First flat tire. Q on Farmhand impact tool.

[RalphVa]

I finally got an excuse to get an impact wrench. One other thing I picked up during my recent bush hog experience was a flat tire on the front. Didn't really have a 1/2" drive socket to fit the lugs and was looking for an excuse to get an impact wrench.

The Dorsey place where I bought my 10mm-36mm impact socket set didn't know the SCFM specs on their impact wrenches. So, I came back to TSC (about 100 yards back) and got their Farmhand 1/2" drive one for $82 that is good for 550 ft-lb and 5.1 SCFM (my compressor is good for 5.0). They were out of stock on the I-R ones that used only 4.4 SCFM and had notched settings.

This Farmhand one worked fine. However, it doesn't have notched torque setting. The torque is set by an air valve that looks something like a rheostat. I used it at max to remove the bolts and cranked it down to a low value to put them back. Then used my hand torque wrench for the 129-144 ft-lb setting they're supposed to have.

Does anyone have a Farmhand one like this (1/2" drive)? Is the rheostat-like scale linear?

Also didn't know about the pneumatic oil. Bought some when I went out later. I just gave it a tiny shot of compressor oil into the air inlet initially. Need more of the right oil to lube it for storage. Wonder what kind of oil the pneumatic oil is?

Oh, I slimed both front tires. Wish I could slime the rear ones, but can't with the fluid in them.

The FEL makes a nice hydraulic jack for the front wheels.

Ralph

 

[Highbeam]

The tool may need so many cfm to run but since you won't be running it nonstop it doesn't really matter what capacity your compressor has so long as your tank doesn't run out of pressure between bursts of tool use. Don't sweat the air consumption.

My impact driver uses the rheostat type settings. For me it might as well be high or low since I do not believe in torquing with the impact driver. I use the lowest setting to spin the nuts/bolts just snug and then grab the torque wrench. I always remove fasteners with full tool output.

Use any pneumatic tool oil. Compressor oil is likely very similar.

I don't know what I would do without the impact driver, very useful tool.

 

[EastTexFrank]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> was a flat tire on the front </font> )</font>

It'll probably be the first of many. It kinda comes with the territory.

I must admit though that your learning curve was a lot shorter than mine. I had 13 flats on 2 tractors in one year before I slimed them but now I'm a believer. I'm a little slow at times.

I had a couple of bad experiences due to a misused impact wrench a few years ago so I've never owned or operated one but I'm getting to the age where I need all the help I can get. So, I'd be interested in what you think of the Farmhand after you've used it for a while. It seems fairly positive so far, at least it breaks them loose and snugs them up and that's all I'd want out of it.

I do use pneumatic oil on my tools but I think that any good, light oil would do.

 

[slydog]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I must admit though that your learning curve was a lot shorter than mine. I had 13 flats on 2 tractors in one year before I slimed them but now I'm a believer. )</font>

Whatd'ya mean by slimed them? Is that like some kind of self sealing stuff? What do you use and where do you get it?

 

[NIXON]

Try www.slime.com
It's generally available at places like TSC . John

 

[ALBALD1]

I've slimed the tires on my fourwheeler & lawnmower. One thing i've wondered though. I've heard that fix-a-flat will cause corrosion. Anyone know if slime has any drawbacks like that?

 

[PineRidge]

Most of the tire sealers like Mutti-Seal or Slime claim that they may be left in the tire without worry about damage to rims. If I didn't use one or the other I would tend to worry more about flats. I used to get flats all the time before I started using the sealants.