An expansion tank would/should work better if you're already starved for air like a small compressor or super far from the source. Just didn't quite do what we needed to test 3/4" impacts faithfully. We've also been compiling for over a year "conspiracy theory" sort of techniques from the comment section you guys say increase torque from impacts. Like holding the socket or turning in the direction of impacting. We have like 9 or 10. Share your tricks of the trade for us to test in the future when we do that! NOTICE: I came up with the original version/prototype of the 3-way air swivel, so while none of us benefit financially from it selling, it might not come as a surprise that A) we like it and B) it does well on the tools we test with. Always consider multiple sources when looking at a tool!
I was gonna comment about the expansion tank.... any chance of seeing a video with around 150ft of 3/8 line high flow couplers on both ends. With and without expansion tank.
All these numbers.... And no bean talk. I am lost. 😂 Thank you for what you do. Very informative channel, so much better then praying website info is legit with tool info. All my construction friends are "Milwaukee or nothing" fan boys, and I'm always the "Craftsmen that could" kind of guy... why spend more when something still works. A lug nut doesn't discriminate a $200 tool n a $400 tool, it's coming off regardless. But my tools get touched 5-6 times a year, not 4-5 times a hour either. Best $15 I spent was your tool charts. Thank you for the beans.
I had a guy tell me once that he filled his air impact gun with air tool oil and then hit a hard to loosen fastener with it. Sounds like a mess at the minimum. Maybe he was trying to prank me. Never tried it.
I hope this is the right place to request this but can you do the "MAKITA DWT310ZK TWIN 18V LI-ION LXT BRUSHLESS CORDLESS SHEAR WRENCH" looks cool wondering I its worth is price tag
That's what I do in my home shop. I have a higher-end but still home gamer 120v Husky compressor with a 4-gallon 225 PSI internal tank piped through a regulator to a pair of 155 PSI 10 gallon portable tanks and it nearly triples the amount of time I can run a die grinder before the compressor drops below a reasonable 80-90 PSI to it's steady state flow of around 50 PSI.
big fan of this and more companies need to take note, that said, in my shop due to the power of cordless tools these days I dont even have a compressor . well, i have a crappy little hobby one for pumping up the odd tyre. I have a lot of pneumatic tools I just dont use anymore.
Really glad you guys are willing to spend the time to test whether a DP will fit into both an A and a V. Without you I'd have tried to put mine into an A, only to be sorely disappointed. Just goes to show, real heros don't wear capes.
3/4 hose and Chicago fittings are the standard in industrial settings but you'll need a lot more compressor than you've got now. Great work guys, always interesting.
I honestly wish I knew what the specs were, but in the military, I once used a compressed air powered pressure washer. The air hose, fittings and SCFM were just insane. It may have been 3/4 or 1" hose. I just don't remember.
What if... and hear me out... a triple-triple: The three air hoses at the gun are connected to three more triples for a total of 9 air hoses... each with their own 80 gallon compressor? 9 hoses, 9 air compressors..... just to see.
Great demo. FYI don't get tempted by off brand Milton V styles. They have horribly designed female couplers that are extremely restrictive and you'll lose air flow. The male are about the same though some off brands have a significantly smaller center hole vs the actual Milton
An old timer showed me the trick of running a short air hose whip off of all my tools when I was working at the truck dealership. That keeps you from denting fittings of you drop the tool, it also helps prevent the fitings from cracking in your air impact/hammer tools.
Milton V is the only thing we use for quick connect but if there is a real need for torque such as taking apart large rusted nuts and bolts then 1/2 inch air line hooked up directly to the hi-torque 3/4 air gun gets the nod. The hi-torque Milwaukee won't touch these bolts but the 3/4 air direct doesn't even feel them. Pressure is supplied by a measly 5 horsepower gas compressor filling a 200 gallon repurposed propane tank.
The point of a buffer tank is to have whatever you have in the shop feeding it, but a short piece of the biggest hose you can live with plumbed into the tool with a non-restrictive swivel. It's only useful for high-draw tools.
If im understanding this right a buffer tank just increases the volume of compressed air available. Which if thats the case why not just get a bigger air compressor?
@@shawno8253a tank can make up for long lines. I really wish they would redo that test in a way more like you would use it in your shop. For example I might have 50 ft of 3/8 from my regulator to my tool. If I connect a buffer tank to the end of that line, and then 10ft of 1/2 or even 3/8 I should see much better performance at the tool for a couple seconds. Need a Dyno to prove it tho hint hint
@@shawno8253If you need short bursts of large volume, don't use the tool very often or just for one project. Compressors aren't cheap so it can be more affordable to just get a big tank.
WOOOWWW I am literally parked in harbor freight parking lot, and having finished a previous video right as I was pulling in, this one started auto playing. I stunned by this because I am at harbor freight to get air fittings for a couple tools and was trying to remember and decide which fittings style/size are best to truly optimize my pneumatic tool setup as well as contemplating whether or not to get an in line filter or any other piece of gear I would need for my tools. Then what do you know, the absolute perfection of a video going over exactly what is the best and why comes on and I gotta thank you a ton for doing what you do to providing truly priceless, eductional, and humble data for all us consumers. You continue to be one of my all times favorite channels. Plus I am incredibly jealous about the work you do 😉
You should setup a 3/4 hose with Chicago fittings like what most industrial settings use. Even on the service trucks we use 3/4 hose with 1/2 pipe into a half inch quick coupler.
Dude....... I literally just whlent through all of this last week 😣. I got 3/8 to 1/4 npt and did a whole bunch of monkeying around to figure out all the different types of fittings. This was the video I needed.
I was hoping for a summary in the info section, with suggestions for home shop (20-30 gallon tanks, 125psi) and home type tools. I think what I'd like would be to change the fittings on my 3/8" hose so it'll take larger quick connects, etc. so I get essentially 3/8" flow throughout. And to add to a followup, it would be interesting to see if longer runs of hose make much of a difference, ideally with just couplers at the hose fittings so other than turbulence there, no restriction.
Save your Money the Tank only has a 1/4 outlet adding larger hose is not going to boost anything but your Pocket book . Save up get a 60 gallon tank with a 3/4 outlet . 20 CFM , 6-8 CFM is not going to matter with a 1/4 inch tank still be 6-8 cfm .
Videos like this are a big reason I follow this channel. These are the questions I like seeing answered and you guys kick ass for doing this testing. Also thanks for the sneak peek at the new 3/4 Thor. That thing looks beefy, industrial diesel main caps beware.
The aux tank will likely only work for smaller tank compressors. I use that same harbor freight tank with a 6-gallon pancake compressor for nail guns, and get noticeably more CFM and/or time between cycles.
@@TorqueTestChannel I put a regulator on the aux tank too, and just keep the compressor at 125 PSI (aux tank max) and as far away as possible so I don't have to listen to it. Then just regulate for the tool after the AUX tank so it's still pressurized at 125.
@@jsplasha for a shop set up, a dryer and oiler system would be great. Mine is mobile though, and I don't always use the aux tank. I usually only break the aux tank out when I need to run guns for multiple people or when I am working inside with larger CFM nailers (framing, cleat) and I want to leave the loud AF compressor outside, but still be able to adjust the pressure near where I'm working. I have a smaller quieter compressor for trim nailers that I take indoors otherwise.
