Air compressor for nailer

[transatlantic]

I want to pick up an air compressor and both a 50mm 18g brad nailer and a 23g pin nailer.

What is the smallest compressor I can get away with? I ideally want something that can go on a shelf under my desk. Not some massive tank taking up floor space.

Could i use something like this? If i was using it with 25mm 18g brads, how many shots would it do before needing refilling?

https://www.airsupplies.co.uk/abac-star ... compressor

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-868 ... ref=plSrch

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[Droogs]

I have the exact same nailer and use a lidl 24l compressor that sits on a shelf under the bench. A bit noisy when filling up the tank but last for ages and only filled the gun twice since i got it

 

[Mark A]

My 6 litre Axminster compressor can fire around 30x 50mm brads into softwood until it needs to refill the tank.

 

[ScaredyCat]

I've just had this from Machine Mart https://www.machinemart.co.uk/machine-mart-offers/air-compressor-price-crash/ if it helps...




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[transatlantic]

I've just had this from Machine Mart https://www.machinemart.co.uk/machine-mart-offers/air-compressor-price-crash/ if it helps...




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I'm trying to go for something quietish. The one I linked is 68db, the Machine Mart ones are 90+, unless you go for the sshhh range, but they're out of my budget.

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[Geoff_S]

Being quietish was the challenge for me.

I have used for many years a Silair airbrush compressor. Very, very quiet, up to 6 bar, not a huge tank but good enough. Then I had a very large t&g job to do and bought the smaller bostitch compressor. Wow :shock: That is one noisy animal but does the more bulky jobs.

I couldn't find a small, heavy duty and quiet compressor. So I think it's small and quiet or large and loud.

 

[transatlantic]

Being quietish was the challenge for me.

I have used for many years a Silair airbrush compressor. Very, very quiet, up to 6 bar, not a huge tank but good enough. Then I had a very large t&g job to do and bought the smaller bostitch compressor. Wow :shock: That is one noisy animal but does the more bulky jobs.

I couldn't find a small, heavy duty and quiet compressor. So I think it's small and quiet or large and loud.

I don't mind it being small. In fact I want it to be very small so I can easily store it on a shelf. As long as it can do 20 or so shots before refilling (I'm assuming that won't take long for a 6 litre tank?), I don't mind waiting. I'm a very slow hobby worker

Oddly, the Americans have a load of choice with "silent" 6 litre compressors. If you do an Amazon.com search, there is a quite a few. Here in the UK, it doesn't seem to have caught on. The only quiet 6 litre one I can find is a Rutlands one. Which is never in stock. The one I posted above is 68db, which I am hoping is not all that loud.

 

[Alexfn]

https://www.aimtools.co.uk/products/241 ... -xdw550-9l

https://www.aimtools.co.uk/products/241 ... ressor-24l

trade off for a really quiet compressor is low cfm

dont get oil free if you want a quiet compressor, the one you linked may have have a low db rating but from 20 years working with compressors i can say from my experience the oil free make a horrible noise thats much more intrusive,
the lidl ones are good for the money, that nail gun will be very hit or miss the tolerances are all over the place on the low end guns, you might get lucky or you might spend more time clearing jams than nailing.

rutlands do a combo kit ive seen people on here rate well but not used myself so cant comment
https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+hand-tool ... nds+dk7800

 

[transatlantic]

https://www.aimtools.co.uk/products/241183-air-compressor-xdw550-9l

https://www.aimtools.co.uk/products/241 ... ressor-24l

trade off for a really quiet compressor is low cfm

dont get oil free if you want a quiet compressor, the one you linked may have have a low db rating but from 20 years working with compressors i can say from my experience the oil free make a horrible noise thats much more intrusive,
the lidl ones are good for the money, that nail gun will be very hit or miss the tolerances are all over the place on the low end guns, you might get lucky or you might spend more time clearing jams than nailing.

rutlands do a combo kit ive seen people on here rate well but not used myself so cant comment
https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+hand-tool ... nds+dk7800

hmmm ... would that low CFM still work though? don't most guns need around 5 CFM?

 

[custard]

I just hate the noise. It's not only loud it's also got an intrusive, grating tone, plus it kicks in at random intervals and spoils your concentration.

I swore that my current workshop would be "air free", but a couple of years ago I gave in and got a compressor. The reason being there are some finishing routines where blowing dust out of grain pockets is pretty much the only solution. The choice then became locate it outside or get a Bambi, as external location isn't realistic in my workshop I bit the bullet and got a Bambi. That's the quietest compressor I could find but it's still too loud, bottom line is I'll often use aerosol cans of compressed air instead. How daft is that!

 

[ScaredyCat]

Can't you build a box for it like all the dust extraction ones?


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[OscarG]

What about forgetting the compressor altogether and using a cordless one?

https://www.toolstop.co.uk/dewalt-dcn66 ... nly-p73811

No idea if it's any good!

 

[custard]

Can't you build a box for it like all the dust extraction ones?

That would help, but it's not a route that I want to take.

This is my compressor, it's got wheels at the back so you can move it around. That's useful for car tyres or taking it down to the marina to work on my boat, a soundproof box would impair that flexibility and also take a big bite out of workshop space.

 

[transatlantic]

What about forgetting the compressor altogether and using a cordless one?

https://www.toolstop.co.uk/dewalt-dcn66 ... nly-p73811

No idea if it's any good!

I would if they were a similar size.

 

[AES]

@Custard. If you're "only" use for a compressor is to blow dust out of difficult corners then I suggest you buy a diaphragm-type compressor as used for airbrushes. Mine (a Badger actually, but there are plenty of others) "buzzes" a bit, but they're pretty quiet (they're designed for use in artists' studio and other "office-like" places) and in comparison to my "other" compressor, a cheapo Italian piston type with tank (my airbrush unit has no tank) it really is VERY quiet indeed.

BUT unfortunately any airbrush type compressor I've seen will not do much else (apart from drive an airbrush!) which is why I also have a noisy one too - but that's in the garage. From time to time I've seen ads for very cheap airbrush/compressor combos, so even if you use the airbrush pistol only for dust clearance that may be something for you to think about?

 

[Fergal]

https://www.aimtools.co.uk/products/241 ... -xdw550-9l

A friend of mine bought the above compressor to run 18G and 23G nailguns and is very happy with it. It's much quieter than most cheap compressors and has enough capacity for the task. The Orazio compressors seem to be the only quiet ones available at reasonable prices. All the other "silent" compressors are significantly more expensive.

 

[Trevanion]

Screw compressors are great for really low noise and large amounts of air. But they're a bit out of the budget range of most :wink:

 

[user22161]

hmmm ... would that low CFM still work though? don't most guns need around 5 CFM?

I have the Aim tools one, it works fine with 18g & 23g nailers. Also blows the car tyres up.