Cheap Air Compressors
Discussion
I don't know if this is useful to anyone, but Halfords have these SIP 50L Air Compressors on clearance at a cracking price of £50?
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Power+Tools/Air+Co...
The product code at Halfords is 124464 if you want to ring your local place and check stock, I've just picked up the last one in the Washington store.
Windy gun ahoy!
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Power+Tools/Air+Co...
The product code at Halfords is 124464 if you want to ring your local place and check stock, I've just picked up the last one in the Washington store.
Windy gun ahoy!
doogz said:
You'll undo about 2 wheel bolts with your windy gun before the receiver is empty and needs re-filled!
It'd be fine for running impact wrenches, etc. I suspect it would struggle with "continuous use" tools like sanders though, and it definitely wouldn't be much use for spraying. doogz said:
I disagree, i use a lot less air spraying than i do running an inpact wrench or air ratchet. The air ratchet is the worst actually. And mine's a 150L tank, the air ratchet can empty it in 30 seconds or so.
Strange. I've used a 50l one fairly extensively and never once run out of air.doogz said:
I disagree, i use a lot less air spraying than i do running an inpact wrench or air ratchet. The air ratchet is the worst actually. And mine's a 150L tank, the air ratchet can empty it in 30 seconds or so.
But it's matt black, so it's cool.FWIW you can get battery powered or corded impact wrenches for under £100 which are fine for wheel bolts.
It's never going to be a full workshop spec setup for that price, but it'll be a very nice cheap addition to my tool arsenal for a small outlay.
And on the rare occasions where a windy gun would be useful, I don't mind waiting for the tank to refill when needed rather than having to put everything back together and take it to a garage.
And on the rare occasions where a windy gun would be useful, I don't mind waiting for the tank to refill when needed rather than having to put everything back together and take it to a garage.

doogz said:
kambites said:
Strange. I've used a 50l one fairly extensively and never once run out of air.
I should say, not completely empty, but low enough that it's no use, not enough torque to turn a bolt.Mind you, I doubt I've ever tried to use an impact wrench or air ratchet solidly for 30 seconds. It'll certainly take all four wheels off as fast as I can realistically move around the car, or remove all the bolts from an engine mount one after the other.
doogz said:
Fair enough. My windy gun can't crack nuts that i can with a breaker bar and a bit of grunt, but it is a handy thing to have around.
Ah definitely, I hear you there, it's more for access of impact use I'll find it handy I think. I was trying to change a pulley on an alternator last weekend, couldn't get in when it was mounted on the car, and I couldn't get purchase on it to do it manually, took it down the road to a local garage, they cracked it straight off with a windy gun. I was jealous lol.A vice would probably have been cheaper like

Whilst on the subject of compressors, I have this one from machine mart. I find when running the windy gun I have (also from machine mart) freely without load, it would spin for about 2 minutes before the tank needs refilling, however, as soon as I get a load on it, it won't undo the bolt in most cases, even wheel nuts I have just re-done with a torque wrench.
I have used the control valve pictured nearest to the compressor outlet and wound it up over 6 bar on the dial, the gun says it requires 6.2 bar to run. Still, it doesn't seem to have enough grunt to undo simple stuff.
The maximum line on the compressor is 8 bar, should I wind it all the way up to the end and see of the gun is any better?
Is the guage on the compressor likely to be accurate?
Can you get an inline guage to test the output?
I have used the control valve pictured nearest to the compressor outlet and wound it up over 6 bar on the dial, the gun says it requires 6.2 bar to run. Still, it doesn't seem to have enough grunt to undo simple stuff.
The maximum line on the compressor is 8 bar, should I wind it all the way up to the end and see of the gun is any better?
Is the guage on the compressor likely to be accurate?
Can you get an inline guage to test the output?
eltax91 said:
Whilst on the subject of compressors, I have this one from machine mart. I find when running the windy gun I have (also from machine mart) freely without load, it would spin for about 2 minutes before the tank needs refilling, however, as soon as I get a load on it, it won't undo the bolt in most cases, even wheel nuts I have just re-done with a torque wrench.
I have used the control valve pictured nearest to the compressor outlet and wound it up over 6 bar on the dial, the gun says it requires 6.2 bar to run. Still, it doesn't seem to have enough grunt to undo simple stuff.
The maximum line on the compressor is 8 bar, should I wind it all the way up to the end and see of the gun is any better?
Is the guage on the compressor likely to be accurate?
Can you get an inline guage to test the output?
Get a new impact gun!I have used the control valve pictured nearest to the compressor outlet and wound it up over 6 bar on the dial, the gun says it requires 6.2 bar to run. Still, it doesn't seem to have enough grunt to undo simple stuff.
The maximum line on the compressor is 8 bar, should I wind it all the way up to the end and see of the gun is any better?
Is the guage on the compressor likely to be accurate?
Can you get an inline guage to test the output?
on the same amount of air one gun can produce over twice the torque of another. Impact guns are not created equal!
doogz said:
D4MJT said:
It's never going to be a full workshop spec setup for that price, but it'll be a very nice cheap addition to my tool arsenal for a small outlay.
And on the rare occasions where a windy gun would be useful, I don't mind waiting for the tank to refill when needed rather than having to put everything back together and take it to a garage.
Fair enough. My windy gun can't crack nuts that i can with a breaker bar and a bit of grunt, but it is a handy thing to have around.And on the rare occasions where a windy gun would be useful, I don't mind waiting for the tank to refill when needed rather than having to put everything back together and take it to a garage.

freecar said:
Get a new impact gun!
on the same amount of air one gun can produce over twice the torque of another. Impact guns are not created equal!
I have the following set, purchased with the compressor at machine mart. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/... Have you any experience of this particular one?on the same amount of air one gun can produce over twice the torque of another. Impact guns are not created equal!
Any recommendations on a more appropriate one?
eltax91 said:
I have the following set, purchased with the compressor at machine mart. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/... Have you any experience of this particular one?
Any recommendations on a more appropriate one?
It's not great, 230 lbft from a 1/2" impact gun is mediocre. For comparison the heavy duty Snap On 1/2" gun will make about 1200 lbft (and probably cost nearly ten times as much). Draper make a pretty powerful gun for reasonable money.Any recommendations on a more appropriate one?
eltax91 said:
freecar said:
Get a new impact gun!
on the same amount of air one gun can produce over twice the torque of another. Impact guns are not created equal!
I have the following set, purchased with the compressor at machine mart. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/... Have you any experience of this particular one?on the same amount of air one gun can produce over twice the torque of another. Impact guns are not created equal!
Any recommendations on a more appropriate one?
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=143418
Draper impact 813nm torque
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=167120
Facom impact 380nm torque and twice the price and slightly more thirsty for air!
If you can't find the specs for the tools you're looking at, they're junk.
Mr2Mike said:
It's not great, 230 lbft from a 1/2" impact gun is mediocre. For comparison the heavy duty Snap On 1/2" gun will make about 1200 lbft (and probably cost nearly ten times as much). Draper make a pretty powerful gun for reasonable money.
I will take a look at the draper one, looks like something to get for my birthday I think!Having said that, 230 lb/ft, according to google, is 311 NM. This thing wouldn't undo a wheel nut that had just been torqued to 85nm. Surely it should have had no issue with this if the compressor was providing enough "juice"..... ?
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