workshop air compressor

[muddymech]

HI
My air compressor just given up teh ghost, anybody got any recomendations or experinace of recently buying.
like all things i dont want to spend too much, missed out on last weeks aldi deal but have seen couple else were.


Stanley Air Compressor - Belt Drive, 2.5HP - Supercheap Auto Australia (http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Stanley-Air-Compressor-Belt-Drive-2-5HP.aspx?pid=224373&menuFrom=70101#Combo)

C327 | RAV2.75/36 Air Compressor | machineryhouse.com.au (http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/C327)




whats your thoughts and ideas, i do general workshop stuff, been using a direct drive supercheap blackridge, worked fine and did pretty much everything i wanted.

ian

[Homestar]

been using a direct drive supercheap blackridge, worked fine and did pretty much everything i wanted.

ian

Apart from living to a ripe old age? Personally, I think buying cheap compressors is a false economy, they WILL die quickly, even if only used from time to time. Every time I go to the tip, there are heaps of cheapies being chucked away.

If you only want cheap, they fine - pretty much anything will do what you want. If you want something that will always go when you turn it on, and outlive you, then you will need to spend a bit more.

How many cheapies are you prepared to throw away over your lifetime?

For a few hundred more than that Stanley unit you would be able to get something that would last a long time.

[UncleHo]

I would suggest a twin cylinder belt drive unit like those available from "Trade Tools Direct" if you have those stores near you. Www.tradetoolsdirect.com.au

cheers

[steveG]

x2 - belt drive allows you to replace the head or motor separately should one of them fail.

Steve

[WingsOfToa]

As a builder for almost 25yrs, my compressors spat out millions of 4inch nails. The best ive had and still have is from trade tools direct QLD. Theyre heavy, but worth their money (at least the old ones were). They used to be cheap as well but havent kept up on prices lately. I have their framing guns that have had millions of nails run through them without any maintenance, still going strong but can get stuck just like every other brand.

[crash]

As suggested go for a belt drive. Compressors and motors can be changed seperately. Buy the biggest CFM you can afford - there are two ratings free flow - as to what comes out of the air hose and compressor - ability to fill the tank. When comparing CFM make sure you compare CFM at the same psi.
I have an Air Mac (12months old), they are used alot in the orchard industry around where I live.

Keep your old tank and join it too your new compressor for more volume.

[Davehoos]

I have a near new 40L 2.5 horse compressor.
cost $15 at recycle center.
I purchased $30 hose and fittings from aldi.
it just pumps up 1 car tyre from flat or 4 mower tyres.

my truck compressor has a 11.5 electric start Honda and about 120L with 3/8 and 3/4 hose--has an Australian made logo but is at least 80-90's.
the motor and compressor purchased seporatly from a compressor specialist.we have a variety of similar looking hydrolic drive units on varies vehicles.

dad purchased a 120CFM broomwade for a few hundred.ideal for air chisel and random sander.

[Vern]

30 year old McMillan, still going strong considering, just starting to chuff a bit of air out the side, was going to replace it, but for a few bucks I think I can give it a new lease of life. Buy quality I say:)

[d2dave]

30 year old McMillan, still going strong considering, just starting to chuff a bit of air out the side, was going to replace it, but for a few bucks I think I can give it a new lease of life. Buy quality I say:)

Mine is 28 years old, although not a McMillan I suspect it is the same. It is three cyl. It has sat under my bench and never had an oil change. I had to change the belts recently and at the same time removed the plug(first time) to drain water.

It is used often and still going strong.

[muddymech]

thanks everyone, i have gone with the best i could afford from trade tools
ian

[d2dave]

Wise choice Ian. I reckon in most cases if you don't need something urgently, it is better to wait and save for a bit longer to get quality.

[PhilipA]

I reckon horses for courses.
I have a SIP cheap Chinese 2.5 hp thing I bought for AFAIR $200 about 13 years ago.
Still going strong, never changed oil, only faults a failed pressure diaphragm replaced with a bit of inner tube about 5 years ago and a tap that seized about 6 months ago replaced from Supercheap for about $5.
And this compressor has had a LOT of home use for rattle guns, drills, diegrinders,etc.
If I had my druthers I would get a bigger one as it struggles with die grinders and air blowers but I will only replace it if it fails.

I would ask who replaces motors on a belt drive these days. I bet it would cost more than a cheap compressor to do.

For commercial use there is sense in an expensive compressor especially since our generous government will pay quite a bit of it as work expenses, but for home use? You're dreaming.
Regards Philip A

[d2dave]

I would ask who replaces motors on a belt drive these days. I bet it would cost more than a cheap compressor to do.

It probably would cost more than a cheapie, but you then still have a quality compressor.

