Cfm For Air Tools

In contrast a nail gun requires only about 2 2 scfm to operate.

Cfm for air tools.

Reference this chart to determine what continuous cfm rating is required of your air compressor. However most tools require a great volume of air to run at peak performance. The amount of airflow an air compressor produces is the most important rating you ll want to pay attention to when shopping for a compressor. In this article we re going to help you better.

The majority of air tools operate in the 90 to 100 psi range and most air compressors from the smallest to the largest can easily produce this much pressure. Air tool cfm requirements. Air hoist 1000 lb. Air tool equipment average free air consumption cfm air bushing.

The key difference between the two terms is that scfm is calculated using standard factors for pressure and temperature both factors affect air density. The chart below includes some common air tools and their average cfm measurements. Even the smallest compressor can provide 60 and 90 psi of pressure needed to run an air tool check the tool s manual for specific recommendations. Cfm cubic feet per minute and scfm standard cubic feet per minute are the terms used to measure airflow or the rate at which a tool needs air delivered to it to operate properly.

The real deciding factor in selecting the proper size air compressor is the cfm that it can produce. Anywhere from 4 to 5 scfm up to 15 to 20 scfm or more. Different air tools require a different level of cfm to operate. Cfm is a vital spec in sizing any air compressor or accompanying air tool.

On the other hand a framing nailer requires 2 2 cfm whereas tools like a pneumatic stapler require only 0 3 cfm to run. For 70 cfm you can run three sizes of impact wrenches an oil pump a grease gun a tire inflator and a washer all at the. Your tools cfm requirements give you an idea of what you need your air compressor to do but it s not enough to simply match the air tool s rating and the compressor s rating 1 1. Cfm stands for cubic feet per minute and essentially measures the amount of air the unit can expend within one minute.

Depending on how many tools and which types you plan to use knowing your compressor s cfm and sizing accessories accordingly will help you get the. Like a general impact wrench requires about 5 cfm to operate. Noted as standard cubic feet per minute scfm or cfm this number will need to at least meet the minimum cfm rating of the air tool you ll want to use. Air tools are often rated as average cfm average cfm is typically based on a 25 duty cycle 15 seconds out of a min.