Air Compressor Sizing Question...

[SeaMac]

What would be the smallest gas powered compressor you could get away with to fill a wheel loaders tire with air? Here are the particulars, we have a Volvo L70E Loader with a minor air leak in the front right tire. Yes, we can road it to a gas station and sometimes we do but they charge for air. We found a gas powered compressor that obviously fell off a truck, it's a Coleman Powermate other than some road rash on the reservoirs it works great but it won't put more the 30psi in the L70E's tires.

Compressor specs:

Tank
•Size: 4 Gallons
•Style: Pontoon

Compressor Pump
•Style: Oil-Free Direct Drive

CFM
•6.9 CFM's @ 40 PSI
•5 CFM's @ 90 PSI

Pressure
•Operating Pressure: 155 PSI
•Maximum Pressure: 155 PSI

Power
•Source: Gasoline
•Horsepower: 5

Shouldn't this compressor do the trick? We generally run 50psi in the tires and I would have thought this compressor would be able to get the job done. Or, could something be wrong with the compressor, it did fall out of someone's truck?

If this compressor is too small could someone please advise as to what size would do the job? It has to be small, it goes in an 8' pickup bed along with a plate compactor and various and sundry "other" items so space is limited. Thanks...

 

[buckfever]

It should fill the tire just take a little while. I filled a 23.5x25 artic tire with a electric pancake air compressor. It took a while but it worked. Around here i've seen guys with smaller sevice trucks use a dewalt or IR gas powered aircompressor, the same kind that roofers or framers would use. They put out a lot of air and can run all day long with no problem.

 

[SeaMac]

That's exactly what this compressor is. Annnnnnd....I think I found the problem, since we found it on the side of the road and it didn't come with a manual -most things found on the side of the road don't, you know- we haven't been using it correctly. I downloaded the manual from Coleman Powermate's website and low and behold there's a nob on the unloader valve which is vertical for starting then gets moved to horizontal for running. Yeah, that li'l sucker has been in the vertical position since we found it last Friday morning and when we attempted to use it today and got nothing for air pressure, imagine that. Typical guys, "we don't need no stinkin' instructions, nah not us". I'll give it a go tomorrow and see what happens, other than the loader's tire all of our air filters could use a blast of air too. In any event, if it needs a little work or parts that won't be a problem it was free after all....

 

[SeaMac]

Okay then, once you put that little valve in the horizontal position it works just fine, who knew. Got all tries aired-up!

 

[stumpjumper83]

I was going to say i have a jenny / emglo gas powered one, bout 6.5 hp, that sucker can stay ahead of a 3/4 air impact, comes in handy for in field repairs.

 

[SeaMac]

Yeppir, this one has a 5hp Honda and works like a champ, well.....once you figure out how to use that is. :idea

 

[stinkycat]

Have to do it when I was a kid and was the everyday gofer for my Dad in the summer, he had a couple of Gallion 104 motor graders and when he would have flat I got to make repairs under instruction. We would repair the tires and with check valve that we got at Western Auto that replaced a spark plug on the old chevy pick-up we would pump up the tires it worked but seemed like it took hours

 

[OCR]

and with check valve that we got at Western Auto that replaced a spark plug

LOL... I remember those things very well, in fact, we still have one in an old canvas bag... laying in a parts bin, out in the shop. It might even still work...:beatsme

it worked but seemed like it took hours

I think it did... lol



OCR...