@@1pcfred For my particular usage, the CFM isn't as much a benefit as the added capacity. Nail guns don't need a ton of CFM as long as the pressure is there. The closest I have had to an issue using my 6 gallon pancake with an 11 gallon aux tank is when I ran 2 roofing nailers off of it, and the two roofers using it were both on straight runs of roof simultaneously. Compressor was running more often than it wasn't. That was about 7 years ago on my then 10-ish year old pancake. I still use that compressor pretty often.
Same, got a 15 gallon compressor, hooked up that same yellow 11 gal tank as a backup. Ran it all in 1/2 hose with a 3/4 earthquake impact in a desparate attempt to get out a honda crankshaft bolt, but in the end, the best psi comes from an oxy-acetylene torch 😂
These are all things what I have wanted to see and wondered about! Would TTC ever be interested in doing an episode about hose reel losses? I used a 3/4in 2ft hose right threaded into a 1/2 in hose reel from the compressor then 3/8 hose on the reel with high flow V steel fittings. Was pretty cheap. I'd love to see a high flow astro hose reel.
Thought there would have been the Milton G style in there. Maybe do a follow up with those as well as 3/4 Chicago. Whatever you guys put out is always great!
When I worked in a big diesel shop, we had 1" copper pipe run down to every work station, and our air compressor was a massive 3 phase screw compressor that put out multiple hundred CFM of air at ~220 psi. It was nice having a virtually infinite amount of air on tap, sorely missed in my new shop. Then again, it's not too often I need to break out the #5 spline gun any more, so I guess it's worth it. Also, electric tools are way cheaper to run, which is important when you're the one paying the utility bills.
I did a lot of research and switched to Milton V fittings 4 years ago. I like them because they are compatible with the industrial kind (applications where peak airflow doesn't really matter). They seem to take a lot of force to plug in though. I always wondered if the T fittings were easier. Doesn't matter. I have a tiny air tank (12 gal) and the only thing I even use it for is inflating tires and blowing air. I am in the market for a power ratchet though so I may want to think about air vs battery. For impact, I'm quite happy with cordless.
I'd go cordless for the ratchet. I have several pneumatic ratchets and haven't even used some of them (I bought them with a loaded rollaround). OTOH cordless tools are far more mobile and I take mine into salvage yards, all over my property and elsewhere.
My track setup includes a nitrogen tank with a high flow regulator. To a 2 way manifold. From there two 3/8" hoses. But I don't see our couplers. They are similar to the automotive type. But larger with a lock that twists into place. We wrap that lock with tape for extra insurance against coming unlocked. Into the 3 foot whip and the swivel you mentioned.
Milton V seems to be the ticket. Especially since they can still accept M style as well. Great video! I still would love to see the difference adding an air tank makes to a simple 120v compressor most have at home.
THIS! Most of us have 120V 10-30 gal tanks. I feel that's where people are the most "desperste" to get more hitting power. At work I can run my gun non stop (huge industrial compressor) and min later the "stuck" bolt is loose even on 100psi max. At home I only have 10gal 130 psi and if the bolt doesn't move in first 5 sec the power curve is dead and I have to wait 5min for compressor to catch up. Also you cant run those non stop and after 3rd run it will take 10+ min to fill and be so hot i have to stop for 30min. Removing a bolt that needs even full 15 sec of hammering is a pain...1 min completly out of question unless you want to spend the afternoon on it.
If you want more power for testing, you can rent a towed gas powered compressor, OR if you can find a local partner/friend that runs a sand or media blasting company and use their setup. When I was a kid, the smallest portable compressor we had was a 12HP/33CFM gas, and the primary was 100 CFM, driven by 3 phase electric motor. 3/4" hoses for portable, I believe 1.25" steel pipe for the fixed compressor, with 1" armored hoses to the machines.
i ran 80 feet of 2inch schedule 40 black iron pipe along the side and back wall of the shop in a L to pull air off of it adds around 13 gallons of volume and has a 20gallong accumulator at the far end with a drain in it that so it adds 33 gallons on to the main 80gallong air tank with the compressor it feels like it has made a huge difference is how much drag the smaller air lines had with pressur drop in use with impact guns and for blowing out bailers to clear chaff (i see it as a kind of cheap upgrade and it could be a benefit for your testing)
Milton g type is the largest fitting that goes down to 1/4 npt. Its night and day compared to v style fittings... Very noticeable on sand blasters , sanders, impacts and for air rivets and rivnuts.. Even HVLP guns I have love the higher flowing fittings too.
Congratulations on getting cool tool accessories made and sold to the average consumer! (And, thanks to Astro for taking the time to listen to someone on the outside.)
I would like to see a video comparing regulators. I did a little bit of research awhile back and a few people said that the biggest air flow restriction is the regulator that comes with most prosumer air compressors. I plan to install a tee coming directly off my tank, and run it to a larger regulator. That way I can keep the pressure switch and factory regulator intact.
If you want better flow just plumb a chuck straight from the tank and skip the regulator. The only reason to want a regulator is to lower pressure for special uses like spray painting, light blow gun work etc and where applicable OSHA blow gun compliance.
Lol, my air setup has 3 of those HF 11gal air tanks as an additional volume boost. It works great. I also have 2 110v air compressors along with it and it'll maintain 90psi all day at my sandblaster. It's the cheapest way I could find to get high volume air at my shop.
A rancher I once worked for had his 100 gallon shop air compressor plumbed into an old 500 gallon propane tank, and about a 3/4" hose coming off that. I dont remember ever having to worry about air volume.
I used 3/8" Milton M with a 1/2" air hose at 175 psi and had 160 gallons of air capacity from two 7.5 hp air compressors in series with a refrigerated air dryer delivering very dry cold air at my old shop and had great performance from my air tools.
I own a tow company and do all my own ug a Duggan and bought Thor based on your video but I for sure need. The three quarter Thor. I live my life based on this channel lol
You should do "home setup improvment" series. Most of us have 120V 10-30 gal tanks. I feel that's where people are the most "desperate" to get more hitting power in shortest time possible. At work I can run my gun non stop (huge industrial compressor) and minute or two of humering later the "stuck" bolt is loose even on 100psi max. At home I only have 10gal 130 psi and if the bolt doesn't move in first 5 sec the power curve is dead and I have to wait 5min for compressor to catch up. Also you cant run those non stop and after 3rd run it will take 10+ min to fill and be so hot i have to stop for 30min. Removing a bolt that needs even full 15 sec of hammering is a pain...1 min completly out of question unless you want to spend the afternoon on it. To be honest, the cordless is the way to go at home, I just have too many air tools and need the air for tiers and cleaning/blowing anyway.
The most exciting thing I got from this was a 3/4" Thor, especially having just started working in an HD diesel shop and been on the fence about what 3/4 gun to get.
The 3/8 couplers are steel and can be "ported" and won't dent under normal use. Try adding a second regulator or larger regulator to see if the buffer tank is necessary
Of course Astro is coming out with a 3/4" Thor and I just used my tool allowance at work. I will say that my 1/2" Thor had the air leak issue from the roll pins and they fixed it under warranty.
