Please school me on air tools

[Exceller8]

I almost hate to admit it here but I've never used an air tool in my life. I've never had a need for one in my home shop. I don't do any automotive repair so cordless and corded tools have got me by just fine for most tasks.

What are the advantages of adding some air tools to my shop? The ones right off the bat that I'm sure I would use quite a bit would be the ratchets and die grinders.

Do they make oil less models? Any of the HF models any good? Where should I start?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[2fat2fly]

I recommend you don't buy any oil-less air tools. Proper lubrication is the key to long tool life.

 

[Exceller8]

I recommend you don't buy any oil-less air tools. Proper lubrication is the key to long tool life.

Ok, thanks!

 

[Chuck122]

As far as i know, appart from paint guns, sandblasters and such that do not require oil, most air tools do. Air tools are generally smaller in size than their electric counter parts and less expensive. Also they do not produce sparks( inside the motor).

 

[Zeke]

And run cooler. You really can't burn one up.

 

[Exceller8]

And run cooler. You really can't burn one up.

What size compressor do I need to run most air tools? I would like the smallest possible size as I have limited space in my shop.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

And run cooler. You really can't burn one up.

Yeah, In fact the blast of exhaust air can be rather cold when running stuff like an air drill.

The thing about air tools is the amount of air flow they need to run well. You have to start with a decent compressor or even the best air tools will not preform well enough.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

What size compressor do I need to run most air tools? I would like the smallest possible size as I have limited space in my shop.

We bought, for the family home-shop / occasional use, the biggest 110 powered thing we could get.(no 220 in the shop). I believe the tank is only 30 gallon and it makes about 8CFM. Not much in air tool use. It will run an impact gun for removing wheels and such, but high consumption tools like a die grinder will run down the tank in seconds and have the compressor running non-stop. It's just enough for the little weekend projects.

 

[RECox286]

Most of my pneumatic tools are from HF, and I won't say anything

bad about them, b/c I have been very satisfied, with one exception;

I sprung for an " $20 on sale" 1/2" impact on a spur of the moment

impulse. If the tool were alive, I doubt if it could fall out of bed, but

then, sometimes you get surprised. Surprise ! I also have CP, SO,

and something else I can't rightly recall from whom it came.

As far as a compressor; buying one is like building a garage, "Gee, it

sure would have been nice to make that wall 4' further out than it is

and it would have been pretty cheap at the time too. No matter how

gigantic the compressor looks, or how impressive it works, there is always

that little voice that says, "Should'a gotten the bigger one !"

To be honest, get the biggest (cfm @ 90 psi) machine you can afford,

or stretch a bit, you will be happy later on. I like 20 cfm as a for

instance, but then I don't sand blast, and I have what most would

call a shadetree operation. Why so big ? I like to operate the comp-

ressor the way they should work; pump up to pressure, shut down,

then allow the machine to cool a bit (duty cycle) before it starts to

run again, that's why. Which mfg ? Good ol' USofA is best, but some

of the overseas machines are impressive too. Shy away from cHINESE

machines and motors.

Good hunting

Uncle Bob

 

[shampoop]

For automotive stuff I'd say the most important is a good powerful 1/2" impact gun (Big work with little effort and there are some things you can't do without an impact gun) and an angle die grinder. ( for cleaning gasket surfaces)

 

[redline380]

if you havent had need for air tools, you probably wont need them ever. for working on cars, impacts are awesome, as are air hammers, straight and 90 degree die grinders, maybe a d/a sander. i wont ever buy an air ratchet because i personally think they are worthless, but impacts ae definately needed when turning a fastner with a ratchet causes whatever the fastner is on to rotate (think c/v shaft). if you are going to buy a compressor and air tools, dont go small. youll be very happy you got that 10cfm+ compressor when you need it. mine is only a 20 gallon 6.2cfm, but only because i dont have the space for a 60 gallon.

 

[RivennHewn]

Look for tools that have a low CFM required.
Some cheap tools are air hogs, some top end tools are air hogs.

I look for tools in the 4-6 CFM range. Even then, I really need more air.

 

[bcradio]

Air compressor is a must have for a shop. It makes airing up tires a breeze vs the cigarette light ones. The most useful air tools for me are my nail guns. Good luck finding a good selection of nail guns that don't use air. Also impacts are great for stubborn bolts (and no, not for the torque but rather the impacting motion). I have had zero need for a die grinder, but an air hammer is something I could see getting in the future.

 

[jebx]

We bought, for the family home-shop / occasional use, the biggest 110 powered thing we could get.(no 220 in the shop). I believe the tank is only 30 gallon and it makes about 8CFM. Not much in air tool use. It will run an impact gun for removing wheels and such, but high consumption tools like a die grinder will run down the tank in seconds and have the compressor running non-stop. It's just enough for the little weekend projects.

I agree 100%.

I had a mac 26 gallon 7.1CFM 120v. Which is just a Re-branded belaire. Needed a 20A circuit, would pop a 15A. I ran it for years, ran impacts, grinders, ratchets, air hammers, cutoff wheel, nail guns, etc. The only two that taxed it were the cutoff and die grinder, but you could run for a while on one of those. I later found a smoking deal on a 60 gallon 14cfm. I'd never go back to the smaller one, and actually the 60 gallon footprint wasn't much bigger (immovable and requires 220v).

I built a fence, roofed, sided, framed, and trimmed. All things could have been done without, but went much much much faster with pneumatic tools. Sometimes just being able to blow dust/dirt/sawdust off something is handy.


Miscallenous things I've used for:

-I like to use the finish nailer when rough assembling stuff. I'll use it like a 3rd hand to temporarily hold something in place. Easy to put in and pulls out, doesn't leave much of a mark.

-Works great for pressurizing water rockets

-Drain garden hoses for winter. Yes I know gravity can, but entails removing them and putting on a slope. I just store them on the hose reels outside since they're dry. Just disconnect from spigot.

-Replacing my water heater the tank was so rusty the water wouldn't drain. I hooked up air to where the anode rod went in and was able to pressure drain the water out so I didn't have to carry 40 gallons of water up the stairs.

-Cleaning carbs on small engines, able to force air through jets/passages to clean out


Things I looked for in my first compressor:

Duty cycle - how long it's made to run. The 60 gal I bought is rated 100%. Higher is better

CFM@90PSI - volume of air it can produce, more is better. Most tools run 90PSI.

Oil vs. Oil free - compressor, not tools. Self explanatory. IMO, oil last longer. They are much quieter. When I was shopping they tended to have more CFM also.

 

[ConnerSmith]

Believe it or not, the HF 90 degree die grinder is great. My dad has one that he used practically daily, and I'm not gonna lie, he hasn't oiled it daily like they suggest, and it has run for years without problem. And the best part is you can find it on sale for 10 bucks.