BenB
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 11:01 AM |
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Air tools with / without regulator
Am I really stupid?
I've been trying out my new air tools today and the air ratchet can't pull the skin of a bowl of porridge despite being on it's
full-power setting and being lubed up. I'm also using a fairly chunky air hose...
Should I not be using it via the regulator? I have (and set it on 90PSI) but its too weak. I'm not sure whether I should attach it directly to
the tank. It spins round okay but the hammer action is virtually missing- certainly most unlike all the other tools I've used in the past....
It's the first time I've had air tools in my own garage so it may be a school-boy error!!!
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Peteff
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 11:13 AM |
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My rattle gun says 90psi but it works a lot better on 120psi 
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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bonzoronnie
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 posted on 29/1/08 at 11:33 AM |
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Pressure
I find that the manufacturers are often a tad on the optimistic side when it comes to air tools. 
You may find that you need a little bit more pressure bearing in mind that the new tool probably needs running in. 
A point to bear in mind. How accurate is your pressure regulator ?.
Some lower cost compressors have poor quality regulators fitted.
Crank the pressure up a little bit. See if that helps.
Ronnie
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PAUL FISHER
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 11:35 AM |
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If its the air ratchet your using they don't have a hammer action like a impact gun,they just spin,and not as fast as a impact gun,and you have
to take the nip off the nut 1st with the rachet,alsouse the rachet by hand to finish off tightening up,but as Peterff says they also better with a bit
more psi ,although it usually says max pressure around 100psi
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 12:16 PM |
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Most of my air tools are fine, with the exception of a cut-off grinder - one of those with a 4" grinding disk.
Basically, if I put it onto anything it just stalls, which makes it fairly useless. Trouble is, I didn't find out until many months after I was
given it as a present, so I couldn't discuss it with the supplier.
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Phil.J
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 12:17 PM |
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I've tried a few of the cheapo impact guns, the last one a SIP, and found them all to be total crap even with the pressure turned up to 150psi.
Professionals use guns costing several hundred pounds for a good reason.
As said, an air ratchet only really runs the nuts up the threads and can't really tighten or loosen them.
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BenB
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 12:29 PM |
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Sorry, getting my words mixed up. It is the air impact wrench I'm using!!! Except it's not got any impact I'll try upping the
pressure!!!
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 12:37 PM |
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I never bothered about a regulator, just a water & oil trap
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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r1_pete
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 12:41 PM |
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There is often a torque adjustment control on the wrench, you may have it set too low.
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jkarran
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 12:52 PM |
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Your regulator may have a very low CV (basically flow) rating, it'll happily bring your line up to pressure but won't flow enough to keep
it at pressure once you start the impact driver.
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BenB
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 01:05 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
There is often a torque adjustment control on the wrench, you may have it set too low.
That's what I thought but I've tried it on 1 and 4 and they're both pants... I think my regulator flow rate thingy is too low as
mentioned....
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thomas4age
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 02:13 PM |
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since noone asked, what is the performance of the compressor itself like?
grtz Thomas
If Lucas made guns, Wars wouldn't start either.
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BenB
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 02:54 PM |
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Seems alright to me Its a "Hobbycraft" compressor. But they're just Wolf ones rebadged (or is it the other way round). Fairly big
resevoir. Certainly it'll fart away for a good 20-30 seconds doing diddly squat to the wheel nuts before the compressor comes back on again.....
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Delinquent
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 03:40 PM |
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As suggested already I'd suspect the flow rate of the regulator - sounds like it's simply not getting enough air through. No good having
massive PSI if all you have the other end is a pin hole for it to pass through.
My Dad removed the regulator on his compressor and mounted a decent remote one on the wall instead - regulator cost more than the compressor I think
but has the added bonus of a bypass so you could plug in before regulator or after it.
ETA have a look at the cfm rating of both the compressor and tool - should be easy enough to find.
[Edited on 29/1/08 by Delinquent]
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red-westie
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 04:40 PM |
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I personally would T off the compressor and use regulated for spraying etc and unregulated for impact gun.
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BenB
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| posted on 29/1/08 at 05:36 PM |
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Yup- that's my plan! My compressors got one unregulated and one regulated outlet.
I'm going to spin it up tomorrow plugged into the unregulated supply.
I was just a bit worried I'd knacker it so wanted to check. The instructions for the impact wrench talk about it blowing up if given more than
90PSI!!!
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