I have 2 compressors both hooked to piping that goes through the shop, out to the driveway, and up to the top of the basement stairs. One is about a 60 gallon PAR from the 1930s with a 3 phase 3hp motor, pressure switch at 160 psi. Inline twin cylinder pump running at around 750 rpm. The other is a V twin 1940s Craftsman with 240v single phase 1hp motor but no tank. It comes on when the pressure in the piping reaches 95 psi and shuts off at 125. I use 1/2 inch G style couplers for big tools, 3/8 T style for everything else. With a 1/2 inch old style aluminum Earthquake impact running at full blast, once the Craftsman kicks on, it just stays at 95 psi, it won't drop below that on anything other than the big rotary sander or a big blow gun on a half inch hose. Compressors are hooked up to the piping with 1/2 hydraulic hose and Chicago fittings. The original plan was to get a second tank for the Craftsman but I have yet to run into a situation where it's necessary.
Dude I used those large fittings on my semi for the air lines going to the trailer, it's so much more convenient to be able to store them instead of just leaving them on the catwalk
Nicely done video, thank you. The expansion tank will only help in situations where the additional pressure availed by the expansion tank is not depleted in the tool-operation time. Short bursts of operation and allowing the buffer tank to recharge between the bursts should help.
What would be interesting with these tools tests is to measure the air pressure right at the gun itself. This would give you hard data about airflow but possibly also that the tool is maxed out in terms of power output. So comparing air pressure versus power out right from the gun or tool. The thicker air hose to me is thicker wire, lower resistance and higher current flow or air flow. The nozzles basically do the same thing, they are connections which can impede or slow down air flow. But the key point to me is the instantaneous air pressure right before the tool. If you wanted to entertain a crazy idea, put a tiny little tank for air right at the tool itself to see if the tool suffers from capacitance or lack of instantaneous air pressure or inductance or lack of instantaneous air flow. All that aside, I love everything you guys do on the channel!
Great testing, sometimes i wish i lived in the US where things were cheaper and more available. Generally our compressors go from (single phase) -16cfm (big diy/small workshop 100L) straight to 3 phase 42cfm workshop one 300l tank with nothing in between so airline sizes + expansion tanks make a huge difference to nominal output & we all know its actually about free air delivery not rated cfm. There is a lot of maths that goes into doing setups correctly...enough of me keep it up and thakns
I was really hoping to see a large 3/4 or 1 inch air hose choked down to a common 1/4 fitting. I have heard so many people try to say that it increases air flow because the hose is bigger. They don't believe me when I try to explain the weakest link idea and that if any part of the system is restricting the flow then you don't gain anything from the larger hose
I did the exact expansion tank trick years back to help out my crappy 30 gallon oiless Craftsman compressor. I just tee’d the opening of an identical Hazard Freight yellow 11 gallon too. Always figured I would buy another weld in 1/2” NPT bung and weld it onto the other side of the tank. Figured the turbulence has to be wild and restrictive using the tee method. I bought cordless stuff and the compressor barely comes on anymore. Never got around to it.
Over here in the UK most workshops seem to use a 1/4 bsp fitting. I have no idea why as I assume they choke most tools. And you even get Milton style fitting provided with most tools you buy. I've got loads of them in my box sat unused.
On the topic of the for science videos, how about running the air tools on way more air pressure, like 3000psi. I've was really interested in finding out what happened so I did some tests myself with a pneumatic cut off tool (without the cut off wheel on) hooked up to a repurposed CO2 fire extinguisher running 3000psi from it into the tool. It didn't blow up but just revved extremely fast and felt like it had loosened up a bit after but was otherwise undamaged. An impact wrench might be a bit different and idk if the trigger would be able to stop the push of 3000psi, but if it could I'm sure you could get some crazy power out of it before it blows up.
The DP Kobalt Merlin HF fittings have definitely added some umph to my impact and die grinders for sure. I’ve kept them off my spray guns until I get my IR 30T hooked up because my 30 gallon husky can’t barely keep up with them.
Freakin awesome man. We have a 60 gallon Quincy and he doesn’t like high volume tools either. Thanks for the hard work for sure the talk of our shop today 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Your 3 way swivel is definitely a win in my book. I'd like to see you guys beat the piss out of one or have Eric beat the piss out of one to see if they start to leak. But $20 for the flexibility n flow on air tools is worth it
Great video!!! I switched over all my air tools to hi flo fittings and couplers. One benefit is you can still use tools with m style fittings. But, it won't be hi flo of course.
The thing I found was improved by a buffer tank was a high capacity nail gun, the remote tank allowed me to nail into tasmanian oak with 100mm nails on an elevated two story house where it was impossible to put the compressor on the top floor.
I feed my 1/2 inch impact on a 1/2 inch air line, no regulator @ 175 psi, on a 30 gallon compressor that feeds 24cfm. I get all the beans🤣😂🤣😂 BTW Most 3/8 air line has 1/4 fittings on each end which is a huge restriction.
The tank would work fine at the end of a long line with short tool usage times to allow a recharge. I think the tank would be better used for air nailers. Have you tried to measure the air flow to these tools? Would be interested to see which tools are more efficient in terms of air usage vs power. Thank you for very informative and entertaining material guys!
How about with ugga dugga's bumping the trigger repeatedly? Basically letting that static line pressure build up and then use that hit. In my mind that has worked to help with really stuck bolts before, but can't prove it.
The buffer tank works well in that technique, have used it before when taking pinion nuts off of large equipment but only get about 2 seconds of the high power
Great video! I'd love to see "Euro" fittings (PCL XF) added to the comparison, as they're what we use in the UK, as well as Japanese Industrial Profile that Japanese tools come with. Of course with these you're changing both sides of the connection, so a trickier comparison.
Yes, I'd love to see this. Or even a measurement of the fittings used so I can see how they compare with PCL fittings. I have the PCL Standard on all my air tools. No technical reason, it was just all the tools I'd ever used were PCL so that's what I standardised on.
@@1pcfred sounds like a Chicago fitting, which i use a work. met a guy who it came apart on, around 100psi on a 3/4 or 1inch line broke his jaw, he was out of work for months from it too
Very interesting…. If you ever revisit this, I’d be happy to send you a bunch of the fittings we use in the UK to see how they compare. We have typically two styles - PCL and Euro….
I have 80 gallon main tank with a 120 gallon secondary tank. I can definitely tell the difference when I turn on secondary tank especially with impacts.
In my home shop with a 60gal upright I have found direct connecting a 3’ whip hose to the tool gives more consistent/higher speeds with high consumption tools like DAs, right angle grinders and Air files. No dyno to test, just my experience. I have those whips on all my high consumption tools now.
@@richardwernst a small piece of hose (they vary in length) typically with male threads on both ends. Just type whip air hose into Amazon and you will get the idea. The bottleneck with these tools is typically the connection - as the video demonstrated... So the idea is to get the connector farther away from the tool so the bottleneck isn’t right where the tool is using the air. Not sure of the science behind it (if there is any), I can only speak from experience and it has worked for me. My grandpa had a body shop for 50 years and as a young’n I always wondered why some of his tools had short hoses attached and some didn’t...looking back it was the highest consumption tools that had the hoses. 🤷♂️ your mileage may vary, but its a pretty inexpensive item to test.
I got the flexilla high flow on Amazon, got the big wall hanger kit with some of everything it’s worked great for me as a home gamer maintaining my truck and trailer.
