What Size Air Compressor Do I Need For Impact Wrench?
To run an impact wrench, it is a big question what size of air compressor do I need for an impact wrench.
After discussing which factors we should consider, let us discover the right one for you which suits your
work. We will also try to recommend the best air compressor needed to run your impact wrench
effectively.
What is an impact wrench?
An impact wrench may be a wrench machine designed to deliver high torque output with minimum
effort, by storing energy during a rotating mass, then delivering it suddenly to the output.
Factors that we should think about before choosing an air compressor
An air compressor is a widely used tool both in commercial and personal matters. This is a
pneumatic device that converts power into potential energy which is stored in pressurized air. Here
two factors that determine the effectiveness of an air compressor. These are CFM and PSI.
CFM means Cubic Feet per Minute. It may be defined as the measurement of the velocity at which
air flows into or out of space. Saying about impact wrench, air compressors are needed that can
create 2-16 cubic feet per minute airflow for different types of impact wrench. We will discuss it
later.
PSI stands for pound-force per square inch. This is a unit of pressure that is taken into account to
evaluate the power of the air compressor (How much air pressure they produce). Different sizes of
impact wrenches require an air compressor with roughly 90-125 PSI air pressure.
If we randomly pick an air compressor without considering the CFM, PSI, and tank size that would
result in a worse performance. Instead choosing the best suit may result in more output.
Now, after discussing CFM and PSI, let us correlate it with the specific size of the impact wrench. As
you know there are different sizes of an impact wrench and each of them needs different power of
air compressors. The smaller one may need an air compressor with less CFM and PSI while a larger
one needs more. 125 PSI air pressure is a waste for a 1/2 inch impact wrench, but 2-3 CFM air
compressors may not be able to operate a 3/8 inch impact wrench. So, let's discuss individually the
best air compressor for different types of the impact wrench.
1/2 inch impact wrench
Let's start with the most common one. Among all sizes of the impact wrench, 1/2 inch is widely
used, maybe it is more popular than any other wrench. So, it is necessary to find the best suit for
this type of impact gun. For a 1/2 inch impact wrench, it is wise to use an average air compressor
midway between 3.5 to 5 CFM. Also, this compressor should have the power of creating 90-100 PSI
air pressure. At least 4 CFM air compressors should be used for safety. One can enjoy a good
balance of everything and the best quality performance using a 5 CFM air compressor for a 1/2 inch
impact wrench.
1/4 inch impact wrench
This is a small size of impact wrench which does not require a lot of pressure. So, what size of air
compressor do I need for a small size impact wrench? An air compressor that is capable of creating
only 1-1.5 CFM and at least 90 PSI air pressure is enough to operate this kind of an impact wrench.
For a 1/4 inch impact wrench using more pressure air compressors may be a waste.
3/8 inch impact wrench
A 3/8 inch is worthy of a little bit more power. An air compressor less than 2.5 CFM is not perfect
here. Though 2.5 CFM air compressors may work, it is also not recommended. An air compressor
that is capable of delivering 3 to 3.5 CFM and at least 90 PSI air pressure is acceptable.
Final talk about what size of an air compressor do I need for a 1-inch impact wrench
This kind of impact wrench is not for household work. These are only worthy for construction use.
One inch impact wrench is not seen typically. As it is a big size, it needs a heavier investment. One
can go for an air compressor between 9-10 CFM range and that tool should be capable of creating
at least 90-125 PSI air pressure.
What tank size of air compressor do I need for an impact wrench?
However, talking about air pressure is not enough to conclude. We should consider the size of the
gallon to choose the best air compressor. Air compressors differ by their Gallon sizes. Talking about
the minimum, a 6-gallon air compressor with 3.5 -5 CFM is necessary to operate an impact wrench.
But this is not sufficient for day to day work, let alone professional work. To clarify, the larger the
size of the gallon, the better the performance of the air compressor. But the cost matters.
A 3-gallon air compressor cannot operate an impact wrench at all. Because it is only capable of
creating 0.5 CFM air pressure, but the minimum air pressure needed to operate an impact wrench
is about 1 to 1.5 CFM. Though a 3-gallon air compressor is cheap one should not choose it. A 6-
gallon air compressor may be able to run an impact wrench but it is the minimum size. So using this
size of air compressor will result in an interruption. After working a small-time, stored air may run
out. As we know there exist 1 to 60 gallons tank size air compressors but it is wise to use a definite
size of air compressor which meets one's requirement. Suppose, for personal use, one can
recommend a 10-gallon size air compressor. But for professional use, it needs much more
investment which is about a 20-gallon air compressor.
Recommended air compressors
At last, we can recommend here some best air compressors for impact wrench.
These are
1. Eagle EA - 5000 Air Compressor
2. DEWALT Air compressor
3. Makita MAC5200 Air compressor
Final Word
The question of what size air compressor do I need for an impact wrench may be concluded with the
result that an air compressor with 5-8 CFM and gallon size between 20- 30 is recommended. While 3-4
CFM with 6-8 gallon is the minimum requirement. But who needs heavy use may go for further
investment and use as much as 60- 80 gallons.
