Aldi Air Compressor and Air tools this Thursday - Discussion

[Ali]

Aldi this Thursday 05 March 2015 have a 3hp Air compressor and various air tools for sale as part of their special buys:

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thur-5-mar/

Co-incidentally this weekend I was at the FFX Toolshow where I was speculatively browsing some nail guns when a representative from Stanley Bostitch reminded me of the benefits of having an air compressor as part of the workshop. In the past I dismissed the idea of having a compressor due to the size but am planning on building a new storage shed which may sort out my space requirements. I didn't know enough about compressors and what to look at so didn't buy anything at the show but i just found the aldi link when googling online.

I have looked at some older discussions on the forum about the aldi compressor, this model does look slightly different to previous years - being 3HP and having a two-cylinder V-form engine. However in the past when I have looked at some aldi specials and lidl specials, although the warranty is very tempting, I have seen that the models are usually low powered so not always the bargain they first seem, but still perfectly useable and applicable to certain tasks in the right hands.

Can anyone advise me on their experience of this compressor and past models? What about the accessories - will I have a problem with fittings and using the compressor with other brand air tools?

I was mainly looking at nailing with a compressor. I would like to have a go at spray painting one day but will the tank and spec on this model be good enough? I can see myself having problems getting rid of such a cumbersome tool if not up to spec so don't mind buying one model that is really up to the task rather than starting on one only having to get rid of it after a while.

Any other thoughts are welcome. thanks guys

 

[TomO]

Hi there, I have had one of the older models (2.5hp) for a few years. I bought it thinking if it lasts a few jobs it will have paid for itself (it cost £69.99). It has periods of no use at all, then heavy use. I ave used it for framing nailer, an 18g brad nailer, cleaning out hundreds of square metres of stonework (prior to lime pointing) with the dust gun.
For the nailers you will have no problem I don't think they require huge volumes of air. Dusting/cleaning things with the duster is very useful. I think spraying demands a lot of air and this maybe more of a problem. The main figure when looking at a compressor is C.F.M (cubic feet per minute). This is the best way to compare compressors against each other.
If you had told me when I bought it that I would still be using the compressor I would have been stunned. I must admit I don't look after it at all and it is going strong.
Reading this back it looks like a glowing review, it's not meant to be really. I don't know if I have just been lucky? It's one of them tools that for the money you can only expect so much. It's never going to be enough for all day everyday use, but it will get you going with air tools without a big outlay, then in a couple of years if it packs in or you feel the need to upgrade you will have all the accessories and will just have the compressor itself replace/upgrade. There is no issue with compatibility, fittings are fairly universal.
if mine packed in tomorrow I would buy another. It owes me nothing.

 

[paulrockliffe]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but can you tell me whether you used it to clean out the old lime mortar before repointing? I have quite a bit of pointing to replace or repair at some point this year and trying to find the most time-efficient way of doing it. If it means I can buy some new tools too that would be ace!

Thanks!

 

[TomO]

Hacking out of the old pointing I do mainly the old fashioned way with a hammer and chisel/hacking hammer then blow out all the dust etc with the dust gun. You can get an air chisel for a compressor but I think they work better with a bigger unit than the Aldi one (bigger than the one Iv got anyway, 2.5hp).

 

[paulrockliffe]

Thanks, tht's what I thought. Massively tedious! I mgiht be able to use it justify a compressor though, so it will be worth it.....

 

[Graham Orm]

OOPS I hadn't seen this thread and started one similar sorry.

My 2 penneth:


Machine Mart £263

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/prod ... compressor

ALDI £170

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thur-5-mar/

 

[Graham Orm]

Thanks, tht's what I thought. Massively tedious! I mgiht be able to use it justify a compressor though, so it will be worth it.....

Hire a 4 " angle grinder.

 

[TomO]

I just had a look at the new version available on Thursday, it looks like the air filler bit (v thing) is completely different than mine, all the rest looks the same though. So it could deliver a lot more air. No mention of C.F.M though.