I run 175PSI 60 gal unregulated tank on 50' 1/2" supply hose out to 25' 3/8" ID service hose-to-tool (1/4 NPT Milton V fittings). More than enough for a two guy shop. Seeing all these tests at 125psi are great for comparison, but still don't really show what these tools/fittings are maximally capable of. I don't know why anyone would buy or run anything less than 175 at 10CFM anymore, and I definitely wouldn't down regulate air-tools for automotive repair. When the tool wears out, just replace/rebuild it; treat it like a consumable. Don't trifle with following manufacturer suggested 90PSI shenanigans.
We have 3 80 gallon tanks at 165 psi piped together that feed our shop so air supply is never an issue no matter what tools are running it never drops below 120 psi
You should consider going into the tool and porting out the air path. Maybe chamfer sharp transitions and break sharp edges to let the air into the 'activity center' of the tool more freely.
Regarding the different types of fittings at the beginning of the video. The best part of set of industry standards is that there are so many to choose from.
Air hose fittings are a little confusing at first, but not that complicated when you know how they work. There are three components of a fitting and they're all pretty much independent of each other: thread size, body size, and fitting shape. In the US, the main sizes of bodies are: 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2". In the US, the main shapes of fittings are: Industrial, Automotive, Aro, Lincoln, and Diamond-U. Industrial seems to main shape you'll find at the big box stores. In the US, I've seen thread sizes of: 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4". There may be more depending on manufacturer. I'll include Milton's style letters in parenthesis. Other manufacturers may have other letters used to indicate that body size and shape. Industrial shaped fittings can come in 1/2" body (style G), 3/8" body (style H), and 1/4" body (style M). Automotive shaped fittings can come in 1/2" body (style G), 3/8" body (style P), and 1/4" body (style T). Aro shaped fittings can come in 3/8" body (style AA), and 1/4" body (style A). Lincoln shaped fittings only come in 1/4" body (style L). Diamond-U shaped fittings only come in 1/4" body (style D). You can get an Industrial 1/2" body (style G) with a 1/4" thread. You can get an Automotive 1/4" body (style T) with a 3/8" thread. etc. There may be some cross compatibility between styles (e.g. Milton has an AMT coupler that will take A, M, or T style plugs), but you'd typically choose one style and stick with it.
Opening up any air tool and mirror polishing the intake ports will slightly increase pressure as it allows the air to flow a lot smoother less turbulence in the flow.
I would love to see a regular air fitting drilled out (there is a lot of material on standard fittings) and chamfer the inlet as well. I performed this on my stubby 1/2in impact and I seems to remove more crank bolts. I'd be curious to see if it actually increases or is it only in my head.
I tried this at my last job and drilling them out was super difficult for some reason, the drill press and new bit was acting like I was drilling into titanium of something. It also thins the wall, but main we find these couplers that pair with these are the restriction, not as much the fittings.
@@TorqueTestChannel I had the same issue when I tried to drill a second fitting. Idk why the first one drilled out fine but the second one broke 2 bits.
I have a 29 gallon 2.5 hp compressor. Using the stock regulator that a 3/8" hose and fittings fit into. I have friends that recommend I should go with 1/2" air hose. Would I get a noticable increase in performance with the stock regulator or should I go with a different regulator with a 1/2" outlet?
this is like tuning engines but with tools instead. SOO SICK. you should try to see what is max torque it can make. as in pushing like 400psi through it
Thanks, awesome channel I bought a Thor because of you. Question: what about the fittings on the regulator? Should those be using 3/8" or 1/2" when using a 1/2" hose? Also, have you tested Milton G-type fittings?
On air tool oil, my first gun was a Shinanno I bought as a first year apprentice, I took real good care of it but found later on when I left it a little the power would come up. It now is worn out and only does about 150ftlbs, I use it for wheel nuts mainly and smaller suspension stuff. Air tools don't like too much lubrication just enough maybe one drop every day.
I've been using Dixon Valve DC624 sockets and DCP7 plugs on 1/2" hose for years with my 1/4NPT air tools. They're rated for 70CFM at 100psi, though my shop air is set at 125psi. Friends and new employees are always surprised at the performance the first few times they use it.
Oh, and the fittings are all steel, and they don't deform even when dropped repeatedly. The only drawback is having to buy more fittings for new tools or new employees. I do have a 3/8" hose with standard fittings for light duty tools or when someone brings a tool in from home.
An expansion tank would/should work better if you're already starved for air like a small compressor or super far from the source. Just didn't quite do what we needed to test 3/4" impacts faithfully.
We've also been compiling for over a year "conspiracy theory" sort of techniques from the comment section you guys say increase torque from impacts. Like holding the socket or turning in the direction of impacting. We have like 9 or 10. Share your tricks of the trade for us to test in the future when we do that!
NOTICE: I came up with the original version/prototype of the 3-way air swivel, so while none of us benefit financially from it selling, it might not come as a surprise that A) we like it and B) it does well on the tools we test with. Always consider multiple sources when looking at a tool!
I was gonna comment about the expansion tank.... any chance of seeing a video with around 150ft of 3/8 line high flow couplers on both ends. With and without expansion tank.
All these numbers.... And no bean talk. I am lost. 😂 Thank you for what you do. Very informative channel, so much better then praying website info is legit with tool info. All my construction friends are "Milwaukee or nothing" fan boys, and I'm always the "Craftsmen that could" kind of guy... why spend more when something still works. A lug nut doesn't discriminate a $200 tool n a $400 tool, it's coming off regardless. But my tools get touched 5-6 times a year, not 4-5 times a hour either. Best $15 I spent was your tool charts. Thank you for the beans.
I had a guy tell me once that he filled his air impact gun with air tool oil and then hit a hard to loosen fastener with it. Sounds like a mess at the minimum. Maybe he was trying to prank me. Never tried it.
I hope this is the right place to request this but can you do the "MAKITA DWT310ZK TWIN 18V LI-ION LXT BRUSHLESS CORDLESS SHEAR WRENCH" looks cool wondering I its worth is price tag
That's what I do in my home shop. I have a higher-end but still home gamer 120v Husky compressor with a 4-gallon 225 PSI internal tank piped through a regulator to a pair of 155 PSI 10 gallon portable tanks and it nearly triples the amount of time I can run a die grinder before the compressor drops below a reasonable 80-90 PSI to it's steady state flow of around 50 PSI.
it is so awesome to see that astro is actually taking the feedback from you and other testers and improving their tools, unlike their competitors.
I thought it was awesome Astro built it and Eric tested it . I bought because I saw Eric using and my impact is always starving for air.
big fan of this and more companies need to take note, that said, in my shop due to the power of cordless tools these days I dont even have a compressor . well, i have a crappy little hobby one for pumping up the odd tyre. I have a lot of pneumatic tools I just dont use anymore.
I think it is cool but I would be lying if I didn't say that test being an employee of Astro takes a bit of the meaning out of this...
I would like to see review of this updated thor impact
Dealing with autism has gotten so much easier since finding the Torque Test Chanel and Project Farm
You want a cookie?
Really glad you guys are willing to spend the time to test whether a DP will fit into both an A and a V. Without you I'd have tried to put mine into an A, only to be sorely disappointed. Just goes to show, real heros don't wear capes.
Everyone knows DP is one in the A and one in the V, jeez.....
