Air compressors.. which kind to get & what do you use yours for?

[Cordata]

28 minutes ago, spudulike said:

Great workshop tool, you can power an airline for cleaning, rattle gun/impact driver, tyre pump, staple gun, nail gun etc. 

Anyone in arb should own one to clean their tools.

I started with a no tank compressor so it was pumping against the airline and you had to pulse the trigger, the next one had a 15L tank but the brushes went, the last one cost £45, had a brushless motor and 24L tank and has been perfect...noisy but perfect. 

They are great tools and have converted many, bored many others about how good they are.

 

Was that £45 one second hand?

 

I got a machinemart advert in my emails and they are a lot more than that (but I think reasonably priced for something I'll use for maintenance every single week) - 

 

 

[Doug Tait]

9 hours ago, spudulike said:

Great for a bit of detailing under the car bonnet if you like running a clean motor.

 

Been known to use it for cleaning bits inside a car too.

 

There's something very pleasurable about giving a saw a thorough going over in a workshop equipped with good lighting and a compressor.

 

[Dan Maynard]

They are about the money, yes. For the extra few quid I'd get the 2.5hp, it's about as much as you get from a 13A socket. Also 25 litre, otherwise every time you're waiting twice as long for it to build up usable pressure.

 

I am also really pleased with my little plug that comes on for half an hour when button pressed, haven't had to go back out to the shed in the middle of the night to turn the compressor off once since I bought it.

 

[Brushcutter]

I have a 270 litre 3 phase one that powers hard line tubing across 2 workshops.  It's used for cleaning tractors various chainsaws blowing up tractor and trailer tyres. There is also a range of scailers die grinders air hammers etc 

 

Any compressor is better than no compressor. If you are all above board on your health and safety they require inspecting each year as it is a pressure vessel.  That is expensive so in some cases it's just cheaper to change the compressor every year. 

[devon TWiG]

I recently bought a Hyundai one ..very quiet , only 8 litre capacity but fine for blowing out dust etc ...

Hyundai 8 Litre Air Compressor, 4CFM/118psi, Silenced, Oil Free, Direct Drive 0.75hp | HY5508

HYUNDAIPOWEREQUIPMENT.CO.UK

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Hyundai Air Compressor HY5508 with 0.75hp power, 118psi maximum pressure, 4CFM air displacement and 8L tank capacity. Available now.

 

[Stere]

Is a plus of the oil free ones, that  unlike  the oiled ones you are  not blowing any out  misted oil which might not be that healthy?

 

Or it that a non issue?

 

 

Quote

How do you do that Will?

I haven’t drained my cheapo one in about 20 years!

 

 

Haven't done a maintenance on the lidl one since bought it yrs ago so suppose this needs doing plus checking oil.

 

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Stere

[coppice cutter]

I've a big twin motor/twin compressor jobby which used to be very busy when I was fitting a lot of motorcycle tyres.

 

Now it's nowhere near as busy but I just let it stay switched on 24/7 as there's always something for it to do pretty much every day and I reckon it'd use just as much electric getting up to pressure 3 or 4 times a week as just keeping it at the pressure.

 

I theory which I think would apply to any size or capacity compressor.

 

But leaky fittings a huge no-no obviously.

Edited February 18, 2023 by coppice cutter

[Bunzena]

A compressor was never top of my tool list - until I got one.  Amazing how useful they are.

 

Have a 'silent' one from Toolstation.  They occasionally put them on offer at a price closer to £150.  Not the cheapest out there - but genuinely very quiet.  24 litres is about as small as I would go - otherwise it's constantly re-filling.  Budget for an in-line oiler if you plan to use it with air-tools that have moving parts.

 

Einhell 24L 1hp Silent Upright Air Compressor 230V | Toolstation

WWW.TOOLSTATION.COM

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• 1hp oil free silent motor • 24 litre air receiver • Air displacement: 4.8 cfm • Max operating pressure 8 bar • Includes: Carry handle The Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent compressor...

 

[Joe Newton]

SIP 04383 QT100/10 Low Noise Compressor | Toolden

WWW.TOOLDEN.CO.UK

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Shop for SIP 04383 QT100/10 Low Noise Compressor at Toolden. Free shipping for orders over £50...

 

 

Picked this up recently. A mate bought it for a work project that took a month, then he was done with it. Cost me £150.

 

It's super quiet.

[Mark Bolam]

Some good suggestions here.

 

I could certainly do with a new compressor before my cheapo 20 year old one blows up.

It just keeps on going though, exclusively for tyres and blowing out saws.

 

A quiet one would be nice.

 

As Dan has mentioned, I’ve done the naked walk of shame to the workshop a couple of times when I’ve forgotten to turn it off!

 

It always makes me laugh when people slag off a particular saw and I ask what compressor they use?

’What compressor?’

 

How you can properly maintain a saw without one is completely beyond me?