Ok, I am in the market for an air compressor and I am looking for opinions, recommendations, etc. I don't have one now, so maybe you guys could give me some pointers on what to look for. Ill be using it to run an air ratchet, impact, grinder, chisel, etc. and since it will be in the garage with me I would like it to be fairly quiet. Probably looking to spend no more that $400.
well, its a tall order. First, CFM is king on a compressor, anything less than 8 or 9 CFM @ 90 psi is a waste, you'll spend more time waiting on the compressor than doing work, especially with bodywork tools, (Inline sander, D.A., grinders, spray guns etc.) I would really recommend 13 CFM or better but on your budget that's a tall order. Next, tank size, the bigger the better, but not less than 30 gallons. Third, Volts. 110 compressors are power hungry, and will regularly kick a 20 amp breaker, if you've got access to your fuse panel, add a 220 volt outlet out there and you'll never regret it. For the noise, AVOID the cheapie OILLESS compressors. get a trustly old belt drive, preferably two stage compressor. Check the home Depot, they regularly throw a nice big upright on sale for around 400 bucks that is 15CFM, 220 volt and I can't remember the exact tank size but I want to say 120 gallons, its taller than me on the shipping pallet. Good luck and hope that helps. Scot
I agree, stay away from oilless, they burn up too quickly. The biggest ones I've seen are 60 and 80 gallon, I think they are both the same height, just diff diameters. 400.00 won't get you what you really want. I replaced my oilless with the best one they have at Lowes. When mine blew up, I couldn't wait for a sale, I needed it now! They have theirs labeled with catagories they are recommended for. Buy the best one you can afford. 220 is the only way to go IMHO. If quiet is important, mount it outside the shop on it's own slab. I did that with mine, built a little shed-like enclosure, and plumbed it through the wall. I kept the tank from the old one, and plumbed it in line, so I can store up to 120 lbs of air for big draw stuff, like DAs. Good Luck!
Yikes, that being said, i have will have an oilless compressor up for sale in the very near future. I enclosed mine in a small room with insulation and drywall and piped through the side but it is still loud. I thought it was just the nature of the beast but appreciate the info. I'm off to lowes!
They are right. You do not want Oilless. I had one. The happiest day of my life was the day it died. That thing was way to noisy. I'm sure you could hear it two blocks away!!
Thanks guys! Yea, it looks like I will be spending $450-$500. Sears, Lowes, and Home Depot all have a 60 gal, belt driven oiled compressor in this $$ range. Also, these are non-portable 220v hard wired units. I have a 220v outlet already, can I add a plug to one of these compressors instead of hard wiring it?
Sure you can. I turn mine on and off at the breaker. I also plumbed mine in the bottom, ran pipe out under it to a ball valve so I drain it EVERY time I shut it off. I try to keep the moisture out of it (having seen a rusty insided one blow up once).
Before you do that, look up a commercial air compressor dealer. They almost always have commercial duty units, rebuilt, full size tanks, and scary reasonable. A 5hp 220 2 stage ought to do ya as long as like eveyone else says, the CFM needs to be high. The higher the better. I'd say no less than 18. Faster fill means less power draw. I adapted my 10hp 3ph to the home shop by spending the green to get a 10hp 1ph motor. It takes 4.5 minutes to fill 205gal from empty to 150psi. It takes 1min 15sec to cycle. I did this cuz I already had the unit. At 35cfm I don't wait long and use very little power compared to one 1/2 the size (amps/time). Go as big as you can find for the $.
You don't have to hard wire it, a plug will work fine. I know money can be an issue, but if there's any way you can swing it, I'd step up a little more. I bought an Eagle 3 cylinder single stage for 700.00 at our local Big R farm supply. 18.5 cfm@ 100 psi. Made in Canada, cast iron. Twice the air as the chinese **** they sell at Home Depot.
Tinbender is right on the money there. Well worth spending the couple hundred extra. Bigger is definitely better. I bought this one a little over a year ago for about $450. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00918419000&subcat=Air+Compressors+%26+Inflators When I use a sander or die grinder or cutoff wheel, the compressor kicks on after a couple minutes and stays running. It'll generally stay at or just above 90 psi when using these tools continuously. Every now and then you need to take a break and let the tank fill again. It's called a beer break. Even with this 230 volt compressor, I wish I had more. Next will be at least an 80 gallon, 15 cfm. -David
I got that $430 Campell-Hausfield one they (used to) sell at sLowe's, which is pretty much identical to ones sold at Home Depot and Tractor Supply except color and stickers. It keeps up with everything I use it for, but that's it. It'll stay with me using die grinders pretty much constantly, but it'll be running the whole time. I wouldn't try to run 2 air tools at the same time off it, though. Not a big deal, as I rarely have anyone in the garage with me when I'm working, but some folks always have someone else working with them. And in the "homeowner" compressors, pay attention to the SCFM @ 90 psi numbers... best to have 12+, but 10 is absolute minimum. (Anything less, and you better just stick to electrical power tools.) Horsepower is pretty much irrelevant here. Typically, these things don't come with oil or electrical hook-up. So keep that in mind for your budget. You'll need either a cord with a plug or enough Romex to go from your breaker box to the compressor. If you have anything that resembles humidity or dew point there, get a drier... sometimes these have a regulator on them. Yeah, definitely get a regulator... especially if you think you might use a spray gun at least once before you die. We have a couple Ingersolls here @ work that are not being used that I've been trying to get my boss to put a price on for over a year... if he ever does, I'd bet they'll be in that range... if I hear anything soon, I'll let you know.
look at these...http://www.abacamerican.com/belaire_home.html http://www.mile-x.com/Air Compressors/aircompressors.htm http://www.tptools.com/prod_list_di...sor***scssid=FV60S35MQXFU9JMUV7N9A**M3JBV3WR3 http://www.autobodystore.com/compress2.htm I've got a 5HP IMC...good unit...6 years and not one complaint.
