I want to talk to you about finding the best air compressor for impact wrench which can be a little tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. See, I know a guy who purchased a powerful Ingersoll-Rand (IR) air impact wrench but he didn’t have the right air compressor to make the tool work in an optimal fashion.
Take the IR 2135TiMAX for instance. By the way, here’s an image of the tool…
Now, this is an excellent 1/2-inch air powered impact wrench. It’s very solid and no doubt, it’s got some serious power. However, without the right impact wrench air compressor (adequate CFM/PSI output), you’ll never get the IR 2135TiMAX to run at a 100%. Essentially, what I’m trying to say is this: Before you go out there and buy an air compressor for your impact wrench, first check the tool’s requirements.
So let’s say you have an IR 2135TiMAX, if you want it to run at an optimal level, what you should do is get an air compressor that pulls around 5 -6 CFM @90 PSI. Anything less than that is not gonna cut it. Okay now that I’ve done blabbing about the basic stuff, it’s time for me to show you some air compressors that are ideal for powering air hungry impact wrenches.
Decent Quality Air Compressor for Impact Wrench under $400
DEWALT D55167 1.6 HP 200 PSI Oil Free High Pressure Low Noise Horizontal Portable Compressor Review
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Air impact wrenches are what many people would call “air hungry” tools. Therefore, you can’t use one of those general-purpose, low cost air compressors to make the tool run smoothly. Problem is compressors that could satisfy air hungry impact wrenches are very expensive.
Fortunately, the DEWALT D55167 you see in the picture above hits the sweet spot between being affordable enough, and having the capability to supply enough juice to a high performance impact wrench. The DEWALT flows 4.8 CFM @ 90 PSI.
So this means that the DEWALT D55167 portable air compressor has no problems running 1/2-inch air impact wrenches. I’ve hooked this up to an Ingersoll-Rand 2130 1/2-inch wrench and had no problems whatsoever.
Heck, I even tried the compressor with the IR 2135TiMAX and the outcome was decent too (even though the IR 2135TiMAX works best at 5 CFM minimum). This baby has more than enough juice to allow a 1/2 air impact wrench to break loose more than a dozen lug nuts on just one air cycle.
Keep in mind that the specs is ideal for 1/2 wrench. You can try it with a 3/ 4 – inch impact wrench but only in an intermittent manner. I think if you planning on using air tools in an aggressive manner including heavy usage of 3/4 wrench, then you’d be better off buying a much more powerful air compressor like the 60-gallon Campbell Hausfeld VT6275 pictured here…
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Anyway, yeah the DEWALT D55167 is sufficient for running 1/2 wrenches. The recovery time is pretty fast and you can even use an extension cord to keep it running. Of course the standout feature of the DEWALT D55167 air compressor is the size which is pretty compact. The wheels as well as the solid handle make it easy to lug this 90 lbs air compressor around.
The tank is solidly built with gauges that are very easy to read. It also comes with a decent air regulator for maximizing air tool run time. Another positive aspect of this compressor is that it runs in a relatively quiet manner. I’ve used compressors that are identical in size to the DEWALT D55167 and they were very noisy!
Alright, let me put a link right down here so you can gain more info on this compressor. It can be shipped to your home for free so check it out below.
The Best Air Compressor for Impact Wrenches above $500
Campbell Hausfeld VT6275 15 Amp 3.2-Horsepower 60-Gallon Oiled Vertical Compressor Review
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https://amzn.to/37MtpVE
The Campbell Hausfeld (CH) VT6275 you see in the photo above has got to be THE best air compressor for impact wrenches currently being sold on the market. If you have a lot of automotive projects to work on, perhaps you require a compressor to power up various air tools like heavy-duty air sanders, ratchets, pneumatic drills, and of course air impact wrenches, then this highly durable vertical compressor will provide the best bang for your buck.
Sure, the price is pretty steep, but this is something that would probably last for a VERY LONG while if it’s appropriately taken care of. Really, I can’t see it go bust even after 5 years of usage, unless you damage it deliberately or do not maintain it at all.
See, this behemoth is capable of putting out 11.8/10.3 CFM at 10/90 PSI, thus you’d have no issues powering the mighty Ingersoll-Rand 261 3/4-Inch air impact wrench. The IR 261’s average air consumption is 9.5 CFM by the way. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a 1/2 inch impact wrench, 3/8, or a 3/4. The Campbell Hausfeld VT6275 can handle them all.
Now, because of its size, I know a lot of people might deduce that the CH VT6275 would run very loudly. Well, guess what? It’s TOTALLY silent…Just kidding of course! Truth of the matter is at 240+ lbs, the CH VT6275 may be a colossal compressor, but it’s pretty quiet running. It makes some noise of course yet not enough to annoy the heck out of you. Really can’t believe an air compressor this large can be relatively quiet.
The Campbell Hausfeld VT6275 air compressor has minimal drawbacks and I would say the most obvious one is the installation procedure which can be quite tricky. If you check out the product details page here, one user indicated that Campbell Hausfeld has actually uploaded a helpful video on how install the unit and I definitely agree. The how-to video is extremely helpful.
In fact, the video is much more precise and easy-to-follow compared to the instruction manual that came with the unit. I suggest you check out the product details page and read reviews left by other users as well, so you’d get a decent idea on the quality of CH VT6275 air compressor. Just use the link on display below.
Click Here for Campbell Hausfeld VT6275 15 Amp 3.2-Horsepower 60-Gallon Oiled Vertical Compressor
More Air Compressor Impact Wrench Choices…
Here’s a few more top quality impact wrench air compressor that you might want take a gander at…
