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Confused - newbie to Air Compressors

Paul L

Paul L

coffee lounge for me
Hoping the cogniscenti on these things can unravel some of the mysteries please. A mate has been telling me it's one of those things I will wish I had bought sooner but I do find it all a bit confusing, both with what capacity to buy and whether I risk under-speccing what I need or the opposite and overkill on it.

So, the mate I mention is a plumber and in his case it's a heavy workshop-based 50L machine which he uses to blow dust out of tools every weekend, blow dust out of tumble drier filter a couple of times a year, basically dust blowing of all sorts. He's not air spraying or nailing or air-gunning wheels etc. but nevertheless has a tool he can rely on. He doesn't think I need this level of course.

Another mate has a very small capacity lightweight compressor and says I should go down that route rather than a 24L as the portability will outweigh all else. In my case I will be blowing debris out of the rain channels on my convertible, tumble drier filter, dust from tools and perhaps air spraying (creocoting) fence panels etc. and no doubt other uses I haven't thought of yet. I will use it partly in the workshop at the end of the garden (60 feet to the house) and sometimes on the drive at the front (another 40 feet) so I either go for a 50L with a 100 foot hose (too heavy to wheel down garden steps at back of house), a 24L on wheels with a 50 foot hose (wheeled to steps at back of house) or an 8L I can carry anywhere. The latter will recharge often but maybe isn't an issue?

I do like the look of the 3 Hyundai here (links are just to show the products):
8L https://hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk...RV6fhnOqWK06NlY8hgOtP416G2G6FrS4aAglXEALw_wcB

24L https://hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk...si-silenced-oil-free-direct-drive-1hp-hy7524/

50L https://hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk...0psi-oil-free-low-noise-electric-2hp-hy27550/

Then there's the question of fittings which glazes my eyes every time I read reviews, not so much on the fitting types but more on the inevitable reports of leaking and low quality connectors and hoses. I know from other pastimes just how ill-informed people can be and jump to wrong conclusion when knowledge is needed, or maybe PTFE tape, or maybe just good component choices. So maybe the myriad Chinese kits on Amazon are fine or maybe there are better more expensive buy-once engineered items it's better to have.

So, I'm hoping there are some recommendations on the hoses (I'm thinking rubber and PVC combination to stay flat but still be workable) and reliable connectors. I expect I will buy a trigger gun (car interior and air vents for example), long nozzle (convertible car rain channels), tyre pressure gauge (various bicycles) and air spraying stuff later.

Apologies for the ramble in trying to head off questions from giving too little context.
 
The first two would be all but useless for spraying any thing unless you are using a tiny air brush and even then may not be up to the job. I would suggest you get the largest you can handle and keep the air line to a minimum as the preasure drop down 50' is rather high. Get a larger diameter hose and purchase best quality connectors or you'll be loosing your precious air. 50 l of air when spraying is nothing at all, check details of your spray gun it might require 14 cfm to operate.
 
Thanks Ian, maybe I need two! Small one for portability and largest later if I want to try beefier jobs. The back of garden location renders the largest impractical for car use. Would be different if I had a garage at front or side of house.
 
Better still get an electric sprayer for the fencing job.

Or even more better still, you can buy my 200l single phase compressor I no longer use for a song.

Or or even the Hydrovane 66 (3 phase) I don't use ? Go on I know you're tempted
 
Crikey Ian, they look like heavy beasts. As I say, I’m new to this and it feels like wanting bookshelf speakers to move from room to room and being tempted by Tannoy/DBL/Isobariks lots of laughs!

Spraying is a nice to do later but it’s the other jobs that I’m focused on, particularly portability for blowing out dust from tools and car rain channels for example and that’s where my mates are telling me not to overspec.
 
More like 50 gallons for a car lol. I nearly got one myself until I saw the price and size of ones big enough to spray cars.
 
I've got a single phase 25l compressor
I use it mostly for tyres, cars, motorbikes and for seating tubeless tyres on my push bikes
It's perfect for inflating tyres and spraying etc
if you ever want to use air tools such as drills, windy guns for any length of time you will struggle with a single phase compressor, they empty the receiver very quickly and then can't keep up.
As for fittings there's loads of different types, I use type 17 for no other reason than that's what we use at work!
 
fegs said:
I've got a single phase 25l compressor
I use it mostly for tyres, cars, motorbikes and for seating tubeless tyres on my push bikes
It's perfect for inflating tyres and spraying etc
if you ever want to use air tools such as drills, windy guns for any length of time you will struggle with a single phase compressor, they empty the receiver very quickly and then can't keep up.
As for fittings there's loads of different types, I use type 17 for no other reason than that's what we use at work!
Click to expand...
Have you done a complete car on a 25l compressor?
 