I think the bottom line is that; if your looking for a compressor for this kind of price range you will not do any better than these spec wise without spending a lot more money. You just have to cross your fingers that you got one of the good ones.

 

[TomO]

A grinder is a handy tool for hacking out pointing, especially if the old stuff has been patched with horrendously strong "cast iron" sand and cement. If the joints are straight and uniform it can be really easy and quick, less so if it's more random. And careful not to cut into the adjoining stones (it looks terrible).

Oh and if you don't have a grinder I would just buy one. £50 will buy a decent enough makita, get a decent diamond blade (7mm thick ish).

 

[Graham Orm]

A grinder is a handy tool for hacking out pointing, especially if the old stuff has been patched with horrendously strong "cast iron" sand and cement. If the joints are straight and uniform it can be really easy and quick, less so if it's more random. And careful not to cut into the adjoining stones (it looks terrible).

Oh and if you don't have a grinder I would just buy one. £50 will buy a decent enough makita, get a decent diamond blade (7mm thick ish).

Raking out pointing wrecks grinders, that's why I suggested hiring one a few posts up.

 

[n0legs]

Checking out Grahams links I think you can safely say that the Aldi one is a badge engineered version of the Machine Mart and probably loads of others (Wolf, etc)
The spec for the Aldi says (in an unusual way of expressing it) air intake of 412 L/min (litres per minute), this equates to approx 14.5cfm, the same as the Machine Mart compressors displacement of 14.5cfm.
Displacement figures are a bit variable but overall there should be ample output for the hobbyist/diyer to use a good range of air tools.
Careful choice of spray gun and painting will also be an option.
In my opinion it's a good buy and with 3 years warranty jobs a good 'un.

 

[Mrwilson]

If it's a 14.5 cfm compressor it'll cope with most Diy needs. Spray painting doesn't put great demands on a compressor, I've painted railway carriages with my 16cfm one successfully. Nailers, staplers, etc will be no problem at all. One of the things that will slow it down is sanding, even with the motor running constantly it won't keep up with a windy buff.

You can learn to live with it though, I've had mine for over 25 years using it daily, had to replace the motor last year but that's the only problem it's given me.

You'll find it invaluable once you've got it, even for tidying up. It'll blow the dust out of corners and off the workbench in seconds, beats sweeping up.

Shug

 

[TomO]

From memory mine is 9.5cfm. So it's a significant improvement. I'm going to have to try and avoid Aldi for a while.

Hi my names Tom, I have a tool problem!!

 

[n0legs]

It's a shame the EARS system never took off. For the smaller compressors it would be a great benefit and would have cut down running time/costs and noise a hell of a lot.

 

[n0legs]

Hi my names Tom, I have a tool problem!!

Brother we've all been there :lol:

 

[Ed Bray]

I bought a 2 head belt driven 14 cfm Wolf one from Amazon last month, it arrived next day and is fantastic, so much quieter than my 8.5cfm piston driven version. It is huge and heavy though 90 ltr tank (its like a yellow training bomb) and I had to factor in the cost of a connector kit as the connectors supplied are non-standard to the UK.

Anyone want a nice little Clarke Tiger compressor very cheap?

 

[AES]

I too have a cheapo compressor (not Aldi, but v similar looking), and it does all I want it to - spray painting, muck cleaning out, nailer, small drill, pump up the odd tyre, etc, etc, (no sander though).

It's great, and apart from moisture-draining the tank after each session, it gets no maintenance at all. It's about 5 years old, cost the equivalent of about 50 or 60 quid if I remember correctly, and although not used all that often, it's VERY useful to have when I do need it. I certainly don't regret buying it, on the contrary, and suspect the Aldi one (no doubt another badge-engineered jobby) would give similar value for money.

