Airbrush Compressor Review (AS189)

Originally published 2 May 2012 Updated 30 September 2026 5 min read

Airbrush Compressor AS-189 Review

A long time ago when I wrote my first airbrush review I mentioned that I will try to get my hands on airbrush compressors too and give most reliable review I can.

This day has come. Today’s candidate for airbrush compressor review is AS-189 from Chinese factory. No, I haven’t bought it in China, I have a local seller here that sells this fella under his brand name “ORLIK”. In North America it goes under trademark “FENGDA”. But I can certainly say that it was made in China and they just put a sticker on.

AS-189 Specifications and Features

What Does the Manufacturer Say About AS-189?

Oil free, piston type
Double air pressure switch
Air pressure gauge and air filter
Adjustable pressure
Thermal protection inside
Low noise
Weight 5.2Kg
Dimensions: 330x150x330mm

Here is the box:

Retail box for the AS-189 mini piston-type air compressor

It is a single Cylinder Piston Compressor with 3L Air Tank and 1/6 Horse Power. The speed is 1450 - 1700 rpm and it can deliver 20~23L per minute. Double Air Pressure switch means that you can choose between two regimes:

If the switch is in position 1 then compressor will be switching on & off - when pressure inside tank gets to 4bar (57PSI) it goes off and after a while when pressure drops down to 3bar (43PSI) it starts-up again.
If you choose position 2 then compressor will pump the air into tank without stop and in this mode you’ll receive maximal pressure of 6 bar (86PSI).

All this is described in instructional manual

Opened AS-189 compressor instruction manual showing the product photo

Key Details and Compatibility

Another thing to be really aware of is the outlet thread which is 1/8 BSP. In case you need 1/4 BSP or NPT screw thread you will need an adapter.

In manual you can also find all the safety instructions and of course complete list of parts which compressor is built of.

AS-189 manual page with the exploded spare-parts diagram and parts list

Why Choose the AS-189 Compressor

First reason was that it was cheaper than most other air compressors with the tank and second reason was the tank. I think that I have mentioned before all the good qualities of compressor with some reservoir to store the air (that’s why each of the diy compressors have their own tank). The main positive property is that because of tank you will lose the pulsing air effect at the output and other is that compressor doesn’t have to be on all the time. By considering this fact, the life of compressor engine increases. Also tank is a great first in line moisture trap.

Still deciding whether you need a tank at all? I compare both options, including what tank size is enough, in my airbrush compressor buying guide.

AS-189 compressor cylinder showing the model and specification label

AS-189 compressor viewed from above with the motor cooling fan visible

On the picture above you can see the special Double Air Pressure switch.

AS-189 compressor mounted on its air tank, seen from the front

And here is the detail on gauge and the air regulator.

Close-up of the AS-189 double air pressure switch and cut-off adjuster

AS-189 Design and Build Quality

The AS189 compressor is very compact. You can see on the picture bellow my hand holding its handle, it is really compact compressor.

Close-up of the AS-189 pressure gauge and air regulator assembly

Here are few more shots of the whole product.

AS-189 compressor with regulator and moisture trap fitted, side view

Orlik-branded compressor unit photographed from the rear

Complete Orlik AS-189 compressor with tank, gauge and warning labels

Performance and Noise Testing

I have also made a video just to show you how it works. I think that it is very quiet for oil-less single cylinder piston compressor. Tank, as I said before, makes it dead silent from time to time, it depends how big your nozzle tip is. At first I thought that 3L tank will be too small but if you do fine art it could be a positive thing. Smaller tank is filled faster and you can enjoy the silence and besides that it gives you more space.

Filling up the Tank

Filling up the tank:

👉 Watch the AS189 compressor review →

Emptying the Tank

Emptying the tank:

👉 Watch the AS189 compressor review, part 2 →

As you can see on the video it takes 1min40sec to fully pressurize the tank and switch the engine off. It takes at least 50sec of time using nozzle tip size 0.2 to lower the pressure down and get the engine working again. That does not mean you cannot continue working when the engine jumps on, especially if you work with low pressures.

Final Thoughts on the AS-189

I think this one is totally worth what it cost (and it suits the purpose for now). As I have no big believes in stuff from China I guess only time will show. It is not an IWATA but it does what I need from it and it does it very well. I think that if you are looking for a good air compressor and don’t want to spend too much and perhaps if you manage to find AS189 even cheaper you should definitely go for it.