How big is big enough for an air compressor..

Using impact gun occasionally & cut off tools?

 

Go bigger then you would ever think you will need because 5 years down the road when you want to run those big high cfm tools and you are stuck with the one that worked fine for your demands then, you will be kicking your self

Also buy one that is belt driven those direct drive ones are pieces of crap and louder then hell.

 

For shop duty, a 60gal or larger is preferred. It's best to get a 220v one, and hard-wire it into the garage. High-output 220v motors are cheaper than the same output 110v one, and also uses less amperage and therefore smaller gauge power wiring.

We have a 18cfm@100psi compressor, and it works great. Big enough for a repair shop with 2 or 3 bays.

 

X2

 

I have a 33 gallon craftsman I got a few months ago. It does the job but its loud and it runs a lot depending on what your doing. It works with an impact and air ratchet just fine, haven't tried to paint with it yet. Just make sure you get a good hose not the crappy ones they give you.

 

I also have a Craftsman 30-something gallon upright direct drive compressor. It easily handles all the garage tasks I throw at it. Grinders, drills, chisels, 1/2" impact, tires, etc. For auto-body work or something else that will use large amounts of air for hours on end, I'd recommend something much bigger. For mechanical work, it's plenty.

Down side: It is really, really, really, really loud. I don't dare turn it on late at night (when I do most of my work) because it will wake up the entire neighborhood.

 

4CFM at 90 psi per tool OFF THE COMPRESSOR (not off the tank) you want to run. The tank size is just surge capacity - at the end of the day, you can only use what the motor compresses.

 

you can always get a motor or smaller compressor and hook it up to a huge tank, it will be a slow fill but wont run out every time you remove a lug nut

 

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...tml#HowMuchAir

I run a 12CFM/20 gallon tank compressor for my shop. Usually keeps up with most of the air tools I have.