I'm about to buy my first air compressor and in doing the due dilligence work to see what's what, I've come upon a conundrum - Which air tools do you really need for the Cayman.

I'm assuming an air wrench, but which one?

Also a tire filling tool. I'm sure there is a name for that.

Anything else needed or nice to have?

Do you really need to buy additional hoses? Does the air comporessor come with them? From what I read, they generally don't.

I did a search and got advice on compressors, but not so much on tools.

Thanks!

Ole Joe

My Air Compressor is one of my more useful tools but I wouldn't use it on the Cayman for anything other than filling the tires or maybe blowing dust off. AC tools can be rough on wheel bolts and other things you might try using it on.
A 3/8" socket set with a long handled wrench is better for wheel removal (along with a Booth soft socket to protect the wheel bolts).

I have a couple of hoses, one very long to reach the drip irrigation system to blow it out at the end of the summer and another coiled one to service the tires. A search on Amazon will give you lots of good options but do yourself a favor and don't get something that will take forever to air up a tire or operate a nail gun.

Joe,

I have one of this, and have been using it for last 10 years extensively for auto work and sand blasting, painting.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg...mId=1611774377

Whatever you buy, just don’t buy the oil-less type cheap sears brand.

As for impact get a good 1/2” like INGERSOLL-RAND with 600 torque. You can supplement it with other cheaper brand for non-critical impacts. Since you live in TX, cold temp is not an issue and hose will do. They are cheap.

Make sure you get air filter for the air line and lube oil for your impacts. Of course, a good torque wrench is a must. Good luck.

I have an inexpensive 3-Gal air compressor (< $200). It runs on 110VAC and is capable of delivering 40PSI. Since the Cayman tire pressure (for 19s) is 32PSI (F) and 37PSI (r), that covers me. Tracking the car you may want a little higher. A 30' hose and an air chuck with gauge should suffice.

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The search tool is your friend. It is very
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Cayman S - a portable amusement park

- 2006 Cayman S
- 2003 Dakota SXT
- 1963 Studebaker Avanti, R2, 4-Speed
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LL

Once you have a compressor, you are going to find plenty of uses for it, and most of them won't involve the Cayman.

Depending upon your budget, a two stage compressor is nice. They are generally much quieter than the single stage direct drive units, but most of them also require a 220 volt outlet. Larger capacities are nice since the compressor doesn't have to cycle as often, and you can run tools like a die-grinder, which uses a LOT of air. Vertical units are nice because they save space.

As for tools, I like AirCats. You tend to pay more for them, but they are powerful and quiet. Ingersoll Rands are good too, but not quite as nice as the AirCats. Ebay is a good place to shop for air tools.

As for tools, I tend to use my die grinder more than anything. It spins at 20,000 rpm, so it blasts off old gasket material and paint in a matter of seconds. Put a spiral cutting bit on it and it will slice sheet rock like butter.

A 3/8 drive air ratchet and a 1/2" drive impact gun will do most jobs, but I can't think of much reason to be using them on a Cayman.

As others have observed, the compressor can also be used to blow out sprinklers and run nailers if you do any kind of home improvement projects. Oh, and no more need to sweep your garage or the bed of your truck, you just blow it out with your blow gun (another nice tool to have).

I'd shop for hoses at Harbor Freight, if you have one nearby. They sell Goodyear, and have hose reels as well.

I wouldn't bother with an inline oiler, just use a couple drops of air tool oil occasionally. If you are going to paint, then you need an inline evaporator/dryer to keep condensation out of your compressed air. You should also run a regulator to keep your pressure at 90 psi when running your tools.

I agree on the oiler. However, I recommend the dryer even if you're not painting. You want to put the dryest air possible in your tires.

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Robert

Good point. I live in Colorado. Dry air is not a problem here due to low humidity.

Anyone use an air compressor to help dry their car after washing? Or are these not safe...

a good 3/8" impact gun like an I/R Titanium should do the trick... lighter, smaller, and plenty powerful enough for most everything. (axle nuts and crank pulley bolts are stubborn sometimes and might require a 1/2")