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My Harbor Freight purchases so far: Digital caliper = $6 Air compressor = $80 Air tool set = $55 Best investments I ever made. Didn't expect them to last through my four years of college abuse, but they did and still working great. I abuse the poo poo out of them too. The air tools all run at whatever max PSI i have the compressor at, usually around 120psi.
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Feb 4, 2009 01:04
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For simple garage weekend warrior work, there's nothing wrong with a $200 Harbor Freight special. I got my compressor, impact, and tools which were enough to do the basic stuff like turbo swaps, wheel changes, and suspension work. However, the poor 5cfm compressor can barely keep up with the impact gun and I find myself taking a break as the compressor catches up to pressurize the tank again. Also, truth on the 110v compressors. I've popped that drat circuit breaker in the garage so many times when I had the compressor and a large shop light on at the same time. The noise is pretty horrid too. To make such a small compressor flow that much, they had to make it sound like a buzzsaw. Larger 220v compressors run much much slower, and make far less noise.
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Feb 25, 2009 21:11
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Here's some more juicy morsels I dug up on compressors. Larger more "expensive" compressors are also two stage. They also have a larger, more powerful motor. They might even have a magnetic starter on them. If you're really splurging, they'll even have their very own intercooler. What does this mean? Two stage compressors compress the air in two stages. Whats that do? It makes the contraption quieter, since you can spin the compressor at a slower speed to get the same airflow and pressure out of them. It also means you can get higher pressures without overloading your motor. Larger motors allow you pressurize the tank faster and can potentially pump the tank to a higher pressure. Different starters like capacitive and magnetic starters prevent the problem I have - massive current draw during motor startup. Usually, the current draw on my 110v compressor is so large that the power line can't handle the load, the voltage dips, the motor binds, my lights dim, then after a second or so the breaker pops. This is bad, mkay? Different starters give the motor a square kick in the rear end without overloading the power source to quickly and quietly start the motor. Intercoolers dry and cool the air before they're pumped into the tank. This gives you drier air, with less moisture which will keep your tools happy, your tank dry, and other loving happy poo poo I don't feel like typing. Oh, expensive compressors also might have larger manifolds too, which will translate to less pressure drop when you are operating your tools. If you use it as a shop air source, you can power more at once with the compressor if you have a larger manifold. Think of it as the exhaust system on a turbo car. You want to free it up. My lovely 1/4 inch manifold will make the pressure drop to an indicated 40PSI even though the regulator is set for 90PSI.
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Mar 1, 2009 05:41
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Suniikaa posted:A big loving hammer. so true. I needed a 5 pound mini sledge and a punch set to remove the rusted-in steel bolts on my caliped. No, before you ask. The calipers float and bolt into a bracket behind the hub, so there are no threads on the hub itself. It was just rusted on that it wouldn't come out. Out came the punch, and the mini sledge. 10 minutes of pounding and it popped out. Get a big hammer. now.
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Mar 4, 2009 00:33
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oxbrain posted:Get this and T it into your air line. It's only 125psi, but it runs at regulator pressure and most tools don't use more than that. It will give you a lot more air before the psi starts to drop, which can make a huge difference for burst use like an impact gun. Use a quick disconnect and shutoff valve and you've got a portable air tank for filling tires. I was a student. My setup was cheap. I'll look into that though, looks like a good idea. Keep it in the trunk and air up the tire before leaving the track 
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Mar 4, 2009 00:36
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