I bought the craftsman 50 gallon... 5hp.. I think. 9cfm and it works great... but it is really loud. I use it for everything and never run out of air. I just painted my truck with it over the weekend.
What's the difference between a single stage and a 2 stage compressor? I'm now in the market and want to make sure i get the right one.
Iam going to get flamed but I got mine from Harbor Freight, "Campell-Hausfield" 9 hp, 4 clyinder, 80gal, 2 stage, it sits outside, and has been working fine for 3 years. I run everything off it, it makes more then enough air for my sandbasting cabinet . it pumps more air then my DA or inline sander can use. I have had 2 guys sanding at the same time with DA's no problem. $720.
Single stage means the compressor squeezes the air once. In a 2 stage - the air is then compressed a second time - this is done to achieve a HIGHER air pressure. It is typically easy to spot as the compressor usually will have cylinders of vastly different size. Compressors aren't necessarily easy to purchase these days because the manufactures take GREAT ARTISTIC license in rating them. An easy way to sift through there sales **** is to look at the POWER CONSUMPTION. There's no free lunch when it comes to compressing air. The CFM ratings are often misleading and mean pretty much nothing unless you know at what pressure they apply at. Horsepower has even less meaning since they fudge the hell out of the ratings anyways. For instance my 1946 Ingersol 3hp compressor will flat blow the doors off my 1980's 5 hp - no contest. Compressor manufacturers today will often fudge the CFM ratings by using empirical data - it goes like this - if it puts out 10 cfm at 500 RPM then if we spin it at 1000 rpm we can claim it has 20 cfm!!! Right??? WRONG! - there's this thing called efficiency they "accidentally" forgot to consider. And by accidentally I mean purposefully!!!! yeah it seems that the small compressor market is marketed by a bunch of used car salesmen. More food for thought....cranking up the pump pressure is a poor way of adding capacity from an economical standpoint. What I am suggesting is that if you have tools that are happy to run at 100 PSI then having your compressor set to 200PSI is wasting energy since it costs you WAY more to go from 100-200psi than from 0-100psi. Last admittedly biased thought.....buying a compressor is like buying a car. Sure the new ones have all the warrantee's and are all pretty and everything, but the OLD commercial ones are built WAY WAY BETTER! They were built to last and also built so that when they did need work you could rebuild them. It's much like a big lumbering V8 compared to a new 4 cylinder running at a bizzion rpm - sure they get the HP but they simply don't last. NEW YUGO or OLD CADILLIAC????? Your choice.
Gotta 3 cyl. Puma best i've ever had , will out run my sandblast cabinet! Can't have to much air, CFM is the ticket.....
This is great information. I've checked out the new shiny eatons but also have heard about a few local deals on older compressors that may just need a little tlc before firing up. Thanks again.
Put me in line to get flamed... I have the Harbor Freight US General. To be honest I haven't used it enough to actually give a full blown review but from my first impressions I am impressed. I have the 6HP, 60 gallon one that runs on 220v. It is pretty quite. Belt driven, dual cylinder (but I think single stage), and all parts are replaceable. I spent under $400 for it with a 20% coupon I found online. I was lucky that we have a Harbor Freight locally so I didn't have to sweat delivery charges. They offer a 2 year warrenty where they will replace the whole unit but I think it was an additional $80 and I'm a gambling man so I rolled the dice and went without. Unfortunately I think the discontinued the model I bought and superseded it with this one which has a lower HP rating. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3848 Flame on!
Hemi covered the tech side. When it comes to installation; a couple of tips. Don't run rigid pipe to the compressor. Otherwise the vibrations transmit into the piping. (and can possibly fracture the piping) A short piece of flex hose from the compressor outlet to your lines does the trick. Mount the compressor on something that will absorb vibrations. I use hockey pucks. Or bolt it to a piece of plywood and set it on a "cow mat." (farm supply places will know what your talking about) If you can, put the compressor outside under cover, OR in the attic. Doesn't take up so much room in the shop and will be quieter. NOTE: Compressors CAN stand some damn cold temps. (mine is happy at -30 today) If you live in humid parts of the country; invest in an Air Dryer, especially if your going to do any painting or use a blast cabinet.
Dave, get something quite so I dont have to listen to it. When your ready to purchase call me and we can load it in my truck and I'll help you unload and setup.
I had a talk with Mark from Eaton Compressor in Ohio this morning about compressors. While he could have easily talked me into a high dollar compressor I explained my needs and he steered me towards his least expensive model with a few options. I will be completing the deal at 1:00 today and having my new eaton delivered in a few days. He steered me away from a 2 stage based on my need for volume and not pressure. At any rate, probably worth checking his website www.eatoncompressor.com. There are quite a few different options including color. Food for thought.
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