air compressor for small auto work & nailing

17 years ago

IÂve been looking to buy a compressor for the DIYÂr for medium jobs around the house (wheel rotation, brake jobs, nailing, etc Â nothing too major). However, IÂm having trouble deciding what to buy. Since IÂm looking to some auto related work along with nailing I donÂt want something too over-powered but also donÂt want something too cheap and underpowered for light auto repairs. Some Craftsman models IÂve looked at online didnÂt seem to get good reviews (like the 15gal/1hp, 26 gal/2hp, etc). I found a Husky at Home Depot (26gal/1.7hp w/ tools) for under $300 that got good reviews that IÂm considering. Is something that I should go for? Any feedback would help. Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: husky @ Home Depot

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Comments (10)

earthworm
17 years ago
I'd stay away from the big box stores.
Mine is a cheapie from Big Lots - $160, but this i would not recommend,( noisy, risky quality control).Its power is sufficient....
At one time I owned an old, old one, and powerful !! Probably cost a fortune to run..
Try to buy a good used one, a two stage... A mans compressor never too powerful,IMO.
canguy
17 years ago
Your air nailer will be the biggest consumer so get a unit, preferably with a cast iron piston pump, that meets the volume required measured in cfm. You will rarely need over 90psi so a 2 stage is probably overkill. The cheapie diapragm and aluminum piston units are noisy and just dont cut the mustard.
A friend who is not mechanically savvy lucked out and bought an Ingersoll-Rand at a building supply for less than a grand cdn which is cheap. It is a 5 hp with a cast iron pump and 60 gallon vertical tank. It has been performing flawlessly for over 5 years under some heavy use. He had a part time business spraying specialty lacquers.
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i setup an additional tank for my compressor this weekend. fitted with 2 female couplers and a pressure gauge. i plan on using it when doing lots of work with air tools. my compressor is a small one and just does not have the capacity for extended jobs, so i figure adding the second tank AFTER the regulator gives me more volume of air before the compressor turns on, thus allowing the compressor to cool longer between cycles. it may turn out to not work as desired for all apllications, but it was free. we had an old tank at work tha twas being thrown out, along with the couplers, tees and the guage. the tank came off a dehydrator, never had moisture in it, so i took it to try my idea. i tested it yesterday, and it worked fine for the test. my impact usually gets the compressor running after taking off just 2 lug nuts. i took 3 off and put them back on without the compressor kicking in. when it did, it only had to run for an additional 30 seconds to fill the second tank to 90 PSI, so i hope it will work fine. the tank is rated to 150 PSI, but since it is after the regulator it will never see more than 90 PSI and that is all i felt comfrotable testing it at. i may run a long hose to it and test it higher, but then againg why should i? there is no drain on it, but there is another plugged outlet that i can remove to drain it. since it will hardly ever be used, this is not an issue.
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There's a nice article in the May 2006 issue of "Fine Homebuilding" on compressors. More of an overview for choosing a compressor than a review of a particular make or model. It's off the shelves now but you might find a copy at the local library. I'll try to give you a bit insight. The number your interested in is CFM (cubic feet per minute) or the amount of air the compressor can put out in a minute. Typically manufacturers list CFM at 40 psi (pounds per square inch) and at 90 psi. Use the 90 psi number. It's printed on every compressor and more is better. Obviously there's a point of diminishing return. Most compressors you'll see in hardware store/home center put out anywhere from 1 CFM to about 5 CFM. You can buy an industrial compressor than can put out a 100+ CFM but they cost as much as a car and you'd need a fork life to move one. :-) The amount of CFM you need is dictated by the tool(s) you plan on using with the compressor. Every tool uses a fixed amount of air. With nailers itÂs per shot, with something like a paint sprayer, itÂs per minute. Quite frankly, a trim nailer uses very little air. With the exception of those tankless models designed to inflate soccer balls, any compressor is sufficient for a trim nailer. A framing nailer uses more air but so much that youÂll need to worry. YouÂre not likely to be shooting nails that fast that the compressor couldnÂt keep up. The only place you can run into trouble is if you ever anticipate using some kind of paint/finish sprayer. Those use a lot of air. The smaller compressors can take a while to inflate a flat, car tire but how often are you doing to do that. Who cares if the job takes an extra couple of minutes? YouÂd be fine with a compressor that puts out at least 2 CFM at 90 psi. A number of companies have package deals where you get a compressor, nailer, air hose, and some accessories in one kit. They can be a good deal but it always pays to shop around. Good luck! Mike
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bob_am
17 years ago
You need to look at the air consumption of the tools you plan to use. Pressure is not consumption. An air nailer doesn't use much air, probably nothing compared to an impact wrench. If you already have the tools, check the label, and look for 'ACFM at psi'. Compressors are usually rated at two different psi's, maybe 40psi & 90psi.
green_valley
17 years ago
Get the largest cast iron belt drive you can get to run on 110 volt 20 amp circuit. These 2 HP unit can do operate most tools but will have problems sanding, blasting and some paint guns. 2 HP will deliver about 5.5 to 6 cfm at 120 PSI. Any more delivered CFM will be 220 only.
baymee
17 years ago
I'd say that the tire rotation, using an inpact gun, would definitely use the most cfm of air, by a long shot.

