Compressor oil

[Mr Bowcat]

Hi Guys,

I have a rather ancient SimAir Airbox compressor. It's heavy as sin but I like it as it's very quiet and has a reserve tank.

However, due to a recent trip while moving it I seem to have poured half the oil out. Luckily this was in my workshop rather than on the living room carpet.

I've found a place online that can supply the oil, but only in a 1 litre bottle at a cost of £32! I probably need less than a quarter of this, and wondered if anybody new where I could buy the oil in a smaller quantity?

Cheers in advance,

Bob

[stillp]

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Automotive/d60/Lubricants+%26+Sprays/sd2795/Compressor+Oil/p94582

[Mr Bowcat]

You are my hero, cheers. And there's a Toolstation store about a mile from my house.

I guess this is for bigger compressors, but I assume it will be OK for an airbrush compressor too?

[stillp]

I doubt if the small compressors are fussy about the oil used. Maybe big industrial ones in constant use, but not the sort that modellers use.

Pete

[col68]

It should be fine like Pete said there not fussy as long as viscosity is OK .
I used to run my old one with all sorts even used vegetable oil oh and wifies bio oil in fact still use the bio oil to oil the moving parts of my airbrush

[Guest]

Any fully synthetic oil is fine. Many people use the SAE30 oil without any problems, but as the oil change is an annual event I stick to the synthetic oil from Clarke. It's £15.59 for a litre.

[Mr Bowcat]

Thanks for all the advice gents, much appreciated.

[Mr Bowcat]

Just been looking online to see if I could find anything locally, and saw this: http://www.halfords.com/motoring/eng...-75w90-plus-1l.

Would this work or am I better off getting the Clarke oil?

[stillp]

Probably a bit too viscous. SAE30 is normal for compressors. If you want to use Halfords, how about http://www.halfords.com/workshop-too...or-oil-1-litre

[Guest]

Just been looking online to see if I could find anything locally, and saw this: http://www.halfords.com/motoring/eng...-75w90-plus-1l.

Would this work or am I better off getting the Clarke oil?

Definitely too thick! Don't forget that if your compressor is like mine, only 500ml is needed for a full oil change so the Clarke stuff is effectively £8 per year.

Like most things, the main question is how unhappy would you be if saving a few quid meant it went u/s?

My Clarke Shhh compressor cost me £260, so I'm happy to preserve its life by spending £8 a year.

[Mr Bowcat]

OK, that makes a lot of sense. Cheers.