Best value air compressor for your $

[brendan rooke]

It probably been asked here a million times, but i havnt seen a post about it for a while.

What is the best value for money air compressor on the market at the moment.

What have you got or used?

Whats your opinion.

Im looking for a good one to run lockers and inflate tyres after low pressure runs.

Cheers.

[11_evl]

hi flow ARB one is tops

[brad 93hilux]

After looking into some expensive fast compressors, i then changed my mind and went with the cheaper option....

I bought 2 150 L/m off ebay for $100 each, got some cheap 3/8" air hose and fittings and plummed the 2 compressors into 1 line through a airservice unit and the back out to the 3/8" hose.

Cost me a total of about $280 and at 300L/m free flow it is pretty dam fast.
The idea is having the two compressors hooked up together it halves the load on them and should one fail i just disconnect one line and use the other by itself

Pumps a 35" tyre up in around 2 minute's...

Brad

[T_Diesel]

Get a Tank

[tweak'e]

best value is a little tricky.

i went with one of the 150l/min ones (projecta typhoon) which only output about 70l/min in real life. but by the time i fixed the flaw in the outlet, fitted a bit of pipe so the hose connection didn't get to hot, permanently wired it in (got rid of the crap cable and dodgy fuse they come with) the overall cost is not all that far off an ARB. then i'm still using the cheap hose they come with, the connectors are backwoods (not set up for tank use) and are a different design (not compatible with normal air hoses). to set it up for a tank means changing every thing, outlets, hoses etc.

the biggest problem is getting a compressor thats actually quick enough so you can actually pump all your tires up before it overheats.

[cruzinnboozn]

After looking into some expensive fast compressors, i then changed my mind and went with the cheaper option....

I bought 2 150 L/m off ebay for $100 each, got some cheap 3/8" air hose and fittings and plummed the 2 compressors into 1 line through a airservice unit and the back out to the 3/8" hose.

Cost me a total of about $280 and at 300L/m free flow it is pretty dam fast.
The idea is having the two compressors hooked up together it halves the load on them and should one fail i just disconnect one line and use the other by itself

Pumps a 35" tyre up in around 2 minute's...

Brad

How hot does it get after doing all 4 tyres in 8min??

Do you have yours plumbed to a tank (not sure what an air service is)

[brad 93hilux]

They are not hot enough you cant touch the nitto fittings to disconnect the lines.

They have a piss poor duty cycle of 20% but 1 compressor will inflate all 4 of my 35's from 10psi to 33 psi, so its not a problem.

No i dont have them plummed up to a tank, dont see the need. I have a seperate arb compressor which runs the diff locks.

Air service unit removes water/ filters the air and has a regulator so you can adjust the pressure if needed.

I have them wired in with 100A cable with fuse and then each compressor has a seperate fuse .

Works great, and was cheap.

Brad

[raafy]

I bought the twin cylinder comp off ebay for $100 with delivery. Fitted it in the back 1/4 panel of the 80 series & wired it up with a 100 amp fuse running through a relay. Also plumbed into a small air tank with non-return valve & cut out switch. Will pump up my 33's from 18 to 35 in less than 2 minutes each + 2 other sets without a problem.

[brad 93hilux]

I bought the twin cylinder comp off ebay for $100 with delivery. Fitted it in the back 1/4 panel of the 80 series & wired it up with a 100 amp fuse running through a relay. Also plumbed into a small air tank with non-return valve & cut out switch. Will pump up my 33's from 18 to 35 in less than 2 minutes each + 2 other sets without a problem.

You will find that a 100amp fuse would never blow with one of these compressors, i run two compressors off the same line and run a 100amp fuse- this is still overkill.

Brad

[raafy]

I bought the twin cylinder comp off ebay for $100 with delivery. Fitted it in the back 1/4 panel of the 80 series & wired it up with a 100 amp fuse running through a relay. Also plumbed into a small air tank with non-return valve & cut out switch. Will pump up my 33's from 18 to 35 in less than 2 minutes each + 2 other sets without a problem.

You will find that a 100amp fuse would never blow with one of these compressors, i run two compressors off the same line and run a 100amp fuse- this is still overkill.

Brad

Forgot to add that I run the power for the compressor through a 50 amp circuit breaker. The 100 amp fuse is to protect the power supply cable to the back of the car which powers everything in the back.

[brad 93hilux]

I bought the twin cylinder comp off ebay for $100 with delivery. Fitted it in the back 1/4 panel of the 80 series & wired it up with a 100 amp fuse running through a relay. Also plumbed into a small air tank with non-return valve & cut out switch. Will pump up my 33's from 18 to 35 in less than 2 minutes each + 2 other sets without a problem.

You will find that a 100amp fuse would never blow with one of these compressors, i run two compressors off the same line and run a 100amp fuse- this is still overkill.

Brad

Forgot to add that I run the power for the compressor through a 50 amp circuit breaker. The 100 amp fuse is to protect the power supply cable to the back of the car which powers everything in the back.

Fair enough that sounds a bit more realistic.
Brad

[tweak'e]

...........
No i dont have them plummed up to a tank, dont see the need. I have a seperate arb compressor which runs the diff locks.

........

so you have 3 compressors and you think thats cheap

[brad 93hilux]

I have a crappy old ARB compressor that runs only the lockers... This compressor i bought a while ago for $40 off ebay.. then i have the two mentioned above... Yeh it is cheap.

Brad

[brendan rooke]

Cheers guys,

raffy, good job on that set up.

Thats what im looking into doing...running a tank as i have to pump up 37's from 10-12 pound back up to 30-35 pound.

I want to set up a tank with brackets to bolt to the floor in the back..but i want it compact...bolt the compressor to the top of the tank or something.

Ive got a bit of a visual just gotta put pen to paper and get it done.

Keep the pics coming guys, helps with ideas.

Thanks

Rookie.

[T_Diesel]

[djroberts]

I have dual ARB hi-flow's. They will do 315/75r16 for me from 12psi->38psi in 1 minute and 15 seconds. No air reservoir.

[BundyRumandCoke]

Depending on what its for, and your fabbing skills, a converted AC compressor. For the money invested, it will flog the log of ANY portable electric compressor.

[brad 93hilux]

Depending on what its for, and your fabbing skills, a converted AC compressor. For the money invested, it will flog the log of ANY portable electric compressor.

I would have definately gone a endless air type compressor if i had the room, but its too hard on a hilux..

There is heaps of info on these as well..

[brendan rooke]

Think iread somewhere that the endless air compressor's are only $450 for the setup.

Does that sound right.

Can they fit if the original air cond pump is still on?

[brad 93hilux]

The price varies depending on what vehicle you put it on, and in reguards to fitting with a/c- depends on what truck you put it on...

My hilux i cant fit it but some trucks you can.. look on the endless website and it will have more info.

Brad