Thread: Quality and Affordability in a Compressor

I am ready right now to buy my first compressor. I will be doing textile and automotive applications with an Iwata BCS. I am leaning towards purchasing the TC-700 by Air Brush Depot/TCP Global. It's an oil-less dual piston unit with a substantial tank, it's advertised as relatively quiet, and has a two year warranty. It seems to be offered at a very reasonable price.

Has anyone purchased and used a compressor bearing the Air Brush Depot brand name, and if so, how pleased are you with the reliability of their product and warranty? Can you make any other affordable suggestions insofar as compressors are concerned? My budget is no more than about $200.00.

Please advise...

theSeeker,

A compressor is some thing you want to get right. I have one of the Air Brush Depot compressors. I had the TC-T20 with storage tank, I got it with a kit from TCP Global. It did an okay job to start. Once I got about 3 months into this airbrushing, I found I needed (wanted) a compressor with a lot more volume and pressure, for painting t-shirts. Since noise is not a factor, I run an air hose from the garage into the house, I got a 2HP, 8 Gallon, 115 psi. from Harbor Freight. On Sale for $100. You only need to get and air dryer and air regulator to go along with it, about another $20. They have some nice ones, not as big, but in the $75-$100 range. Since I do auto work, it serves a dual purpose. I still have the small one, but not sure I'll use it again. It was the one thing I wish I had done from the start, but, I just didn't know. If you have airbrushes and noise is not a factor, I would recommend one like it for you to use. The small ones a quite, but frankly expensive for the air they produce. E-mail me if you want any more info. Home Depot and Lowe's have compressors also.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...8VGA&Submit=Go I have this one.

MY OPINION
Jan

Originally Posted by theSeeker

I am ready right now to buy my first compressor. I will be doing textile and automotive applications with an Iwata BCS. I am leaning towards purchasing the TC-700 by Air Brush Depot/TCP Global. It's an oil-less dual piston unit with a substantial tank, it's advertised as relatively quiet, and has a two year warranty. It seems to be offered at a very reasonable price.

Has anyone purchased and used a compressor bearing the Air Brush Depot brand name, and if so, how pleased are you with the reliability of their product and warranty? Can you make any other affordable suggestions insofar as compressors are concerned? My budget is no more than about $200.00.

Please advise...

If I were you I would get the biggest and baddest compressor you can afford, cause that's one thing you don't want to skimp on. You don't want to run out of working air. If noise is a factor, you can always put it in the garage, or you can build a small enclosure around it to deaden the noise, but make sure there is some ventilation in it though.
Hope this helps you out some

Gio

Thank you Gioart for helping out
I wish we had this kind of resource when where starting out years ago.

I agree buy the biggest compressor you can afford so you have room to expand down the road

Anytime Don,

If I can help somebody out, then more power to us

Gio

I bought a 2hp compressor from my local Costco for about £99, just to run the airbrush in my house. It's in a back bedroom upstairs and to be honest is really noisy, but, it does the job efortlessly. It's a good thing it makes a little hiss about 30 seconds before it cuts in tho cos if it didn't (and I didn't know it was coming) I would jump out of my skin and likely throw paint and airbrush everywhere!
My brother and I have two big rascal compressors, one's 18cfm and the other 12.5cfm, for automotive work anyway, so if ever I'm outside it's not a problem. I would say same as the guys and go with as big a compressor as you can afford and live with noise wise. As said, you can always run a line from it to wherever you work.

bkm,

Just as a follow up, how is that compressor working out for you? Just wondering.

Jan

Ive had nothing but bad experiences with oiles compressor systems. I blew 2 different motors on those airbrush depot compressors. They work for light duty. But if your going to sit down and nail out a project that might take 4 to 6 hours on a regular basis. Its going to blow the motor. Atleast thats what happend to me. I looked into an Iwata power jet pro. I called I wata and they said its made for extended length painting. But Its like 450 bucks. Sooooo I went to menards and got a master craft 1.5 Horse Power Comp with a cast iron cylinder casing and heat treated aluminum head. Its held up to airbrushing 8 hours a day on a regular basis. Its a great compressor. Its a little loud, but its all High end. So Im making a plywood box lined with soundproofing foam and 2 utlity fans, one pulling air in and one blowing air out. Plus the compressor has a fan built onto it to cool it, thats a plu, youl want to look for a compressor that has one of those. Or you can drop a 1500 bux on an Iwata hammer head silent compressor if you got the pockets.

i agree gio go big you can not ever have enuf air

I picked up a TC 20T and it only lasted six months. The shaft on the motor broke. They sent me a new one to replace it. It was only used for may be four hours a day every other day at the most. I have a one horse power Craftsman and it is noisy but it works great it cost $50.00 less than the TC 20T. The reason I picked up the TC 20T is because of the noise of the Craftsman. When it started it made me and the wife jump it made so much noise and it was loud. I think what I am going to do is put the Craftsman out side and pipe air in. I can't see the new TC 20T lasting any longer than the old one. Understand that the TC 20T only has a 1/5 HP motor, the Craftsman has a one HP. Good luck with what ever you get.