Finding a compressor for IR 2235TiMax impact wrench

[Ken-O]

I am trying to figure out why my IR impact wrench has no guts. By this I mean that the wrench will not break loose 85 ft. lb. (spec) lug nuts that I can break loose with an 18" breaker bar and my bare hands--I doubt if I'm applying more than 200 ft. lbs. by hand.

I think I have it narrowed down to my Harbor Freight compressor (Central Pneumatic 21 gal. 2.5 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor). I have 25 ft. of 3/8" hose. The specs for the tool say that the average air consumption is 6 CFM, but under load it is 24 CFM. That's a wide range. I can't find a CFM spec for the compressor. All I want to do it break loose stubborn lug nuts and other bolts--rather intermittent use.

24 CFM compressors run in the $2,500 range--more than I can justify.

Am I missing something simple with the air supply? Does anyone have a similar tool and a more affordable compressor combination that works OK?

Thanks a bunch for the help.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

do you have the regulator set correctly ? that compressor should have no problem running the gun.

 

[Gotcha640]

Oiling regularly? New tool or third hand used 12 hours a day in a shop?

Are you sure the compressor is good. Does it have a gauge on it? Sure it's getting up to 100+ psi? Test with an air nozzle, die grinder, other high use tools?

 

[Stedlin]

What type of couplers are you using?

 

[redmondjp]

Something's definitely wrong with your setup - I have the older-model 2135qTi and it has no issues busting stuff loose with my single-stage (90-110psi) 60-gallon compressor, feeding the gun through almost 100' of 3/8" rubber air hose.

 

[86k10]

I have used that impact for a couple of years, even with shop air, actually mostly with shop air.

I have read some guys run the regulator at 90 psi. I run mine wide open on my 20 gallon Northstar.

Is still not that great compared to shop air with a industrial compressor.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Are you regulating the compressor at all? Run it wide open and unrestricted and see if it improves. Static pressure and working pressure (with air flowing) are two very different things. At work we run 120ish static line pressure, some bays are 100ft from the compressor to the 50ft hose reel. There is not 120psi under load obviously.

In generally 2235 will make things move. Have you switched between the forward/reverse buttons a few times? If a button is not fully depressed, the gun will just chug.

 

[greg13]

Oil the gun & look close at the couplers they may be choking the flow down. Bad hose?

 

[Ken-O]

Thanks for the thoughts. I did by mistake say it is a 2235TiMax, but it is a 2135TiMax that asks for 6 CFM. I have bumped the regulator to 100 psi and when I run the gun, the regulator gauge does not drop more than 5 PSI. I am going to set up a gauge with a "T" at the tool end of the hose to see what the pressure looks like there. I bought the tool on eBaY as a new-in-box and it did not show any signs of wear. I have oiled it--but that might, in a way, be the problem: I installed a cheap little CH in-line oiler, and when I took it off the performance improved quite a bit. The only place I see to put oil is in the air intake. Am I safe just shooting some air tool oil in here before each use? If so, how much? Thanks a bunch for the help!

 

[dsimatt]

Remove the regulator and throw it in the trash, my husky 30 gallon did the same thing so bad you could hear the impact lose pressure, removed the regulator and works great.

 

[Pontiac787]

Yes. Just squirt some oil in the coupler.

 

[anndel]

Something's not right with either the compressor output or the impact itself. I had a California Air Tools 10 gallon compressor and ran it with the IR 2235QTi and it ripped lug nuts, differential, suspension nuts and bolts torqued to at least 130 ft-lbf with ease. Re-read your manuals for both, maybe you missed something.

Teflon tape on the fittings? It could block airflow if it blocks the openings.

 

[86k10]

Thanks for the thoughts. I did by mistake say it is a 2235TiMax, but it is a 2135TiMax that asks for 6 CFM. I have bumped the regulator to 100 psi and when I run the gun, the regulator gauge does not drop more than 5 PSI. I am going to set up a gauge with a "T" at the tool end of the hose to see what the pressure looks like there. I bought the tool on eBaY as a new-in-box and it did not show any signs of wear. I have oiled it--but that might, in a way, be the problem: I installed a cheap little CH in-line oiler, and when I took it off the performance improved quite a bit. The only place I see to put oil is in the air intake. Am I safe just shooting some air tool oil in here before each use? If so, how much? Thanks a bunch for the help!

Honestly I can't tell the difference between the 2135 and the 2235. I own both. Crank the regulator all the way up.

 

[ItsNemo]

Stupid question, but where is the dial in the back set at? If it's not all the way to the right, that could be your problem.

I ran mine on a cheapie 26 gallon compressor at 90psi regulated for a long time before upgrading compressors and it would remove properly torqued lug nuts without blinking.

 

[Skin]

Remove the regulator and throw it in the trash, my husky 30 gallon did the same thing so bad you could hear the impact lose pressure, removed the regulator and works great.

Was going to say the same thing. Throw the regulator out. The max pressure (125psi) is going to give you around 90-100 at the end of the line anyway. Its serving no purpose.

OP understand that 90 CFM is loaded, with the impact trigger pulled. If you're regulating down to 100psi at the tank outlet then you'd be lucky to be giving the gun 70-75PSI while impacting. No surprise its gutless. Thousands upon thousands of shops run impacts at full line pressure of 150-175PSI so don't be afraid of hurting anything by removing the regulator and letting the compressor charge to max 125.

 

[Farmall450]

Yes, oil once a week right down the hatch.

I think your regulator is lying to you or the gun isn't on the highest mode.

 

[Ken-O]

Hi folks. Thanks for all of the ideas. I've got the dial set all the way to the right, but I did toggle the dial and the loosen-tighten buttons a bunch of times in case they were sticking. I did notice elsewhere that apparently the dial only adjusts torque for tightening; loosening is (supposedly) always full-blast. Anyway, it works great putting in 125 psi at the compressor end of the hose. Case solved! Thanks.

 

[Marlin]

Stupid question, but where is the dial in the back set at? If it's not all the way to the right, that could be your problem.

I ran mine on a cheapie 26 gallon compressor at 90psi regulated for a long time before upgrading compressors and it would remove properly torqued lug nuts without blinking.

The dial only reduces forward torque.

 

[ItsNemo]

The dial only reduces forward torque.

LoL go figure...I've always left mine full power and feathered the trigger, so never really played with it to know.

 

[6PTsocket]

Short term, you can run an impact on almost anything. I have the original 1/2" Earthquake running on an oil lubed CH double hotdog optimisically rated at 4 cfm. I have the air at the compressor set for 110 into a 50 ft hose with ordinary fittings. I have beoken all kinds of stuff loose on my rust belt pick up and SUV.

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