Best worst comment ever. Lmfao.
Lmfao
Bravo. Very well said. 😂
Goddamn it. I just went back and rewatched that part. Joke went right over my head lol
3/4 hose and Chicago fittings are the standard in industrial settings but you'll need a lot more compressor than you've got now. Great work guys, always interesting.
Yup, you're certainly right about that!
I honestly wish I knew what the specs were, but in the military, I once used a compressed air powered pressure washer. The air hose, fittings and SCFM were just insane. It may have been 3/4 or 1" hose. I just don't remember.
@@TorqueTestChannel now is your chance to test air compressors
Yep. At my work we use a 350hp compressor and Chicago drops throughout.
I switched to V a couple years ago and just bought that Astro swivel, pretty cool t find out it was your brain child .
Oh baby, a triple! 🐺🔧
Still she preferred the really girthy hose vs 3 smol hose. 😏
Classic 🤣
What if... and hear me out... a triple-triple: The three air hoses at the gun are connected to three more triples for a total of 9 air hoses... each with their own 80 gallon compressor?
9 hoses, 9 air compressors..... just to see.
I bet you get excited over 3 hoses 😆
@@PFab I get all the hoses!
Great demo. FYI don't get tempted by off brand Milton V styles. They have horribly designed female couplers that are extremely restrictive and you'll lose air flow. The male are about the same though some off brands have a significantly smaller center hole vs the actual Milton
I find this to be true as well!
Agreed. Just order the miltons.
Yeah please try some Foster fittings next time instead of those garbage Chinese ones
An old timer showed me the trick of running a short air hose whip off of all my tools when I was working at the truck dealership. That keeps you from denting fittings of you drop the tool, it also helps prevent the fitings from cracking in your air impact/hammer tools.
How would you attach a whip without having another fitting?
Attach to other side of hose@@EnlightenedSavage
Milton V is the only thing we use for quick connect but if there is a real need for torque such as taking apart large rusted nuts and bolts then 1/2 inch air line hooked up directly to the hi-torque 3/4 air gun gets the nod. The hi-torque Milwaukee won't touch these bolts but the 3/4 air direct doesn't even feel them. Pressure is supplied by a measly 5 horsepower gas compressor filling a 200 gallon repurposed propane tank.
The point of a buffer tank is to have whatever you have in the shop feeding it, but a short piece of the biggest hose you can live with plumbed into the tool with a non-restrictive swivel. It's only useful for high-draw tools.
If im understanding this right a buffer tank just increases the volume of compressed air available. Which if thats the case why not just get a bigger air compressor?
@@shawno8253a tank can make up for long lines. I really wish they would redo that test in a way more like you would use it in your shop. For example I might have 50 ft of 3/8 from my regulator to my tool. If I connect a buffer tank to the end of that line, and then 10ft of 1/2 or even 3/8 I should see much better performance at the tool for a couple seconds. Need a Dyno to prove it tho hint hint
@@shawno8253If you need short bursts of large volume, don't use the tool very often or just for one project. Compressors aren't cheap so it can be more affordable to just get a big tank.
WOOOWWW I am literally parked in harbor freight parking lot, and having finished a previous video right as I was pulling in, this one started auto playing. I stunned by this because I am at harbor freight to get air fittings for a couple tools and was trying to remember and decide which fittings style/size are best to truly optimize my pneumatic tool setup as well as contemplating whether or not to get an in line filter or any other piece of gear I would need for my tools. Then what do you know, the absolute perfection of a video going over exactly what is the best and why comes on and I gotta thank you a ton for doing what you do to providing truly priceless, eductional, and humble data for all us consumers. You continue to be one of my all times favorite channels. Plus I am incredibly jealous about the work you do 😉
You should setup a 3/4 hose with Chicago fittings like what most industrial settings use. Even on the service trucks we use 3/4 hose with 1/2 pipe into a half inch quick coupler.
Dude.......
I literally just whlent through all of this last week 😣. I got 3/8 to 1/4 npt and did a whole bunch of monkeying around to figure out all the different types of fittings.
This was the video I needed.
DP smashing that V fitting first time.
I was hoping for a summary in the info section, with suggestions for home shop (20-30 gallon tanks, 125psi) and home type tools. I think what I'd like would be to change the fittings on my 3/8" hose so it'll take larger quick connects, etc. so I get essentially 3/8" flow throughout.
And to add to a followup, it would be interesting to see if longer runs of hose make much of a difference, ideally with just couplers at the hose fittings so other than turbulence there, no restriction.
Save your Money the Tank only has a 1/4 outlet adding larger hose is not going to boost anything but your Pocket book . Save up get a 60 gallon tank with a 3/4 outlet . 20 CFM , 6-8 CFM is not going to matter with a 1/4 inch tank still be 6-8 cfm .
Been using 1/2” hose and Milton P fittings for decades. Gonna have to pick up some of those Astro swivels. Keep up the good work.
Videos like this are a big reason I follow this channel. These are the questions I like seeing answered and you guys kick ass for doing this testing. Also thanks for the sneak peek at the new 3/4 Thor. That thing looks beefy, industrial diesel main caps beware.
The aux tank will likely only work for smaller tank compressors. I use that same harbor freight tank with a 6-gallon pancake compressor for nail guns, and get noticeably more CFM and/or time between cycles.
Makes sense, I do the same at home with a separate slave compressor that doesnt turn on.
@@TorqueTestChannel I put a regulator on the aux tank too, and just keep the compressor at 125 PSI (aux tank max) and as far away as possible so I don't have to listen to it. Then just regulate for the tool after the AUX tank so it's still pressurized at 125.
@@jsplasha for a shop set up, a dryer and oiler system would be great. Mine is mobile though, and I don't always use the aux tank.
I usually only break the aux tank out when I need to run guns for multiple people or when I am working inside with larger CFM nailers (framing, cleat) and I want to leave the loud AF compressor outside, but still be able to adjust the pressure near where I'm working. I have a smaller quieter compressor for trim nailers that I take indoors otherwise.
@@1pcfred
For my particular usage, the CFM isn't as much a benefit as the added capacity. Nail guns don't need a ton of CFM as long as the pressure is there.
The closest I have had to an issue using my 6 gallon pancake with an 11 gallon aux tank is when I ran 2 roofing nailers off of it, and the two roofers using it were both on straight runs of roof simultaneously. Compressor was running more often than it wasn't.
That was about 7 years ago on my then 10-ish year old pancake. I still use that compressor pretty often.
Same, got a 15 gallon compressor, hooked up that same yellow 11 gal tank as a backup. Ran it all in 1/2 hose with a 3/4 earthquake impact in a desparate attempt to get out a honda crankshaft bolt, but in the end, the best psi comes from an oxy-acetylene torch 😂
These are all things what I have wanted to see and wondered about! Would TTC ever be interested in doing an episode about hose reel losses? I used a 3/4in 2ft hose right threaded into a 1/2 in hose reel from the compressor then 3/8 hose on the reel with high flow V steel fittings. Was pretty cheap. I'd love to see a high flow astro hose reel.
Thought there would have been the Milton G style in there. Maybe do a follow up with those as well as 3/4 Chicago. Whatever you guys put out is always great!
