air tool for "home" use - advice pls

ALDI had compressor and various air tools last week, I don't know enough to rate them quality or pricewise, but probably worth a browse.

For tool use and other likely home use (such as an air nailer) you should look for a compressor with as large a tank as you can manage and with as quiet a compressor unit as possible. I built my own when I started from a large propane tank and a fridge compressor, it worked well for many years and did lots of work. Nowadays compressors are relatively cheap and the choice is wide, take a look at the ranges from machine mart to get an idea. get rubber air hose, the plastic stuff will put you off air tools. use pcl couplings. cheap air tools are generally fine and aldi/lidl have regular specials, sign up for their email flyers.

Definitely.

I've got one of the older Aldidl compressors - about £75 - and it'll run a rattlegun happily, as well as all the various lower-consumption stuff.

Last week's Aldidl one is beefier - twin cylinder, twice the tank size. I was almost tempted to upgrade.

The compressors seem decent. I've heard less flattering comments on the tols and line - I went to MachineMart, via some used pro stuff from the 'bay.

Yes but you have not said what sort of tools you have in mind. Assuming you are running of a 13 amp socket you will get something like 6 cubic feet per minute; some beefier tools need more than this.

Worth having a relatively long hose on a reel (mine came from Machine Mart).

I bought mine to run a needle gun for cleaning up some stonework: no "electrical" equivalent. It's nice to have for tyres, especially if you have larger vehicles. I have a few "car" tools: cutoff disk, shears, die grinder, spot blaster, but TBH I don't use them very much.

Umm, is it quite that simple?

Unless I'm missing something, the actual compressor merely puts air into the tank.

It's the tank-and-aft that sets the delivery rate out the pipework. The tank may well be able to deliver a far higher rate than the compressor can catch up with, in which case you'll be able to use big stuff for short bursts.

True but unless you have a very big tank you will find you run out using high-use stuff. I think I have a 50 litre tank and a 3 HP motor, but this only just keeps up with the needle gun.

Well apart from a Hilt TE104 with a needle scabbler

Get a cheap one & see what you use and if the noise drives you mad. Belt driven ones are quieter & longer lasting but far more expensive. Air impact wrenches drink air, air chisels are far more use than you expect.

Oh, sure. Like I said. Short bursts.

I keep wondering if a needle gun would be a useful addition.

I use my needle scaler on most welding jobs, also quite handy on other restoration projects that have that heavy rust build up that is hard to get loose. Also gets used on the pad sliding area of calipers when badly encrusted.

Ta. After pissing around with the Bendix front calipers on the 205 the other day, I definitely need one.

Thanks, I hadn't come across them (but don't really need Hilti prices for my limited DIY use).

This actually highlights one of the advantages of air tools: the Hilti will be a heavy beast if you are using it for hours at a time to clean up stonework. Sometimes there is no substitute for "mass" (Kango hammer) but you don't need much with a needle gun.

I've used the air chisels occasionally. They are definitely useful if you spend a lot of time removing mangled car bodywork, but I don't (fortunately).

Just don't underestimate the frustration of spending a minute working followed by a minute waiting for the reservoir to re-charge. Also the "oomph" of the tool falls off as the pressure drops.

I most often use the air chisel with specialised hammer bits, very useful for removing bottom ball joints, steering wheels, exhaust dismantling, bolt removal, bushing removal, impact screwdriver (the most often used) and similar. Using it for actual cutting is rare.

I'm very glad to say that I now leave all that stuff to my mate Simon. Although I have occasionally seen exhaust fitters using them.

You'll have lot less numbness in your fingers afterwards with the hilti though.