Which compressor

[Christmas Jones]

Hi

Could one of you help me out? I am in the market for a replacement compressor after my cheap sealey popped it clogs. This time I am planning on purchasing a machine that can keep up, as my 3HP Sealey always struggled. It will be used for the resto of an old car and other general work in a home garage, grinding, DA sanding, spraying small items and the odd small amount of shot blasting.


The machines that have court my eye are the Abac Pro A39B, Clarke SE16, Clarke SE18 or Clarke SE19. I am thinking of going for either the Clarke SE18 or SE19 as they are both 4HP and produce 18CFM, whereas the other machines are 3HP and produce 14CFM.


What I would like to know is would you buy an Abac or Clarke compressor? If you would go for the Clarke would you choose the bigger machine for the additional CFM’s? And lastly can someone give me some guidance on the different between the SE18 and SE19 and will this make any different with the running and reliability of the machine.

Thanks in advance

 

[Rig Pig]

I don't know about the compressors you are looking an but a general rule is bigger is better, check your electrical supply is up to it and then get the largest industrial compressor you can, check the spec and ask the vendor about duty cycles. Also check how much noise the make (may not be relieve to you?) the best compressors are screw, however they are expensive.

 

[rtbcomp]

I've been running a Clarke SE16 for 10 years or so and it's been great. I would be happy to buy another one from their industrial range. Make sure you get one with cast-iron cylinders.

As Rig-Pig says make sure your electrics can cope, and a big machine is better for a small job than vice-versa.

 

[marlinspike]

Register with Machine Mart and they will at some point send you a voucher code for 10% or occasionally 20% off Clarke gear. If you ask in the Brew Room someone might have a current code they aren't going to use.

 

[Daz1968]

I have a clarke se16 and it's been very good and not to loud for a piston compressor, unless your supply is very good I wouldn't go for the 4hp, I have an old 2hp compressor that I will sort out and connect to my circuit for the times I need more air. It runs a da sander though although I have since invested in a mirka ceros as the air sander was very noisy and worked compressor hard. Seems pointless running a 2.2kw motor when the ceros is at most 400w and is as good as my air one.

 

[Christmas Jones]

Thanks for your responses, I really appreciate it.

It looks like from what you guys are saying I should consider a 3HP 14 CFM machine as by house hold power may not support a 4HP machine reliably. My biggest concern is running out of air were the bigger machine would not.


The machine wouldn’t be used on a daily bases as I’m an evening and weekend worker, but when it is used it will be used hard. This is where my 3HP Sealey struggled as the motor ran constantly and never court up until I stopped working, I want to avoid this with the new compressor.

 

[Daz1968]

If your 3hp sealey ran constant then so will a 3hp clarke. I would think you need to run 2 compressors if you require that amount of air. Or ask an electrician about your supply and what it would need to have the required circuit for the 4hp one. The ideal option would be the tandom 3hp compressor but it's a lot more expensive

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Thanks for your responses, I really appreciate it.

It looks like from what you guys are saying I should consider a 3HP 14 CFM machine as by house hold power may not support a 4HP machine reliably. My biggest concern is running out of air were the bigger machine would not.


The machine wouldn’t be used on a daily bases as I’m an evening and weekend worker, but when it is used it will be used hard. This is where my 3HP Sealey struggled as the motor ran constantly and never court up until I stopped working, I want to avoid this with the new compressor.

If you have the space you could start collecting empty 47kg propane cylinders, invert them and fit with airline adaptors (if you invert them you just need to uncouple the connectors to drain any moisture out). Then have your compressor on a timer to fill your cylinders when your not there.
The most I have seen was 12 cylinders behind a lock up garage with a feeble electric supply. The biggest compressor he could run was a 2 hp one so he would have it on a timer to come on early in the morning ready for when he turned up to use it.

 

[rtbcomp]

I'm running 2 x 3 hp compressors and 1 hp extractor plus lights &c simultaneously with no problems. I have an 80 Amp incoming supply, which I think is normal for domestic properties.

 

[rtbcomp]

........(if you invert them you just need to uncouple the connectors to drain any moisture out). .......

Just mount them upside down, any condensed moisture will leave the same way it came in and get trapped in the compressor tank.

 

[fizzy]

I have a Clarke 3hp and find it fine for spraying. It is only gritblasting I find it struggles with.

It will run off a normal 13amp plug. A 4hp will run on any household supply just needs to be hard wired in like a cooker or shower.

Sometimes machine mart have a returns section where you can get some great bargains often not even used.

 

[Wallace]

I've been running a Clarke SE16 for 10 years or so and it's been great. I would be happy to buy another one from their industrial range. Make sure you get one with cast-iron cylinders.

As Rig-Pig says make sure your electrics can cope, and a big machine is better for a small job than vice-versa.

Same here as above, my Clarke SE16C150 is 15 years old and still going strong in a home workshop only needing servicing and preventative maintenance. The last 8 years have seen heavier daily use so mainly due to the machines age I recently serviced the valve plate and replaced all the top end gaskets as they were showing signs of leakage. I changed the motor run capacitor a couple of years ago as a preventative measure (again due to age) and only gained about 4 seconds from empty to full cut off so there was not much wrong with the old one.