Thanks for making this video. I stumbled upon a used Silentaire compressor about a year ago. I bought it for dirt cheap, 50 bucks. The prior owner listed it as “Not Working”. For 50 bucks, I took my chances. I figured I could fix it. Here was the problem. The compressor turned on but then it shut off. It didn’t build pressure and blow air. I removed the housing and popped the cover off. I noticed a tremendous amount of water and muddy oil. I cleaned it out, let it dry a few days and put fresh oil. Still didn’t work. I called the company and described the problem. They said it was a stuck piston. They advised me to use a vise grip to unstuck the piston. I got it loose. Once I got it loose, I turned the compressor on and it worked like new. And it was very silent. I still have it, however, I’m buying a brand new one around Christmas. So changing oil yearly and clearing moister trap, as you mentioned, is imperative in keeping this compressor performing optimally. Judging by the condition I bought the compressor, it safe to say the oil wasn’t changed and moister trap never cleared out. Your thorough review was excellent. Love your channel.
that is awesome. I assumed the compressors in these units were sealed like the ones in refrigerators. Amazing you were able to get into it and fix it. $50 for one of these is the deal of the century. thanks for sharing!
I bought my Italian silent compressor about 15 years ago at USD320. Repaired broken hose once, apart from that worked perfectly. It worth the money. Only disadvantage is the weight.
One thing I would like to mention with oil based compressors like these, watch to be sure you don't get oil in your air lines. I've owned two in my lifetime and both were fabulous but I did wind up with a bit of oil seeping into the air system. The company replaced the unit for me at no cost to me but I thought it would be worth mentioning. My second purchase was the super silent 30TC that was on your list and have had no problem with it. Excellent line of compressors and the silence is golden.
That is amazingly quiet. I have been using air compressors my while life in the automotive setting and was excited when I got one that was only 60db. If I get to the point that I'm airbrushing every day, this will be on my short list of acquisitions.
Thanks for the informative video, convinced me to get one! When your compressor reaches max pressure and it blows off out the release valve does yours spit a bit of oil out like mine does? Just curious if this is normal. I couldn't find and info on it.
I'm loving this compressor! Yes, I've noticed this as well. It seems to spray a very small amount of moisture when it blows out the release valve. It's the only load part of the compressor.
I'd like to just pause for a moment to appreciate how ridiculously talented you are as an artist, first and foremost. The technical acumen and great content are really bonuses.
Great review! I live in a small apartment with annoying neighbours, so if I was to go back to my old love of airbrushing, I had to find a compressor that didn't sound like a bulldozer firing up. By sheer luck, I came across a second-hand SilentAir DR150 on eBay for £65, ($80 US), and knowing the going prices thought this might be too good to be true. As it turns out, I went round the guy's house and I think he had got it via a nail parlour, and didn't really know what he had. I explained what airbrushes were, and he offered me a bag with two RichPen airbrushes with hoses, and said, "You can have those too." (!!) Yes, the first thing I noticed as I went to take out to the car was it nearly pulled my arm off. Ye Gods, is it heavy! It was in a bit of a sorry state with both the reservoir and the moisture trap full of water, (which may have explained some of the weight), so after emptying half a gallon of rusty sludge and topping up the oil, it seems to run nicely. And the real point of this whole thing, the noise... What noise? It purrs like a kitten. You barely hear it switch on, except for the tiny "clink" of the relay. Overall, even at full price, this thing is amazing. I would totally recommend it. I would agree that the dials and the moisture trap are a bit cheap, and I might look to replace them, and one other extra, an indicator light just to remind you that it is actually on!
That´s a really nice compressor! Congrats, love to see you like it so much! It is very similar to one I built years ago with a refrigerator motor and two fire extinguishers (yeah, I live in Argentina... compressors always were really expensive). After 2 or 3 days, I added another motor, because it took around 5 minutes to fill. If I remerber correctly, I changed both of them after a while for a couple 1/2 hp fridge ones and that gave me like 14 minutes pressing the trigger at around 25psi. If that compressor made by me and my little knowledge, with awful weldings, 90% of the parts that were from garbage I got from the street (except the gauges and check valve and connections) lasted me for more than 8 years nearly everyday use for a couple hours.... you can expect yours to last A LOT.
Great video, thanks. I've been using a silent compressor for 18 years and they are great. One thing worth noting is to only use the special, synthetic silent compressor oil or you will damage the compressor. Another silent compressor brand is Jun-air, which I believe are built in the U.S. and are built even better than Silent Air, but extremely pricey. Probably more than double the price of Silent Air.
You make a great point concerning the silent oiled compressor oil type. Yes these compressors take a special synthetic oil called SJ-27 that is used in both Silentaire and Jun-Air silent oiled compressor types. Silentaire interestingly enough does not advertise what type of oil is being used but its SJ-27 high viscosity synthetic oil. It can be had relatively cheap if you do your research and is usually very expensive if purchased direct from Jun-Air. Silentaire's version of this oil is more readily available and I've purchased the Silentaire brand of oil for as low as $32.00 for 24 ounces.
You are spot on; Silent Air is made in Italy as is most "Oil Bath" units with the exception of "Jun Air", though sold through an American company. The best is "Jun Air" they offer all sizes pumps, I have a twin TC 80, that I got from a Dentist office used. it's big enough to run my sand blasting case. ... I worked as service agent here in Australia from the early 1990's for both companies. The nice part is Jun air makes all sizes and come with a split case making service easy. A side note; The oil you use, NEEDS to be synthetic and is expensive. Good info mate. I did a check on the Sparmax twin was around 50 DB, the same compressor sold by iwata. In the 60's and 70's we used CO2 gas cylinders in studios.... no noise ... lol
Wow, that's significantly quieter. Aspirations. If you ever get time, would be nice to hear your thoughts on the compressor maintenance, never knew the tank itself had to be drained and obtained a nice glass of rusty water from it.
