Thread: workshop air compressor

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

Originally Posted by PhilipA

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.

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.

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

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

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

Originally Posted by 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

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.