[crash]

One thing I really like about my compressor is it has a drain tap on the tank instead of just a plug. I would recommend to everyone to replace your drain plug with a tap. When I use mine it can run up to an hour straight and I am always amazed at how much water I drain out of the tank after every use, plus what gets caught in the inline water trap.
When i bought my compressor the sales person suggested that the water trap be placed as far away from the tank as possible.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

the cheap compressors can almost be referred to as.......annual compressors.....

[PhilipA]

I cannot understand why all of us buy TVs, drills, air tools,solar panels, generators, chain saws, winches, fridges, and probably a lot of components in our cars we don't know about from China, yet there is this view that they cannot make air compressors, which would have to be one of the least precision things they make.
Do the posters who rubbish Chinese compressors buy (non existent) German or USA TVs? Do they know where the components of their expensive compressors are made? I will bet China.
I bet that the majority of Chinese compressors if used in a home workshop are still chugging away like mine for years and years.
Regards Philip A

[dullbird]

Well Philip ours was likely chinese as is was cheap...we have had it probably 4/5 years other than pumping up a few tyres every now and again and painting the chassis on the series and my sliders and using the air drill a couple of times it has not had what I would consider a hard life at all....and it died????

perhaps I'm an exception :)

[d2dave]

I cannot understand why all of us buy TVs, drills, air tools,solar panels, generators, chain saws, winches, fridges, and probably a lot of components in our cars we don't know about from China, yet there is this view that they cannot make air compressors, which would have to be one of the least precision things they make.
Do the posters who rubbish Chinese compressors buy (non existent) German or USA TVs? Do they know where the components of their expensive compressors are made? I will bet China.
I bet that the majority of Chinese compressors if used in a home workshop are still chugging away like mine for years and years.
Regards Philip A

Not all Chinese is rubbish. You get what you pay for. If you buy a better brand and it is made in China or has Chinese components, it usually has the company in China overseeing the manufacture.

An example is Makita. I have a lot of Makita 18 volt cordless gear. I believe that what I have is of a reasonable quality, even though it is made in China. I would prefer it wasn't, and would be happy to pay a bit more for made in Japan. Unfortunately this is the way things are going.

A few years ago I needed a nine inch grinder. Because it is a tool I will not use very often I purchased a GMC brand. Cost me $150. This tool did not get much use, and on one occasion I was trimming the edge of a piece concrete when it jammed, shook violently as I unjammed it and it died. I suspect after pulling it apart that the armature was damaged.

This tool had had little use and looked like new, but as it was three years old went to the bin. Lesson learnt. Now have a $300 Metabo in the shed which I reckon will out last me.

In between these I needed a large grinder to remove the draw bar off my trailer. (Got hit up the rear and bent it) At the time GMC had a 14 day no questions asked return policy. I went to Bunnings to get a nine inch with the intentions of returning it when finished.

They did not have a nine in stock so I got a seven inch. When I took it back after a days work it was stuffed. Had a broken gearbox.

Prior to this I purchased a 12 volt drill from Bunnings. It was an XU1 brand. After two weeks I threw it in the bin. There was nothing wrong with it other than it was a piece of poo.

I have many more stories but I won't bore readers any more.

And we don't all buy Chinese junk.
My TV Japan, Generator Honda(thanks Fluids) Chainsaws Germany, Winch USA, Spanners Germany and Australia, Fridge Engle(not sure where made) Solar panels, probably China.

Having said all this, after posting in another thread about air conditioners, I do buy cheapies here. I have about 15 split system, made in China cheapies, and have had a reasonable run with them.

[PhilipA]

Funny, I was just trying to remember a coupleof days ago when I had bought my NRG cheapo Jigsaw. It must have been 20 years ago.
Damn thing stripped a screw holding the blade and I had to swap the screw from the rotating baseplate. What junk. has it done some work in 4MM Checkerplate among other stuff.
I think



I was trimming the edge of a piece concrete when it jammed, shook violently
as I unjammed it and it died.

This says something and that is that cheap Chinese tools are NOT of professional quality, as are some German stuff like Bosch. If you hadn't jammed it , it would probably still be going happily.
I bought a second hand Hitachi professional hammer drill about 20 years ago from Cash Converters and it was old then, and had been used by a plasterer by the looks. It has metal gears and is still going strong vs a Chinese with plastic gears , so for hammer drilling or other tough work I try to buy quality, but my ALDI 6 inch grinder, various air tools, Ryobi 18V set , SIP compressor etc atc are all still going strong. I have not had to chuck any Chinese tools for many many years.
And I find the Supercheap Chinese spanners are IMHO outstanding. I just bought some swiveling ratchet head spanners for what seems a ridiculously cheap price.(AFAIR $20 for a SET)
So really I agree with you, but with the caveat horses for courses.
Regard sPhilip A