Compressor Advice

[Highland Mule]

Thanks all.

In the end gone for this

Sealey SAC10030VE Compressor 100ltr V-Twin Direct Drive 3hp

Sealey SAC10030VE Compressor 100ltr V-Twin Direct Drive 3hp

ffx.co.uk

Not the best quality but think 100 litres was way to go. I don't like SGS much either.

Ebay discount = £258 plus vat.

Belt driven professional Clarke one would be nice but probably no point

8 bar and 100 litres. That will need professional checks to comply with the Pressure Regulations.

 

[Red Fred]

I've had a Sealey 50 v-twin for a good many years of general use, mostly tyres, and it has been very reliable although I did change the capacitor the other day which was easy enough. I also bought a little Stanley with a small tank for emergencies which I saw on offer at Screwfix for about 100 quid, but I'm afraid that was junk and it stopped after a couple of uses. After reading reviews, I should have saved my money but I thought Stanley tools of old were OK.

 

[SilliamWhale]

8 bar and 100 litres. That will need professional checks to comply with the Pressure Regulations.

Have you still got your mask on?

 

[Wesley]

Have you still got your mask on?

While sat in a lead lined bunker wearing a tinfoil har I expect

 

[Highland Mule]

Have you still got your mask on?

Not sure what that has to do with PSSR.

I do comply with health and safety law though, plus I get my car MOT'd and insured every year. My loader tractor doesn't need LOLER, but I would get it done if it did.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Let me get this right, you want a compressor lying around with a reservoir that doesn't need testing and aren't worried about it going bang one day?

 

[YELROM]

Very pleased to see it isn`t just me that thinks they`re a shower of ...!
Really short sighted of them as a bit of good service goes a long way in terms of repeat business.
Had a manifold break on my compressor when I "over-tightened" a fitting - they just blamed me for being too rough. The metal was actually the most like plastic I`ve ever come across (apart from the plastic "metal" that Chinese made toys are constructed of !!) They said the thread on the manifold was tapered - it certainly soon cracked. Maybe a note in the instructions to that effect would have been helpful.
Just out of interest I did ring Machine Mart to talk through the same problem and their attitude was very different....

It isn’t just you, we got a 50ltr compressor off SGS and it just kept blowing the fuse/overload on the compressor if it tried to start with any pressure in the tank so they sent another one except this one could run till Christmas and it would never make full pressure and trip off

 

[Highland Mule]

Let me get this right, you want a compressor lying around with a reservoir that doesn't need testing and aren't worried about it going bang one day?

Assuming that’s directed at me - yes, that’s correct. I want a compressor here with a small enough reservoir that it doesn’t need testing, mainly because of the compliance requirements but also because the stored energy is so much less than a big one and thus the hazard is much less too.

I also tend to leave it switched off and without pressure when not needed, so a smaller reservoir gets up to pressure quicker and of course presents no hazard when sitting empty. Worth pointing out that I’m an engineer as well as a farmer so am content I can do adequate checks for my own purposes, although not to formal PSSR.

If you’ve ever seen the aftermath of a larger tank letting go, you’ll understand why they need more attention too - it’s not pretty.

 

[Moors Lad]

It isn’t just you, we got a 50ltr compressor off SGS and it just kept blowing the fuse/overload on the compressor if it tried to start with any pressure in the tank so they sent another one except this one could run till Christmas and it would never make full pressure and trip off

I fear most stuff is made in China at the sort of prices we`re contemplating and there is problems with quality from time to time - we just look for problems to be sorted for us...

 

[SilliamWhale]

I fear most stuff is made in China at the sort of prices we`re contemplating and there is problems with quality from time to time - we just look for problems to be sorted for us...

You may be right. However if the seller is offering it fit for purpose that's the risk they take. SGS are pretty agressive on returns

 

[Kidds]

Had a manifold break on my compressor when I "over-tightened" a fitting - they just blamed me for being too rough.

I did exactly the same thing, swapping to a tpl fitting. As you say, it broke very easy. Mended it with chemical metal and just used the other outlet.
Also as above I replaced eventually with a Machine Mart compressor that looked identical.

 

[Moors Lad]

You may be right. However if the seller is offering it fit for purpose that's the risk they take. SGS are pretty agressive on returns

I fully agree with you on both counts!!

 

[Hjwise]

Just want a smallish one for pumping up tyres speedily and a cleaning off the odd item (air tools have been replaced by battery tools).

It won't even do 1 hour a week - any half decent ones?

Stupid question - will a 50 litre one take longer to pump a tyre than 100 litre or does that just depend on cfm?

Did you consider a battery compressor?

I’m contemplating buying a makita 18v one - I’m told that they’re the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[cambsfarmer]

It’s the combination of pressure and volume that make a compressed air tank liable for periodic (formal) inspection under the regulations.

Take the max pressure and multiply that by the volume, and provided the number of bar-litres is under 250, it’s grand.
So:

• 100 litres at 2.5 bar
• 50 litres at 5 bar
• 25 litres at 10 bar

Etc. is the limit.

 

[milkloss]

Did you consider a battery compressor?

I’m contemplating buying a makita 18v one - I’m told that they’re the best thing since sliced bread.

I considered one of those but they're not really up to much of a tyre. Top up the car or quad bike maybe but a slow job to half fill a tractor tyre I bet.

 

[David.]

The Makita is brilliant for top ups, but are not made to be a workshop compressor.
I have blown up a 540 65R 24 tractor front from flat, as a test, and it put 20psi in about 10min on a 5ah battery. So it would be much better than taking 47kg propane cylinders of air on a wheelbarrow, out to a breakdown.

 

[Phil P]

If your going to have one it may as well be a big one

 

[rob h]

If your going to have one it may as well be a big one

I'm with you on that.we bought this from auction this year. It speeds things up and I've converted a pressure washer lance to air so I can blow down machinery