make the leap to air tools, and I want to buy an air compressor and impact gun. For vehicle maintenace/repair in my garage/driveway. And advice?

Air compressor .... 110V or 220V? Do the 220V models have one of those funky electric cords, or do they have to be hard-wired? Size of compressor?

Impact Gun .... 3/8" or 1/2"? Torque?

Any brands to avoid? Brands to recommend? I'm willing to pay extra to avoid junk.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

For air tools, I stick with IR. They are top notch with a price thats hard to beat. I just bought an IR 231C 1/2" impact gun from Sears for $130. 600ft-lbs of torque.

And definately look at the 220V compressors. You might need it when a big project comes up...especially when using die grinders and such...

 

Air compressor, 5HP 220VAC motor (real 5hp, not advertised), 2 stage, 18 scfm. I have a used Saylor-Beull that I have been very satisfied with. Other good brands, IR, Quincy. ATC speced out a nice gun, this is the one I have. Philip.

 

Definitely get the 1/2", and of course the special impact sockets (not ordinary sockets). Also, get the biggest tank you can afford or fit, these tools use a lot of air.

 

I have a 3hp Speedair - iron - 2 cyl. which I bought years ago. It was the max I could p/u, carry and stow in the trunk and it has served me well. However, if portability is not an issue then a 5hp will be better. I do have to wait for mine in some cases.
Look at the air tools you anticipate using. There will be air consumption ratings, typically 90PSI @ ???CFM. The better tools will be more efficient in their use of air. An impact gun needs 90 PSI to crack and do up the nuts properly. But it can use less , but work slower, after the hard part is done.
Other tools such as grinders/sanders/drills will be run for longer - continuous rather than bursts - and then you need the extra compressor delivery capacity at 90PSI or the tools may not work properly.., or you wait.
Many compressors, 5hp, to run well, require 220V, although some can be run from 120V. My three is 220V only for eg. All can be wired for plug ins. Just chose the appropriate plug for voltage & current.
For general purpose buy a 1/2 impact gun first. Look at smaller or larger impact guns later as the need crops up.
Ingersoll Rand, Chicago Pneumatic are good. There are others. Once you start using them you will find you want more.
This may be just me ,but most air tools are made offshore so look for Japanese mfgr. rather the Taiwan or China. There will be some tools you may be interested in that you only need for light duty, infrequent use. Then buy the cheaper ones.

If you need to run a long hose (50') out to the work area then get 1/2" id hose to the work area and then go down to a smaller easier to handle hose (3/8") or there will too much pressure drop and the tools may not work well
Have fun

 

For occasional home use, IR is fine. Now if you're running a shop or doing body work on the side then get something more durable. Compressor repair technicians _LOVE_ IR. It keeps them busy.

For around-the-house use, I've purchased the stuff found at Harbor Freight and they work good for what I need. If I were making my living with my air tools I'd get something more sturdy.

That being said a few fellas at work do their jobs with Harbor Freight tools, and keep a spare in the toolbox [employees must provide their own tools at employer]. They say "the tools are so cheap, keep a spare for when this one breaks".

 

IR make very nice tools and they last longer and I have a IR comp. with wheel on to take anywhere and runs on 5.5hp Honda motor (gas) and will run all my guns very well. I was a tech. for 5 years and I have lot Snap-on tools and Mac aloss, but I wouldn't suggest going out and buy that stuff because it's very pricey!!!! Sears is the best bet and they will last a lot longer and easy to get warr.

 

For a compressor I have a Sears craftsman proffesional 80 gal 5.5hp 2-stage 175psi compressor 230V single phase hard wired.(Cast Iron Compressor) It cost $850 which is a fraction of what an IR costs. I put an hour meter on it to keep track of maint. So far I have over 50hours on it with not problems and I use it every day. I figure if the compressor or the motor crap out on it I can easily replace them.

I run all kinds off air tools, grinders, body saws, scalers, drills, impacts and etc and it works well. Pneumatic is the way to go, the tools are cheaper.

