Mornin', my pudgy friend!! I'd like to impart all I know about
compressors and the tools that go along w/ them. (It won't take long) In
answer to your question, the real "air eaters" are impact wrenches and DA
sanders. You should not even try a beadblasting cabinet w/o a 5hp or
greater setup. You use an impact wrench w/ a little compressor to change
the occasional tire. Sometimes, you may have to wait a little to recoup
the air. A DA, on the other hand, needs a constant supply of air and a
lot of it. You can use one w/ a downstream compressor, but you will
spend a lot time waiting for the 30 second burst of air.
Painting presents the same problems. It is not
too neat to stop and wait for the compressor to catch up, especially when
painting. If the compressor runs too long and/or too often, then you
will exceed the duty cycle and the compressor police will come by your
house, unplug your compressor and take your beer.
The little tools can be run longer on a sissy compressor. The
die grinder type things use a lot of air for their size but you could get
by. The drawback is that your buddies will laugh at you. If your house
lights don't dim momentarily when your compressor cycles, then you don't
have one big enough. Ask Mrs. Allen.
Larry Dickstein
bugide@juno.com
>
>Now what I'd like to know is what cannot be run with the 'little'
>compressors. It would apprear that 5hp (and 115 volt) performance
>numbers are pretty typical (9 at 40 & 7.5 at 80). What is your
>favorite >air tool and how much air does it need?
>
>I can go for a bigger compressor if I can justify it for the more
>air-hungry tools. Also, I can wander down to the tool shop and look at
>the specs on the nicer tools. But what tools are the favorites in the
>cyber garages?
>
>Again, I'm thinking of a die grinder so I can ligthen some cylinder
>heads. Also a good sander, grinder to attempt some body work.
>
>What I'm concluding is that there is a demarkation line: 115 volt, 5
>horsepower, and lower performance for under $250 or the 230 volt 'big
>boys' that'll require 230 volt and at least $500 after installation.
>What does the big price difference buy you?
> >
>Bob Allen, Kansas City, 'sucking air'
>
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