Parker Brand 50L compressor - any good? (or other 3hp/50L for spraying)

[francoflame]

Hi, all! I'm looking to take the plunge and get a 3hp/50L compressor for some SMART repairs, panel spraying and air tools like orbital sanders.

I like the look of the Sealey version, but it's really beyond what I want to spend at the moment: https://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/product/complete-compressor-package/

One cheaper option is the Parker Brand 50L compressor - not exactly the same as the Sealey version, but seemingly identical to a lot of others on the market: https://www.parkerbrand.co.uk/50-litre-direct-drive-air-compressor-13-8-cfm-3-0-hp-50l

The big questions are:
- Does anyone have any experience with these? If so, are they any good?
- I know they're noisy, but any 'real world' observations on whether they're generally tolerable in a domestic garage would be very useful (will only get irregular use).

Any advice much appreciated!

 

[Mick Annick]

I’m new to domestic compressors too and have a Nuair 3hp / 50L machine, but it struggles to keep up with a sealey mini die grinder, so check carefully what FAD whatever you buy is putting out.

 

[Dozzer]

To answer your main questions,
1. they get a bit loud after a while of constantly going on and off,
2 and they will get warm. to the point you cannot touch them on the cylinder head.
If you could put them in another location from the room you are in (outside), that can just about work.

Its not the pressure or air volume of the compressor you need to look for, body shop air tools and spray guns will require around 10 CFM min, the CP and other makes of DA require a min of 20 CFM, many of the cheap and cheerful compressors cannot cope.
you can probably get away with 100ltr tank 10 CFM as an absolute minimum if you dont want to wait every 2-3 mins for the compressor to catch up.
Ideally, 200ltr and 15CFM.

 

[carbon]

For spraying you will probably better off getting a mini gun rather than a full size one due the lower air requirement. Check air requirement of sprayguns before buying anything including the compressor.

 

[Jack_K]

It'll vibrate itself apart. Ones like that are so cheap that the fittings aren't even brass, the regulator will be restrictive too. It really is best to get a belt driven compressor unless you want to be driven crazy by the noise. Most likely the 3hp rating is inflated too.

 

[zzr1200]

I have 2 Aldi compressors, exactly the same compressor as the Parkerbrand, they are more noisy compared to a belt drive generally, but a belt drive isn't silent by any means, if the direct drive motor or compressor unit goes wrong it's a throw away item.

Running a DA from 50 ltr tank would be painful, any 13cfm unit (belt or direct drive) will have trouble supplying enough compressed air, having a 150/200 ltr tank allows you to build up some air volume in reserve, but you will still need stop and for the pressure to build again to continue.

The reason most compressors die this that people don't check the oil level and/or drain the tanks.

You could link the Parkerbrand to a larger tank for extra air volume, many people take this option.

I'll bet the compressor unit on the Sealey and Parkerbrand probably come from the same factory, and it's the pipework/tank that different.

 

[francoflame]

Thanks, all - that's immensely useful! I will go for a mini gun, which might make the spraying a bit more functional, but that's a lot of food for thought on the noise front. I'll have a look for belt-drive compressors, but I suspect they'll be a good deal more expensive.

 

[dyno-tron]

Thanks, all - that's immensely useful! I will go for a mini gun, which might make the spraying a bit more functional, but that's a lot of food for thought on the noise front. I'll have a look for belt-drive compressors, but I suspect they'll be a good deal more expensive.

I had one exactly the same as the one you listed but branded differently, generally ok but I had to replace the rubbish air fittings with brass (v. Thin zinco type castings that just fell apart). Looks like the Parker has brass as standard if the pics are correct. Don’t forget to check everything on it monthly as it will want to disassemble itself! And wear ear defenders, they are loud.

 

[JOEPRO]

Thanks, all - that's immensely useful! I will go for a mini gun, which might make the spraying a bit more functional, but that's a lot of food for thought on the noise front. I'll have a look for belt-drive compressors, but I suspect they'll be a good deal more expensive.

For spraying forget any 50L direct drive compressor!! No good at all. Period.

Look up good used compressors on the usual free add sites.

A 200L belt drive SIP or similar is my vote. I got the exact one below for £240 on gumtree a few months back good used like new.

 

[ian f]

For spraying forget any 50L direct drive compressor!! No good at all. Period.

i did my cortina with a 20 year old sip nimbus 250/50 direct drive unit and a sealey 701G spray gun at 20 psi. i did the engine bay and shuts separate from the outside but did the outer shell in one hit without problems. pics are gun finish, with a light flat and polish with quartz 1200 compound it came out "ok" at the mot the tester asked if it had ever been welded "just the red bits"

 

[francoflame]

View attachment 453965 View attachment 453966 View attachment 453967

Looks fantastic - lovely slot mags, too! Is that a single-coat paint without clear coat?

 

[Hotstuff]

I bought an SGS 3hp V-twin 100 Ltr compressor from EBay for £20.00 as “spares or repairs”.

It really was toast but that the motor and compressor units are pretty common between the manufacturers.

It looked the same as a Clarke Raider so bought all the parts I needed from Clarke with the exception of the gudgeon pins which were not available at the time but found that, I think it was, Suzuki RM80 gudgeon pins were the exact same dimensions.

If you are the sort of guy who spends a lot of time in the garage or workshop then a good well sized compressor is an investment that you’ll never regret.

 

[dan treg]

if you can depending on budget a belt driven say clarke 3hp 150 litre even if second hand would be better also be aware things like da orbital sanders are quite hungry for want of a better term so will struggle on a 50 litre compressor

 

[bourbon]

 

[JOEPRO]

If you are the sort of guy who spends a lot of time in the garage or workshop then a good well sized compressor is an investment that you’ll never reregret.

Amen to that! I have the 200L SIP in my front garage and this larger tandem compressor in my rear garage which can handle anything. (Also bought used then I repaired it and made a wall bracket to place it up in garage loft to save floor space)

 

[Hotstuff]

Amen to that! I have the 200L SIP in my front garage and this larger tandem compressor in my rear garage which can handle anything. (Also bought used then I repaired it and made a wall bracket to place it up in garage loft to save floor space)

View attachment 454035

Is it wrong to covet another man’s compressor…and you have two garages….I feel such a failure.

 

[ian f]

Looks fantastic - lovely slot mags, too! Is that a single-coat paint without clear coat?

yes direct gloss two pack

 

[pedrobedro]

I’m new to domestic compressors too and have a Nuair 3hp / 50L machine, but it struggles to keep up with a sealey mini die grinder, so check carefully what FAD whatever you buy is putting out.

Anything on single phase will struggle to keep up with a cheap die grinder, cheaper to buy and run an electric one or a Dremel lookalike than power a compressor to run an air grinder.

 

[francoflame]

Anything on single phase will struggle to keep up with a cheap die grinder, cheaper to buy and run an electric one or a Dremel lookalike than power a compressor to run an air grinder.

I think I'll abandon the idea of air tools, then, and just concentrate on the main task of spraying.

 

[fizzy]

I think I'll abandon the idea of air tools, then, and just concentrate on the main task of spraying.

Battery tools have pretty much replaced air tools anyway.
The only air tool I use a lot is a rivet gun - it hardly uses any air though. Occasionally I will use an air drill - but only when I need to drill a hole close to another surface - it is much slimmer than a battery drill. Not as good performance though!