Chicago Pneumatic has a decent 1/2" impact thats puts out 800 ft lbs in reverse. Costs around $230.

 

the craftman compressor is a rip off,you can get the same tiwan compressor from home depot or harbor freight at a fraction of the cost

 

I have a 25Gal Craftsman 125 Volt compressor and never had a problem with it, I think I paid about $300 for it 5 years ago.
~Gage~

 

I agree with ATC Crazy. IR airtools are powerful and reliable. They are definitely worth the few extra dollars over the el cheapo chinese garbage. Definitely go with a 1/2 gun first.

 

Depends on what you want the comp. to do for you. Around the house and a few small jobs, then any 5 hp rig will probably do the job.

If you're going to be requiring the duty cycle to preform for any length of time ( Sanding, grinding, painting etc... ) you'll want to look into a 2 stage rig. It's a little pricy but you'll get what you pay for.

Air tools are in the same boat, really. If you just need to bust a tire off or take a valve cover off, then any of the off brands will work. Again, if you're going to make a living with them or ask them to work hard, then you need to spend a little more money. IR is a good tool. Craftsman is not shabby, however, getting it repaired in a timely manner is another story.

 

I have used a Campbell Hausfield from Tractor Supply Co. for 8 years with no problem. It is a 6 horse, 60 gallon that flows 10.0 scfm at 90 psi. It was only 399.00 and I have had no problems whatsoever.

It is definitely not the best but has served me well. Plus, it is cast iron and can be rebuilt. Stay away from the oil less ones. They are very noisy.

 

I think this should probably be moved to the garage and workshop section but so be it (Moderator, wher are you?????)

Any who, I'd say you've already gotten a fair amount of good advise. If you want top notch equipment you'll have to pay for it. As others have pointed out IR, Belair, Eaton, Quincy along with others all make excellent compressors. I currently run a Industrial Air 2 Stage 5hp (24 amp) 80 gal. compressor. So far I'm very pleased (it's only a little over a year old). There are some good deals to be had on off brands but you need to do your research on those, make sure they are cast Iron, rebuildable (parts avalability), 2 stage, with the largest tank within reason that you can afford and a minimum of 3hp made for 100% duty cycle (this means it never needs a break). Becarefull on HP ratings, many are very over rated. I would look at amps and comparitivly speaking you can figure about 4.5 amps per hp, less amps and they're over rated! Also look for dual belts, this will keep you operating if for some reason one happens to break!

As far as tools gothe same rule applies, good equipment costs money! For your first impact gun I would skip the 3/8s and get a good 1/2" drive unit. 90% of the time you'll want your impact gun for breaking bolts free and a 3/8s just doesn't cut it when they get tough. IR makes some of the best phnematic tools around but a 1/2 1000ftlb gun (ti2135) is gonna be in the neighbor hood of $220-$250. I cheaped out a little bit and purchaced a Nitrocat. I'm pleased to this point but I've only had it for a few months. I will say it's unbelievable how quite it is and I can't tell you if it has 1100 ftlbs NBT as it's advertised, but I've yet to find anything it hasn't loosened. I would avoid snap-on, mac, matco, craftsman along with many many others. For the money, they are weak comparitively speaking when it come to phnematics.

As far as sockets go just get a good set that covers a wide range of sizes and if your buying off brand make sure they fit properly so you don't end up with stripped bolt heads. I went with a set of craftsman over the IRs only because I had sears gift card to use. Both sets were the same price and carried the same warranty. I think I ended up with a 48 part set with 3 extention bars (total of 51 pieces) and If I recall, the price was around $180 for the whole set. if you bought each set sepretaly, it would have cost nearly twice as much. So, if you can afford to, buy the biggest set your wallet will allow!

Good luck and happy shopping!

 

Thanks for all the advice (as usual).

I didn't even realize that there was a garage and workshop section here. This is such a great web site!