Shopsmith Forums

I always find it interesting when a post that has set idle for in this case almost 2 years starts afresh. I guess that means someone has the interest in the subject and searches for it? Or perhaps is just reading through old posts?

One of these:

http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/dew ... oCzP7w_wcB

or perhaps an earier model??? Anyway someone I knew who was into construction said this is the one they get and sometime have upto 3 nailers running off it. If it dies they get another one and don't even worry about it duty cycle or how hot it gets or much else, for them the cost isn't a factor so much as the basic needs of the job.

This is not for a shop where a big compressor is more in line with what is needed. It is also not for use when large air flow is needed, but then that is not the intended market.

Ed

After catching up on this thread I figured I would throw in my two cents. As a vehicle mechanic for 20 years I have used more than my share of air tools and it all comes down to, like the others have stated, cfm and how much air the tank can hold before it has to fill back up. I have a 33gal vertical as well as a pancake compressor because both have their uses just like any tool. It is all about using the right tool for the job. IF you are not planning on running a production shop then a smaller compressor will work as long as it meets or exceeds the cfm required by the tool you are using. Like previously posted, you also have to factor in run time or how much air is constantly going through the tool while it is running. My recommendation, write down the cfm of the tools you are going to use and find a compressor that matches your highest cfm requirement. If you are just running nailers then a pancake is fine but when you start getting into die grinders, air drills, or impact wrenches you will definitely want a larger tank or a 2-stage compressor.

CFM is the issue. As has been said air tools require a lot of air with the exception of nailers. I have a Quincy 4 cylinder 30 gal compressor. It is rated at 21 CFM @40 PSI and 18 CFM @90 PSI. It is 50% duty cycle. It powers my bead blast cabinet continuously but runs just about at the 50% duty cycle. Pressure is set at 80 PSI. My PC random orbit sander uses almost as much air.

Doing remodeling in the house I thought about a pancake. Instead I bought two 100' air hoses and run them to the house from the compressor in the shop. They were cheaper than a pancake.

Cubic feet per minute at a specified pressure is what counts. Not an easy thing to compare between different manufacturers.