Compressors - What size

G day Bonz, if you contact a reputable compressor retailer/supplier & give them the specs of the tools you intend to run off it they will advise you what cfm is needed. Cheers

14 CFM Peerless should work well with those tools. Quality equipment & Aussie company too. (See link)
Peerless Compressor
Smaller units would mean having to wait for the air to build up while using impact drivers & spray guns & bigger units may need 15 amp power points to run off.

The biggest your money can buy... so when it starts up it scares the crap out of the neighbours .... LOL

30cfm will be plenty, I have one of the small super shet ones and can pump up a tyre OK but wont run a air tool..

Cheers

Me

G'day Mr Bonzarelli, HNYTYA
It will depend on the demand from your largest air tool that your going to use. I think most air tools are around 8cfm. Spray gun to hide the rust on the Nissan shouln't need that much supply LOL
Keep an eye out on any clearing sales around the area. You might pick up an oldie for cheap.

Quote: " and a cage around the belts so I cant hurt myself."

hahahahaha, Lucky will be along any minute now to suggest that the cage needs to be around the WHOLE WORKSHOP if it's going to have any chance of preventing you from hurting yourself!!!! hahahaa

Bonz, I think you need one of those BIG suckers (at least 15 CFM) that has it's own shed outside the workshop and with permanent plumbing throughout your workshop/garage etc.....

Cheers

Roachie

Bonz, I was in the industrial compressor business for some years and have sized units for all types of applications (28000 cfm). Large or small, Rolls Royce or Lightburn Zeta, consider the following;

1. Duty cycle required - how long per day will it be required to run?
2. Air requirement - based on the tools you will use. I.e. will you ever use a 1/2" ratchet gun and a spray gun together at the same time?
3. 240V or 415V
4. Noise level - is noise an issue?
5. Cost of ownership (purchase price and maintenance over a given period) - yep, they need to be maintained.

Don't forget air treatment. A good 5 - 10 micron filter is a minimum as cheapo machines, and even some good ones, pass lots of oil that ends up in your pipework and tools and even in your paint- not good. Also worth knowing is that cheaper recip's are commonly rated in swept volume whereas "industrial" compressors are rated in Free Air Delivery (FAD). Swept vol. is around 0.7 - 0.8 of FAD depending on the efficiency of the unit. So if they say 12 cfm it may only be 8.5 - 9.5 CFM FAD. Thats the actual volume of air (expanded back to atmospheric conditions) that it will deliver due to all the internal losses. It all sounds confusing and so it can be. BTW, for a 12 - 15 CFM unit 50L receiver is OK for up to about 40% duty. As an indication, I sold dozens of 40CFM machines with 147L receivers for general workshop use. These machines were rated at 100% duty.

Try someone like CAPS, Air Technology Group or Southern Cross Compressors in Melbourne as a starter. If they don't have what you need they will steer you in the right direction. This may all seem over the top but you make your living from using this stuff (I'm assuming). Hope I haven't confused the issue for you.

Hi Bonz
My brother picked up a nice compressor at a clearing sale a while ago. It is an ex District Council roadworks compressor which can run 2 jackhammers continuously, and is driven by a Holden grey motor. Maybe you need something like that? Make all your mates jealous anyway LOL
Cheers
John

Bonz, look for a rotary screw compressor if you want the best. Perhaps 7.5hp. Continuous duty. Three phase power shouldn't be a problem to get hooked. I know someone in your area, I that knows someone. ;-))) Hook it up with 25mm diametre pipe and curlie one for the tools. Keep the nurse close to hand.

being a carpenter i use a compressor every day just about. i've only ever owned the one compressor in about 13 years of work, most of it knocking up stick frames of new houses, so i'm talking lots of framing gun work, lots of coil gun nailing, and lots of rattle gun work doing up all the tie down. the compressor i have is a PUMA V11, i would have gone bigger but found the current draw was to much on the 13 CFM when i was on some sites running more then one compressor, we kept tripping out the power all the time with a mates 13 CFM so i was advised to get a 11 and have been more then happy with it.