General > General Technical Chat
Suggestions for a small air compressor with tank
Halcyon:
I'm in need of a good quality, mains powered (230v) air compressor, mainly for adjusting car tyre pressures, but I'd also like one with a small tank so I can blow dust out of electronics etc...
Size isn't really an issue as it'll mostly live in my garage, but I don't need anything massive as it's going to be for low volume applications.
Can anyone suggest any good quality brands or models? I don't want anything made in China.
richnormand:
Don't really know what you have access to in terms of brands at your location but here goes:
In the garage I have a 30 years old Devilbiss (made USA) 2Gal compressor. Not that big but it is noisy. It will drive all the air tools OK. Short burst for the big guns (1/2") but OK for the 3/8" and 1/4".
Did two full motor rebuilds with it in addition to standard maintenance.
On the bench and workshop I have a smaller 1Gal from a California company (Metabo) for about 5 years. It looks like it was assembled from parts from many locations. That one was selected to be quiet to be in the house.
It is used for the metal lathe, bandsaw and such. I ran a second line to the electronic bench with a manifold and added a desiccant in the line as well as a micropore filter to the trigger blower to keep everything clean for bench use.
In both cases it is important to remember to empty the tank regularly to flush away moisture accumulating from compressing/decompressing the air to prevent rust in the tank at least once a week.
NiHaoMike:
Any other planned uses for compressed air? If not, a simple bicycle pump would be good enough for topping up tires and even does quite well dusting off electronics with the addition of a nozzle. Or get an "EDF" (basically a miniature "electric jet engine") and motor driver for that use.
jpanhalt:
Do you want oilless or oiled? I have had several different types in my life. I currently have 3 functional and a much older one in storage. My large one is oiled. I suspect it would be much more than you want. The two smaller ones are oil less and are Craftsman branded. I find oil less are louder, but in a garage, that shouldn't be a problem. The "2 HP" tank mounted is quite loud. I would not recommend it, unless you really need the volume.
The one I have in my garage has a cylindrical tank, but aside from that, it is similar to the pancake version in the attachment. That configuration is very popular among carpenters and others who need something portable that won't easily tip over and does not require high volume. That is, abrasive blasting with it would take forever, but it's great for driving a few nails.
It is also "Made in the USA," which is a little hard to trust given who currently owns the brand. But then, you never know. It is what I would recommend based on your description.
nctnico:
--- Quote from: Halcyon on December 19, 2023, 01:47:01 am ---I'm in need of a good quality, mains powered (230v) air compressor, mainly for adjusting car tyre pressures, but I'd also like one with a small tank so I can blow dust out of electronics etc...
Size isn't really an issue as it'll mostly live in my garage, but I don't need anything massive as it's going to be for low volume applications.
Can anyone suggest any good quality brands or models? I don't want anything made in China.
--- End quote ---
Problem is: almost all compressors are made in China nowadays. Even when 'made in USA' you'll likely find Chinese parts unless you get into the super expensive heavy duty compressors from Atlas Copco and the likes.
About two years ago I got this one:
It is reasonably quiet but I have made some modifications to the pipe work and fitted a bigger reduction valve. It can keep up with a small plasma cutter as well.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version