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[Sir Tigger KC]

It looks like great value to me, as I've seen similar second hand compressors sell for £60-70 in auctions!   

[tunnie]

It depends what you intend to use it for.

For tools that get use for long periods of time such as grinders, drills, etc. then yes, this compressor is not suitable. It will spin wheel nuts off with an impact wrench, inflate tyres, run a small sand blaster / paraffin gun to clean parts, blow dust out of your PC, pressurise your cooling system to look for leaks, work a spray gun, at least well enough to paint single panels at a time and many other things.

I wouldn't be without mine, that's for sure, but I wouldn't be able to justify the space or expense consumed by a more powerful compressor either.

1/2 impact wrenches, drills, die grinders, sanders, full-size sprayguns, ratchets, hammers are all hungry air tools. Unless you get a reasonably sized compressor(100l tank and 3HP) you're going to be very disappointed. And they're really inconvenient, inefficient and noisy for DIY use. I've had mine for 25 years, and tried most of those tools with it: it only gets used for painting. I bought electric grinders, sanders and polishers because they're actually usable.

Thanks for feedback.

For me I'd like one that would mean: No need for breaker bar on wheel nuts, as most common thing is popping wheels of for brake inspections/pad changes, drop links etc. Also be able to crack rear shock bolts for suspension work and diff bolts.

Generally make life easier and less hard work. 

[Kevin Wood]

The thing is, if you need a breaker bar to shift it, it's touch and go whether a cheapish impact wrench will help. They are great for spinning fasteners off once they are loosened, and where there is room to get it in place but for loosening off bolts you really need a breaker bar IMHO.

Something like a suspension bolt that has been there for years is better off loosened by hand, IMHO, because

a) An impact wrench might well not shift it anyway.
b) An impact wrench might well be too bulky to get anywhere near it.
c) By hand you can feel what's happening and are less likely to muller it IMHO.
d) By the time you get the impact wrench, air line, compressor, etc. out, you'll have done the job anyway.

If the above is your main application you'd be better off with an electric impact wrench than a compressor and all the paraphernalia anyway. If you have a compressor for other reasons, adding a £20 impact wrench is a no brainer over buying a £100+ electric one, however.

[tunnie]

Thanks, probably right RE impact wrench, always looked at them but for what I'd want it to do, need around £300 which can't really justify 

[Nick W]

Thanks, probably right RE impact wrench, always looked at them but for what I'd want it to do, need around £300 which can't really justify 

I keep saying this: forget about pneumatic or electric impact guns unless you're going to spend at least £500. Spend a tenth of that on a 2ft long 1/2" drive RATCHET. It is exactly what you need for wheel nuts and suspension work. And it's cheap enough to buy that you quickly get the value out of it.

[TheBoy]

I would say any compressor running off a 13A socket and a £50 impact gun isn't going to remove a wheelbolt that's been on a while without a lot of effort.

I have a 50l, 3HP, 14cfm compressor and a Clarke Professional impact wrench, and my £100 bare Wnak&Decker^* battery impact wrench is every bit as good, and far more usable, and less faff.  That often still needs a breaker, but does spin them off quicker.

I also have the Clarke/Sealey/CheapskateChinky cordless 450Nm jobbie....   ....and that's shite.


^*DeWalt

[aaronjb]

The only thing my Ingersol Rand 1/2" impact gun has failed me on was the massive mounting bolts on the Jag diff - in the end we got those out with the aid of a scaffold pole, though, so they were a 'little' tight!

(Bottom bolts here: http://www.ajsengineering.com/Images/IMG_0401.JPG - something like 1 1/4" heads)

But that was (or should have been, mine was NOS) an expensive windy gun..