Hot Rods Question about air compressors

I've got a DeVilbiss 60 gallon upright that I bought about 20 years ago. I bought it at a tool outlet place in Cullman AL, I think it was made in MS or TN. It's been a good one, many days it has ran all day long while sanding or grinding. It still has the original belt on it! I've got to put a new drain **** in it, the original one has started leaking air.

 

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_211720_211720

Anyone have an opinion on this one. I paint and use a small blast cabinet as well as a pressure pot blaster. They claim it's 18CFM. Should be enough for my needs.
I am a hobbyist and not a full time shop doing multiple things at once. It's just me and whatever I am doing at the time. I am sure it will keep up with my painting needs not to sure about the sandblasting.

Thanks for all the advice so far. It is appreciated.

 

I have a DeVilbiss from my local tire shop built in Canada. They said it kept blowing capacitors. I was about five years old so they bought a new one. I bought theirs for $400 and had it serviced for $200. 7.5 HP and 150 or so PSI. I'm a happy camper.

 

That one should do most anything in a one man shop. I like more max psi, makes your air tools work! I ran 160 in my shop.

Bones

 

I don't trust those 3450 rpm compressor motors, and 950 rpm compressor isn't gonna last either. Look at the reviews, they aren't exactly good either.

 

Yes I have an opinion, it turns too fast as far as I'm concerned that's how they get the rating of 18 cfm. I have a TIP pressure blaster also and I did sandblasting it uses a lot of air and runs almost continuously.
I find that the faster they run the hotter the air and then the condensation is greater. Now this is just my opinion and experience.

Pat

 

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200350475_200350475

You guys are great and are backing up all my concerns. Thank you. I like this one better as it's two stage and made here in the USA. I agree with all of you about the 3450RPM motors but that seems to be the nature of the beast in a new compressor purchase.

Just to put this all in to perspective the only reason I am asking about this is I lost my motor on an ancient Curtis air compressor. Probably a 60 year old machine. Almost as old as me (ha ha ha). I am just concerned about putting money into a 60 + year old pump.

I think I might have just answered my own question.

Thanks again.

 

Like I said ,will this compressor do the job? Yes, and in a one man hobby shop it would last a long time. Is it the best compressor on the planet? No. I too, was concerned about the high speed motor, but liked mentioned, that’s kinda the way they do things now.

Repowering an old compressor is a gamble. Not that it’s not the right thing to do, but sometimes it’s best to buy new, so that you don’t have to work on the stuff you use to work on your stuff.
You want to drop about three times that amount, you can get a real commercial compressor that has it all.... but your pocket book is going to hurt.
Just my .02


Bones

 

I spent extra and got a Quincy, it'll be going when harbor freight is long gone.

Andy

 

That motor looks minuscule to mine. I wonder if tech has changed that much? Heck, mine has to weigh a good 80-90lbs.

 

While that link is wrong (seems I didn't notice the decimal point in the hp...), motors have shrunk some over the years. You have to go over 10hp before they get real size these days unless they're explosion-proof or another specialty frame, although the low-rpm single-phase motors are a lot heavier and expensive than the more-common 3450 rpm versions.

A now-deceased neighbor I used to have had an ancient (1903 IIRC) 5HP, single-phase motor and pump sitting loose in a concrete shed, a relic from when it was an active farm. The motor, not including the pump, was roughly the diameter of a modern large garbage can and its case was about 2/3 as long. I don't know what it weighed, I couldn't even budge it by myself. I've seen 50hp motors that were barely that big.