Three freshly painted compressors and one useful confession
A seller stood beside three Atlas 600 compressors and explained that all three exteriors had been repainted because overseas buyers liked the appearance. He also said the engine compartments had not been touched. We appreciate the confession. It tells you exactly how to read a used-compressor yard: the paint was prepared for the camera; the expensive truth is inside the machine.
The listing described Caterpillar C7.1 engines and Atlas compressor elements rated by the seller as 17 cubic metres at 17 bar. We do not treat that spoken specification as certification. We photograph the model, serial, engine and compressor-element plates, check whether the components match the listing, and test output under a drilling load. Paint is the least expensive thing on a compressor. Pressure, air delivery, temperature control and a supportable engine are what earn your money.
Match the hole before you match the brand
Buyers ask us for Kaishan, Liutech, Atlas Copco, Sullair, Fusheng, Zhigao and Hongwuhuan units. Brand matters for parts and service, but it does not answer the job. We need your drilling method, hammer model, normal and maximum hole diameter, depth, rock, altitude and ambient temperature. We also need to know whether the compressor will run one rig or move among several crews.
Pressure and free-air delivery must suit the hammer and the hole together. Too little useful air at the working condition means slow penetration and poor cuttings removal; buying a large nameplate without checking the rig can waste fuel and transport capacity. We will not invent the right number from a photo. We take the hammer requirement, confirm the drill configuration, ask the compressor supplier for the exact unit data and then prove the package in operation.
- Rig model and drilling method
- Hammer, bit and rod specifications
- Normal and largest hole diameter
- Rock, altitude and expected ambient temperature
- Required mobility, working schedule and local fuel specification
A nameplate is the beginning of inspection, not the end
We want readable plates for the complete compressor, engine and air end. Then we match those identifiers with the seller's invoice, claimed year and service information. A listing for a Kaishan 29-23 mentions a Yuchai engine; another for an Atlas 600 mentions a Caterpillar C7.1. The exact engine changes your parts route, so the contract must not settle for a loose model nickname.
Hours need the same scepticism. One Sullair 1200 listing claimed more than 3,000 genuine hours and invited testing. Good: let us test it. Another market video presented a Fusheng 680S with 2,800 stated hours, a 212 kW Isuzu engine and a two-stage air end described as 19.3 cubic metres at 20 bar. These are individual seller claims. The plate, meter, wear and loaded performance have to agree before they become purchase facts.
Cold start first; pressure and temperature come after warm-up
A yard video often begins after the compressor is already hot and idling smoothly. That is convenient for the seller and weak evidence for you. We request a current, continuous video showing the cold engine, temperature indication, plates and hour display before anyone starts it. We watch starting behaviour, smoke, warning lights, unusual sound and early leaks.
Then we make it work long enough to reach operating temperature. High-temperature faults are a repeated buyer concern in the source material, and a quick unloaded rev will not expose them. We need stable instrument readings, loaded and unloaded transitions, hose and connection checks, leak inspection and another look after shutdown. If the unit trips, loses pressure or starts pushing oil when hot, it is better to learn that in China.
The material includes a maintenance warning to isolate power and release pressure before blowing out dust. That is basic but worth respecting: stored pressure is not a place for improvisation. Testing and maintenance should be performed by people who know the unit, with the seller demonstrating safe procedures rather than staging a hurried video for us.
Fuel-use claims only count with a test condition attached
Actual fuel consumption is one of the most common buyer questions. We will not give you a generic litres-per-hour answer because load, pressure, hole, rock, engine condition and working pattern change the result. One seller claimed that the Fusheng 680S used about 23 litres per hour while drilling a 115 mm hole. That is a field claim for that advertised setup, not a promise for your site.
For a useful fuel observation, we record the exact compressor, rig, hammer, hole diameter, working condition, duration and measurement method. A seller saying 'fuel efficient' without those details has said almost nothing. We would rather tell you that consumption still needs an on-site measurement than polish a number that will fail your budget.
Old, obscure and freshly serviced can all become expensive
Two market topics appear again and again: why dealers avoid very old compressors, and why they avoid obscure brands. The practical concern is not snobbery. It is whether the engine, air end, controls, filters, separators, hoses and service knowledge will be available where you operate. A cheap machine waiting months for one part is not cheap.
'Recently serviced' is also too vague. Ask what was changed, by whom and why. Oil and filters are routine; air-end repair or an engine overhaul is a different history. We inspect bolt marks, hoses, wiring, welds, residue and service labels, then compare them with receipts or work records. A rebuild is not automatically a rejection. A rebuild hidden under fresh paint is a trust problem and a pricing problem.
- Service records and named replacement parts
- Air-end, engine and control-system repair history
- Filter, separator, hose and oil specifications available in your market
- Starter spares with part numbers and realistic lead times
- Remote technical support after arrival
Individual asking stories are not a market price chart
One seller said he paid more than RMB 100,000 for a used Liutech 18-20 and asked viewers whether it was worth the money. The video highlighted original paint, low oil leakage and untouched fasteners. The comments joked that it might have cost far less. That exchange is the second-hand market in miniature: the asking story is loud, the evidence is incomplete, and everybody wants the real number.
We do not turn that one purchase claim into a price range. Nor do we price a Kaishan 15/15, 27/22, 29/23 or Sullair 1200 from the model alone. We pin a quote to serial number, component configuration, hours, test result, repairs, tyres or running gear, and included hoses or accessories. 'Nice price' basically means no quotation until a number and scope appear in writing.
Our quote shows what it costs to deliver usable air
For remote purchase, the contract lists the exact compressor, engine and air-end identities, stated hours, disclosed repairs, test evidence, accessories, spares and remedy for a material mismatch. We recommend split payment and a method with recourse for a first transaction. Ownership documentation and serial numbers must align before the balance moves.
Shipping is its own line of work: loading port, destination port, packing method, cleaning or degassing needs, and named FOB, CFR or CIF terms. The invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin must meet the destination plan. We put port charges, customs, unloading and inland delivery on the cost sheet instead of leaving them as unpleasant surprises.
We also ask who will commission the set after arrival. The first start at your site should use the correct fuel, oils and filters, with hose and hammer connections checked before load. If remote guidance is promised, the contact, language and response arrangement go into the handover file. After-sales support should be a person and a process, not a sticker on the compressor.
At GLOBMACH, we match the compressor to your drill, hammer, hole and operating environment; then we make the used unit prove itself cold, hot and loaded. We separate paint from condition, seller claims from observed results, and yard price from landed working cost. You see where the money goes and which risk remains. That is a much better buying position than simply asking which compressor looks newest.
