Oiling my tools

[anml726]

I've had several different answers to this question, so I'll post it here and see what I get. I know you're supposed to oil your air tools every day that they are used, but how much oil should be used? I've been told everything from 2 drops to a good squirt. Thanks.

[Phil V]

Oiling an air tool "ever day" is a relative term. If you use an air tool for 30 seconds a day then adding oil to that tool would be a bad thing, not a good thing. I have and use often a couple air tools I bought in 1973, they've never been rebuilt. I dont' oil my air tools every day. I add a few drops when I think they need it (which is not that often). Over oiling an air tool can cause as much problems as not oiling it at all. Too much oil and it turns to sludge inside the air tool and eventually the air vanes in the air motor stick and finally the air tool will just quit running. Another point where oiling air tools is subjective is that some air tools need more oil than other air tools. Usually the faster the air motors turn the more oil the will need. Some of the newer air tools like some composite DA's are designed to be run with no oil. In fact I've seen stickers on some air tools saying " Do Not Oil, this is a permanently lubricated air tool". Every once in a while its a good idea to run some mineral spirits or kerosene/fuel oil etc through an air tool that is oiled. It will clean out the sludge buildup in the air motor.

I know all my air tools pretty well after using them for years so I can tell just by the sound of the air tool running if it needs a shot of oil. On an air tool like a 5 inch hand grinder a couple drops should be good for several hours of run time. The same for the older style DA's and air files, air wrenches.

[anml726]

Thanks for the info, that helps a lot

[Phil V]

Something I didn't address in my last post and should have is that many home hobbiest bodymen/painters use air compressors that are too small but they make do with what they have. If you have a small air compressor that runs just about continuously while running air tools then the odds are that the compressor runs hot and it produces a lot more moisture than an industrial air compressor. In some situations with hobbiests the water trap set ups aren't that good either so what I'm getting at is that hobbiest setups pump more water/moisture through the air line(s). If you put an air tool away that has moisture inside the air motor from the air line, then that obviously is a bad thing. In a situation like that it would be a good idea to put a couple drops of oil in the air tool inlet then run the tool for a couple seconds to disperse that air tool oil in the air motor. I never do that with my air tools but then I have an industrial air compressor with with good water traps so very little moisture ends up coming out the end of my air lines.

[Len]

I've had several different answers to this question, so I'll post it here and see what I get. I know you're supposed to oil your air tools every day that they are used, but how much oil should be used? I've been told everything from 2 drops to a good squirt. Thanks.

I have one of these on almost every air tool I own, that way I don't have to remember to oil it daily.