Set-up problem or poor impact wrench

[jimmies]

I have a belt driven 3hp Wolf air compressor (90l) with 10mm OD hose directly connected to a 3/8 air/water filter/regulator directly connected to the tank (not via the standard outlet). I'm also using 1/4 PCL XF couplings. The tank is priming up to 120PSI

I have a Ebaurer (sp?) impact wrench connected to this set-up but it is unable to take a nut off my car wheels!.....not one, they just will not budge

Is this a set-up or compressor "power" problem or just a rubbish wrench?

I do quite a bit of work on my car and planning more - but if I need to swap out some gear for this kind of work can any of you kind people advise on required changes

Thanks in advance

Mod edit: Thread title altered to something more suitable.

 

[Shox Dr]

The hose isnt big enough. Really need 1/2"bore or bigger

 

[jimmies]

Thanks for the response Shox Dr

I may have got the hose details incorrect

These are the specs

Specifications:

• Hose Size: 3/8" x 30ft (10m)
• Hose Material: PVC
• Working Pressure: 300PSI
• Lead-in Hose: 3ft x 3/8" BSP
• Discharge Hose: 30ft x 3/8" BSP

Hope this makes sense

 

[colnerov]

Hi, The tank may be at 120 psi but what is the pressure after the regulator?

Colin

 

[Shox Dr]

Thanks for the response Shox Dr

I may have got the hose details incorrect

These are the specs

Specifications:

• Hose Size: 3/8" x 30ft (10m)
• Hose Material: PVC
• Working Pressure: 300PSI
• Lead-in Hose: 3ft x 3/8" BSP
• Discharge Hose: 30ft x 3/8" BSP

Hope this makes sense

Its the hose, doesnt take much to throttle the air supply, esp if its a long run

 

[jimmies]

Hi, The tank may be at 120 psi but what is the pressure after the regulator?

Colin

The regulator directly connected to the tank is showing 120PSI also

 

[rikrobson]

120psi is only 8 bar, I upped my wolf to 10 bar and the tools perform alot better. I've had a number of Cheap impact wrenches and none of them have been as powerful as you'd expect, except for an old Chicago Pneumatics one.

I much prefer putting on a long slow torque to loosen nuts. (breaker bar and extension).

 

[rtbcomp]

Also put a couple of drops of thin oil (3-in-1 &c) in the wrench's inlet before you connect the hose.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Sorry but a 10mm air hose is perfectly adequate for a 1/2" impact wrench with a moderate hose length.
At work I only have 10mm hose and that's two of them at 10 meters long. The couplings are the 'standard pcl' type which I dislike as they are restrictive, yet my middle of the road Sealey gun has no difficulty with wheelnuts whatsoever. At a push I can actually run a 1" gun though certainly not to full performance, though it is a decent make and so uses less air.

Oh, 120 psi is perfectly adequate to undo wheelnuts with a reasonable impact wrench. Yes you'll get more power with 150 psi but don't forget that the normal rating for air tools is 90 psi.

There are two possible reasons for the OP's problem:
1/ Restrictive regulator. It's possible that it isn't allowing enough air to flow through it, the way to test this is to read the pressure gauge while using the wrench. If it's low then you've a restriction.

2/ Inadequate impact wrench. I have tried cheap impact wrenches and found them to be a complete waste of time. It's not necessary to spend a fortune to get something that works but the cheap ones are hopeless. View them as nut runners for spinning something along a thread once it's been cracked off but that's it, it won't tighten or loosen. The name Ebaurer rings a bell but right now I can't think where abouts it is with regards to quality!
It may be that it's a rubbish tool or it may be that it's a faulty tool.

 

[dannyp]

cheep air tools use lots of air to make your hands cold and make some noise.

i've got a 3/8 CP rattel gun that uses naff all air and will buzz wheelnuts on and off even on the silly coily nylon airline that comes with cheep compressors, one of the budget 1/2 " guns ive got won't budge bolts done up by the 3/8 gun even when the 1/2" one is on a 1/2 " airline straight from the big compressor

 

[armalites]

Most air tools are rated at 90 PSI even though many of us run them at full tank pressure(at the end of the a long run the pressure will drop).

