Buying a compressor

Being a novice where compressors are concerned, it was difficult to know where to start in looking for one. I had been given some basic air tools and hose (blower gun, tyre inflator, spray gun) and thought I would buy a little compressor to run them.

First - tank size. I was advised that a 25 litre tank, whilst being ok for little jobs like using an air blower or occasional tyre inflation, was fine, it was a bit on the small side for paint spraying, where a bigger reserve of air is needed to get more consistent results - when the motor cuts in half way through spraying a panel, you might get a messy job. So, it seems that bigger is better when it comes to air storage, ie size of tank.

For my use, I decided that a 25 litre tank would probably fit the bill, since I am unlikely to want to use any high drain air tools like impact guns, air saws and the like. I started looking around and quickly realised that there is a bewildering choice out there. At first I was thinking 'stick with a name you know' so looked at Sealey, Draper and the like, selling at round the 90 plus mark, but then chanced on an auction from a german firm selling them really cheaply, and decided to take a chance. BIG mistake! The old maxim is true - you get what you pay for, and in my case the item was lost first of all, arrived broken after a month, with a european plug on it (not a UK 3 pin), instructions in German (which I don't understand) and no oil because it had all leaked out in the box. The language barrier and distance have proved to be a problem with getting any resolution on this - you won't get support like you would from a UK firm, I asked for a replacement and it was refused. 30 e-mails and 2 months later the case still has not been resolved,I have a broken compressor that is no use to me and has never even been switched on, and they will do nothing about it.

My advice? If you're going to buy one, go to someone who specialises in compressors and can give you sensible advice with quality back up, not some mickey mouse outfit that are just selling cheap rubbish as quick as they can get it off the shelves and then don't want to know if it goes wrong.