When I worked in a big diesel shop, we had 1" copper pipe run down to every work station, and our air compressor was a massive 3 phase screw compressor that put out multiple hundred CFM of air at ~220 psi. It was nice having a virtually infinite amount of air on tap, sorely missed in my new shop. Then again, it's not too often I need to break out the #5 spline gun any more, so I guess it's worth it. Also, electric tools are way cheaper to run, which is important when you're the one paying the utility bills.
Compressed air uses so much energy that it's referred to as the "fourth utility" after power, water and gas.
I do love me a nice screw compressor, dont get to use them much.
I did a lot of research and switched to Milton V fittings 4 years ago. I like them because they are compatible with the industrial kind (applications where peak airflow doesn't really matter). They seem to take a lot of force to plug in though. I always wondered if the T fittings were easier. Doesn't matter. I have a tiny air tank (12 gal) and the only thing I even use it for is inflating tires and blowing air. I am in the market for a power ratchet though so I may want to think about air vs battery. For impact, I'm quite happy with cordless.
I'd go cordless for the ratchet. I have several pneumatic ratchets and haven't even used some of them (I bought them with a loaded rollaround). OTOH cordless tools are far more mobile and I take mine into salvage yards, all over my property and elsewhere.
@@obfuscated3090 Ended up buying a Ryobi brushless 3/8" with the extended head. No regrets. Thing makes a lot of torque!
My track setup includes a nitrogen tank with a high flow regulator. To a 2 way manifold. From there two 3/8" hoses. But I don't see our couplers. They are similar to the automotive type. But larger with a lock that twists into place. We wrap that lock with tape for extra insurance against coming unlocked. Into the 3 foot whip and the swivel you mentioned.
Milton V seems to be the ticket. Especially since they can still accept M style as well. Great video! I still would love to see the difference adding an air tank makes to a simple 120v compressor most have at home.
Built my air system around Milton V, no regrets at all
THIS!
Most of us have 120V 10-30 gal tanks.
I feel that's where people are the most "desperste" to get more hitting power.
At work I can run my gun non stop (huge industrial compressor) and min later the "stuck" bolt is loose even on 100psi max.
At home I only have 10gal 130 psi and if the bolt doesn't move in first 5 sec the power curve is dead and I have to wait 5min for compressor to catch up.
Also you cant run those non stop and after 3rd run it will take 10+ min to fill and be so hot i have to stop for 30min.
Removing a bolt that needs even full 15 sec of hammering is a pain...1 min completly out of question unless you want to spend the afternoon on it.
Literally have them in my cart lol this video helped me make the decision
If you want more power for testing, you can rent a towed gas powered compressor, OR if you can find a local partner/friend that runs a sand or media blasting company and use their setup. When I was a kid, the smallest portable compressor we had was a 12HP/33CFM gas, and the primary was 100 CFM, driven by 3 phase electric motor. 3/4" hoses for portable, I believe 1.25" steel pipe for the fixed compressor, with 1" armored hoses to the machines.
i ran 80 feet of 2inch schedule 40 black iron pipe along the side and back wall of the shop in a L to pull air off of it adds around 13 gallons of volume and has a 20gallong accumulator at the far end with a drain in it that so it adds 33 gallons on to the main 80gallong air tank with the compressor it feels like it has made a huge difference is how much drag the smaller air lines had with pressur drop in use with impact guns and for blowing out bailers to clear chaff (i see it as a kind of cheap upgrade and it could be a benefit for your testing)
Milton g type is the largest fitting that goes down to 1/4 npt. Its night and day compared to v style fittings... Very noticeable on sand blasters , sanders, impacts and for air rivets and rivnuts.. Even HVLP guns I have love the higher flowing fittings too.
Congratulations on getting cool tool accessories made and sold to the average consumer! (And, thanks to Astro for taking the time to listen to someone on the outside.)
I would like to see a video comparing regulators. I did a little bit of research awhile back and a few people said that the biggest air flow restriction is the regulator that comes with most prosumer air compressors.
I plan to install a tee coming directly off my tank, and run it to a larger regulator. That way I can keep the pressure switch and factory regulator intact.
If you want better flow just plumb a chuck straight from the tank and skip the regulator. The only reason to want a regulator is to lower pressure for special uses like spray painting, light blow gun work etc and where applicable OSHA blow gun compliance.
I appreciate the subtle DP jokes. Indeed, if you’ve experience the DP, you’ll never forget it.
I come back to this channel time and time again for the sauce. Thank you for never disappointing!
Lol, my air setup has 3 of those HF 11gal air tanks as an additional volume boost. It works great. I also have 2 110v air compressors along with it and it'll maintain 90psi all day at my sandblaster. It's the cheapest way I could find to get high volume air at my shop.
4:25 The LockpickingLawyer April Fools block of the video.
A rancher I once worked for had his 100 gallon shop air compressor plumbed into an old 500 gallon propane tank, and about a 3/4" hose coming off that. I dont remember ever having to worry about air volume.
I used 3/8" Milton M with a 1/2" air hose at 175 psi and had 160 gallons of air capacity from two 7.5 hp air compressors in series with a refrigerated air dryer delivering very dry cold air at my old shop and had great performance from my air tools.
Can you test the Flexzilla hose that is supposed to expand a bit for larger diameter & more flow?
I own a tow company and do all my own ug a Duggan and bought Thor based on your video but I for sure need. The three quarter Thor. I live my life based on this channel lol
You should do "home setup improvment" series.
Most of us have 120V 10-30 gal tanks.
I feel that's where people are the most "desperate" to get more hitting power in shortest time possible.
At work I can run my gun non stop (huge industrial compressor) and minute or two of humering later the "stuck" bolt is loose even on 100psi max.
At home I only have 10gal 130 psi and if the bolt doesn't move in first 5 sec the power curve is dead and I have to wait 5min for compressor to catch up.
Also you cant run those non stop and after 3rd run it will take 10+ min to fill and be so hot i have to stop for 30min.
Removing a bolt that needs even full 15 sec of hammering is a pain...1 min completly out of question unless you want to spend the afternoon on it.
To be honest, the cordless is the way to go at home, I just have too many air tools and need the air for tiers and cleaning/blowing anyway.
Man am i happy that i used to run a "real" job shop at home
My ceiling air lines are 35mm with 3/4 or 1" ports all over the place
I’ve watched a ton of your videos without even planing on getting and pneumatic tools bc they are pretty interesting. Thanks for the quality videos
The most exciting thing I got from this was a 3/4" Thor, especially having just started working in an HD diesel shop and been on the fence about what 3/4 gun to get.
The idea of a 3/4" that doesn't require 3/4" lines is a good one i think
The 3/8 couplers are steel and can be "ported" and won't dent under normal use. Try adding a second regulator or larger regulator to see if the buffer tank is necessary
Very excited about the 3/4 impacts and all the info about the air fittings! Looking forward to Astro dropping a 3/4 Thor type impact
bought the astro high flow swivel awhile ago love it kinda heavy but still great
Of course Astro is coming out with a 3/4" Thor and I just used my tool allowance at work. I will say that my 1/2" Thor had the air leak issue from the roll pins and they fixed it under warranty.
