Compressor to run an impact wrench??

[Kelsey92504]

I recently got a 22 gallon 5 hp, Craftsman up right air compressor. I also bought a craftsman impact wrench that says it has 450 ft lbs of torque. The compressor has 8.6 cfm at 40 psi, 6.4 cfm at 90 psi, and is 130 psi max. I try to use impact gun to take off lug nuts and it wouldn't take them off. I had the line pressure set at 90 psi. Will this compressor run an impact? Do I need a different impact? Do I need to crank up the line pressure more? Thanks in advance.

[MagicRat]

What kind of air line are you using? Usually the metal air wrench fittings are standardized, but some air lines are a bit undersized. You should be using an air line thats about 1/2 inch inside diameter. These lines are about the same size as a typical garden hose.

All air tools I have ever used are rated for 90 psi. I turn my compressor up to about 100 to 105 psi for a bit of extra power. Check the air pressure rating for your gun.
I don't recommend you using more pressure than what the gun is rated for, just to be safe, but a slight increase in pressure worked for me.

Impact guns work best with a small light socket, so long as its rated for impact use. . Any socket that has increased mass, like a deep socket, an extension etc dramatically reduce the power of the gun.

Finally, impact guns all seem to be rated for more force than they actually have in the real world. A 240 ft-lb gun will struggle to remove lug nuts that are actually just tightened to 80 ft-lbs. But a 450 lb gun should make quick work of any lug nut, unless it's rusty or overtightened.

[RobGibbs]

Did you manage to get this sorted?

Air tools are great but there are a lot of variables to take into account when determining how much torque you are really applying to the fixing.