Air compressor

[328]

Hi Guys,

I was wanting a bit of advice....I am thinking of buying an air compressor unit....any ideas what would be suitable? would a 24 litre one be enough?

It would be for checking tyre pressure, wheel changing, and using an air gun to blow dry the car once it has been cleaned.


Cheers,

Andy

[gcon45]

I have a little oil free 25L Draper compressor at home Andy.

It's great for checking tyre pressures and 'sweetening up' wheel nuts with an impact gun.

There isn't the capacity or the horsepower to fully tighten the wheel nuts however so you'll have to give them a touch with a wheel brace when you get the car back on the ground.

The fact that it's oil free is great as you don't have to worry about maintainence.
The only downside to it is that's it's pretty noisy whenever the cylinder us re-filling.

[NSXGB]

Ever thought of buying a cordless impact drill? I know it won't dry your car but you could buy a chamois for that :) and you have a type pressure gauge in your took kit.

[Kaz-kzukNA1]

Hi, Andy.

It all depends on the required max pressure, how often, how quickly and how long you need to access the compressed air.

If you work on your cars regularly, then having the compressor is a good investment.

I agree with NSXGB. For some people, cordless impact wrench would be more cost effective than the compressor for removing the lug nuts.
I have seen lots of owners using cordless type at their home.
It's also super handy at the track when changing the wheels for the track day tyres.


Personally, I prefer not using the impact wrench even with the protective sleeve on the impact socket for removing the lug nuts. Just scared of scratching the wheels and hence, I normally use hand power.

For inflating the tyre, unless you calibrate or replace the pressure gauge regularly, you may find it easier by using the electrical small pump avaialble from your local car parts stores such as Halfords.
You can also use the bicycle pump with sub tank attached to it for topping up the air into the tyre. Then, you can use analogue/digital tyre pressure gauge.


You will struggle to blow dry the body surface using the air gun with around 25L tank capacity.
In fact, air gun is best suited for narrow angle target.

I always use garden blower and much better than the air gun. As you have washed the car, the surrounding area of the car is quite wet any way and thus, there is little chance of getting dirt, dust or debris by using the garden blower around the car.

Kaz

[328]

Thanks you all for your advice!!

I will have a look into a cordless impact drill, especially for taking tyres off....I will also look into a small electrical pump.........

Kaz I cant imagine that you would go around your car with a garden blower :)

For drying my car it was more for the little gaps, window seals etc.....as through time 'green' would start to try and grow out of small gaps!

I think I will also look into how noisy air compressor maybe be when they are filling up.


Cheers guys,

Andy