Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

[Jonathan S]

I did my exhaust, alternator, front shocks/new springs, using those metal spring compressors, and had a mount fail on me while when I was trying to put it in.

I want a good impact gun to do the rest, rear bushings, front bushings, new 32mm, gas tank, walbro, fuel lines, brake lines, rotors, overhaul brakes, rear shocks, front bumper, and POR 15 it. And thats just the necessity...

[slow6]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

i bought a elecric torque gun from wal-mart for $70? it gets up to like 130ft/lbs. I like it for the torque.
I like my air compressor / air impact wrench cause it can squeeze in tight places. But it is only like 50ft/lbs @ 90 psi.
My air compressor is only a 5 gal 2 hp (which is decent) but it gets my jobs done. I bought it from a pawn shop for $80

[hockeyman]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

I have a Craftsman 6.5 hp 60 Gal Compressor with a Aircat Impact Gun that is vertually bulletproof. That thing will remove welded bolts! I bought the compressor for $250 and the gun was an x-mas present.

[SpeedingFirebird]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

I have a craftsman air compressor, craftsman impact ratchet, and a host of other tools from various vendors.

Keep in mind, the impact ratchet has a special purpose. It is not typically wise to use an impact ratchet for any old bolt because it can break weaker bolts. Except where you know it will work OK, you are better off using an regular air ratchet.

Always wear eye protection when using the impact ratchet because bolts, nuts, and sockets are known to break apart.

[Lurieh]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

Here's my take:

Two main types of air compressors - Oiled and non-oiled. Don't get me started on two stage, screw, etc... types. If you can swing it, buy an oiled compressor. They last longer and run quieter. Buy the largest you can afford, unless you want to hear the thing kick on every other second. If you are a weekend wrencher, a good box store compressor will probably be fine, even though they are oil-less. Look for a compressor that has the highest cfm rating at 90psi. The higher cfm the bigger accessories it can drive.

DON't be fooled by HP numbers. In fact, I think the laws have changed so compressor companies have to list RUNNING HP and not just max HP.

There's a difference between an IMPACT WRENCH, and an AIR RATCHET. An impact wrench, or impact gun, usually has a large amount of available torque(250 ft lbs or more). An air ratchet usually has a smaller amount of torque (50 ft lbs or more).

Be careful of the higher torque impact guns. They are sometimes a good bit larger than the lower torque versions. It can be challenging to get a big gun into a tight space(insert joke here). I had problems getting my 550ft/lbs gun behind the brake caliper to loosen the caliper mounting bracket bolts. My 250ft/lbs gun barely fit.

[Publican]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

The most important thing to look for is the CFM rating of the compressor - you need at least 5 to 6 CFM @ 90 PSI to adequately power most automotive & building tools. The more the better - no such thing as too much.

[BobbyZ72]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

i have a dayton, i think its a 50 gallon, id have to go look. Its oiled and belt driven. Once you get one you wont know how you ever lived with out one, youll be blowing off your engine, airing up your tires and all the neighbors. My best advice is buy one that is 220 volts or can be wired 120 or 220, and has an oil pump, the oilless ones are crap, think about running your car with no oil- thats what its doing.

[BLLDOGG]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

I like my Ingersol Rand 1/2" gun for larger stuff but my 3/8" Mac impact gets the job done on basically everything else. Ofcourse I have a SnapOn impact wrench. For a weekend warrior, I would recommend an Ingersol Rand with a 3/8" drive cause a 1/2" can brake some stuff, not to say you can brake something with a 3/8" drive gun.

[CHEVYINSIDE]

Re: Whats a good air compressor? Impact gun also?

i have the snap on cordless impact guns , 3/8 ,1/2 . and a matco 1/2 impact air . I've used the thunder 1000 ft/lbs gun before but it doesnt feel nearly as tuff as my matco gun . the snap on cordless is good for like 350 lbs , 3/8 is good for 176 lbs . and the air one 650 lbs all work good for what they are