[Jerry Cowing]

Jerry,

What Dan said above is true. However, the volume of air available to run air tools is also very important. The hose diameter is one factor in the volume of air available to run your tools, another is the storage tank size (60-80 gal prefered) and another is whether it's a single or two stage pump with the two stage pump producing the most sustainable volume of air.

The larger the diameter of your hose (storage tank, pump, etc. remaining constant) the more volume of air you will have to operate your tools and the better they will maintain the proper pressure/volume specified by the manufactuer for the particular air tool you are using.

Bottomline: a bigger hose diameter is better -- to a practical limit of course.