What compressor do you guys use at home ?

[Donovan D]

So as the title says....

I'm looking into getting a bigger one as I have been mucking about with a 25litre one for the last 10 years. Needless to say it runs out of air and using pneumatic tools on it is useless.
I'm looking at getting a 100litre 3hp 2.2kw, 7cfm, max pressure 8bar. Would that be enough for home usage and working with the pneumatics ?

What are you using ?

[Tony Z]

I'll be shopping for one soon, so cant advise too much.
But my experience with air systems has taught me that you are probably better off with a bigger tank than a bigger compressor - ok it depends on how much bigger... I'd probably take a 200 liter, 2.5hp over a 100L 3hp
If you are using something like a sander, grinder or paint gun, then you need as much CFM as you can get and as big a tank as you can get.
But using an impacter, ratchet and similar (items that dont run continuously) you could keep you small unit and find a 200L tank for it to fill.
It all depends on what you plan on doing with the air

Dont forget the basics... you need to open the bottom drain on the tank almost daily if you are using it a lot. Water and oil sit in the tank and need to be drained out. Water causes rust, rust weakens the tank... 8 bar bomb
oil is a fuel, fuel can burn... bomb
plus, over time you might find the water condensate can occupy 15 of your 25 liters making your air storage pretty tiny indeed....

[IMPI]

Buy the largest you can afford both tank and hp
2.2 kw 200 liter is probably the best for home use I have been using my 2.2 kw ABAC compressor since 93 and tha was bought at adendorffs. It had a new set of rings last year.
Armand

[splitfan]

I have a 200 and 300l and using air tools eats allot of air so try and get the biggest compressor you can afford and buying the right one now will save you buck in future ,my 200l comp has a single piston comp and the 300 twins the tanks size on these does not really have a effect but the twin fills the tank twice as fast when using air tools , for painting this is almost never a issue .And everything Tony said is true make sure you use a water trap get a decent regulator and flush the tanks !

[Donovan D]

Can anyone comment on the quality of Adendorff's Mac-Afric brand ?
The 4x4 community seem to think they're ok.

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

UNFORTUNATELY (OR FORTUNATELY DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT), MOST THINGS YOU BUY NOWADAYS ARE MADE IN CHINA.
THE QUALITY CHANGES FROM SHIPMENT TO SHIPMENT. YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND THAT THE ARDENDORF BRAND IS THE SAME AS S.A. FASTENERS OR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER TOOL SUPPLIERS; BUT JUST WITH THEIR BRANDING ON IT.
I BOUGHT MY COMPRESSOR FROM MAKRO YEARS AGO AND IT'S STILL WORKING.
UNLESS YOU'RE PREPARED TO PAY 3 TO 4 X THE PRICE FOR AN INGERSOLL RAND I GUESS THE ARDENDORF UNIT WILL DO THE JOB AS A REASONABLE SECOND CHOICE.

[Tony Z]

The difference with an Ingersoll Rand compressor is that you will still find spares for it in 20 years and they do vastly out perform the cheaper brands.
If you are looking for a compressor to work hard, then Ingersol Rand will be a better option I'd think. Occasional use then buy cheaper.
Also consider the type you put in a corner... 100L tank with the compressor above it

[Pinch]

HI THERE DON!

TRY AIRSUPREME IN JHB 011 922 0000?

I have sold 4 of their Fini compressors to Universities for lab work and have set the switch to come on very high and had no prblems. Tell them what you need it for and what kind of phnuematic tools you will use. The guy to talk to is Jacques le Roux.

They will ship it to you aswell.

Pinch