Air compressor

[reflexboy]

Need a bit of advice: Thinking of buying a small air compressor and I am very confused about the spec I would need. I'm reading all about litre sizes of the tank, HP, CFM, oil, oil free etc etc. I want a reasonable one to inflate car tyres, spray a garden fence, use an air gun to clean stuff and maybe spray small parts like mirror housings/grilles. Machine Mart seem like terrific value, but which model should I go for? Have a look here and tell me what you think. Ta.

Airmaster Diy & Semi Pro Air Compressors - Machine Mart

and

DIY & Semi Pro Air Compressors - Machine Mart

 

[Will]

Hi Jim,

To be honest, for the stuff you're looking to do, any of the budget (sub £200?) compressors will do. If you were looking to run air tools (ratchets, impact guns etc) or painting panels/cars etc then you might need to look at the spec more carefully.

Just be aware that they are likely to be very noisy - might be an issue with the neighbours, when you decide to fire it up etc.

In general:

CFM (cubic feet per minute) - the higher this figure, the greater volume of air that it can flow - some tools/applications will require more than others

HP - horsepower of the compressor motor, the higher this figure the more powerful the motor that drives the pump is. You won't be able to run more than about 2/3Hp from a normal mains socket

The size of the tank is the amount you can 'charge' up when the compressor is fired up. Ie, a 50L tank will have a greater reserve without having to start up again than a 25L one.

Can't comment about oil/oil free, but I don't think it's going to matter too much for pumping up tyres, painting fence panels etc.

IIRC - Aldi used to do a package deal for a fairly good DIY compressor with a range of starter tools (tyre pump, spray gun, hose, air duster etc) for peanuts with a few years warranty - might be worth a look

 

[reflexboy]

Evening Will
Thanks for that. I doubt I will ever use it for any type of air tool, just basic DIY jobs around the home. Possibly a nail gun when the time comes to replace the decking or build a bit of fetheredge fencing I will check Aldi out.

 

[reflexboy]

Does anyone have any opinions on Wolf Air compressors. It seems I can get a higher rated unit for similar money from Wolf.
What does the panel think comparing the Wolf Air to the Airmaster:

Wolf Sioux 50L - 2.5HP, 9.5CFM Air Compressor 240v + 5pc Kit | eBay

or

Airmaster Tiger 8/44 Air Compressor - Machine Mart