Buffer tank helps a lot with large impacts but only for the first few seconds
I have 2 compressors both hooked to piping that goes through the shop, out to the driveway, and up to the top of the basement stairs. One is about a 60 gallon PAR from the 1930s with a 3 phase 3hp motor, pressure switch at 160 psi. Inline twin cylinder pump running at around 750 rpm. The other is a V twin 1940s Craftsman with 240v single phase 1hp motor but no tank. It comes on when the pressure in the piping reaches 95 psi and shuts off at 125. I use 1/2 inch G style couplers for big tools, 3/8 T style for everything else. With a 1/2 inch old style aluminum Earthquake impact running at full blast, once the Craftsman kicks on, it just stays at 95 psi, it won't drop below that on anything other than the big rotary sander or a big blow gun on a half inch hose. Compressors are hooked up to the piping with 1/2 hydraulic hose and Chicago fittings. The original plan was to get a second tank for the Craftsman but I have yet to run into a situation where it's necessary.
Dude I used those large fittings on my semi for the air lines going to the trailer, it's so much more convenient to be able to store them instead of just leaving them on the catwalk
Nicely done video, thank you.
The expansion tank will only help in situations where the additional pressure availed by the expansion tank is not depleted in the tool-operation time. Short bursts of operation and allowing the buffer tank to recharge between the bursts should help.
5:12 Yes you will definitely remember the first time DP…😂😂
What would be interesting with these tools tests is to measure the air pressure right at the gun itself. This would give you hard data about airflow but possibly also that the tool is maxed out in terms of power output. So comparing air pressure versus power out right from the gun or tool.
The thicker air hose to me is thicker wire, lower resistance and higher current flow or air flow.
The nozzles basically do the same thing, they are connections which can impede or slow down air flow.
But the key point to me is the instantaneous air pressure right before the tool. If you wanted to entertain a crazy idea, put a tiny little tank for air right at the tool itself to see if the tool suffers from capacitance or lack of instantaneous air pressure or inductance or lack of instantaneous air flow.
All that aside, I love everything you guys do on the channel!
Great testing, sometimes i wish i lived in the US where things were cheaper and more available.
Generally our compressors go from (single phase) -16cfm (big diy/small workshop 100L) straight to 3 phase 42cfm workshop one 300l tank with nothing in between so airline sizes + expansion tanks make a huge difference to nominal output & we all know its actually about free air delivery not rated cfm.
There is a lot of maths that goes into doing setups correctly...enough of me keep it up and thakns
So I need to run my hoses directly into my air nailers 📝
I was really hoping to see a large 3/4 or 1 inch air hose choked down to a common 1/4 fitting. I have heard so many people try to say that it increases air flow because the hose is bigger. They don't believe me when I try to explain the weakest link idea and that if any part of the system is restricting the flow then you don't gain anything from the larger hose
I did the exact expansion tank trick years back to help out my crappy 30 gallon oiless Craftsman compressor. I just tee’d the opening of an identical Hazard Freight yellow 11 gallon too. Always figured I would buy another weld in 1/2” NPT bung and weld it onto the other side of the tank. Figured the turbulence has to be wild and restrictive using the tee method. I bought cordless stuff and the compressor barely comes on anymore. Never got around to it.
Looks like you guys have way too much fun. I like the out of the box thinking even if it’s not practical.😂😂
You should see if there's a power difference between the swivel being straight, or at a hard 90 degrees, since the air needs to make a hard turn
Over here in the UK most workshops seem to use a 1/4 bsp fitting. I have no idea why as I assume they choke most tools. And you even get Milton style fitting provided with most tools you buy. I've got loads of them in my box sat unused.
Hook up 2 compressors in line with each other! So your running two compressor pumps works great!
Don't laugh it works!
On the topic of the for science videos, how about running the air tools on way more air pressure, like 3000psi. I've was really interested in finding out what happened so I did some tests myself with a pneumatic cut off tool (without the cut off wheel on) hooked up to a repurposed CO2 fire extinguisher running 3000psi from it into the tool. It didn't blow up but just revved extremely fast and felt like it had loosened up a bit after but was otherwise undamaged. An impact wrench might be a bit different and idk if the trigger would be able to stop the push of 3000psi, but if it could I'm sure you could get some crazy power out of it before it blows up.
Sounds dangerous but fun.
Oof lol. I hope you did that from a distance, behind some shielding. The centrifugal force would easily send shrapnel through your skull
A SCUBA tank would be safer, and you could easily control the pressure/volume.
😂😂😂 magnificent
That’s kinda like an F1 Racing Gun… I believe they run Compressed Nitrogen at a insanely high pressure.
The DP Kobalt Merlin HF fittings have definitely added some umph to my impact and die grinders for sure. I’ve kept them off my spray guns until I get my IR 30T hooked up because my 30 gallon husky can’t barely keep up with them.
Freakin awesome man. We have a 60 gallon Quincy and he doesn’t like high volume tools either. Thanks for the hard work for sure the talk of our shop today 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Your 3 way swivel is definitely a win in my book. I'd like to see you guys beat the piss out of one or have Eric beat the piss out of one to see if they start to leak. But $20 for the flexibility n flow on air tools is worth it
Eric was using it in yesterdays vid, still no leaks after around 5-6 months.
@@TorqueTestChannel oh nice. I didn't realize you've been hiding it for 6 months. That's awesome
@@benmiller5015 Just the prototypes
Great video!!! I switched over all my air tools to hi flo fittings and couplers. One benefit is you can still use tools with m style fittings. But, it won't be hi flo of course.
The thing I found was improved by a buffer tank was a high capacity nail gun, the remote tank allowed me to nail into tasmanian oak with 100mm nails on an elevated two story house where it was impossible to put the compressor on the top floor.
I feed my 1/2 inch impact on a 1/2 inch air line, no regulator @ 175 psi, on a 30 gallon compressor that feeds 24cfm. I get all the beans🤣😂🤣😂
BTW Most 3/8 air line has 1/4 fittings on each end which is a huge restriction.
I love it when you do air tool testing. Great video.
Definitely going to get one of those astro 3SB40 swivels. My flexzilla whip hose swivel leaks.
The tank would work fine at the end of a long line with short tool usage times to allow a recharge. I think the tank would be better used for air nailers.
Have you tried to measure the air flow to these tools? Would be interested to see which tools are more efficient in terms of air usage vs power.
Thank you for very informative and entertaining material guys!
Finally someone answered the questions I needed to know.
It’s so cool how astro pneumatic listens to you guys. I might have to check them out and get some stuff
It's my job
Great video! I own several Astro 3SB40 swivels and really like them! Thanks!
How about with ugga dugga's bumping the trigger repeatedly? Basically letting that static line pressure build up and then use that hit. In my mind that has worked to help with really stuck bolts before, but can't prove it.
The buffer tank works well in that technique, have used it before when taking pinion nuts off of large equipment but only get about 2 seconds of the high power
Great video! I'd love to see "Euro" fittings (PCL XF) added to the comparison, as they're what we use in the UK, as well as Japanese Industrial Profile that Japanese tools come with. Of course with these you're changing both sides of the connection, so a trickier comparison.
Yes, I'd love to see this.
Or even a measurement of the fittings used so I can see how they compare with PCL fittings. I have the PCL Standard on all my air tools. No technical reason, it was just all the tools I'd ever used were PCL so that's what I standardised on.