Garages torque the wheel nuts on at 200-300 foot pounds, which they aren't supposed to do. Fords, for example call for 100 ft. pds. You will never break free an overtorqued nut with a small cfm unit.

I have an old 5HP, twin, with large tank and I have to wait for the unit to be fully charged to break some of these nuts loose with a Snap-on 1/2" drive gun.

A nail gun on a job site is usually powered by a pancake compressor with only a tiny tank.
tkendr01
17 years ago
I use the 2 hp 4 gallon 4 cfm portable compressors (about 60#) for all pneumatic nailing/stapling. These also work well to inflate normal auto tires, though they do get a bit warm for that type of service.
For lugnuts, it's a DeWalt electric impact wrench that also can be used to install/remove lag screws and other hex bolt headed fasteners.
I gave away a 5 hp gasoline 20 gallon compressor to a friend because it was bulky and seldom used. I have looked at the 60 and 80 gallon electric compressors but just don't have a need for that much air. These units are so large and require such power that they would be stationary except for unusual circumstances.
davefr
17 years ago
Yes, an impact gun uses a lot of cfm but it's duty cycle is typically very short when doing wheel work. Unless you work in a NASCAR pit crew or on heavy machinery you'll probably not be bogging down a decent compressor. (one touch of the button and you'll loosen the average automotive lug nut.)

Same with nailing. Unless you're a framing contractor and use rapid fire mode then you can do most nailing tasks with a modest size compressor.

The area where you'll fall short is high cfm/high duty cycle work. A classic example is air sanding with a DA.

Avoid the homeowner compressors. I have a twin tank portable Hitachi unit that hasn't let me down yet.
den69rs96
17 years ago
I know everyone says the oil less compressors are junk, but you have to ask yourself is the added cost of a gas or oil compressor worth it if your going to use it a few times a year? I have a 30 gallon 150psi craftsman compressor. This compressor is more than enough for my needs. I have no problems with a impact gun, air hammer, or framing nailer. I took apart my 69 camaro with it and never once did I have a problem. I'm now using it to frame a 8x12 shed and it barely cycles on. It is loud, but for less than $300 I don't care. If you plan to use a die grinder or DA sander, you might want to upgrade to a larger compressor. My die grinder drains this sob pretty fast. One word of advice, buy a filter to put into the line. Your air tools will thank you. Also, never use the impact gun to put your rims back on your car. You could damage your rims or brake rotors. Read your owners manual for the correct torque usually around 100 ft lbs for aluminum rims 60ft lbs for steel rims.
jmancan
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for all the feedback. Since I'm sure I won't be rebuilding my car or doing sanding, grinding, etc I probably don't need a 30gallon compressor. Also, I'm thinking I don't want to deal with an oil compressor.

Can I get away something smaller or my needs? Say a 15 gallon or less for just nailing, impact wrench, and maybe light spraying (non-automative)? If so anyone have a suggestion of which one? Craftsman, Home Depot? Amazon?

Thanks!
tkendr01
17 years ago
Ingersoll-Rand makes a variety of quality units in various sizes.

air compressor for small auto work & nailing

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air compressor for small auto work & nailing

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