How useful do you find your compressor and tools?

[nrwilliams]

Hello all,

I have an urge to buy a compressor and air tools.

I am currently restoring a Mini and am often tinkering with cars and bikes, as well as DIY around the house.

How useful do you find your compressor and air tools? I suppose I am trying to justify the purchase to myself rather than it just being retails therapy.

I was thinking of spending the money on a reasonably large compressor and tools like an impact wrench and similar.

So I am just looking for peoples opinions, could you live without yours or is it worth the expenditure?

Thanks

Neil

 

[steveo3002]

ive only got a billy basic cheapie , and id put off getting one for ages

i use alot really , just think before buying tools though , are you really going to run up the compressor early/late at night to undo a couple of nuts etc

use mine for cleaning and painting bits mostly

 

[gordon stephenson]

Just ask yourself, How many times in the past have I needed air tools, and how much use will they get in the future? I have been around air tools all my working life but at home if possible I prefer electric for.grinders,drills and even impact gun etc, Only really use air now for blowing up tyres and the Plasma cutter

 

[knoba]

I'm in accord with gordon stephenson!

Residential? ...compressors & air tools can be very noisy (...or is that me? ).

Saying all that; I wouldn't get rid of mine for all the tea in China. Amazing the uses one finds for new kit, especially when it opens up; a whole new line of tooling. I guess; a good place to start, is to look at all the different air tools available and see if you think you might find a use for them. There's a bewildering array!

 

[danelectro]

Personally, although I've got a good choice of air tools, and like Gordon said, if i need a tool I normally opt for electric, I can't stand waiting for the comp to build up pressure, then lugging around an airline, it can be just too much hassle. But a comp is always handy.....if you have the need!!!!

On the other side of the coin, it's always nice to go out and buy a new tool, and a compressor seems like a nice thing to have!!!!!!!

 

[brightspark]

if u can go to the sales and pick the gear up cheap second hand and u will get good use out of them there well worthwhile but as said above all new stuff and not used a lot go for electric

 

[anto]

I bought my compressor primarily for stapling.
I could have bought an electric/ battery stapler but decent ones were £300+.
For £300 ive got a compressor that can run a stapler, impact wrench, blow up tyres and eventually do a bit of spraying.

 

[piman]

Hello Neil,

I've had one for donkeys years and I find it invaluable for all sorts of jobs, car repair, fabrication, cleaning and I use it most days.

Alec

 

[shenion]

Have had a compressor for 20 years.

Die grinder was first big use other than filling tires. The cutoff wheel is great for old rusty bolts.
Air wrench is nice if you have the room and lots of bolts to undo.
An impact wrench is a big help.
Blow gun finds all kinds of uses.
A brad nailer is something I now will not live without

Nice thing about air tools is they stay cool. I now also have a sand blast cabinet with glass bead. Bought to clean corroded bike rims but has found all kinds of uses even down to small things like cleaning spark plugs.

Mine is probably about 14CFM (displacement is not advertised here.) Had a smaller one before. Would not live without one. Only bad thing is when it fires up at 2AM

 

[anto]

I do agree about the noise, i bought a direct drive and was unaware of just how noisy they were (embarrassingly noisy). My use is intermittent and never after 9/10pm so it shouldnt be too much of an inconvenience for nieghbours

 

[rkde]

Very useful I'd say. For the mini you are using you can get tools to bend metal for overlapping and also placing holes in steel also shears for cutting through steel quickly and effortlessly

I use mine weekly on project and find I use it more and more but do still tend to use electric tools later on in the evening and morning.

A must have, once you have it you will find jobs it can do if nothing more than saving you 50p every time to blow your tyres up

 

[cumbriasteve]

Have an Aldi special, noisy but does the job, used the air drill for a big job and it worked great, got a gravity feed gun and can get a good paint finish...so...all in all a great buy but as I said...NOISY

 

[tigler]

Indispensable, for everything from inflating tyres to cleaning engine bays, to air tool use, etc, etc.

 

[brookie456]

If you're restoring a Mini, just get one...you won't regret it. I've got 2 old motors on the go at the moment-electric tools are well and fine, but the access air tools give (i.e. no motor or battery attached) is often the difference between a compromise and a decent job - generally cheaper to buy too Good luck with the Mini

 

[Glyn]

I can't imagine life without a compressor! I can't remember the last time I used it but I think I'd part with a welder before getting rid of the compressor. Inflating tires, kids toys, blowing dust out of things... The air saw, riveter,plasma cutter, I could go on. My belt drive 3hp doesn't make so much noise that it would disturb next door but I wouldn't use it late at night. I know I don't use it much now but I'd never part with it.

 

[Windy Miller]

Just buy one. Blokes like us need compressors. Even if we dont often use them!

 

[outofthefire]

Just buy one. Blokes like us need compressors. Even if we dont often use them!

Definitely I use air tools at work and home so I have to buy them twice. At home I started off with the basic tools but I also use it for propane and compressed air brazing torches and i've just got a 6 ton hare press which is the best toy i've ever bought

 

[Grrrmachine]

Indispensable, for everything from inflating tyres to cleaning engine bays, to air tool use, etc, etc.

What tool is used for cleaning the bay? Some sort of water gun hooked up, or just a nozzle for blowing dust out of the corners?

 

[steveo3002]

What tool is used for cleaning the bay? Some sort of water gun hooked up, or just a nozzle for blowing dust out of the corners?

parafin gun

i like the air nozzle for cleaning connectors n such , dunk em in solvent then blast with air and they come up like new

 

[tigler]

What tool is used for cleaning the bay? Some sort of water gun hooked up, or just a nozzle for blowing dust out of the corners?

I use a syphon gun. An air line powers a gun that sucks up whatever cleaning solvent you may wish to use, I use truck wash for light jobs and a degreaser for heavy oil contamination, so the air propels the solvent with force which makes it more effective but at the same time unlikely to cause damage as can occur with a pressure washer.
The truck wash is diluted in water so if hot water is used it's more effective.