30dB is incredible, especially living in Japan where you can't afford being noisy with paper thin walls but it costs around $1800 here and that is too steep for me
I've had a Silentaire for about 35 years. Actually it was my wife's compressor for her business (manicurist) and it was used daily for many years. I have been using it for the past several years. I'm amazed it is still running! The oil level is still fine and I don't remember doing anything with the oil as far as changing or topping off. I'm convinced it will see me to my grave. The noisiest part of this compressor is the pressure switch. It's the only indication the compressor is actually running - an occasional quiet 'Klik'.
As mentioned me too.. I've had my 1st silent Jun-Air compressor 30yrs plus and have since purchase 3 more for like applications in other places. These compressor types when well maintained are bullet proof for lack of a better term but truly worth every dime.🎉
thanks Ryan! expensive is right- the price is the only reason that I never bought one in the past. Plenty of great compressors out there that are a fraction of the cost, but I finally caved and went with the purchase.
Hello im new to this category of airbrush and as a starting point im looking to buy something cheap with airflow control and ti cover small and large surface on my canvas im interested on precision and accuracy and versatility and most of all quality im between 50 and 100 euros for a start do you jave anything in mind ?
DO NOT TEMPT ME SATAN! Seriously, I've spent my entire career wanting one of these but every time I think about it I realize I could spend that money on other things. In fact, if you're just a hobbyist who isn't spraying on a daily basis like we do you're definitely better off investing in something like a CO2 tank. That was my first air source. As long as you have tight fittings it should last through dozens of models without needing to be refilled. It's also COMPLETELY SILENT. Of course, if doesn't work so well if you're a professional because then it's going to empty at the most inconvenient times. I don't use it for airbrushing anymore - but now it works as a home-brew Soda Stream.
haha- my apologies! I always wanted one too. Finally pulled the trigger and bought one. I never used a co2 tank before- just figured it's a pain to go get a tank refilled. small airbrush compressors are pretty cheap these days though
really?! There are a lot of people more knowledge on these type of compressors than I am. I would reach out to the company. They must have distributors across Europe.
@@theartworkshop Good idea, weird. Thx. Also saw someone here in the comment from the UK getting one of these, so there must have somehow being sold here.
For some reason this wonderful silent compressor has quite low rating on Amazon - yes it just EIGHT reviews but anyway… the whole trick is that you can't read the negative ones. But I pretty much ready to “pull the trigger” and buy it. :)
I have an art logic twin cylinder compressor, it isnt silent. Frankly unless for other reasons like portability i normally use my 2.5 horse power compressor which has a 40 litre tank. When you are using around 20psi in a brush anf its supplied by a tank of 40 litres thatcis around 80 to 100 psi the duty cyclic is minimal. Compressedxair is compressed air and so long as it goes through a regulator andxa moisture trap the results are the same. You csn also buy a decent compressor for the same price as small air brush compressor plus the bigger compressorc can pump tyre, use air tools and even a reasonable size gravity feed spray gun. The big advantsge od the airbrush compressorcis portability
@theartworkshop thanks for posting this! Are there any advantages to having a large tank air compressor? I know you linked the California Air Tools compressor in the description. There are alternate California Air Tools models for a little bit more money that have much larger tanks, 8 Gal v 2 Gal. Is there any real advantage to this or is it superfluous? I am looking to upgrade from a pancake compressor, so I am sure I would be happy with the upgrade either way! Thanks again for all you are doing for new airbrush users!!!
Thanks so much! I love larger tanks on compressors. If I had the space I'd get the largest tank I could and put the compressor in another room to keep the noise down. The nice thing about a large tank is that the compressor doesn't to to kick on that often. With an airbrush you can paint a long time just off the tank. The size can be a problem though as they are bulky, but I had a 6 gallon by california air that I loved. Took up too much space for me though.
A water trap on a compressor like that is as useless as an ash tray on a motorbike because it doesn't remove any moisture from the air at all. A silly technician who served my press line installed around 10(!) water traps all over the system and all of them were full o water yet pneumatic feeders kept continuously fucked because of that. Once I installed an SMC refrigerated air drier and I've never ever seen any single droplet of water in the air system since then and none of the pneumatic machines got ever broken down either.
I am planning to buy one (Sil-air 15) but my biggest worry is aftersales support given that the distributor from where I am is almost like non-existent.
@@theartworkshop When my california air goes out Im planning on replacing it with a silent air. Heard nothing but great things about them . Great vid btw as usual.
I used to have a Silentaire Super Silent 20A Air Compressor for over 18 years, But a power outage burn it out... long story. Now I have the Silentaire Super Silent BAB 30 for over 3 years. never a problem! I called one day Silentaire about changing the oil.. the guy told me change it when it gets black.. So I change my every 3 years!! even if not black and yes the weight is crazy, I think they weight like 40 pounds.. the old one was about 25 pounds.
old fridge, empty fire extinguisher and a 10 quid pressure controller....most silent DIY compressor out there....easy to do, theres plenty of YT vids to show how
Thanks- Here is an affiliate link for one I bought on amazon amzn.to/4aE2En4 If you want to buy it somewhere else it is called the Iwata 10' Braided Nylon Airbrush Hose with Iwata Airbrush Fitting and 1/4" Compressor Fitting. Hope this helps!
California Air piston compressors are not quite just muffled and this is visually impressive and yes quieter as they're muffled to be more quite but not actually quiet per there advertised decibel rating of 60db.
Believe it or not I am new to Airbrushing and will be buying this as my starter unit. Yes I know its over kill but my biggest headache is the family complaining about noise. Its worth the money not to hear them bitch lol. I do this to relax not get bitched at. thank you.
i have the California Air Tools 8010A Aluminum Tank Air Compressor | Ultra Quiet, Oil-Free, 1.0 hp, 8 gal and looking to go more silently (i dont consider the CAT one i got to be quiet), obviously I heard of silentaire (oiled compressors). Good to see a review on them. Well thought out review with your testing caveats. I'm looking at the L10 gsi creos linear compressor as a future buy or going the oiled route, i do need to go the high psi route (25+ rarely though). I'm into MG gunpla/similar model sizes. Good thing I came across this review. Currently have a waterfall spray booth...the fans need to quieter/larger to run at lower rpms then it'd be prefect. Silent all things in the model world! Spray all day and no one can ever complain of the noise!
