What air compressor do i need to use air tools

Fluid film sprayers, which are used to undercoat and rustproof cars, will need air compressors with at least 4 CFM of volume — any less and you may have a hard time running the sprayer for the time it will need to finish a car. You will also need PSI to run a fluid film sprayer as well. Framing nail guns and framing nailers will need around 4 CFM to be able to keep up with a fast paced framing job. At the minimum, you will need 2.

At that volume, combined with a good capacity you lessen the risk of your air pressure dropping below recommended levels which can result in nails being underdriven. For a typical garage air compressor, you need enough capacity and pressure to run all the air tools you will need. That will usually include a tire inflator, which needs just 1 or 2 CFM to put out the 32 PSI needed for most passenger tires.

You may also have an impact wrench, for which will need at least 3 CFM to run. In any case, you can plan ahead based on the specs of the heaviest air tool you have or plan to get in your collection. For pneumatic angle grinders, you will need 6 to 6. You will need slightly less for a die grinder, which you can reliably run at 5 CFM — plus you can run a die grinder at 70 PSI as well.

Hopper guns are used to add texture to walls, and just like any sort of paint spray gun, you will need the right air compressor to match. For spray texturing using a hopper gun, you will need an air compressor that can put out at least 2.

More volume, like 5 CFM or so, will help a lot for extensive jobs. Impact guns vary widely in the CFM needed to run them, depending on the size. Depending on the size of the nail gun, or nailer, you may need as little as 1 CFM to as much as 4 CFM to operate your tool at a good pace. On the other end of the scale, framing nail guns, sheathing staplers, and roofing nail guns will need at least 2.

Spray painting in general calls for a lot of air volume capacity, and you can expect to need at least 9 CFM from your air compressor to run a low volume paint gun.

A high volume paint gun, on the other hand, will require at least 12 CFM to get a good spread of paint out of it. Heavy duty staple guns, just like the ones used for attaching sheathing around home exteriors, will need at least 4 CFM at 90 PSI or so. Getting enough air volume is important to keep the air pressure consistent, which helps prevent under-driving staples.

Air fed masks, or respirators, are useful for welders that use their tools all day, and most welders will usually need an air compressor in any case. You will also need the proper air filters to ensure the quality of the air going into the air fed masks as well. Jackhammers, the full size versions, have widely varying CFM needs depending on their size — but even the smallest chipping hammers will usually require at least 35 to 40 CFM.

Most air compressors designed to operate jackhammers are also rated to run several of them at the same time. One common size of air compressor, for example, is the CFM variant. To break off lug nuts, you will need an air impact wrench with enough torque for the job — along with a 4 CFM air compressor to match. At the very minimum, you may be able to get by with 3 CFM at 30 PSI — at this air supply level, you can disengage the safety lock mechanisms of most motorcycle lifts to bring it back down.

Texture guns and texturizing hopper guns will need at least 2 to 2. That said, there is a wide variety of spray texture guns that have a wide range of air supply requirements, too. Then adjust the pressure, 5 PSI at a time, until the texture gun nozzle gives you the texture you want. For trim work, you will need a variety of tools which may include a pneumatic saw or a finishing nail gun. Smaller jobs inside your home would benefit from a small portable unit, while the more demanding needs of a shop would need a larger compressor that can manage several types of tools and has the capacity for tasks that may require more torque and power from your tools.

A good way to look at it is a nail gun vs. The nail gun is used in short bursts where the compressor can have time to replenish the air supply. Using a sandblaster means a constant air supply is required while the tool is in use, therefore needing more air capacity for proper operation.

Most air compressors are oil-free. This means that they do not need oil added to them. These oil-free compressors are designed to take frequent breaks to cool down. Continuous duty compressor pumps require a little bit of oil to keep their pistons moving freely. They have the ability to run for long stretches without stopping.

Depending on where you plan on using the compressor, the power source that you will have available in a particular environment is critical. Indoor applications are almost exclusively handled with electric compressors. Gas compressors are the perfect solution for outside work where there are no readily available electrical outlets.

Besides…running a gas engine in an enclosed area is an extremely dangerous thing to do! The engine will emit dangerous combustion fumes that can be deadly such as carbon dioxide.

This is more a function of the overall design of the air compressor instead of relating to the size and capacity needed. Traditionally air compressors tend to be fairly loud.

Newer designs take this into account in order to reduce the noise levels. This is much better for indoor uses where you may have to have conversations with others in the room. Tank size is critical in order to keep the air supply at the right levels when you are operating a tool or multiple tools, if you are in an environment where people are using more than one air tool at a time with a single compressed air source. Essentially all of the air to power your tools comes from what is stored in the tank.

If you are using a tool that has a large air capacity, then a smaller tank size will not give you enough reserve air at the right CFM and PSI to keep the tool functioning as it should.

Another way to look at it is to consider whether or not your tools will be continuous duty. That requires more airflow, therefore a bigger tank can store a larger volume of air industrial compressors can have air tanks as big as 60 gallons or more. In contrast, using a small finish nailer to do some trim work in your basement would probably suffice with, for example, a small three-gallon tank.

Pancake — Pancake tanks are typically found on smaller 3 to 6 gallon portable compressors. The compact design helps with portability in a smaller package. Pontoon — This style is another common portable compressor design. It has a horizontal cylinder that looks similar to the pontoons on a pontoon boat. They are mounted horizontally and are also used in compressors with smaller capacities.

Twin Stack — Same as a pontoon tank, but there are two of them as the name implies. This style is used to increase capacity in a compact space on portable compressors. Wheelbarrow — Some larger compressors have a larger pontoon style, but due to the weight of the tank and the other compressor components such as the motor , they come with wheels and handles to help with moving them around the shop.

You may find some twin-stack designs in a wheelbarrow configuration as well. Vertical — Take a large pontoon-style tank and tip it on its end.

With 3 to 4 CFM, and a tank offering 5 to 6 gallons of capacity, the air ratchet tool should work just fine. Still, since tools vary depending on the brand, make sure to check the requirements of your very own air ratchet tool. Picking the right air compressor size will also allow you to do other tasks more efficiently. You can paint large surfaces like a house or even fill some tires quicker.

What size is the most adequate for these purposes, though? Considering that painting a house requires constant spraying, a larger size would be the best choice.

Take a look at air compressors featuring gallon tanks, or similar. These larger tanks would help you avoid having to pause every few minutes to refill. If your purpose is to paint a car, you could use a slightly smaller air compressor. Either a 6 or an 8-gallon tank would do this task efficiently. Alternatively, you could use the air compressor to fill tires too.

First, the chart offers average CFM requirements. Always take the time to check your own tools to see what their specific requirements are.

Infographic resource: www. What size air compressor do I need for air tools is a question that even professionals ask themselves. Even though there are other features to consider while purchasing an air compressor, the CFM delivered and tank capacity are the most important considerations that you should keep in mind at all times. William is the Chief Editor at TheSprucetools.