Compressors are they worth it?

Argyll · Post by **Argyll** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:24 am

I have the opportunity of buying a Makita AC1300 Air Compressor for £100. I'm told this is a great price. I'm just wondering what I can do with it? is it something that's used quite a bit? I know Americans use compressors often but I don't think they're that popular here.

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 10:35 am

Depends on the work you do. I have 2 and use them a lot.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 10:59 am

I have one and although I do not have a specific use for it but I do find I use it for odd jobs apart from pumping tyres. I do not have many air tools as the flow rate is not high enough to keep them running. I use it a lot for blow cleaning stuff off.

DWD

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:17 am

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I have one too. I really only do use it for inflating tyres, but it is better than paying our local garage £1 a time.

Oh, and I have used it for blowing up "just a few" balloons for an occasion we had. (Sounds daft, but you try blowing up more than 10 balloons)

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:04 pm

Primary use for my small compressor is as an air blower for cleaning dust off items I am working on, gets used everyday for that. I also use it to pump tyres now and then and to power my nail guns.

My big compressor is used almost exclusively for my sand blaster although I have used it to power my impact gun as my little comp doesn't have enough grunt for that. To be honest though I rarely use the impact gun as I find a breaker bar better in most cases.

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:43 pm

air tools are cfm hog's take the cfm ratings with a pinch of salt, most are rated at 20-40 PSI

i use mine for painting 50l 4hp barely runs a blast cabinet

Chippo1 · Post by **Chippo1** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:47 pm

I have one it was an Aldi special but works ok.

Sprayed various things with a small cheap spray gun , have a machine mart Brad nailer , use that a fare bit , have prepped my two garage roller doors for spraying once we get a dry warm still day. Used it when we rebuilt sons car engine for blowing through oil and water ways in the block ect

So it can be useful depending on what u get up to.

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:24 pm

Same as the others. I've got a 3HP 15cfm unit.
Nice little compressor, but it won't really run air tools. You need a lot of air for that.
Blow gun, tyres, small nailer, bit of spraying it's fine.

Argyll · Post by **Argyll** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 10:06 pm

It was this one I bought. A couple of years old for £100.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-AC1300- ... B001MEF5US

Not sure what I could use it for and I don't know much about them. I do need to buy a hose first of all. Are hoses roughly the same or does the quality differ?

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:40 am

Can't comment on quality, but there are two sizes of "connector fittings" (small and big)

This one and This one

Others may be raising eyebrows, but I only found out the hard way. and don't buy the "air tool kit" (£20) its cheap and nasty. My hoses came from screwfix.

Nos · Post by **Nos** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 6:42 am

As my hobby was car restoration I have always had a compressor, twin cylinder, 200 Ltr tank, Italian made, good for all air tools both metalwork, and now I live in France good for various size nail guns from a small brad nailer to a Pasolode framing nailer, the bad news

I lost them all in the fire, so will have to start a new collection.

ayjay · Post by **ayjay** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 7:08 am

someone-else wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:40 am Can't comment on quality, but there are two sizes of "connector fittings" (small and big)

This one and This one

What you're showing there is actually two different connection systems, not two different sizes.

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 7:30 am

Yep they are both 1/4" internal size.

I like the Euro style fittings myself, (PCL XF in the link above) they seem to be more universal than the standard PCL fittings and are more compact and robust. You can also get them very cheaply.

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:51 am

And there's more than two types. I had some fittings off eBay, that were shown as the Euro type in the image, but were something else when they came. Similar looking to Euro type but not compatible (they had the wrong image up that they'd picked up from somewhere online I reckon). I got my money back.

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:08 am

PCL is the better fitting PCL XF is overkill for DIY use

ah Euro fittings I have come across 3-4 different types