Is this a US-only brand? I'm puzzled, I tried looking them up and their brochures say "Made in Italy", the corporate site says something about Houston, Texas, and I can't find any of their products on European amazon sites.
that's a really good question. I'm not sure to be honest. I could be completely wrong, but it seems that they are made in Italy by another company and distributed in the US by silentaire. I couldn't find any good information on the brand when I bought this one, but everyone told me that silenaire or jun-air was the way to go for a silent compressor.
@@theartworkshop I tried to do some research and the only Italian brand that makes compressors I managed to find is Sil-Air (ex Werther). I don't see any 1:1 matches between their products and this silentaire thing, but half of their roster is also oiled compressors, so I guess one of them is the DR150 model. Not sure how to get them though, I've never seen them for sale, hobby shops only stock Sparmaxes over here (which jumped in price by 50% over the past year).
great ..we're looking forward too see the update!! In the event that the oil bottle becomes empty, is there another oil brand that you would recommend for use with this compressor?
Thanks for the video and sharing this interesting compressor! It's been 7 months since you made the video. What are your current impressions of this air compressor? Is it still working great and would you recommend it? This air compressor comes with moisture trap. Is that enough to avoid needing to buy a separate one? You mentioned that the oil needs to be changed every 12 months. Does this depend on usage? In other words, if usage isn't heavy, won't the oil last longer? Or does it need to be changed regardless? and thanks in advance
thanks! I actually just finished up painting for the day. It's been amazing so far. I use it every day for at least 4-6 hours, probably more. Really, I couldn't ask for anything better. Most of the time I don't even notice it turning on, especially if I'm listening to something else while painting. It's important to remember to turn it off after a painting session and over night. The moisture filter works fine, but I also have a mini one at the bottom of my airbrush just in case. I just checked the oil again last week and it's still at the right spot. So I doubt it burned much if any over the last 7 months. Yes, i will 100% be changing it at the 12 month mark. I'll probably make an update video on it then. Hope this info helps you out!
@@theartworkshop I do the same, as I don't fully trust the one on the compressor, so I have an small inline one below the airbrush. It's a bit clunky, but you get used to it and the last thing you want is wet air.
I have a Super Silent 20A, and compared to the typical entry-level compressors it's truly quiet...like a refrigerator. I can't even hear it if i'm wearing headphones. The pressure gauge sticks, so i have to tap it to see what the pressure is, but i hardly ever change the pressure. I think it might leak a little, though. Although i can't hear any air escaping, it clicks on after ten minutes or so even when i'm not spraying. Otherwise, i love it.
the generic airbrush compressor isn't so bad in terms of sound. i like that it's small and not as loud. can you tell me the brand? what turns me off about the silentair is not only the price but the size
Yeah the generic ones with tanks are great! The one I have doesn't even have a name or brand to it. I bought it on ebay over a decade ago. Most of them seem the same though. For around $100 they are pretty solid compressors to paint with
Sounds good... I wonder how it compares with the bambi Compressor which they sounds as loud as a refrigerator. Purchase will have to wait as I just had to fork out for a new matched head for my micron sb.
@@theartworkshop yes expensive but now it works brilliantly... was giving me real jip lately. I sort of went through options of looking at other brushes... but went for the new head. Glad I did.
To what I know the only difference is the case, a Bambi BB24 will set you back about £400 in the UK and that's including next day delivery. But unfasten it from the pallet before you try to lift it - I saw someone pull his back out trying to move it with the pallet, but without it, it appeared to be less than a bag of sand 👍
Excellent review and overview of the initial oil adding setup. I have this same model compressor and when the compressor kicks in, it's quieter than the airbrush spraying air. It's also quieter than my full size refrigerator. It can sustain a lot of spraying for a long time with no drop in pressure. The company who makes these has been around forever. A lot of companies now are saying they have "quiet compressors" but that's because old compressors are literally 100dB, so by comparison their 70dB is "quiet". This compressor is actually quiet, not just quiet relative to a 100dB construction compressor which sounds like a jackhammer. One thing you noted is that 0.7cfm is for airbrushes only. I didn't know much about cfm before buying it, as I thought only PSI mattered, but 0.7 cfm isn't considered sufficient for some of the smaller Iwata and LPLV spray guns, which require around 2.0 cfm minimum or more at operating pressure. So people needing to spray with those tools should be looking for something with higher cfm. The only thing I find lacking in this compressor is the moisture trap PSI gauge location which is hard to read, a fairly minor thing once PSI is set. Other than that, it's a tool I really appreciate. One improvement I made was to add the Sparmax 1/8" bleed valve to the hose fitting, which allows for bleeding the air tank slowly to 0psi without disconnecting hoses.
thanks! well said about the marketing of quiet compressors- It's really only relative to the old school ones. This silentaire is the only one I've ever owned that can actually be considered quiet. regarding CFM, I only use this for my airbrushes at 20-30psi max so it's perfect for me. True that it won't work for spray guns. I still use my LVLP and HVLPs all the time, but those are with my much larger california air compressors.
Bought very similar same compressor 30 years ago, still works and still very silent. Other than that it came with a wrong gasket and leaked oil for years, had to keep it in a large pan. After many years finally figured out it was the gasket and ordered another one, which turned out to be the wrong size also. Finally figured out you can make your own gasket and that worked. Air has also always leaked around the hose attachment , finally just put a two part epoxy all over the area and now the hose is permanently attached, but it works. Lastly the on switch doesn’t turn the compressor on until after a minute or two delay, never have figured that one out.
Thank you for sharing yet another great video. I have been wondering about oil-based compressors. Are these toxic due to the oil being used? Should one keep this in a separate room, like a bathroom for instance with the door closed, while airbrushing in the next room? I'm just concerned about the oil used for the lubrication. Thank you!
