Compressor recomendation (please)

[thepurpleblob]

Would anybody like to have a go at recommending a compressor for me?

I want to learn to spray paint (on cars) and also for general use (tires, blowing dust away, and so on). I'm happy enough to use an LVLP gun. It'll be very occasional use - I'm just a hobbyist.

I have about 600 quid in the tools slush fund but I don't need to spend all of that. It needs to be vaguely mobile and not be too noisy (residential area). I'm struggling to differentiate between all the options. Most of which look like exactly the same machine with different stickers

 

[MetalMonkey]

Spray painting on cars depends a lot on what sort of thing you want to end up with and has the biggest impact on the choice of machine out of what you have listed.

A proper quality long lasting automotive paintjob is going to require the use of 2K paint, which is extremely toxic and should only be sprayed using an air fed mask.
That pretty much doubles the size of the compressor you will need and is going to eat a substantial amount of your budget on just the setup (filters, regulators, mask, spraygun) to do that before you even get to the compressor.

The other alternative is to go for single stage products, which will be easier on the wallet and air requirements but are far inferior to the factory finish.
The exception would be vintage and classics using cellulose paint, but I really don't know if anybody would bother with that thesedays.

Parking that discussion for the moment, compressors fall into a couple of categories:

Direct drive - these have the motor bolted to the pump, they run fast, loud, usually oil-free machines. Often portable
They aren't typically long lived and will be fine for tyres and odds and ends but will struggle running thirsty air tools or serious painting.

Belt drive - these are more expensive, but typically run quieter, are more powerful, and are longer lived machines. Usually bigger and not very portable.
Cheaper ones run faster to make up for the lack of displacement, the better quality machines have slower running cast iron pumps and are much more pleasant to use.
The 3hp machines are fairly standard and should cope with most things but would struggle to run both a spraygun and an airfed mask for any time.

There are also hyrdovane and screw compressors, but these are an entire can of worms and not really something you are going to be considering outside of a commercial environment.

Whichever you choose you will need to be looking at the FAD (Free Air Delivery in litres per minute or cubic feet per minute).
Be aware a lot of figures quoted for compressors are not the FAD value and are, highly "optimistic".
If they don't quote an FAD figure, you can probably knock at least 30% off the cfm value which they have given.

On top of the compressor you will also need to factor in a decent quality regulator, and any hoses, fittings, etc.

Depending on the size of the machine, you will also need to ensure you have a suitable electrical supply to run it.
For example, a lot of the 3hp machines claim they can run from a 13A plug, but often will blow fuses unless they are hooked up on a dedicated 16A supply.
Generally, the smaller units will be fine to run on a plug, but you want to avoid using long extension leads, so consider where you will be using the machine.

There are a lot more details that could be relevant - but hopefully that might be a starting point to have a think about what sort of thing you want to do with the machine before you start to narrow down the requirements.

 

[thepurpleblob]

Thanks,

I'm not expecting professional body shop results. I just want to "have a go". The projects I get involved with are not concourse and I can't justify thousands of pounds on high end paint jobs. So I wanted to see what I can turn out myself. That and just for the fun of learning a new skill.

I'm not getting into 2K paints - it'll be whatever I can do with 1K materials and a decent mask. I have 16A sockets in my workshop, so that's not an issue (just single phase, though).

I'm kind of optimistically hoping for a "go and buy this" :-)

 

[MetalMonkey]

"Go and buy this" https://airindustrial.com/products/piston-compressors/aic-model-hw16/

I bought two 3HP units and that one is the better one by far and cost less than my first one.
It isn't going to be portable - its bloody heavy.
It will need a 16A supply, and i doubt you will get it for £600, but it will do everything you want probably, apart from run an air fed mask.

If you want something smaller and more budget friendly (and I don't blame you) then you will need to look at what you want to compromise on.
There is a big difference between respraying a car and respraying a bumper - so have a think about what you plan to use it for.

Most of the smaller direct drive machines are pretty much the same thing in different colours.
Plenty on here have them and might be able to offer some recommendations for specific brands.