Perhaps easiest question of the day


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Old 07-07-17, 01:04 PM
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Perhaps easiest question of the day

I have an Aircat 1150 1/2 inch impact wrench I purchased just over a year ago. It is still in the box and I have never used it because I haven't been able to afford the air compressor I want yet.

Do I need to run air pressure through it every now and then to keep it in good operating condition? Would an auto repair shop or building trade business mind hooking it up to their air compressor to at least test it?
 
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Old 07-07-17, 01:13 PM
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I don't think that you need to do anything with it.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 01:40 PM
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I also think it will be fine, don't forget to oil it when you do get to use it.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 01:51 PM
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Ok. Thanks guys. I'll got to Home Depot rental dept when they're slow to see if they'll run it briefly off their air compressor just to make sure the thing works ok.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 02:31 PM
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I would not take it any place just to run it, but would leave it in the box until you have an air compressor of your own and/or have need for it. Probably not as much in AZ as in MI, but all air has moisture in it, and it takes in the neighborhood of 8 cubic feet of atmospheric air to make 1 cubic foot of compressed air, then it condenses in the tank and line, which is the reason that it's necessary to drain them regularly; sort of like squeezing out a sponge. (There's a little more to it, but that's sort of it in a nutshell.) So it all depends how elaborate a system whoever has, but, without a properly sized air dryer and filter, you're going to dump some water into it. Then, bring it home and stick it back in the box, you'll know that it works, but you'll have moisture laying inside of it. It's a realtime problem for anyone using air tools day in day out, but at least they're passing more air through their tools regularly. In your case it will go in and set.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 03:01 PM
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Pedro, I did not know that air compressor equipment accumulates moisture that needs to be drained. Definitely an important point to consider.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 03:32 PM
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Right now your tool is likely protected by oil from the factory so it can survive it's long trip across the Pacific without rusting. If you run it you'll wipe & blow much of that protective oil off. So, don't use it until you're ready to start using it.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 03:48 PM
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As long as it has not been out in the garage for 10 yrs of frost / thaw cycles its probably fine. No reason to run it.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 06:24 PM
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...............that long trip across the Pacific without rusting. Yep. Says made in Taiwan.
I kept it inside the house all year. Even in Phoenix, we see a humidity increase for two months out of the year.
 
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Old 07-07-17, 07:31 PM
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Yeah, sometimes it gets to almost 100%...oh wait, everyone else calls that rain...lol.
 
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Old 07-08-17, 03:28 AM
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Moved from Florida to Phoenix. Lived there about 5 years before I noticed the heat. Love that dry air.
 
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Old 07-08-17, 03:36 AM
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While I've passed thru Phoenix before I've never spent much time in Arizona BUT I used to live in fla and I don't recall working anywhere that the humidity was so oppressive! Somewhat back on topic, here in tenn I've never seen the need to bleed off the water in an air compressor tank until the end of the day but in fla it was something you did throughout the day.
 
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Old 07-08-17, 06:10 AM
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I saw an air compressor one time that I'll never forget. The guy was just starting to work on it, something like 15-20 H.P. on a 200 gallon tank that his customer had brought in that morning and said that it it was kicking on too often. Anyway this guy must have figured it out pretty quick because I remember helping him and one of his guys roll or slide it toward a drain, and I am sure that he drained out a good 100 or so gallons or water from it. That was the only one I ever saw that bad, but even a day running in a shop here in MI , especially this time of year, will easily net a measurable amount of water.
 
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Old 07-08-17, 06:43 AM
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Hmm... I always thought my portable compressor was so heavy because it had 100 lbs of air in it. LOL
 
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Old 07-08-17, 11:14 PM
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Yeah, I bet the Gulf Coast has the highest humidity in the US.

I read the impact wrench owner manual tonight and it did stress the importance of keeping moisture and dirt out of the tool's mechanism.

Since it's been sitting idle for a year, should I squirt oil into the tool air inlet every now and than before I use it?
 
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Old 07-09-17, 02:53 AM
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While adding tool oil to it occasionally won't hurt anything I'm not sure it would be beneficial either. The main thing is to add several drops of oil before you hook it up to the air.
 
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Old 07-09-17, 05:21 AM
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I agree with Mark; it won't hurt anything, but not sure it would be beneficial either. You squeeze a few drops into the nipple before connecting the hose and the air carries it into the gun. Without the air you're not going to oil much more than the inside of the nipple. When you do get to the point of using it, or any air tool, it's not that you need to be paranoid about moisture, but it's more a matter of being aware of it. Filters work, but are only so effective for a typical homeowner setup where there is a 20-30' hose between the air compressor tank and the tool, so the first thing is as simple as remembering to use the tank drain each time it is used. For larger shop layouts, where pipe is run to various points of use, or even in a home shop where a pipe may carry air to the opposite side of the shop from the compressor, drip legs are also very effective, as long as they are opened frequently.
 
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Old 07-09-17, 05:13 PM
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Very educational. Intro to pnuematic wrench 101. Thanks!
 
 

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