Not that I know of, because it's just oil lubrication. It's not like its burning it or anything like that. But if you have concerns, reach out to silentaire. They should be able to answer your questions
Great point about the main purpose of lubrication. I will contact Silentaire when I'm ready to purchase one since I have a small Fortress from Harbor Freight, and an old Smart Jet Pro. Thank you again for sharing so much with us, looking forward to more of your videos! -Lisa@@theartworkshop
@coreycox724 Well the objective here is to be informed as this makes the difference and exposes the option to work airbrushing in quiet relaxed space with the addition of a silent oiled compressor over the typical piston compressor that in its modern advancements is just a better muffled piston compressor but never quiet again just muffled to what most to know as "quieter" again but "NOT" actually "QUIET". Silent oiled compressor decibel ranges are from as low as 30decibals to a whopping:) 45decibals. A piston compressors lowest advertised sound decibel is around 60 decibels which is not quite but tolerable if you have no other choice.
@@CFster I see you all over the place trolling people especially about iwata stuff I guess because you work directly with them for what you have said and what about my comment is ridiculous? It was literally just my opinion and like I said I was just saying I don't see the need for it cuz most people have their own room. Yes, it is cool. I like the fact that it's quiet. But what about my comment? Was so ridiculous to you
@@LEGIN27 And yeah I understand all that. I was just saying I don't see a need for a very silent one other than the fact that like I said yeah I could see how they can't annoy some people but it was really just an opinion and my own thought but thanks though for saying all the same stuff that he went through. I wasn't bashing on the product or anything. That is actually pretty cool
@@coreycox724 you haven’t seen me trolling anyone and I actually think Iwatas are overpriced. You know the saying, “there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers”? Well you broke that rule. Because YOU don’t care about the noise doesn’t mean others don’t, and obviously that’s evidenced by the aforementioned compressor which costs SEVEN times as much as a hobby compressor and the ONLY thing it does better is operate quietly. And the $700 price tag is actually on the low side for a SilentAire or Bambi compressor. The very fact that they’ve made a business out of this indicates there’s a demand for silent compressors. Add to that a little common sense @coreycox724. Some people really like their peace and quiet.
So I know I'm late to the party but I just placed my order for the same compressor and I've made alot of my purchases due to your videos so thanks so much , I enjoy all the content you put out , thanks again and I'm looking forward to getting my super silent dr150.......
So the compressor arrived and o my god it's freaking amazing , and silent I thought it wasnt working at first.......this thing is so worth the money .........AMAZING!!!!!
@CFster, Not freon just oil as the refrigerator motor type in essence is the same but used differently for refrigerant applications. Silent oiled compressor uses a very high viscosity synthetic SJ-27 oil that allows these compressor types to operate at very low sound decibel ratings. A very sound:) investment. Worth every dime if quiet reliable air for airbrushing is your objective.
@@LEGIN27 it is literally the same compressor. People steal them all the time out of refrigerators and turn them into air compressors. The only difference being it’s compressing air now instead of Freon.
@@CFster Point taken as fact but there is no freon used for silent oiled compressors just the same motor type used differently i.e. You never have to change your refrigerators oil.🤓
@@CFster Just to be clear I'm not trying to clown you or be disrespectful in any way. The correct name of these silent oiled compressor motor types is "Centrifugal". And again they are the same type used in the refrigeration industry minus the need use of freon.
Thanks for making this video.
I stumbled upon a used Silentaire compressor about a year ago. I bought it for dirt cheap, 50 bucks. The prior owner listed it as “Not Working”. For 50 bucks, I took my chances. I figured I could fix it.
Here was the problem. The compressor turned on but then it shut off. It didn’t build pressure and blow air.
I removed the housing and popped the cover off. I noticed a tremendous amount of water and muddy oil. I cleaned it out, let it dry a few days and put fresh oil. Still didn’t work. I called the company and described the problem. They said it was a stuck piston. They advised me to use a vise grip to unstuck the piston. I got it loose. Once I got it loose, I turned the compressor on and it worked like new. And it was very silent.
I still have it, however, I’m buying a brand new one around Christmas.
So changing oil yearly and clearing moister trap, as you mentioned, is imperative in keeping this compressor performing optimally. Judging by the condition I bought the compressor, it safe to say the oil wasn’t changed and moister trap never cleared out.
Your thorough review was excellent. Love your channel.
that is awesome. I assumed the compressors in these units were sealed like the ones in refrigerators. Amazing you were able to get into it and fix it. $50 for one of these is the deal of the century. thanks for sharing!
I bought my Italian silent compressor about 15 years ago at USD320. Repaired broken hose once, apart from that worked perfectly. It worth the money. Only disadvantage is the weight.
yeah, the weight was shocking to me. thanks for this- hope my compressor lasts just as long
@@theartworkshop The key thing is to drain the tank regularly, or they will rust through.
One thing I would like to mention with oil based compressors like these, watch to be sure you don't get oil in your air lines. I've owned two in my lifetime and both were fabulous but I did wind up with a bit of oil seeping into the air system. The company replaced the unit for me at no cost to me but I thought it would be worth mentioning. My second purchase was the super silent 30TC that was on your list and have had no problem with it. Excellent line of compressors and the silence is golden.
Great point- I worry about that too. so far so good. Hopefully it never becomes a problem.
That is amazingly quiet. I have been using air compressors my while life in the automotive setting and was excited when I got one that was only 60db. If I get to the point that I'm airbrushing every day, this will be on my short list of acquisitions.
The 60db ones are great!
Thanks for the informative video, convinced me to get one! When your compressor reaches max pressure and it blows off out the release valve does yours spit a bit of oil out like mine does? Just curious if this is normal. I couldn't find and info on it.
I'm loving this compressor! Yes, I've noticed this as well. It seems to spray a very small amount of moisture when it blows out the release valve. It's the only load part of the compressor.
I'd like to just pause for a moment to appreciate how ridiculously talented you are as an artist, first and foremost. The technical acumen and great content are really bonuses.
thanks so much!
