Bonus money suggestions needed...

[68gmsee]

I retired in October of last year and was surprised with a small $700.00 bonus. I'm starting to restore my old trucks and here's what I need.

Air compressor (size?)----could be used for sandblasting/painting.
pressure sprayer------could be used for cleaning/wet sand blasting.
mig/tig welder--------rockers, bottom doors, front fender patch panels.

And here's the problem. I can only buy one now and it may be 6 months before I can save for something else.

I have 20 acres in the country where I keep my trucks and have electricity but no water. Only a lean-to to keep my trucks in.

Which one would you buy first?

[slammed1]

Lowes,Home depot and others have 60 gallon 6.5 hp air compressors for right at 390-420 at times and 110 welders with gas arent that expensive if you check around.

[68gmsee]

Thanks slammed. That's one for the compressor first.

Any more suggestions?

[cdowns]

i'd say welder the bigger the better// cuttin and fitting can all be done easily with readily available hand tools such as jigsaws hacksaws sawzall grinding using a drill motor etc// in my experience its best to do the welding and metalwork before worrying about paint and body type stuff

[72 cheyenne pdx]

w/Cdowns I think the body work is more important that the other 2, but it also depends on what you consider the best return would be. I don't know what other hobbies you have, but if you are into woodworking then the aircompressor could be a better investment since there are air tools for woodworking. If you are into metalworking, then you may want to go towards the welder. If you like to pressure washing everything insight, then that is what you should get.

Good luck with your decision and have fun.

[BB70c10]

i'd say compressor,hands down.i dont have either one yet.i could have used the compressor every time i've touched the truck.my truck is down to pretty much a rolling chassis.the only thing left on it is the suspension,tires,rear end,and the bed(which is in 3 pieces) and ive only needed the welder one time to tack two poles on the top of the bedsides.if i had the money right now,i'd be buying a compressor TODAY.if youre like me,you wont be welding,cleaning,or sandblasting every day,but i almost guarantee you'll use the compressor pretty much every day if you had it.you'll pretty much have to use the compressor to get to the point where you would need the other two,and you'll still need it when you're done with them.i've gotten along way without either of those,but if i did have a welder and sandblaster,id trade them today for a compressor without a doubt.jmo

[LockDoc]

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The only thing I can tell you is that I use my compressor a heck of a lot more than I do my welder or pressure washer....

LockDoc

[myoldchevytruck]

When buying your compressor, someone mentioned Home Depot and Lowes, don't forget about Sears. Watch the Sunday Newspaper or visit there they often include a combo air tool set when you buy certain compressors (impact gun, air ratchet, die grinder and/or fittings and connectors).


Good Luck

[68gmsee]

Thanks for input. So far the compressor is ahead.

Any more suggustions?

[ksjh1316]

Along the sears line don't be afraid to go to their service work store they have all the items there that have scratches in them at 40% off of what the store has them at. They also have last years models they could not move at the store cheap. Say all those items in mine last week.

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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The only thing I can tell you is that I use my compressor a heck of a lot more than I do my welder or pressure washer....

LockDoc

Ditto.

Compressor is most used
then welder,
then pressure washer

I got my compressor used. A friend had just gotten a bigger and better system, so he traded me the compressor for doing some computer work for him. Sometimes bartering is a good thing!

[Mickey_D]

As much as I'd love a welder, right now almost everything that needs done on both the Blazer and the pickup I'd need a compressor for. Plus my son's bicycle seems to ALWAYS have a flat tire, and there's lots of other jobs that air tools would make easier.

As far as a pressure washer goes, as little as I need one, it's cheaper and more convenient to rent it for me. Someone else has to do the maintenance (mine would sit so long the carb would gum up like my snow blower did this year), and if it breaks (like my last one did) they have to fix it as well.

[Woobie]

Hands down, the air compressor! Built a new house 2 1/2 yrs ago with a 24'x24' shop in back. One of the first things I did was hard plumb air outlets across back wall and up left side,(and under work bench front edge), with a hose reel in the middle of the ceiling. About the best thing I've done to the shop yet, besides build it. Next buy will be a welder.

Regards,
Paul

[68gmsee]

Okay, I've been moved...

But I think I got my answer. I will go with the compressor first, then the mig welder this spring when I save a few more bucks.

Our Sears store does not carry large compressors so I have to use either Lowes, Home Depot or Tractor Supply. They all carry some pretty hefty models and fairly decent prices.

Now, if anyone has any input, is there a noise factor involved with the larger compressors? The small 20 gallon one I have sounds like a small chainsaw...

Thanks. Again.

[myoldchevytruck]

Well, the bigger compressors do make more noise - especially if it has a belt BUT now your putting yourself in a whole new ball game. Now your CFM's are higher and your die grinder...grinds longer. Also, you are able to use other air tools which require the higher CFM such as as nibbler or cutting shears. Small capacity compressors are great, especially for portability and most of the jobs you'll encounter but do have there limitations. Determine your needs for your compressor such as you did for the welder and the pressure cleaner.

Good Luck.

[fastwillie 696969]

do what al bundy would do ---
go to the nudie bar

[bobthecop]

I use my compressor way more than the welder, probably I don't know how to weld very well, and I have not practiced. I had an old 25 gal sears oilless and taht thing was so loud and ran out of air every 15 sec or so, I had already collected 21 different air tools, and with the new IR 5 hp compressor I don't run out of air at all, and I use it alot. Guess I start getting practiced with the welder, a lincoln 135 wire feed mig.

[jkaylor68gmc]

Welder, You can remove everything by hand or with a sawzall, the welder would allow you to repair the parts that you have removed. Odds are you will be in the welding repair atage for a while.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by 70blowngmc

do what al bundy would do ---
go to the nudie bar

I think I'm getting too old for that, but thanks for advice.

[dwaite72lnghrn]

Look at your projects and see what they need. If they need alot of panels then get a good mig with gas setup. If you need wrenching and sanding and cutting get a compressor.
When you go for a compressor check all of the tools you will need and make sure the compressor you buy will keep up with them. A jitter bug sander will need about 6-9cfm, A impact wrench will need about 6-12 depending on brand. Look at Ingersol Rand tools they have some of the lowest cfm needs compared to harbor freight and others. A bigger tank is better, my small cambell hausefeild compressor is rated at 7.8 at 90psi and will run the 5hp motor all day to keep up with a sander. That is expensive sander to run all day. So I use cheap electrics sometimes they just burn out quicker. The air tools will take the abuse as long as you keep filtered air running in them and oil them if needed every time you use them and before you put them away.

[Truckstr]

dwaite said what I was going to say. You'd be smart to take a good hard look at what you need to do to your truck(s). Make a list of goals and the tools you'll need to do the various jobs. An air compressor was my first "big" equipment purchase and I used it all the time (and still use it and a newer, bigger one). But I had to buy a few other tools to go with it - air chisel, impact wrench, paint gun, air drill, sand blaster etc. If you buy an air compressor, make sure it's big enough to run all the air tools you'll end up buying.

Then I bought a welder. I use the air compressor a lot, but when I need the welder there's no substitute. A Sawzall is hard to do without. I bought a 7" sander/grinder too. The air comes in really handy. The welder is just as useful, but is for a completely different set of jobs. It all comes down to what you need to do. You'll have to figure that one out. There is no single "correct" approach. Some are just better than others.