Metabo oil free or oil compressor
Updated: 21.10.2026
You are looking at a Metabo oil free or oil compressor and the title says OF, while a bullet on the same amazon.co.uk page calls the pump oil-lubricated. Those are different machines in Metabo's catalogue, with different order numbers. This page is that choice, and why ASIN B00IPDGTIQ cannot be filed as either until you read the plate. The [Metabo air compressor comparison](/hub/compressors/metabo-air-compressor) holds the other three models. Prices are the UK scrape from 19 October 2026. The Products Compared editorial team did not open a rating plate and did not run a lab test.
You are looking at a Metabo oil free or oil compressor and the title says OF, while a bullet on the same amazon.co.uk page calls the pump oil-lubricated.
You are looking at a Metabo oil free or oil compressor and the title says OF, while a bullet on the same amazon.co.uk page calls the pump oil-lubricated. Those are different machines in Metabo's catalogue, with different order numbers. This page is that choice, and why ASIN B00IPDGTIQ cannot be filed as either until you read the plate. The Metabo air compressor comparison holds the other three models. Prices are the UK scrape from 19 October 2026. The Products Compared editorial team did not open a rating plate and did not run a lab test.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Lubrication | Receiver | Listed airflow | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Metabo Metabo Basic 270-50 OF Silent | Oil-free | 50 L | 130 L/min filling; 250 L/min suction | 6.5 | about £481.29 | View offer |
 Metabo Metabo Power 160-5 18 LTX BL OF | Oil-free | 5 L (table says 18 L) | 60 L/min at 80% max; also 70 and 120 L/min | 8.2 | about £170.03 | View offer | |
 Metabo Metabo Basic 250-24 W | Listing conflict: oil-lubricated and OF | 24 L | Not stated | 6.3 | about £176.95 | View offer |
On this page
Two pumps, not a badge
Oil-free, on a Metabo compressor, means the pump runs without oil in the crankcase. You skip oil changes, and you reduce the chance of oil mist in the airline. You do not get dry air. The receiver still sweats, and you still drain it. Oil-lubricated means a sight glass and a filler, and you check the level before you work.
Noise is not the decider. Metabo states 81 dB(A) and 95 litres per minute effective delivery for oil order 601533180, and 82 dB(A) and 100 litres per minute for oil-free order 601532000. The Amazon row prints no effective delivery. That row is where the two descriptions collide.
The Basic 250-24 W listing
The kept listing is B00IPDGTIQ, at £176.95 on the scrape. The title includes OF. One bullet names BASIC 250-24 W OF. A feature bullet describes a powerful oil-lubricated piston compressor. The model name and the part number are Basic 250-24 W. The model number field is 601533000. Oil-lubricated in Metabo's catalogue is 601533180. Oil-free is 601532000. The Amazon number matches neither. Miles Tool sells 601532000 at £155.99 including VAT. That price is not this ASIN.
The customer-reviews line is 4.2 from 138. Several reviews say the machine needs oil, that a bottle was in the box, and that a loose filler cap left it oily after shipping. Those reports are not a plate reading for every compressor under this ASIN.
Voltage is 230 V, the tank is 24 litres, maximum pressure is 8 bar, and power is 1,500 W. Airflow and the plug are missing. Twenty-four litres times 8 bar is 192, which does not say whether the pump is lubricated. The buying guide carries the plug.
When oil-free is the wrong shortcut
An oil-free pump is the cleaner start for a finish coat, because a lubricated pump can mist oil into the hose. It does not dry the air. If the hose is already oily, stop before the paint.
The clear oil-free receiver here is the Basic 270-50 OF Silent, 601594000, at £481.29: 50 litres, 10 bar, oil-free on the title. Metabo's datasheet states 61 dB(A) sound pressure and 120 litres per minute effective delivery. The plug is unstated, and the 4.9 from 14 ratings is marked Germany.
The Power 160-5 and the AK 18 Multi are oil-free on their listings, and they are not the 24 litre argument. Choosing them to escape the oil question works only when tyres or a short blow-off is the job you have. The best-of page separates those jobs. The drain sits on the how to use page.
What to do with the conflict
Buy a listing that says one thing, or read the plate on the one that has arrived. The oil-free path is order 601532000 or the 50 litre silent order 601594000. The oil-lubricated path is 601533180. Amazon model 601533000 is the unresolved row.
If the machine is already in the garage, look at the plate before you run it. A plate that says oil-free means you leave the oil can on the shelf. If the plate disagrees with the description you paid for, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the frame for goods that are not as described. Until the plate is read, this page will not call B00IPDGTIQ oil-free or oil-lubricated.
Common questions
What does OF mean on a Metabo compressor?
On Metabo's oil-free models, OF is the oil-free suffix. The Basic 250-24 W OF is order 601532000, and the Basic 270-50 OF Silent is 601594000. On Amazon listing B00IPDGTIQ the letters sit beside a bullet that says oil-lubricated and model number 601533000. In that row, OF is a string in conflict.
Is B00IPDGTIQ the oil-free 24 litre model?
It is not safe to treat it as order 601532000. The Amazon model field says 601533000, the part name says Basic 250-24 W, and the bullets disagree. The plate on the unit is the check. That plate has not been read for this page.
Why do reviews mention an oil bottle?
Buyers who unpacked this ASIN report a lubricated pump, an oil bottle, and in some cases a filler cap that came loose in transit. Take those reviews as evidence that some units were lubricated and poorly capped, not as a census of the stock.
Which is better for spraying?
An oil-free pump is the better starting point, because a lubricated pump can put oil mist into the hose. The 270-50 reviewers still say it is a poor match for long spray sessions, and the conflicting 24 litre row is the wrong one to trust until the plate is clear.
Does oil-free mean I never drain the tank?
You still drain the receiver. Oil-free describes the pump, not the moisture that drops out when hot air cools. The AK 18's bullets do not describe a tank. Drain into a container.
Is the 270-50 oil-free?
Yes, on this listing and on Metabo's page for order 601594000. That is a different statement from the 24 litre Amazon row. The plug is not named, and the 4.9 from 14 ratings is a Germany-marked sample.
What should I check on the rating plate?
Check the order number against 601533180, 601532000 and 601533000, then the maximum pressure, the receiver volume, and any oil-free line or oil capacity. Look for a sight glass. If the plate and the listing disagree, deal with the seller before you start the pump.
Related pages
Sources
Sources from the research digest, checked against the four amazon.co.uk listings. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the 19 October 2026 lines. A listing decibel is a sound-emission figure, not a noise-regulation result.
- Metabo UK, Power 160-5 18 LTX BL OF (601521850) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Metabo UK, AK 18 Multi (600794850) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Metabo, Basic 250-24 W oil-lubricated (601533180) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Metabo UK, Basic 250-24 W OF (601532000) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Metabo, Basic 270-50 OF Silent (601594000) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- PSSR 2000, Schedule 1 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE INDG178, written schemes of examination (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)