The one big problem with mine (and it seems all others of similar ilk) is the amount of noise it makes. It's very near deafening when run inside. My shop is in the cellar of the house but it's so loud SWIMBO makes me take it outside to the garage to use. And if you do a search on Youtube you'll find several videos of people who have made sound suppressor boxes to run their compressors in. I suspect that all piston-type compressors are so loud, but have no idea on what effect the higher air temps of the compressor running inside a closed box would have on motor and/or compressor life.

But if noise is no problem (or can be "managed" in some way, as above) then I'd buy it today, no qualms.

HTH
AES

 

[Monkey Mark]

I have one of the Aldi ones from about 2 years ago. I cant remember but thinks it is 1.5hp 25 litre.
For what its been used for so far its been good and certainly good value for money.
Downsides I would say is the cheap air filter and of course the noise but positives are price point, two outlets (often this price range only has one, though one on this is non-regulated) and the fact its still going strong.
The retractable air hose extension and filter/regulator they sell are also good value for money, especially the retracting hose as it keeps things so much neater and quicker to put away.

Are the nail guns Aldi have any good?

As an aside, I currently have on loan one of the Bambi (almost) silent compressors. Not sure if its the 9 litre or 15 but its 0.5hp Not intended for constant/prolonged use but fantastic if you don't need a high cfm. Really is very quiet.

 

[graduate_owner]

About 2 years ago I bought a Wolf 3HP compressor with a belt drive. I was told that belt drives are much quieter, also that if the motor burns out you can replace it with another one of similar power and speed. Apparently with direct drive compressors the motor is ‘matched’ to the compressor and if it burns out then you have to get exactly the same type, which is much more difficult and much less economical (that’s what I was told anyway). Mine is fairly quiet - not uncomfortable to be near.

My Wolf was £199 from ebay (UK Home Shopping) but they are £240 now plus £25 delivery. It has not given me any problems apart from the water drain valve, which I replaced, although I’m not a professional user so it hasn’t been hammered. One thing not in the advertising blurb is the duty cycle – mine says up to 12 on/offs per hour. This is not an issue for me but if I was using it for, say, a rotary polisher or grinder (which I don’t) then I suppose I could exceed that. Might be worth checking if you think it could be an issue for you.

I thought should I get a small cheapie for inflating tyres, or should I get a bigger one and use it for other things as well? Then I thought – what other things? In the end I’m glad I bought a bigger one as it has come in very handy – tyres of course (tractor, dumper, car, and we also had a land rover and a horse trailer then) but also removing stubborn nuts with an impact wrench, blowing grass and seeds from the tractor radiator when it started overheating, cleaning fuel lines and carburettor, and blowing the compacted dust out of the air vents of power tools especially sanders and chainsaw. I have used it more than I was expecting to.

Regarding the Lidl offers, I would pay the extra and go for a belt driven model, but if you can’t stretch to the extra then they look like good value. I was told that a 3HP compressor would not be up to the job for powering a grit blaster unless you only have very small areas to do, and that cheap nail guns tend to jam easily and it’s difficult to set the depth of nail accurately, so I’m going to avoid those. The bits I’m going for are the retractable hose line and possibly the shears.
My 2p worth, if anyone’s interested.
Don't forget to clean the air filter and drain the tank VERY frequently.

K

 

[finish_that]

I had one of the Aldi 25l comps -it was fine - but noisy - so I sold it on after I managed to pickup a Bambi BB50D second hand with a failed pump unit - as it has 2 it still worked - with a bit of faffing around I managed to fix the failed unit - it had seized due to inactivity and rusted the bore - they are piston compressors - just tiny ones inside a housing full of oil - anyway fixed it and now I have a 50l - almost silent - like a loud fridge compressor.
bonus - it is fitted with an auto drain timer/valve so nothing to do other than change the oil
every year. New ones are about £500 - but for a nailer and air blowing the smallest ones would do very well and be worth the investment if there is nowhere to hide/muff a traditional compressor.