Most all compressors are rated at 125PSI or higher.
The 20 gallon tank indicates it is probably about a
2-3 horsepower unit. The issue with air tools is that
they need a certain amount of air (CFM) at the
specified pressure. For instance, 9 CFM at 125psi.
My previous compressor was a 5HP 30 gallon Sanborn
unit that I got at Sams Club. It would do fine on a
DA or RA or even jitterbug sander for a few minutes
but eventually the pressure would drop, the sander
slow down, and I'd have to stop and wait for the
compressor to catch up. It's a pain and the
compressor ran nearly continually when I was working
on the car. Somewhere on your compressor should be a
tag stating the HP, cfm etc. If not, and you can find
the HP, you can compare it to others of the same HP.
Yours will be about the same as others. Ie, all 5
horsepower compressors have about the same capacity.
If the tools you want to use require more air than
your compressor can sustain, you are in for an
exercise in frustration and a larger compressor might
be in order.
I finally gave up and invested in a 6 1/2 HP two stage
unit which will run any single tool I have (including
a 8" air grinder/polisher) all day long at 125PSI and
not run continually. When I try and run two tools at
once it will slowly run down but that hasn't been a
problem.
Kerryp
--- Mark and Theresa Elliott <deadfishe@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> I am not sure what the cfm of my compressor is. It
> is 125 psi and a 20
> gallon tank. I can't find anything in the
> documentation that came with it
> that gives information on the cfm. I imagine that
> you could probably
> calculate the cfm, but I don't know what the formula
> would be.
>
> Maybe I will go to HomeDepot tomorrow (my wife wants
> to go any to look at
> landscaping stuff) and look around. Any suggestions
> on sanders to look for
> or stay away from?
>
> Thanks
>
> Mark Elliott
> 64 Crown
> 76 Fleetwood Brougham
>
> >Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 22:46:42 -0500
> >From: Brad Hogg <roadhogg@xxxxxxx>
> >Subject:
> >Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Mark. I use a random orbit sander that has a 6"
> disk. It is air powered
> >and my compressor will keep up to it at 40 psi. I
> like to run it with more
> >pressure but it runs fine right down that low. I'd
> say go and look for a
> >good random orbit sander that your compressor will
> keep up to. What cfm is
> >your compressor. Mine is 7.7 cfm.
>
>
>
>
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