I have a 1hp 25L job for tyres, blowguns, and paint spraying from one of the German supermarket sprayguns in the packs where you get a kit for £15. It works. It's portable, on wheels, for tyre inflation I charge it up and wheel it outside to the car.

For air tools and respray jobs you want a bigger one. For shed painting I'd use a cheap roller on the end of a broomstick. No spray mist to inhale, no overspray, stand back, slap it on and dump the rollers when done.
 
richardg said:
Have you done a complete car on a 25l compressor?
Click to expand...
As you know, it's not about the size of the reservoir but the size of the pump and in turn the motor power. In round numbers 1hp power is needed for every 3.5cfm FAD. That's 3.5 cubic feet of air per minute, free air delivery. The maximum you can run on a UK single phase supply is 4hp, 3kW, so about 14cfm. This is a big heavy item so a big reservoir is no big deal. A proper spraygun might demand 12cfm. Lesser ones 8, little domestic ones 3-4. The reservoir just reduces pressure fluctuations and gives the regulator less work to do. This isn't important for tyres and blowguns.
 
richardg said:
Have you done a complete car on a 25l compressor?
Click to expand...

No, sorry when I mentioned cars I was referring to the tyres
The only spraying I've done with it was some fence panels (nothing that really mattered)

As @gavreid mentioned, these things can be bloody noisy!!!
 
I've got a little 50Litre Aldi of Lidl job, about £80 plus a few bits and pieces for a longer and bigger diameter hose.

As long as you get decent wheels it'll push anywhere.

I've put everything onto ISO fittings now as Broomwade have become extinct.

You need something different if you want to spray; i've done a bit with air gun, bigger compressor and aux tank (Big Propane cylinder) but to do a decent job you need fairly continuous, stable pressure.
 
gavreid said:
Don't underestimate the noise that these things make either
Click to expand...

100% agree. I originally bought a Stanley "midsize" 24l model for general purpose use when I bought my house - and I never really used it. The noise is simply unbearable for any length of time and it would be on the small side for paint spraying anyway. However, I did need a compressor for occasional use (air blowing, bike tires, small brad nailer etc.). I stumbled upon this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WVVFZQD/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21 and that is actually all I need. Small and portable enough to lug around and silent enough to sit next to without ear protection. YMMV of course, but if you really need to do sand blasting, paint spraying etc. go with something larger (at least 50L) and if you just need it for minor jobs, a small and silent one will probably be a better choice.

Mind you, when I bought it the small Stanley was available locally (in DK) for around 100 pounds so the current amazon UK price is a bit steep, but I am very happy with it for the occasional light use I have for it.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
I think I’d be renting a large compressor when needed, and buying the best portable for everything else. They’re huge beasts!

But I’m one of those people who try to avoid buying responsibilities!
 
Depending on how much you are willing to pay (for a change), but we needed a very quiet compressor at work.
Bambi to the rescue.
The one we used was easily portable, near silent, and just 'worked'
At work, we have had to do some serious noise insulation to stop the noise from big compressors from across the yard - how they tolerate that in a workplace is beyond me!
https://bambi-air.co.uk
 
So I've had several comp' over the years..and have done everything from blowing up a bike tyre to full car prep and respray

What compressor you buy will depend entirely on what you want to do with it!
Do NOT underestimate how much air an airtool uses ...and don't believe what it says on the box either!
A minimum for an all round usable compi is 15cfm and 100ltr tank @140psi
That's if you want/need to run an air drill / needle gun etc
To run a DA sander you WILL need bigger

In my younger days I have painted a car (one panel at a time!) using a 4cfm /50ltr set.
It wasn't fun!

My current set is an all alloy 15cfm 3hp 150psi compi with a 200ltr tank ...plumbed throughout my garage and workshop
It's ok for general workshop use...air line/blowing down the lathe/ small paint jobs and my favourite tool....the impact gun
 
Thanks and to the others, I’m learning as go. I’ve ordered the first Hyundai I linked to, the small one, as primary need is blowing dust, car rain channels, car tyres, maybe bike tyres. So light and portable in other words. If I want to play more seriously later with tools or spraying I’ll look at the sort of thing you and Ian pointed to which are bigger than the third Hyundai that caught my eye. In which case noise will become secondary whereas with the portable the 60db rather than the 95db alternatives was another driver for me.
 
stevec67 said:
I have. It's not ideal. You need someone watching the pressure gauge, or a small spraygun. I did do a whole wood lathe with a small comp and cheap gun, more recently. That was OK.
Click to expand...
So if I just did the bonnet eg it would be enough?
 
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