Suction vs pressure sandblast cabinet
Updated: 21.10.2026
You have heard that a pressure cabinet is four times faster, and the amazon.co.uk page never says which feed it is. Suction vs pressure sandblast cabinet is one fork: a venturi that lifts media, or a sealed pot that pushes it, plus the air and the abrasive that choice locks in. A missing word is not a pot, and a foot switch is not a pot either. The seven listings are on the [sandblasting cabinet comparison](/hub/compressors/sandblasting-cabinet). Up to four times is a process claim from Guyson and Riley, not a stopwatch on these listings. Shelf prices in the table are the figures on those listings.
You have heard that a pressure cabinet is four times faster, and the amazon.co.uk page never says which feed it is.
You have heard that a pressure cabinet is four times faster, and the amazon.co.uk page never says which feed it is. Suction vs pressure sandblast cabinet is one fork: a venturi that lifts media, or a sealed pot that pushes it, plus the air and the abrasive that choice locks in. A missing word is not a pot, and a foot switch is not a pot either. The seven listings are on the sandblasting cabinet comparison. Up to four times is a process claim from Guyson and Riley, not a stopwatch on these listings. Shelf prices in the table are the figures on those listings.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Stated air | Max pressure | Foot switch | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  SIP SIP medium sandblast cabinet | 7 CFM (198 L/min) average | 125 psi | Not stated | 7.3 | about £167.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Generic Generic dual-gun cabinet | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, claimed | 3.4 | about £172.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Generic Generic 100 L cabinet | Not stated | 125 psi (title) | Not stated | 3.1 | about £555.99 | View offer |
On this page
Two ways to move the grit
A suction gun runs compressed air through a venturi and draws abrasive up from a hopper. A pressure system stores the abrasive in a sealed vessel and pushes it down the hose. Guyson says pressure cycle times can be up to four times faster. Riley Surface World puts the same idea at three to four times.
Guyson's comparison is at a nominal 80 psi: suction guns from 8 to 45 CFM, pressure systems from 21 to 115 CFM. If you cannot supply the air, you do not get the cycle time. Free air delivery is on the compressor for a sandblasting cabinet page. Suction has a hose into an open hopper. Pressure has a vessel you fill and blow down. No pot in the bullets leaves the feed unknown.
Air and media change with the feed
Blast It Clean puts the common single-phase ceiling near 10 CFM of free air, from about 14 CFM of displacement, on a 13 A supply. Many pressure systems in the 21–115 CFM band are outside that domestic compressor. Riley's other point is the media. Suction will not carry heavy metallic media such as steel. Steel grit belongs with a feed that can push it.
A regulator, a dual air pressure valve or a foot switch sets or stops the air. It does not store media in a sealed pot. A stated maximum of 125 psi is a ceiling on the airline. The SIP listing pairs 125 psi with an average of 7 CFM, just under Guyson's suction band and far under the pressure band. This page does not call the SIP suction or pressure, because the listing never names the feed.
What these amazon listings actually say
None of the generic cabinets in this set document a pressure pot. The £25.99 listing puts a dual air pressure valve in the title and never states a pressure or an air volume. The benchtop at £230.99 claims a foot switch and a double air pressure valve, Both dual-gun listings, £172.99 and £234.99, claim regulator valves and a pedal. Neither describes a pot, and neither states CFM.
The generic at £555.99 states 125 psi, and 100 litres and 30 gal, with no consumption and no pot. The BONEW PSJ at £239.99 is a double-pen lab unit and does not belong in this fork. The SIP, at £167.99, states 7 CFM and still does not name the feed. Do not use 125 psi as proof of a pot. Silence means the feed is unknown. What else a listing must state is on the sandblasting cabinet buying guide.
Which one, on what condition
Choose suction when the job is occasional small parts, the media is something a venturi can lift, and free air delivery sits in the hobby range rather than Guyson's pressure band. Choose pressure only when the listing shows a pot and you can supply air in the higher band, which often means more than a DIY single-phase compressor. If the page is silent, do not pay a pressure-cabinet price for a box that never showed a vessel, and do not load steel grit.
Common questions
What is the difference between a suction gun and a pressure pot?
A suction gun uses a venturi and draws abrasive from a hopper. A pressure pot is a sealed vessel that pushes media down the hose. Guyson's 2022 guidelines describe both. Look for the vessel, or for a hose into an open hopper.
Is pressure always four times faster?
No. Guyson says cycle times can be up to four times faster, and Riley says three to four times. Both are process claims, not a stopwatch on these listings. The condition is the air: 21–115 CFM for pressure against 8–45 CFM for suction, at a nominal 80 psi. Without that air, you do not get the shorter cycle.
Can I put steel grit in a suction cabinet?
Riley says suction will not carry heavy metallic media such as steel. A siphon gun that starves on steel is doing what that guidance predicts. Keep steel for a machine that shows a pot. Silica sand is a separate ban under COSHH 2002 Schedule 2 in Great Britain. HSENI still says to avoid it in Northern Ireland.
How do I tell which feed an amazon listing uses?
Look for a sealed pot and a blowdown, or for a gun drawing from an open hopper. None of the generic listings here document a pot. The SIP states 7 CFM and 125 psi and still does not name the feed, so it stays unlabelled. A dual air pressure valve and a foot pedal set or switch the air. They are not a pot. Silence means unknown.
Does a foot switch mean it is a pressure cabinet?
No. A foot switch stops the jet while both hands are in the gloves. Suction and pressure cabinets can both have one. The £172.99 and £234.99 listings claim a pedal and never describe a pot.
Is the SIP a pressure cabinet because it says 125 psi?
No. 125 psi is the stated maximum on ASIN B00BIK425U, next to 7 CFM average. Guyson's pressure systems start at 21 CFM in that guideline. Seven CFM does not put this listing in that band, and the page never says pot or suction. Leave the feed unlabelled.
Related pages
Sources
Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were checked on 19 October 2026.
- COSHH 2002 Schedule 2 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE WL18 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE HSG201 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Guyson Manual Blast Equipment Guidelines 2022 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Riley Surface World, blast cabinet systems (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Blast It Clean, air supply (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- SIP 03868 medium sandblast cabinet (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk Sand Blasters bestsellers (retrieved 20 October 2026)