10 best compressors for car painting

Compressor Denzel RS 1/6-180 weighing only 11 kg is one of the cheapest, most compact and economical. Its feature is the absence of lubrication in the cylinder-piston group, and in order to reduce friction, special anti-friction materials were used in the design.As a result of this solution, the oil does not get into the air, does not mix with the paintwork material, so the unit is very convenient to use for painting various surfaces. The output capacity is 180 l/min., and the appropriate gun is needed - either HP or LVPL systems.

During operation, the compressor creates a maximum pressure of 8 bar, this indicator can be adjusted, which allows it to be used with a full range of pneumatic tools - from a wrench to an airbrush. What is important for many, it looks great and works almost silently. Of course, it is still impossible to call a universal unit, because a complete painting of a car will take a lot of time. The direct drive provided by the design (rigid connection of the motor shaft with the crankshaft of the air blower), although it is the simplest, does not have effective heat dissipation, so the compressor will have to be stopped every 10 minutes.

The German company Fubag decided to offer customers not one compressor, but a whole set of the most popular pneumatic tools needed for car maintenance and home repairs. The official website presents 2 options for sets: from 6 and 10 units. The minimum set includes:

• 3 pneumatic guns with nozzles - for tire inflation, blowing or washing and for viscous liquids (with a tank);
• 3 tips for inflating balls, bicycle wheels and mattresses;
• flexible 5 m hose;
• HP airbrush with 0.5 liter top tank.

As for the compressor itself, it must be said that with rather modest dimensions, it pleases with its performance - 222 l / min. at the exit. It is made of high quality, ergonomics are well thought out: the pressure gauges are read perfectly, their readings are very accurate, the craters for filling and draining the oil are conveniently located. The short power cord and incomprehensible instructions, which include information about several models at once, spoil the impression a little, but given the price and rich set of equipment, these shortcomings can be forgiven.

The power, performance and displacement of the receiver in this model are quite modest - only 0.75 kW, 126 l / min. and 6 liters, respectively. But it fully justifies the expectations, and the declared 8 bar gives out stably even with a long hose. Users use it with might and main in "garage" affairs - local painting and pumping up car wheels, blowing tools, etc. more voluminous. Due to its compact dimensions (WHD 22x48x50 cm), the compressor can easily fit even in the smallest workshop, for example, under a workbench, and does not take up extra space.

The manufacturer did not stint and provided in an inexpensive device the presence of all the necessary safety elements: 2 pressure gauges, an oil indicator, a safety valve.There are no complaints about either ergonomics or build quality: the unit is well painted, the gaps are uniform, although it still won’t hurt to tighten some components before the first start, it has been working for people for several years without breakdowns. The working parts are made of cast metal, rubberized legs reduce the level of vibration (by the way, this “baby” is quite noisy), there is a convenient handle for transportation.

For more or less large-scale car painting, you need a more powerful compressor, and among the relatively inexpensive options, we found the most productive one - Quattro Elementi KM 50-380. The indicators are encrypted in its marking: 50 l is the volume of the air collector, 380 is an indicator of the input performance in l / min. The output capacity will naturally be lower and will be approximately 270 l / min. - Enough to create a pressure of 8 bar in 1.5 minutes.At the same time, the engine power (2.2 kW) and, accordingly, energy consumption do not differ much from the power of less efficient compressors (1.5–2 kW), since the efficiency of this model is higher due to the two-cylinder design of the piston group.

The manufacturer increased the resource of the unit by installing cast-iron cylinders instead of aluminum ones. A drain valve is provided on the bottom of the receiver, which allows you to quickly get rid of condensate, and the receiver itself is coated with paint to prevent corrosion. The compressor weighs 40 kg and has a handle and two wheels to transport it. According to reviews, it turns on infrequently, pumps up quickly, which means it will work for a long time. Of the minuses, the inconvenience of changing the oil and the insufficient length of the supply cable were indicated.

Initially, I wanted to call this compressor the best in terms of performance - after all, an impressive figure of 412 l / min is declared in the characteristics. But, unfortunately, at the output it drops to 288, and this is the average value in this category. However, the unit is still interesting to most users, since its inherent set of characteristics (working pressure 8 bar, 50-liter air storage and notorious performance) allows it to be successfully used for painting cars in service stations. Moreover, the model is praised for its reliability - it was bought several years ago, and all this time it worked flawlessly (provided that the oil was changed in a timely manner).

