best size compressor for painting

im wanting to pick up a compressor to do some painting. will start out doing it a little, but hope to paint quite often, so i want something that i wont have to upgrade later on.

I don't paint myself but a few of my friends do and they said to run at least 15 cfm and at least a 80 gal tank. You don't want to run out half way through clearing a car!

thanks for the info man. anyone else? i was looking at getting a 60 gallon.

If you've got room for 60 to 80 gallons and you won't need to move it around, then that's best. I have 3 compressors for various needs. One silent 1 gal (?) for illustration work, one 20 gal for light jobs and travel, one 30 (?) for larger jobs and it can travel if need be. I'd also like to get an 80 gal for permanent placement.

so a 30 gallon would work fine? i wont be running a bodyshop by no means, but i would like to handle the paint and bodywork aspect of my projects.

I have a 80 gal 26.8 cfm at 175 psi snap on comp and dont regret it at all. Buy the bigest compreser you can, I can run anything i want with no problems, things like a die grinder and air drill take more air than a paint gun. so figure out what you use the most and see how much cfm it takes and get a suitable compresser.

since you paint at such a low psi, i'd bet even a 20gal would work, but don't forget all the other tools involved in painting. mine is an 80 gal., but i help out a buddy at his shop & he has a 60 gal 13cfm & it has a hard time keeping up with DA's, air files, grinders, cut off wheels, etc. it gets really annoying when you sand down 1/2 a panel & have to wait 5 min (about 1 cigarette) before you can get back to work & then only work for 5-10- minutes. he's constantly wishing he'd have just spent the extra $300 for the 80.

i'd say go with at least an 80 gal, but even mine if i have anyone working with me & say we're running 2 DA's it'll only keep about 90-100 psi. (& the more the pump runs, the more water...remember that too) a 120 gal is the real way to go, but if it'll only be you working off it then go 80.

good luck!

werd, for just painting a larger compressor is not entirely neccessary since hvlp's only put out about 10psi at the cap when running 30psi at the inlet. I have a 60 gallon at home and it works ok.

i picked up painting myself a few months ago...my dad bought a compressor its like a 28 gal. for the amount of work i do with painting and bodywork since im still learning it works perfect for me. however, i dont have other air tools like DA's, cut offs, etc. so all im running is an air chuck to blow stuff off and my guns. its def. not big enough to run a shop if you do it everyday but if your just going to pick it up as like an after work on the weekends hobby and dont want to break the bank buying a 80 gal. something a lil smaller should be suitable.

you guys run your hvlp guns at 10psi? damn im doing something wrong then...i have to run my guns at like 40-55 psi at the tip when i pull the trigger just to get the paint to spray nice without it dribbling out or splattering.