Tornador: compressor test

[daimler]

Awww... I'm thinking it's too short. The "least" recommendation" wouldn't still fit my requirements. Time to look for a bigger one then.

[lilsullivan04]

How much compressor is required to run the Tornador black, seems to be a fairly common question. I have a couple of different sizes of compressor and thought I would do a quick test to see what it really takes to run the Tornador.

The test was conducted as follows:
Tornador black filled with water
25' 3/8 air hose
Regulator on the handle of Tornador to limit max air pressure at 90psi, and also to check when compressor output to gun dropped below 70psi.
I ran the tornador until the compressor kicked on then released the trigger until the compressor motor cut out. Then I pulled the trigger fully until the compressor kicked back on or the pressure at the gun dropped below 70psi.


Heavy weight contender:

10HP 120 gallon tank 2 stage rated at 175psi at 35cfm

OK obvious overkill, this compressor would probably run a few Tornadors. I quit measuring after 3 minutes of wide open use. Pressure never went below 90psi, motor never started.


Middle weight:

5Hp 80 gallon, 2 stage, 175psi at 19cfm

At 3 minutes the pressure hadn't dropped below 90 to the gun. Motor was able to fill tank and kick off with trigger pulled.


Light weight:

"5hp" 25 gallon, 125psi, 90 psi at 7.1cfm

This poor compressor has been abused, abandened, and left outside for at least 10 years. I am not even sure if it is safe, but I pulled it in to the shop for a quick test. It charged up to 145psi and would run the Tornador for 45s before the motor would kick on. It would run the Tornador for a full 2 minutes before the pressure would drop below 70psi. At that level the Tornador becomes to underpowered for proper use.


Bantem:

"2hp, 4 gallon, 4.3cfm @100psi

Pushing the lower limit of usefulness here. While this will run a finish nailer with no problems. Using it to power the Tornador to clean a carpet would not be efficient. It would power the Tornador for about 9 seconds before it would kick on, the good thing was that it only needed 12 seconds to fully charge. This compressor could be used with the Tornador to clean dashes, maybe even door jams. Anything that needs the blast then wipe method. I think the small tank was the problem here.


Conclusion: A large storage tank or a high cfm compressor is the key to getting maximum benefit from the Tornador. A large tank would allow you to blast around with the Tornador, then wipe clean with a rag while recharging the tank. Since large tanks are cheaper than high cfm compressors, go with the biggest tank you can find. I would recomend at least a 5cfm compressor with a 10 gallon tank at the minimum, a 25 gallon tank would be even better.




Z-020 Tornador Black Car Cleaning Gun, Z-020 Tornador Black

Will a Dewalt 15 gallon 1.6 HP Continuous 200 psi 4.8 SCFM @ 90psi work?

[Ramdallas]

Will a Dewalt 15 gallon 1.6 HP Continuous 200 psi 4.8 SCFM @ 90psi work?

[SigBoi]

Would these Harbor Freight ones work ok? Trying to budget, but it seems like I'd have to spend the money on the higher CFM models.

Air delivery: 5.8 CFM @ 40 PSI, 4.7 CFM @ 90 PSI
21 gal. 2.5 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor
$179.99
21 gal. 2.5 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

Air delivery: 5.9 CFM @ 90 PSI, 7.3 CFM @ 40 PSI
29 gal. 2 HP 150 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor
$359.99
29 gal. 2 HP 150 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

Also, from reading so many threads on this topic, tank size is critical to not having the motor pumping on end, so this powerful but small 10gal CAT wouldn't work very well?

California Air Tools 10 gal. 2.0 HP Ultra Quiet and Oil-Free Electric Air Compressor-10020C - The Home Depot
6.40 CFM at 40 psi 5.30 CFM at 90 psi
10 Gal. steel air tank with wheel kit - easy to move around
125 psi maximum pressure

[GSKR]

I see a lot of people interested in that tool.not bashing it,but I see it's a time killer compared to just spray and wipe plus all the extra overspray mist everywhere.maybe useful for me on delicate semi clean engines cause I don't do engines period with degreaser and pw just my opinion.

[onsite]

I see a lot of people interested in that tool.not bashing it,but I see it's a time killer compared to just spray and wipe plus all the extra overspray mist everywhere.maybe useful for me on delicate semi clean engines cause I don't do engines period with degreaser and pw just my opinion.

Yea I cant see a major help in the overall panels with cleaning and dressing. Maybe vents, but then the over spray too is a downside. Im going to try a cheapy out just to test and see if they are worth it cause who knows!

I see some use them on carpets. I just got my steam cleaner and couldn't see why I would use both or the tornador over the steam cleaner.

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[Mantilgh]

I was planning on using it on vehicles where a simple spray and wipe would not be enough. I would use it more as a replacement for scrubbing cloth seats and carpets. I thought about maybe headliners and vent too, I guess I'll see how it works.

I don't think it would be as efficient/effective for vinyl and hard surface cleaning. I will probably still use the spray and wipe, or spray, scrub, and wipe method.

I do not plan on using it to clean all interior surfaces like one would do with a steamer. I could see how that would get messy. I typically clean seats and carpets first, so I don't really see it making much extra work for me.

[onsite]

I was planning on using it on vehicles where a simple spray and wipe would not be enough. I would use it more as a replacement for scrubbing cloth seats and carpets. I thought about maybe headliners and vent too, I guess I'll see how it works.

I don't think it would be as efficient/effective for vinyl and hard surface cleaning. I will probably still use the spray and wipe, or spray, scrub, and wipe method.

I do not plan on using it to clean all interior surfaces like one would do with a steamer. I could see how that would get messy. I typically clean seats and carpets first, so I don't really see it making much extra work for me.

I see it having a purpose. For me i just need to find its place.

For vents and dirty panels i could see but with vents i could see it having a hard time. But you never know until its in your hand.

I havent used one yet so dont know for sure.

As far as compressor i think the hf 29 gal is a better option. I just picked one up actually. But expect to get a big generator! I had a 3300 watt 20A that it pop the second it turned on.

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[KB in MD]

I see it having a purpose. For me i just need to find its place.

For vents and dirty panels i could see but with vents i could see it having a hard time. But you never know until its in your hand.

I havent used one yet so dont know for sure.

As far as compressor i think the hf 29 gal is a better option. I just picked one up actually. But expect to get a big generator! I had a 3300 watt 20A that it pop the second it turned on.

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This requires a 20amp circuit

[onsite]

This requires a 20amp circuit

Ok?

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