Great review!
I live in a small apartment with annoying neighbours, so if I was to go back to my old love of airbrushing, I had to find a compressor that didn't sound like a bulldozer firing up.
By sheer luck, I came across a second-hand SilentAir DR150 on eBay for £65, ($80 US), and knowing the going prices thought this might be too good to be true. As it turns out, I went round the guy's house and I think he had got it via a nail parlour, and didn't really know what he had. I explained what airbrushes were, and he offered me a bag with two RichPen airbrushes with hoses, and said, "You can have those too." (!!)
Yes, the first thing I noticed as I went to take out to the car was it nearly pulled my arm off. Ye Gods, is it heavy!
It was in a bit of a sorry state with both the reservoir and the moisture trap full of water, (which may have explained some of the weight), so after emptying half a gallon of rusty sludge and topping up the oil, it seems to run nicely.
And the real point of this whole thing, the noise... What noise? It purrs like a kitten. You barely hear it switch on, except for the tiny "clink" of the relay.
Overall, even at full price, this thing is amazing. I would totally recommend it. I would agree that the dials and the moisture trap are a bit cheap, and I might look to replace them, and one other extra, an indicator light just to remind you that it is actually on!
that's incredible. What a deal!
@@theartworkshop I know. One of those "right place, right time" things. It was only 40 miles away, so worth the trip.
That´s a really nice compressor! Congrats, love to see you like it so much! It is very similar to one I built years ago with a refrigerator motor and two fire extinguishers (yeah, I live in Argentina... compressors always were really expensive). After 2 or 3 days, I added another motor, because it took around 5 minutes to fill. If I remerber correctly, I changed both of them after a while for a couple 1/2 hp fridge ones and that gave me like 14 minutes pressing the trigger at around 25psi.
If that compressor made by me and my little knowledge, with awful weldings, 90% of the parts that were from garbage I got from the street (except the gauges and check valve and connections) lasted me for more than 8 years nearly everyday use for a couple hours.... you can expect yours to last A LOT.
thanks- that is amazing! honestly something hand built yourself like that is always so much more special than anything you can buy. awesome to hear!
Great video, thanks. I've been using a silent compressor for 18 years and they are great. One thing worth noting is to only use the special, synthetic silent compressor oil or you will damage the compressor. Another silent compressor brand is Jun-air, which I believe are built in the U.S. and are built even better than Silent Air, but extremely pricey. Probably more than double the price of Silent Air.
You make a great point concerning the silent oiled compressor oil type. Yes these compressors take a special synthetic oil called SJ-27 that is used in both Silentaire and Jun-Air silent oiled compressor types. Silentaire interestingly enough does not advertise what type of oil is being used but its SJ-27 high viscosity synthetic oil. It can be had relatively cheap if you do your research and is usually very expensive if purchased direct from Jun-Air. Silentaire's version of this oil is more readily available and I've purchased the Silentaire brand of oil for as low as $32.00 for 24 ounces.
thanks! I was looking a jun-air as well. They looked amazing but I just found a better deal with this one.
It is nearly the same as my H&S htc20a, expecially that red paper caution🙂
You are spot on; Silent Air is made in Italy as is most "Oil Bath" units with the exception of "Jun Air", though sold through an American company. The best is "Jun Air" they offer all sizes pumps, I have a twin TC 80, that I got from a Dentist office used. it's big enough to run my sand blasting case. ... I worked as service agent here in Australia from the early 1990's for both companies. The nice part is Jun air makes all sizes and come with a split case making service easy.
A side note; The oil you use, NEEDS to be synthetic and is expensive. Good info mate.
I did a check on the Sparmax twin was around 50 DB, the same compressor sold by iwata.
In the 60's and 70's we used CO2 gas cylinders in studios.... no noise ... lol
Wow, that's significantly quieter. Aspirations. If you ever get time, would be nice to hear your thoughts on the compressor maintenance, never knew the tank itself had to be drained and obtained a nice glass of rusty water from it.
haha i've done that before too. Try to get in the habit of draining it- really can extend the life of your compressor.
If you leave it too late, it will rust right through the cylinder, and you can't repair those, so it can get expensive. ($150+)
30dB is incredible, especially living in Japan where you can't afford being noisy with paper thin walls but it costs around $1800 here and that is too steep for me
I've had a Silentaire for about 35 years. Actually it was my wife's compressor for her business (manicurist) and it was used daily for many years. I have been using it for the past several years. I'm amazed it is still running! The oil level is still fine and I don't remember doing anything with the oil as far as changing or topping off. I'm convinced it will see me to my grave. The noisiest part of this compressor is the pressure switch. It's the only indication the compressor is actually running - an occasional quiet 'Klik'.
As mentioned me too.. I've had my 1st silent Jun-Air compressor 30yrs plus and have since purchase 3 more for like applications in other places. These compressor types when well maintained are bullet proof for lack of a better term but truly worth every dime.🎉
that's incredible. I agree, the switch is the loudest part! great to hear that after 35 years it's still going strong
That seems amazingly quiet! But bloody expensive. Nice to know that option is out there. Thanks for the review.👍🏼
thanks Ryan! expensive is right- the price is the only reason that I never bought one in the past. Plenty of great compressors out there that are a fraction of the cost, but I finally caved and went with the purchase.
WOW! Now someone needs to come up with a spray booth thats just as quiet and then I can justify upgrading both!
Apparently the Pace 36 inch one is around 45-47 db when working. At least that’s what I was told.
👍👍👍👍👍In terms of silence and performance, I like the compressor from the refrigerator.
me too!
Hello im new to this category of airbrush and as a starting point im looking to buy something cheap with airflow control and ti cover small and large surface on my canvas im interested on precision and accuracy and versatility and most of all quality im between 50 and 100 euros for a start do you jave anything in mind ?
Eh I'm happy with my sparmax but if I ever needed an upgrade this might be on my list.
