My shop compressor got puked on by good ole brother IKE this week,So i was goofing around on Graigslist and found this add for a Harbor Freight compressor.It is brand new and normally sells for 440.00.I will need to run a DA sander.Could i get a few opinions from you guy's here are the spec's.Thanks for any help i can get [FONT=arial, sans-serif]Built-in dual quick connect couplers for convienent air hose connection[/FONT] [FONT=arial, sans-serif] Long-life oil lubricated compressor with precision machined cast iron cylinder sleeve Twin capacitor start motor with thermal overload protection Built-in dual quick connect couplers and dual pressure gauges Oil level indicator window for easy maintenance Pulley driven V-shaped pump for long life [/FONT][FONT=arial, sans-serif]220 volt, 60 Hz, 23.5 amps (start up), 12.5 amps (no load); 120 PSI max; Air delivery: 16.4 CFM @ 40 PSI, 15.7 CFM @ 70 PSI, 14.5 CFM @ 90 PSI, 13 CFM @ 110 PSI; 20 ft. stripped power cord ready for 220 volt plug connection; Overall dimensions: 18'' W x 22'' D x 42'' H[/FONT]
The cfm is what your going to be most concerned with while running a DA. I think I would look for something bigger.
That one would run a DA sander intermittently if it had a 40 gallon tank or larger. If you want to run an air tool for hours at a time, a 60-80 gallon tank and 18 cfm@90 psi would be much more satisfactory
You get what you pay for and you typically don't want anything that Harbor Freight sells that has a plug on it.
I bought a Cambell/Hossfield one at harbor freight thats been loyal for years,,, but they also sell thier brands,,,,,, depends on the brand.
got the Harbor freight comp proabbly the campbell hossfield w 60 gal tank, sanded, painted and sandblasted w it, need a extra tank 80 more gal to make it more versitile and it has done good for the extreme amount of work i used it on If you are going to do commercial[ a lot of air use] this is not a heavy duty type machine, good for a homeowner w occasional use
If you like taking breaks while working it'll do the job. But as was suggested take a look at some with a larger tank, the cfm on that one seems ok, but I think the tank size will be a downer.
You might want to look at the Husky (made by Campbell Hausfeld) compressors at Home Depot. I bought a CH 80 gall 7.5 HP unit - 220V single phase from them ten years ago - never had a problem (always maintained and regular oil changes) and never ran out of air even constantly blasting - hours at a stretch - with my commercial sized (huge) blasting cabinet. It was half the price of the competition at $798 and I believe they are still well under $1k - 4cyls and two stage to boot.
One of our local machine shops has rebuilt compressors for cheap....why not ask around. My experience with harbor freight is the most expensive component ( electric motor) will die an early horrible death.... 1. I got their $40 dollar metal band saw on sale...cut two things...motor died...bought a $200 new motor...runs like a champ now 2. I got their pressure blaster and it wouldn't work right...replaced the water/oil seperator with a nice campbell hausfield unit...works perfectly. My thought is your motor will probably die quickly and you will have a $400 P.O.S. - I'll bet with $40 or $50 bucks...but $400 hurts!
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