What type of air compressor do i need?

by Grant K
(Terre Haute Indiana USA)

I am in the process of rebuilding my 87 Mustang GT and am done with motor and interior, but have just got started on the body work and realized that i need a compressor big enough to run a DA for 15 20 min at a time,and i also need to compressor to run my HVLP spray gun at a constant rate for sometimes up to 25 min. My question is what Brand, CFM, Type, gallon size, ect. do i need Thank you All the help is much appreciated!





Bill says...

The answer, of course, is what do the various air tools demand in flow and pressure? Also, what is your expectation? Are you OK with waiting periodically for an air compressor to catch up so that you have enough flow and pressure to work your air tools.

Start with these pages. They will help you decide.

Cheers,

Bill




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What type of air compressor do i need?

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Dec 31, 2009
 What kind of compressor do i need?
by: Grant

I need to run a DA at 135psi continuously for on average about 15 to 20 min, meanwhile i dont mind it kicking on to rebuild preesue, but i would like that 125psi to be there constantly. Also i need one that will run an ingersol rand half inch inpact up to 225 + possibley, at times to do things such as automotive work like motor mounts, tie rods, ball joints, ect. you get the picture! would also like to no of one that has multiple outputs. The HVLP is about 65 to 70 in and it cuts it back to about 10psi at the nozzle. I found one that had 1 or 2? 400psi outputs and 2 125psi outputs. i believe it was a rotary type, but im not sure i need to step up that big. although I could end up running 30 40 feet of air hose and may need more than one going at at time in a shop type setting. Thanx for the help, any information is really appreciated.
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The simple answer is you need an air compressor big enough and reliable enough for all the air flow you expect to use, and also within your budget. For these reasons I can't tell you what to buy.

If you haven't the time to go through the process of figuring out the total air use yourself, as outlined on the pages I referred you to earlier, then your best bet is to contact some compressor manufacturers and ask them to do an air-use audit for you, towards you possibly buying a compressor from them. Then they will ensure that whatever type of unit you buy, it will suit your needs.

You won't get that service from a store, you need to go to the compressor manufacturer's reps. like some of those noted on the Repairs page.

Cheers,

Bill

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