DO NOT TEMPT ME SATAN! Seriously, I've spent my entire career wanting one of these but every time I think about it I realize I could spend that money on other things. In fact, if you're just a hobbyist who isn't spraying on a daily basis like we do you're definitely better off investing in something like a CO2 tank. That was my first air source. As long as you have tight fittings it should last through dozens of models without needing to be refilled. It's also COMPLETELY SILENT. Of course, if doesn't work so well if you're a professional because then it's going to empty at the most inconvenient times. I don't use it for airbrushing anymore - but now it works as a home-brew Soda Stream.
haha- my apologies! I always wanted one too. Finally pulled the trigger and bought one. I never used a co2 tank before- just figured it's a pain to go get a tank refilled. small airbrush compressors are pretty cheap these days though
I bought a No Name Cool Tooty and I love it!
At $1000 it had better not let you sleep at night, if you know what I mean.
12 months OR 1 year?...
I hate to explain it to someone but......
Weird, as someone from Germany i wanted to check what that thing costs here, but i can't find anything sold in Europe when it's made in Italy?? How?
really?! There are a lot of people more knowledge on these type of compressors than I am. I would reach out to the company. They must have distributors across Europe.
@@theartworkshop Good idea, weird. Thx. Also saw someone here in the comment from the UK getting one of these, so there must have somehow being sold here.
For some reason this wonderful silent compressor has quite low rating on Amazon - yes it just EIGHT reviews but anyway… the whole trick is that you can't read the negative ones. But I pretty much ready to “pull the trigger” and buy it. :)
Not really sure, but I love the one I bought! I just hope that it lasts for many many years
P.S. Dont tell her how much it costs I will die.
I have an art logic twin cylinder compressor, it isnt silent.
Frankly unless for other reasons like portability i normally use my 2.5 horse power compressor which has a 40 litre tank.
When you are using around 20psi in a brush anf its supplied by a tank of 40 litres thatcis around 80 to 100 psi the duty cyclic is minimal.
Compressedxair is compressed air and so long as it goes through a regulator andxa moisture trap the results are the same.
You csn also buy a decent compressor for the same price as small air brush compressor plus the bigger compressorc can pump tyre, use air tools and even a reasonable size gravity feed spray gun.
The big advantsge od the airbrush compressorcis portability
Thanks for detailed review, was searching for thing like that!
@theartworkshop thanks for posting this! Are there any advantages to having a large tank air compressor? I know you linked the California Air Tools compressor in the description. There are alternate California Air Tools models for a little bit more money that have much larger tanks, 8 Gal v 2 Gal. Is there any real advantage to this or is it superfluous? I am looking to upgrade from a pancake compressor, so I am sure I would be happy with the upgrade either way! Thanks again for all you are doing for new airbrush users!!!
Thanks so much! I love larger tanks on compressors. If I had the space I'd get the largest tank I could and put the compressor in another room to keep the noise down. The nice thing about a large tank is that the compressor doesn't to to kick on that often. With an airbrush you can paint a long time just off the tank. The size can be a problem though as they are bulky, but I had a 6 gallon by california air that I loved. Took up too much space for me though.
A water trap on a compressor like that is as useless as an ash tray on a motorbike because it doesn't remove any moisture from the air at all. A silly technician who served my press line installed around 10(!) water traps all over the system and all of them were full o water yet pneumatic feeders kept continuously fucked because of that. Once I installed an SMC refrigerated air drier and I've never ever seen any single droplet of water in the air system since then and none of the pneumatic machines got ever broken down either.
Nothing beats a refrigerated air dryer! Awesome to hear that you use one.
I am planning to buy one (Sil-air 15) but my biggest worry is aftersales support given that the distributor from where I am is almost like non-existent.
that was always my worry too. So far I haven't had any issues. It's been fantastic so far.
I'm not sure how noisy my compressor is. I'm always cranking music when I'm spraying 😁
haha amen to that! me too
@@theartworkshop When my california air goes out Im planning on replacing it with a silent air. Heard nothing but great things about them . Great vid btw as usual.
I love california air. I own 2 of them and they will always be part of my setup. I use them for so many things! @@duanemarshall9486
There's an airbrush emoji??
@@sakidickerson Yes there is for members of the channel.
I used to have a Silentaire Super Silent 20A Air Compressor for over 18 years, But a power outage burn it out... long story. Now I have the Silentaire Super Silent BAB 30 for over 3 years. never a problem! I called one day Silentaire about changing the oil.. the guy told me change it when it gets black.. So I change my every 3 years!! even if not black and yes the weight is crazy, I think they weight like 40 pounds.. the old one was about 25 pounds.
old fridge, empty fire extinguisher and a 10 quid pressure controller....most silent DIY compressor out there....easy to do, theres plenty of YT vids to show how
Very useful video! Thanks for it..
Can you also please share the link for the IWATA Hose you used?
Thanks- Here is an affiliate link for one I bought on amazon amzn.to/4aE2En4
If you want to buy it somewhere else it is called the Iwata 10' Braided Nylon Airbrush Hose with Iwata Airbrush Fitting and 1/4" Compressor Fitting. Hope this helps!
And I thought my California air was quiet😂😂 That silentair is amazing
California Air piston compressors are not quite just muffled and this is visually impressive and yes quieter as they're muffled to be more quite but not actually quiet per there advertised decibel rating of 60db.
Believe it or not I am new to Airbrushing and will be buying this as my starter unit.
Yes I know its over kill but my biggest headache is the family complaining about noise.
Its worth the money not to hear them bitch lol.
I do this to relax not get bitched at.
thank you.
i feel you. similar boat.
i have the California Air Tools 8010A Aluminum Tank Air Compressor | Ultra Quiet, Oil-Free, 1.0 hp, 8 gal and looking to go more silently (i dont consider the CAT one i got to be quiet), obviously I heard of silentaire (oiled compressors). Good to see a review on them. Well thought out review with your testing caveats. I'm looking at the L10 gsi creos linear compressor as a future buy or going the oiled route, i do need to go the high psi route (25+ rarely though). I'm into MG gunpla/similar model sizes. Good thing I came across this review.
