I have a couple big-ish jobs to do with my cars. I still need to replace the clutch on my Eclipse and I want to install the lowering springs and Koni yellows on my Mustang. Up to this point I have never used any compressed air tools when working on my cars. I am now considering buying some air impact tools. I have a battery-powered impact wrench, but it's kind of wimpy.
I have no room at all for a large floor-mounted air tank, so I'm looking at portable units. Any suggestions for portable air compressors that can handle impact tools?
The most important question first - 110V or 220V? The choice with 220V is much better and you end up with a more powerful motor which will translate into more cfm.
I would recommend to get one with the biggest tank you can get, air tools (especially a reasonably powerful impact driver, air drill, air saw or a paint gun) tend to use a lot of air and ideally you don't want to run the compressor all the time. If it's only for occasional use I'd look at the HF units with the upright tank. In fact, I'm seriously thinking of replacing my HF compressor with a small tank with one of them as that one had real problem running the saw I was using on the first, aborted rollbar install.
^^^ What he said.
And also, it's always been my firm belief that "oil-less" and "air compressor" do not belong in the same sentence.
But, that's just me.
I bought one of these from a flea market for 125.00
http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/OF45175-Air-Compressor/
Runs my impact wrench fine. It has two outlets I hooked up a 10 air tank and spray painted my challange car with it. Only limitation was it wouldn't run my da sander. Do not use a cord plug it straight in the wall.
the big thing is really think of what air tools you will need to run if it just impact wrenches i would look at battery powered ones i have snap-on ones and have not taken one of my air ones out of the tool box since i bought them. they hit hard
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=all&Group_ID=682064&store=snapon-store
shadetree30 wrote:
And also, it's always been my firm belief that "oil-less" and "air compressor" do not belong in the same sentence.
I have an oil-less Craftsman in the garage. I do kinda wish I'd gone another route. It's loud as hell. I don't use it a ton, so I guess you have to weight cost vs. quality. But something better, used, would have been a better choice.
No suggestions, but with the 25% off coupon, you could run up to Harbor Freight today and snag an OK one for cheap.
If you just need to use impact guns, and don't have other reasons to need air, skip the compressor and get a 110v electric impact gun. I have air, and usually prefer the 110v gun.
I do have a 24v battery-powered impact gun, but its a cheapy-charlie "Great Neck" brand I bought at PepBoiz. It was the only thing they had because they stupidly stopped carrying the legendary Goodyear impact gun for a while (they stock it now). I mainly use it for wheel dismounting. It will probably be sufficient for the Mustang because its new enough that the tin worm hasn't gotten to it yet. The one trouble spot I foresee is the strut-to-spindle bolts which are torqued down to 169lb-ft.
And yes, I have a good torque wrench. I don't tighten anything with power tools. I've been burned before by lug nuts overtightened by lugheads at tire shops.
