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Who has an air compressor and why?

MC BumSlap

MC BumSlap

Big Belly Bum Scud
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Location
Burnistoun
Moto(s)
Faux Bonneville
Name
J
Thinking about getting a small air compressor. Other than filling tires with air at home, I don’t know what else I would need an air compressor for.

I have no knowledge of air compressors so I don’t know what is a good one.

Thoughts? Open to suggestions.
 
I have a Husky 3 gallon 1.5 HP compressor. I use it for blowing dust off stuff (let the kiddies do it - it keeps them amused), it got a LOT of use when I was using a palm nailer for seismic retrofit (fantastic tool), it used to get used on tires, but my new small Ryobi 18V is easier; I have a brad nail gun (not yet tried that out), the small air wrench was weak but handy for spinning bolts off, too little air for my chipping gun, I did use it with a small die grinder. It got a LOT of use blowing dust out of (epoxy type) anchor bolt holes on that seismic retrofit job. Overall- I'm glad that I have it - a larger unit would be nice but I really don't have the room or the need for a larger unit.
 
I have a Craftsman 6gal that I love. Use it for filling tires, general shop air, can drive air tools, etc. I put in a central air system and it's pretty handy, but if I were doing it again I'd do 3/4" line instead of 1/2".

I have a Central Pneumatic pancake compressor I'll give you for the price of donating something to BARF.
 
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Why not have compressor? I use it for:

power tools - can disassemble and reassemble complete bike in 1-day (engine removal & install, no rebuild). Build furniture with nail-gun/stapler. Hand-held blaster for removing rust on restorations, prep for paint, etc.

tyres - seating beads after mounting, fill-ups

dusting - quickly remove dust from bike after its been sitting

painting - I've painted anything from washers to entire houses and cars with compressor
 
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I have a 6 gallon Porter-Cable pancake compressor that I got for some home remodel work, specifically a brad nailer for crown molding and baseboards. I also use it for a rattle gun when things are just plain stuck, for seating tubeless tires (moto and bicycle), blowing out computer cases and anything else a smallish compressor is good for.
 
I have a small 3 gallon for keeping tires filled, blowing dust off stuff, running a radiator vacuum filling tool, and running a small airbrush.
When I get a bigger place I’d like to get a bigger compressor as I expand my tools and work.
 
I have a 1-gal Craftsman comp. I use if for

• blowing work surfaces such as engine, shop table, threads that I clean up, tools, chainsaw

I use it more than expected and wish I would have gotten a bigger one because I’m tired of it kicking on after a fee minutes.
 
Mainly they are good for relaxing around the house.

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How could you not?
 
Ok, this is not kitchen sink, but real. I ask folks, just for fun, how much tire pressure they are running.

Mostly folks have no clue.
This is serious. It has happened; tire pressure has gone low, tires overheat, tire blows out, ignorant pilot panics and crashes vehicle. Some die.

True story. Even after I get shit done at the stupid tire place I ask. They are clueless. One time, at band camp, kidding, after tire work, my car was oversteering crazy. There was 50 psi in the rear tires. Crazy.
 
I have 2 compressors. Both HF. One 10 gallon, for the small stuff, I think it's a 50gall for my tire changer.
 
I have this one
https://www.harborfreight.com/10-gallon-25-hp-125-psi-oil-lube-air-compressor-62441.html

Don't buy an oil-less compressor. At least not a Harbor Freight oil-less one. Mine ran about like you'd expect from the oil kind if you never added oil: worked for a while, then seized up.

My air tools include stapler, impact wrench, tire inflator, blower.

It's not the ideal air setup for running an impact wrench. You couldn't change car wheels at pit crew speeds, or run a shop with it. But it seems OK for the occasional countershaft sprocket or removing car lug nuts at a relaxed pace. It's also worked to seat motorcycle tire beads.

For just topping up tires I mostly use a bicycle floor pump.

If I were buying a tool just for tire inflation (and wasn't trying to seat tire beads), I'd get an electric inflator where I could set the target pressure and let it go.
 
I have a little pancake compressor because it was free. They're not really useful for running anything more demanding than a pin nailer.
 
Butch said:
Ok, this is not kitchen sink, but real. I ask folks, just for fun, how much tire pressure they are running.

Mostly folks have no clue.
This is serious. It has happened; tire pressure has gone low, tires overheat, tire blows out, ignorant pilot panics and crashes vehicle. Some die.

True story. Even after I get shit done at the stupid tire place I ask. They are clueless. One time, at band camp, kidding, after tire work, my car was oversteering crazy. There was 50 psi in the rear tires. Crazy.
Click to expand...

Serious? I check my pressure weekly, usually about 33-35lbs or so. Not rocket science.
 
35 gal / 125# here.

All of the above plus, use it to clear out air filters, blow out A/C condensate drain lines, drive the air chisel for removing tile work, inflate neighbor's bikes-pool toys-sex toys, runs the spray gun for furniture refinishing and more.

Handiest tool in the garage.
 
Inflating pool toys, running power tools, inflating tyres, cleaning / dusting down vehicles, garden equipment (mulchers etc), painting everything that requires it (vehicles and buildings), degreasing and pressure washing. The minister for finance even uses it to blow out her over lockers and sewing machines.

Wouldn't be without one - its very handy and gets frequent use.
 
I just used a 20# Co2 bottle for running my nailers and staplers when I was doing a bunch of wood work. Absolutely silent. For grinding I used electric ones though I prefer small pneumatic grinders for metal fabrication. A Co2 system won't support that kind of volume.

I no longer have the Co2 setup and use a small, extremely noisy compressor for woodworking. I really miss that Co2 rig.
 
Butch said:
Ok, this is not kitchen sink, but real. I ask folks, just for fun, how much tire pressure they are running.

Mostly folks have no clue.
This is serious. It has happened; tire pressure has gone low, tires overheat, tire blows out, ignorant pilot panics and crashes vehicle. Some die.

True story. Even after I get shit done at the stupid tire place I ask. They are clueless. One time, at band camp, kidding, after tire work, my car was oversteering crazy. There was 50 psi in the rear tires. Crazy.
Click to expand...

A good bicycle pump and pressure gauge are all you need. Takes up a lot less room than a compressor too.
 
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