Currently have a waterfall spray booth...the fans need to quieter/larger to run at lower rpms then it'd be prefect.
Silent all things in the model world! Spray all day and no one can ever complain of the noise!
Whoa, I always wondered how quiet these were. This beats expectations. I just upgraded mine to a more quiet one, but nothing like this.
How many decibels yours says on the bottom sticker? I have the same and mine says 38 I thought they were 30
Mine says 38 as well.
Is this a US-only brand? I'm puzzled, I tried looking them up and their brochures say "Made in Italy", the corporate site says something about Houston, Texas, and I can't find any of their products on European amazon sites.
that's a really good question. I'm not sure to be honest. I could be completely wrong, but it seems that they are made in Italy by another company and distributed in the US by silentaire. I couldn't find any good information on the brand when I bought this one, but everyone told me that silenaire or jun-air was the way to go for a silent compressor.
@@theartworkshop I tried to do some research and the only Italian brand that makes compressors I managed to find is Sil-Air (ex Werther). I don't see any 1:1 matches between their products and this silentaire thing, but half of their roster is also oiled compressors, so I guess one of them is the DR150 model. Not sure how to get them though, I've never seen them for sale, hobby shops only stock Sparmaxes over here (which jumped in price by 50% over the past year).
great ..we're looking forward too see the update!! In the event that the oil bottle becomes empty, is there another oil brand that you would recommend for use with this compressor?
Great review thanks for sharing 👍
thanks Rob!
Thanks for the video and sharing this interesting compressor! It's been 7 months since you made the video. What are your current impressions of this air compressor? Is it still working great and would you recommend it?
This air compressor comes with moisture trap. Is that enough to avoid needing to buy a separate one?
You mentioned that the oil needs to be changed every 12 months. Does this depend on usage? In other words, if usage isn't heavy, won't the oil last longer? Or does it need to be changed regardless?
and thanks in advance
thanks! I actually just finished up painting for the day. It's been amazing so far. I use it every day for at least 4-6 hours, probably more. Really, I couldn't ask for anything better. Most of the time I don't even notice it turning on, especially if I'm listening to something else while painting. It's important to remember to turn it off after a painting session and over night. The moisture filter works fine, but I also have a mini one at the bottom of my airbrush just in case. I just checked the oil again last week and it's still at the right spot. So I doubt it burned much if any over the last 7 months. Yes, i will 100% be changing it at the 12 month mark. I'll probably make an update video on it then. Hope this info helps you out!
@@theartworkshop I do the same, as I don't fully trust the one on the compressor, so I have an small inline one below the airbrush. It's a bit clunky, but you get used to it and the last thing you want is wet air.
cannot find this one anywhere in EU
So bottom line, it's so quiet that I would ask my self "is it even working" 🙂
I have a Super Silent 20A, and compared to the typical entry-level compressors it's truly quiet...like a refrigerator. I can't even hear it if i'm wearing headphones. The pressure gauge sticks, so i have to tap it to see what the pressure is, but i hardly ever change the pressure. I think it might leak a little, though. Although i can't hear any air escaping, it clicks on after ten minutes or so even when i'm not spraying. Otherwise, i love it.
warning 220 volts
The price is bullshit.
California for me for now
700 bucks for a fridge compressor and a tank seems way to high
i have the european equivalent and i love mine!
Me too!!!:)
the generic airbrush compressor isn't so bad in terms of sound. i like that it's small and not as loud. can you tell me the brand?
what turns me off about the silentair is not only the price but the size
Yeah the generic ones with tanks are great! The one I have doesn't even have a name or brand to it. I bought it on ebay over a decade ago. Most of them seem the same though. For around $100 they are pretty solid compressors to paint with
@@theartworkshop ah ok. thank you for the video :)
Will itbdo tires
I made myselft a silent compressor using fridge compressor, no sound on operation and was cheap, now i can airbrush later in the night
Isn't that a nice functional plus? KUDOS on the DIY!!!
yes way cheaper than from brand like silent air or bambi@@LEGIN27
love this!! amazing diy project
Sounds good... I wonder how it compares with the bambi Compressor which they sounds as loud as a refrigerator.
Purchase will have to wait as I just had to fork out for a new matched head for my micron sb.
Same or like compressor technologies just a different brand or company. Both are silent oiled compressors.
those micron matched heads are so expensive!! I've bought a few over the years as well. not a fun purchase, but it gets the airbrush back to brand new
@@theartworkshop yes expensive but now it works brilliantly... was giving me real jip lately. I sort of went through options of looking at other brushes... but went for the new head. Glad I did.
To what I know the only difference is the case, a Bambi BB24 will set you back about £400 in the UK and that's including next day delivery. But unfasten it from the pallet before you try to lift it - I saw someone pull his back out trying to move it with the pallet, but without it, it appeared to be less than a bag of sand 👍
Excellent review and overview of the initial oil adding setup. I have this same model compressor and when the compressor kicks in, it's quieter than the airbrush spraying air. It's also quieter than my full size refrigerator. It can sustain a lot of spraying for a long time with no drop in pressure. The company who makes these has been around forever. A lot of companies now are saying they have "quiet compressors" but that's because old compressors are literally 100dB, so by comparison their 70dB is "quiet". This compressor is actually quiet, not just quiet relative to a 100dB construction compressor which sounds like a jackhammer.
One thing you noted is that 0.7cfm is for airbrushes only. I didn't know much about cfm before buying it, as I thought only PSI mattered, but 0.7 cfm isn't considered sufficient for some of the smaller Iwata and LPLV spray guns, which require around 2.0 cfm minimum or more at operating pressure. So people needing to spray with those tools should be looking for something with higher cfm.