The device is equipped with an air filter to protect the internal components from dust penetration, the welds of the receiver, the casting of the cylinders and the engine itself are very high quality.The appearance of the unit does not betray its Chinese origin in any way - the elements fit well, there is no backlash or siphon anywhere. The design provides for universal outputs of the "rapid" type for simultaneous connection of 2 consumers. Contrary to advertising, the compressor weighing 48 kg and measuring 76.5x34x71.5 cm (WHD) is neither light nor compact, but the presence of a handle and two wheels makes it much easier to transport.

In the 90s, Italian ABAC compressors made a splash on the Russian market - unlike Soviet-style domestic units, they were incredibly light, compact and powerful. Today, of course, the situation has changed, but the championship still belongs to purebred “Italians” like ABAC Montecarlo L25P. It is designed to work with a variable pressure from 2 to 10 bar, which fully satisfies most needs in the supply of compressed air. The device is equipped with a 50 l receiver, a 1.9 kW single-phase electric motor, two pressure gauges, large transport wheels and a handle.

The developers used modern technologies in the design of the piston head: aluminum alloys were used for better cooling and cooling fins were enlarged, the piston was equipped with graphite-Teflon rings, which are characterized by low friction and high wear resistance. By doing this, they have achieved a significant increase in the life of the compressor, especially in cold start conditions.

The S-416M compressor unit is designed for use in construction, road enterprises and car fleets. The equipment consists of a 430 l receiver, an 11 kW electric motor installed on it and a 4-cylinder 2-stage compressor head capable of pumping up to 1000 l / min. air pressure 10 bar. The compression process occurs evenly throughout the volume of the chamber, so the level of noise and vibration is maximally reduced, and special foundations are not required to install the compressor.

The compressor is fully repairable, its piston group is made on the basis of auto engine elements. To increase the uptime, simple scheduled maintenance is required every 200 (TO-1) and 500-700 (TO-2) hours of operation: flushing the crankcase, tightening the bolts, changing the oil and, if necessary, filters.In general, the unit is considered to be of high quality, reliable and durable, as evidenced by the diploma of the All-Russian competition "100 Best Goods of Russia", received in 2004.

In the line of professional series of compressor equipment from ABAC, we singled out the model 6000/270 CT 7.5. It is notable for its reasonable price in relation to the technical characteristics and the ability to create an air flow of 827 l / min. at a working pressure of 11 bar. The design of the piston block consists of two cylinders of different diameters, providing 2-stage air compression. This solution provides several advantages compared to single-stage compressors: economical energy consumption, high performance and efficient heat removal, which increases the service life.

The device is suitable for professional car painting, crushing, tightening nuts, sandblasting and other semi-industrial tasks. Its reliability and durability are combined with a high level of comfort - a clear indication of the oil level is provided, a regulator with a pressure gauge is installed for quick and accurate adjustment of the outlet pressure, a transport unit of two rear wheels and a front swivel is well thought out. Operational safety is ensured by an automatic unit, the function of which is to turn off the compressor when the maximum pressure is reached and turn it on when it drops to the minimum provided.

The Belarusian plant of compressor equipment "Remeza" has been known since 1989 and during this time has managed to turn into an exporter of 25 countries of the world. His models were famous for their pleasant combination of high technical parameters and affordable prices. However, the SB4 / C-100.LB75 model has one more difference - the ability to work stably at a reduced mains voltage (from 180V). But many car services are located on the territory of small enterprises, where powerful equipment causes a voltage drop, and even are located in garage cooperatives with unstable electrical network characteristics. The use of conventional compressors in such conditions is fraught with their failure.

Due to the design features (3-phase motor with a power of 5.5 kW, cast-iron compressor block of the French company Lacme, receiver with a volume of 100 l), the model “blows out” 10 bar with an output of 616 l / min. and easily feeds any pneumatic equipment, whether it is a gun for painting a car, a grinder or a pneumatic jackhammer. The high-quality assembly of the product is visible to the naked eye, the color of the receiver is carried out in the best way, and it is not afraid of dirt or corrosion.

The AB series of single-stage oil compressors is specially made for intensive (up to 8 hours/day) operation in small industries.The compressor group of the model AB 100-360 produces a capacity of 252 l/min., supplemented by a 100-liter receiver and consists of two cylinders subjected to honing, as a result of which the oil is better retained on the walls and less consumed. A specially designed Fast Valve design has also been introduced, which provides minimal operating noise (74 dB) and is considered more reliable than conventional.

The Italian manufacturer FIAC has long been known in Russia and has a wide network of specialized service centers. They work closely with Italian engineers, maintain warehouses with a full range of spare parts and quickly solve various technical problems. This is confirmed by reviews - no one complains about the shortage or long delivery of consumables and parts. In general, the compressor is characterized as a high-performance, safe and durable machine, however, to maximize the life extension, it is worth adhering to the recommended operating mode - 5 minutes and 5 minutes of rest.