Prevost safety air fittings would have been interesting to test to see if there’s a trade off for safety.
they're all we use at my work
Milton offers a similar product. I've been using them on the compressor side of my hose for a while with no issues.
+1, I've been using prevost for years and would be happy to send some for testing
These are also high flow couplers and the safety mechanism doesn't interact with the air flow at all. Still would be interesting to see some numbers.
@@1pcfred sounds like a Chicago fitting, which i use a work. met a guy who it came apart on, around 100psi on a 3/4 or 1inch line broke his jaw, he was out of work for months from it too
Very interesting…. If you ever revisit this, I’d be happy to send you a bunch of the fittings we use in the UK to see how they compare. We have typically two styles - PCL and Euro….
You can get 3/4 hose with glad hand couplers for cheap. I bought some to give to a friend with a 1" air gun.
I have 80 gallon main tank with a 120 gallon secondary tank. I can definitely tell the difference when I turn on secondary tank especially with impacts.
OUR OLD FRIEND DP BACK AT IT AGAIN
Please do an episode on the Swench! It's a manual impact wrench from power hawk technologies, it should be really interesting!
In my home shop with a 60gal upright I have found direct connecting a 3’ whip hose to the tool gives more consistent/higher speeds with high consumption tools like DAs, right angle grinders and Air files. No dyno to test, just my experience. I have those whips on all my high consumption tools now.
What's a "whip hose"? Thanks.
@@richardwernst a small piece of hose (they vary in length) typically with male threads on both ends. Just type whip air hose into Amazon and you will get the idea.
The bottleneck with these tools is typically the connection - as the video demonstrated... So the idea is to get the connector farther away from the tool so the bottleneck isn’t right where the tool is using the air. Not sure of the science behind it (if there is any), I can only speak from experience and it has worked for me. My grandpa had a body shop for 50 years and as a young’n I always wondered why some of his tools had short hoses attached and some didn’t...looking back it was the highest consumption tools that had the hoses. 🤷♂️ your mileage may vary, but its a pretty inexpensive item to test.
I got the flexilla high flow on Amazon, got the big wall hanger kit with some of everything it’s worked great for me as a home gamer maintaining my truck and trailer.
I run 175PSI 60 gal unregulated tank on 50' 1/2" supply hose out to 25' 3/8" ID service hose-to-tool (1/4 NPT Milton V fittings). More than enough for a two guy shop.
Seeing all these tests at 125psi are great for comparison, but still don't really show what these tools/fittings are maximally capable of.
I don't know why anyone would buy or run anything less than 175 at 10CFM anymore, and I definitely wouldn't down regulate air-tools for automotive repair. When the tool wears out, just replace/rebuild it; treat it like a consumable. Don't trifle with following manufacturer suggested 90PSI shenanigans.
We have 3 80 gallon tanks at 165 psi piped together that feed our shop so air supply is never an issue no matter what tools are running it never drops below 120 psi
I use two hoses into on for blowing the shop out works so well especially if it's 2-1/2 inch lines
You should consider going into the tool and porting out the air path. Maybe chamfer sharp transitions and break sharp edges to let the air into the 'activity center' of the tool more freely.
When removing a bolt, you will have peak air pressure at peak tightness. If you do the 10 then another 2 it might make a difference
Regarding the different types of fittings at the beginning of the video. The best part of set of industry standards is that there are so many to choose from.
I'll keep this in mind for when I need to torque a nut down to 4000 psi. Or when I'm ready to wreck my impact.
The best mod that i did was to remove the 1/2 plug from my air tank and spin in a 1/2quick conect fiting with a 10mm hose straight to the power tool 😀
Air hose fittings are a little confusing at first, but not that complicated when you know how they work.
There are three components of a fitting and they're all pretty much independent of each other: thread size, body size, and fitting shape.
In the US, the main sizes of bodies are: 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2".
In the US, the main shapes of fittings are: Industrial, Automotive, Aro, Lincoln, and Diamond-U. Industrial seems to main shape you'll find at the big box stores.
In the US, I've seen thread sizes of: 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4". There may be more depending on manufacturer.
I'll include Milton's style letters in parenthesis. Other manufacturers may have other letters used to indicate that body size and shape.
Industrial shaped fittings can come in 1/2" body (style G), 3/8" body (style H), and 1/4" body (style M).
Automotive shaped fittings can come in 1/2" body (style G), 3/8" body (style P), and 1/4" body (style T).
Aro shaped fittings can come in 3/8" body (style AA), and 1/4" body (style A).
Lincoln shaped fittings only come in 1/4" body (style L).
Diamond-U shaped fittings only come in 1/4" body (style D).
You can get an Industrial 1/2" body (style G) with a 1/4" thread. You can get an Automotive 1/4" body (style T) with a 3/8" thread. etc.
There may be some cross compatibility between styles (e.g. Milton has an AMT coupler that will take A, M, or T style plugs), but you'd typically choose one style and stick with it.
That Astro 3 way and hi-flo connections caught my eye
Opening up any air tool and mirror polishing the intake ports will slightly increase pressure as it allows the air to flow a lot smoother less turbulence in the flow.
I would love to see a regular air fitting drilled out (there is a lot of material on standard fittings) and chamfer the inlet as well. I performed this on my stubby 1/2in impact and I seems to remove more crank bolts. I'd be curious to see if it actually increases or is it only in my head.
I tried this at my last job and drilling them out was super difficult for some reason, the drill press and new bit was acting like I was drilling into titanium of something. It also thins the wall, but main we find these couplers that pair with these are the restriction, not as much the fittings.
@@TorqueTestChannel I had the same issue when I tried to drill a second fitting. Idk why the first one drilled out fine but the second one broke 2 bits.
@@Yotataco04 A bored out 1/4" M/T is still way smaller diameter than a Milton V. No point not using Milton V fittings as they're cheap AF on amazon.
I have a 29 gallon 2.5 hp compressor. Using the stock regulator that a 3/8" hose and fittings fit into.
I have friends that recommend I should go with 1/2" air hose. Would I get a noticable increase in performance with the stock regulator or should I go with a different regulator with a 1/2" outlet?
this is like tuning engines but with tools instead. SOO SICK. you should try to see what is max torque it can make. as in pushing like 400psi through it
Oh lord, I accidentally watched "3 hoses 1 tool"
Thanks, awesome channel I bought a Thor because of you. Question: what about the fittings on the regulator? Should those be using 3/8" or 1/2" when using a 1/2" hose? Also, have you tested Milton G-type fittings?
On air tool oil, my first gun was a Shinanno I bought as a first year apprentice, I took real good care of it but found later on when I left it a little the power would come up. It now is worn out and only does about 150ftlbs, I use it for wheel nuts mainly and smaller suspension stuff.
Air tools don't like too much lubrication just enough maybe one drop every day.
I've been using Dixon Valve DC624 sockets and DCP7 plugs on 1/2" hose for years with my 1/4NPT air tools. They're rated for 70CFM at 100psi, though my shop air is set at 125psi. Friends and new employees are always surprised at the performance the first few times they use it.
Oh, and the fittings are all steel, and they don't deform even when dropped repeatedly. The only drawback is having to buy more fittings for new tools or new employees. I do have a 3/8" hose with standard fittings for light duty tools or when someone brings a tool in from home.
Freedom swivel….. I like that. 🇺🇸’Murica