My CP gun will run fine even on an 8mm hose and buzz wheel nuts off no problem so all this talk that you 1/2 hose is tosh.

I have 10 and 13mm hoses but one of the retractors I have has only got 8mm and it drives all my tools perfectly.

 

[brightspark]

Most air tools are rated at 90 PSI even though many of us run them at full tank pressure(at the end of the a long run the pressure will drop).

My CP gun will run fine even on an 8mm hose and buzz wheel nuts off no problem so all this talk that you 1/2 hose is tosh.

I have 10 and 13mm hoses but one of the retractors I have has only got 8mm and it drives all my tools perfectly.

try the hose with a 3/4 drive impact or a blasting pot and u will soon say different

 

[armalites]

Sure I agree but this thread isn't about a 3/4 impact gun or a blasting pot it's about a normal impact gun and people are still basically saying it will never work with 10mm hose which is total nonsense.

I run my cabinet and blast pot from a 3/4 hose and a 130CFM compressor

 

[Bill Edwards]

try the hose with a 3/4 drive impact or a blasting pot and u will soon say different

3/4 we could perhaps use OK off a 10mm line if it were something such as SO gun needing very little air, but yes, big air tools do need big hoses.
But for the common 1/2 wrench which the OP is asking about 10mm is just fine and can remove the tightest wheelnuts with no problem.

 

[Cobbler]

When I use my impact gun I plug it in direct, not through the regulator, I think as Armalites said, most of us do. I'm only guessing, but due to the resistance of the reg & 10m of hose I wouldn't mind betting that the pressure at the gun drops to only about 70psi when you pull the trigger. Also an 8 bar compressor doesn't cut in until about 5 or 6 bar generally, so what pressure are you using. The gun I've got will shift most things when the tank is full, but by the time the compressor is about to cut in will hardly shift anything.

 

[jimmies]

Hi all,

Thanks for the info and replies

I'll check the pressure drop when using and report back

What make/model of 1/2 wrench would be a good one to look at and is there anything to be aware of when looking at used.

i know it is horses for courses, but do I 'need' a 1/2 or 3/4 ....I'm guessing my compressor isn't really up to running a 3/4?

 

[jimmies]

When I use my impact gun I plug it in direct, not through the regulator, I think as Armalites said, most of us do. I'm only guessing, but due to the resistance of the reg & 10m of hose I wouldn't mind betting that the pressure at the gun drops to only about 70psi when you pull the trigger. Also an 8 bar compressor doesn't cut in until about 5 or 6 bar generally, so what pressure are you using. The gun I've got will shift most things when the tank is full, but by the time the compressor is about to cut in will hardly shift anything.

I'll check the pressure drop and try it direct and see what happens - thanks for the reply

 

[Shox Dr]

Wow, talk about getting upset. Its only a hose
OP has what he has, it will be cheaper and better in the long run to buy bigger bore hose, to run his cheap gun.

If as you are all saying 3/8" hose (as thats what he has not 10mm) then why it is not working?

A new hose with help with anything he wants to run, when he finds a new gun, that will too.

Back to my coffee

 

[armalites]

Hi all,

Thanks for the info and replies

I'll check the pressure drop when using and report back

What make/model of 1/2 wrench would be a good one to look at and is there anything to be aware of when looking at used.

i know it is horses for courses, but do I 'need' a 1/2 or 3/4 ....I'm guessing my compressor isn't really up to running a 3/4?

You really don't need a 3/4 unless you are working on trucks, I would see if you can borrow another gun to try. Even a cheap 1/2 shouldn't really have too much trouble with wheel nuts unless they are seized.

 

[armalites]

Wow, talk about getting upset. Its only a hose
OP has what he has, it will be cheaper and better in the long run to buy bigger bore hose, to run his cheap gun.

If as you are all saying 3/8" hose (as thats what he has not 10mm) then why it is not working?

A new hose with help with anything he wants to run, when he finds a new gun, that will too.

Back to my coffee

I don't think anyone is getting upset(other than you), we are just pointing out that saying he needs 1/2 bore or bigger is wrong. A huge percentage of the air hoses you can buy are 10mm and hundreds of garages/tyre bays across the country run absolutely fine with them.