The only thing I find lacking in this compressor is the moisture trap PSI gauge location which is hard to read, a fairly minor thing once PSI is set. Other than that, it's a tool I really appreciate. One improvement I made was to add the Sparmax 1/8" bleed valve to the hose fitting, which allows for bleeding the air tank slowly to 0psi without disconnecting hoses.
thanks! well said about the marketing of quiet compressors- It's really only relative to the old school ones. This silentaire is the only one I've ever owned that can actually be considered quiet.
regarding CFM, I only use this for my airbrushes at 20-30psi max so it's perfect for me. True that it won't work for spray guns. I still use my LVLP and HVLPs all the time, but those are with my much larger california air compressors.
woah it is really quiet. wow
It blows my mind that you're an artist and not an engineer. You're waaay more precise and focused on details and measurements than the average video.
I try my best. I do appreciate that though so thank you!
Ive had a California air just like yours its been a charm... Is it more quieter than the California Air?
Yes, it is amazingly quite! I've been using it daily and it has been amazing
Bought very similar same compressor 30 years ago, still works and still very silent. Other than that it came with a wrong gasket and leaked oil for years, had to keep it in a large pan. After many years finally figured out it was the gasket and ordered another one, which turned out to be the wrong size also. Finally figured out you can make your own gasket and that worked. Air has also always leaked around the hose attachment , finally just put a two part epoxy all over the area and now the hose is permanently attached, but it works. Lastly the on switch doesn’t turn the compressor on until after a minute or two delay, never have figured that one out.
It took me two months to realise it had a switch. 😆
Thank you for sharing yet another great video. I have been wondering about oil-based compressors. Are these toxic due to the oil being used? Should one keep this in a separate room, like a bathroom for instance with the door closed, while airbrushing in the next room? I'm just concerned about the oil used for the lubrication. Thank you!
Not that I know of, because it's just oil lubrication. It's not like its burning it or anything like that. But if you have concerns, reach out to silentaire. They should be able to answer your questions
Great point about the main purpose of lubrication. I will contact Silentaire when I'm ready to purchase one since I have a small Fortress from Harbor Freight, and an old Smart Jet Pro. Thank you again for sharing so much with us, looking forward to more of your videos! -Lisa@@theartworkshop
Great video! Can this be used for desoldering handpieces such as Metcal or Thermaltronics?
thanks! I have no idea what that is- sorry
I think that's a vacuum pump, not a compressor.
Thanks for this great video! One question: do you plug this compressor to a 110V socket or a 220V one?
thanks! it's 110v
@@theartworkshop thanks a lot! And the oil you have to actually change it eventually or just refill the tank once the oil finishes?
@@borischivapallottole Just top it up.
Be sure to use the right oil though, it's specialist stuff.
Wow that is cool but what do you need one so quiet for tho I mean I guess it can be annoying to some people I don't notice the noise really
What a ridiculous comment.
@coreycox724 Well the objective here is to be informed as this makes the difference and exposes the option to work airbrushing in quiet relaxed space with the addition of a silent oiled compressor over the typical piston compressor that in its modern advancements is just a better muffled piston compressor but never quiet again just muffled to what most to know as "quieter" again but "NOT" actually "QUIET". Silent oiled compressor decibel ranges are from as low as 30decibals to a whopping:) 45decibals. A piston compressors lowest advertised sound decibel is around 60 decibels which is not quite but tolerable if you have no other choice.
@@CFster I see you all over the place trolling people especially about iwata stuff I guess because you work directly with them for what you have said and what about my comment is ridiculous? It was literally just my opinion and like I said I was just saying I don't see the need for it cuz most people have their own room. Yes, it is cool. I like the fact that it's quiet. But what about my comment? Was so ridiculous to you
@@LEGIN27 And yeah I understand all that. I was just saying I don't see a need for a very silent one other than the fact that like I said yeah I could see how they can't annoy some people but it was really just an opinion and my own thought but thanks though for saying all the same stuff that he went through. I wasn't bashing on the product or anything. That is actually pretty cool
@@coreycox724 you haven’t seen me trolling anyone and I actually think Iwatas are overpriced. You know the saying, “there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers”? Well you broke that rule. Because YOU don’t care about the noise doesn’t mean others don’t, and obviously that’s evidenced by the aforementioned compressor which costs SEVEN times as much as a hobby compressor and the ONLY thing it does better is operate quietly. And the $700 price tag is actually on the low side for a SilentAire or Bambi compressor. The very fact that they’ve made a business out of this indicates there’s a demand for silent compressors. Add to that a little common sense @coreycox724. Some people really like their peace and quiet.
So I know I'm late to the party but I just placed my order for the same compressor and I've made alot of my purchases due to your videos so thanks so much , I enjoy all the content you put out , thanks again and I'm looking forward to getting my super silent dr150.......
it's awesome! I love mine and have been using it every day since i got it. Best compressor I ever bought
@@theartworkshop did the compressor come with oil or do I need to buy it, I believe you said in the video it came with it.
yes, it comes with it in a bottle. You just need to add it to the compressor @@robertclassicconstructiona1830
So the compressor arrived and o my god it's freaking amazing , and silent I thought it wasnt working at first.......this thing is so worth the money .........AMAZING!!!!!
They’re so quiet because they use Freon compressors similar to what’s in your refrigerator. Different principle than a conventional air compressor.
@CFster, Not freon just oil as the refrigerator motor type in essence is the same but used differently for refrigerant applications. Silent oiled compressor uses a very high viscosity synthetic SJ-27 oil that allows these compressor types to operate at very low sound decibel ratings. A very sound:) investment. Worth every dime if quiet reliable air for airbrushing is your objective.
@@LEGIN27 it is literally the same compressor. People steal them all the time out of refrigerators and turn them into air compressors. The only difference being it’s compressing air now instead of Freon.
@@CFster Point taken as fact but there is no freon used for silent oiled compressors just the same motor type used differently i.e. You never have to change your refrigerators oil.🤓
@@LEGIN27 I never said there was.
@@CFster Just to be clear I'm not trying to clown you or be disrespectful in any way. The correct name of these silent oiled compressor motor types is "Centrifugal". And again they are the same type used in the refrigeration industry minus the need use of freon.