Compressor Question

[poudini]

I'm looking to buy a 240V air compressor for general restoration use (drills, grinders etc) but also need something capable of spraying a car and possibly a plasma cutter too - I know I need a decent size tank but what sort of air delivery should I be looking for?
Anyone got any tips for which makes & models to look for (And avoid?!)

[jimmyybob]

I think you will need 14cfm with the biggest tank you can get, im not sure make and model means much these days most are probably built by the same factory.

You need something like this.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... sors-elect

[alabbasi]

Don't buy anything made in China. Buy a major brand (not sure what the brands are in the UK) that can offer you support over the years.
I have two Cambell Hausfeld compressors. One at the house and one at the hobby shop. Both are 60 gallon uprights (about 226 liters) and both have 5hp motors.

It can keep up with a paint gun and some tools, but still struggles to keep up with a DA sander or grinder. I'd like to replace the one at the hobby shop with an 80 gallon (302 liter) twin stage Ingersol Rand at some point. They costs about $1000 dollars here.

Don't shy away from used if you can find an industrial compressor like an IR.

[kevin]

i have the clarke one that jimmyybob linked to
its over 27 years old now and has served me well. done all sorts from tyre inflation through to air tools and a bit of spraying. going to be doing a bit more spraying soon but from what ive been researching it will be fine with a hvlp gun.
the motor burnt out on it last year which was a huge problem (only in my head it seems). had quotes of upto £400 for a rewind (at that point i hadnt considered a new motor) then after a few postings on a forum i realised the motors are available from quite a few sources.
i rang clarke spares direct after chatting with the rep from machine mart, they had a brand new old stock motor sitting on the shelf and it came in at £180 delivered. it runs faster and stronger than ever.
one point to consider is..
in my last house, the 3hp motor would trip the electric. in this house i built the garage with a heavy duty electric supply to run the mig welder and compressor.
there are many more expensive brands on the market but overall this compressor has done everything ive asked from it and clarke have also been good to deal with.
as said above, leave any of the cheap Chinese copies alone and be careful if offered a cheap honda powered one (if you consider petrol) as there are some Chinese copies that look just like a genuine one but dont last very long at all.

kev

[Grumpy Northener]

We run a Nuair 14cfm 150 litre twin stage compressor - it runs everything in the workshop - spraying including full resprays, sanders, grit & soda blasters, impact wrenches etc - purchased second hand and it's not missed a beat

[tractorman]

This is actually a SIP; the labels fell off a week or two after it was bought! I bought it on eBay as an ex-demo machine and it was a lot cheaper than a new one, with a limited guarantee (ie it worked!). It's the third compressor I've bought in about 25 years, as I have had to upgrade twice to machines that "will see me out"!

My point being don't buy a small cheap one as, once you have a compressor, you'll wish you could do something that needs more air!

Regarding drills and sanders etc, I would seriously think of a decent cordless drill and a cheap sander from B&Q (or similar place). If you buy air-powered stuff, you will find that a) it's noisy and annoys the neighbours and b) you'll want to use the tools in the house. I have one air-powered sander - one of those long thin reciprocating ones - that is ideal for sanding flat or around corners on flat panels (eg my little tractor's wings, which have flat tops and sides, but a curved "corner" running along the length).

[suffolkpete]

Bear in mind that 3 horsepower is probably the maximum you can run from a single-phase domestic supply.

[Luxobarge]

I think you will need 14cfm with the biggest tank you can get, im not sure make and model means much these days most are probably built by the same factory.

You need something like this.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... sors-elect

Totally agree with all of that! Get the highest CFM you can, belt dive compressors are the best, but as above make sure it'll run on single phase.

Having said that, if you do have 3-phase available, you should find lots of good quality 3-phase compressors available second hand. They'll take some muscle to transport though.

[tractorman]

I was slightly amused with the "new" compressor as it needs a 16A feed for its 3HP motor. It came with a moulded 13A plug - so must have been fitted with it at the factory. The predecessor (also a SIP with 3HP motor) runs happily from a 13A socket!

Luckily, there's a 16A socket in the garage (for the MIG), so I only had to get another plug. I did test it with the 13A plug - just to make sure it was working - and it was fine. However, it was starting with an empty tank, so there was no load on the compressor when I switched it on.

[TerryG]

My MIG claims it needs 16a but it has a 13a plug on it and is yet to blow any fuses. I suspect unless you are working it hard for long periods it will be happy with a standard 13a supply.