help choose budget compressor please

[steveo3002]

need to replace my aldi compressor , its noisy and struggles a bit to do what i need

any suggestions please , id like either 25 or 50ltr , i dont have alot of space and low noise would be a bonus , best cfm for the ££ too

dont want to spend more than three hundred odd ,how does this look?

Clarke SHHH50/350 Shhh Air Max Twin Pump 16.9cfm 50 Litre 3.5HP Low Noise Compressor (230V) - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

 

[steveo3002]

or would this be an upgrade on the aldi one...if noise is much less i guess i could bare it running more

https://www.lawson-his.co.uk/clarke...RpPVqSsuF1fpMs6nGl10rA5ZJQ895jxMBk4tIVHe-KrGs

 

[GRW]

Compressors are confusing- too much obscure data meaning you don't know what one will actually do.
I can say that IME the direct drive stuff is noisy as hell.... & belt drive much more acceptable.
I have a quite old now 100L Clarke belt drive. Still pretty portable, acceptable noise & does me well. It'll not keep up with air-hungry tools like Ugga Dugga etc, but a good compromise.
Unfortunately new out of price range for you though

 

[steveo3002]

yeah belt drive is out of reach , i dunno if these clarke low noise are really lower noise or just lies

ideally a beefy 25ltr would be good for me as i dont have the space , but the direct drive rattling on is getting tiring

 

[addjunkie]

When looking at the specs you need the free air delivery figure to truly compare. Most give you-the displacement which is a figure that looks much higher.
13 cfm displacement is normally about 9.5 free air delivery for example.

 

[GRW]

yeah belt drive is out of reach , i dunno if these clarke low noise are really lower noise or just lies

ideally a beefy 25ltr would be good for me as i dont have the space , but the direct drive rattling on is getting tiring

If you can find, arguably a used belt-drive is better than a new direct drive?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I ended up buying this one.

Nit as quiet as my Hyundai but much quieter than my old Aldi/Lidl ones.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

More info in this thread.

Post in thread 'Hyundai silent compressor' https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/hyundai-silent-compressor.125004/post-2436455

 

[steveo3002]

is 4hp not getting a bit close for household elecs?

 

[RWD3M]

is 4hp not getting a bit close for household elecs?

4hp equates to about 3kw so all good.

 

[steveo3002]

hmm was worried if i got a biggish one would it trip the elecs , so not even close to worry about?

 

[Jack Pattenden]

hmm was worried if i got a biggish one would it trip the elecs , so not even close to worry about?

3kw is at the top end of what standard 13A wiring can give you, but, that's going to be in bursts, and assuming no cowboys involved, everything should be built to give you full whack all day. So all good.

 

[eSCHEn]

1HP is about 0.7457KW

4HP x 0.7457 ≈ 2.98KW

 

[steveo3002]

TEH 100% COPPER AIR COMPRESSOR 24L LITRES OIL FREE 8 BAR 116PSI LOW NOICE 2HP 1500W 210L/min 220V TEHTOOLS TAC24L

Portable air compressor, modern, with ergonomic design and superior quality, which will allow constant use by the operator, thanks to its 2HP, which maintains the cylinder at all times with enough pressure not to stop the work. An oil-free compressor is an equipment used in applications where a...

tehtools.co.uk

what do we think to the spec on the 24ltr? better than the aldi rattler? bit less noise?

 

[julianf]

I have three compressors - a 3kw direct drive fiac, a 3kw belt airmaster (old clarke) and a broken hydrovane.

All were 2nd hand.

I know you said that a belt drive was out of reach, but, really, scrape around for a 2nd hand belt unit, and your life will be so much nicer than if you buy a cheap direct drive unit.

 

[steveo3002]

i dont disagree with you , i simply dont have the space for 100 ltr one ,and not seeing any 50ltr belt drive

 

[julianf]

i dont disagree with you , i simply dont have the space for 100 ltr one ,and not seeing any 50ltr belt drive

I had a small one once, that i gave to my brothers kid. It was one of those twin cylinder V ones. I think it was originally off a vehicle. I bought it second hand for £20.

It was fine, but i just had so many compressors at the time, and my brothers kid wanted one, so i gave him it.

What i mean is, they do exist, but it may take a bit of looking.

 

[steveo3002]

okay will keep an eye open cheers

 

[julianf]

okay will keep an eye open cheers

I tried looking for photos on here, and found this post -

Post in thread 'Today I acquired...........'

Dec 6, 2014

I did acquire something the week before last, that i dont think i mentioned -

A friend bought himself a new compressor, so sold me his old one for £20 (what he paid for it years previous). Small, old, belt driven thing. Ill take a photo tomorrow.

(i have a 14cfm direct drive, but it does not like voltage drop, and makes a right racket, hence the interest in a smaller, belt driven)

• julianf

...anyway, all my photos are dead links to photobucket, but i did find this -

Which wasnt my unit, but was the same thing.

You can see from the other things in the photo that, whilst its not tiny, its size is really quite manageable.

You could probably even scale it quite accurately by the blocks in the wall behind it.

 

[MetalMonkey]

Echo the above, go for a belt drive unit, second hand is a viable option if you can find one that isn’t totally shagged.

If space is an issue nothing stops you taking the skid of the tank and mounting them in separate places, or repurposing the tank from your aldi unit.
You could even buy a really good compressor minus the tank, but it will be a bit outside your budget.

Cheap direct drive units are exactly as you describe, noisy and struggle, I don’t think replacing it with the same thing will drastically improve matters.
They are really just for airing up tyres and blowing off dust IME.