I need an air compressor to paint some fender flares on my SUV and some body panels, not a full on paint job just touch ups of areas about 10" x 10" on the fender and quarter panel.  I will also use it to rotate tires and occassionaly for a nail gun.  What is the most cost effective compressor I can use?  Does a 10 gal 2.5HP compressor have enough power to use a paint  spray gun?  Spray guns typically run at 30PSI?

Barely.  This is what I started out with.  It will do a small job, but it is agonizing to use that size when painting a car.  I did it twice, and it took two more compressors before I had one that was big enough for general use.  

If you can spring for something closer to 5 hp and 30 gallons, you will be much happier.  If you really want to do it right, look for at least 8-15hp, dual stage, 60 gallon.  Ingersol Rand is a good one.

What Wildearp said.



It isn't psi( pressure), but cfm(volume of air produced). A spray gun can need 10 cfm or more of air volume at 30-40 psi. That pretty much eliminates 120 volt models.

Buy the largest compressor you can.  

You DON'T need 8-15hp.  That would be WAY overkill for what the OP wants.  As a matter of fact, I've never seen a 60 gallon compressor with that size of a motor.  3-5hp 220 volts is more like it.  Usually see 7.5hp on 80 gallon compressors.

To the OP, you can easily do what you want with a 30 gallon 120 volt compressor.  Much more and you'll need something like a 60 gallon.  I've done a lot of painting with my old 30 gallon 120v.  Now that I have a 60 gallon I love it.  But, the 30 gallon was plenty for 99% of what a homeowner needs to do.

Well, since no has mentioned it, I will.  What you need are SCFM, more particularly SCFM @ 40psi.  This is your air delivery, in standard cubic feet per minute at 40 psig; the typical pressure used by an HVLP paint gun.  Other factors take a back seat to this one for the purpose of painting.

Find out how much air the gun you want to use will consume and start there.  You can fudge the numbers a little with a larger tank, but at the cost of higher running temperatures.  This will lead to excessive wear.

An oil bath, belt driven compressor will save you some headaches, literally.

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Remember, the OP only wants to do touch up painting.  That's going to give a 30 gallon tank plenty of time to recover during use.

People generally start down the path thinking small.  Bigger is better and if you have the means, buy it now.  Compressors are just like gun safes, it may be adequate today, but...........


Once you have used a 175psi, 22cfm, 100% duty cycle compressor, you won't ever want less.  It doesn't run all the time to keep up, won't prematurely wear out, and makes everything you do much more efficient.

I agree that more is always nice.  However, for a homeowner a 30 gallon compressor will do perfectly.  I didn't NEED the 60 gallon one that I have.  I love it but I could have gone the rest of my life with my old 30 gallon with the exception of the times that I want to paint a LOT.  My 60 gallon compressor does 100% of everything that I want it to.  I love compressed air and use a lot of it.  However, I don't need a "175psi, 22cfm, 100% duty cycle compressor".  Something like that for a homeowner is silly.  If you can afford it and WANT it....got for it.  But you don't NEED it.  If you run a professional shop building...you probably need a "175psi, 22cfm, 100% duty cycle compressor".  The rest of us don't NEED it.  You're doing a disservice to the OP insisting that he needs a big compressor.  He doesn't.  Based on the original post, I doubt he can afford it.  Which is fine because he doesn't NEED it.

I was looking at a Craftsman 30 gal. oil free for about $329. It's an upright canister with wheels,  I also saw some Campbell Hausfield spray guns on clearance at WalMart.  I might go with that.  Thanks for all your input!

Don't get the oil free!!!!  You'll probably regret it.  Buy an oil lubed compressor from Harbor Freight before buying an oil free one!!!  My last 30 gallon one I paid $150.  It was a chinese made one but it worked wellfor about 7 years for me.  I bought the bigger one and gave the smaller one to my brother in law.  He's stil using it.

Like a safe get the biggest compressor you can fit and afford.  I've used too many crappy compressors at work and at friends to know the 30-gallon ain't going to cut it for impact guns and air grinders.  I went with a 2-stage Ingersoll-Rand from Northern Tool.  I ran two separate lines one for oil tools and the other for clean, dry air.  I mounted the compressor on isolation feet and ran a hydraulic line from the compressor to the fittings.  I used 300psi, 3/4" filters, regulators, coalescing filters, oilers, and black pipe.  I also have an automatic drain solenoid for the compressor tank and a overpressure safety valve to protect the hardware on the fitting board.  The one item I forgot to add was a drain trap at the bottom of my fitting board.  I have yet to shoot any paint but once I do I have room on the fitting board to add a drier.  Don't skimp, you'll be happier from the start and in the long run.

Nice install.  

30 gallons of air WILL run impact wrenches.  Did it myself for years.  It won't run a grinder or sander but all the main tools that a homeowner will need.  

Always more than one way to skin a cat.  I knew a guy that had a 1200 gal surplus pressure tank.  The steel was about an inch thick.  He mounted a little quarter horse compressor on it that ran in the middle of the night when the electricity was cheapest.  He had oodles of air for the shop.  CFM is CFM.

This is the bad boy.  I had one of these at a shop I set up.