Air Compressors, any recommendations?

[willy44]

I need to get a new air compressor to replace the old Craftsman ( which is really loud!). I don't run a huge shop and I don't sand blast but I still run all the usual tools ( die grinders, impacts etc.). Now because I am a student I have to insert this disclaimer, I'm not made of money :money:. I was looking at the single stage 60 gallon models of all the brands, but having never owned one that large I don't have any experience in knowing which ones are bad or good. The Ingersoll Rand tools I've used were really good tools but the ss3L3 air compressor they make gets terrible reviews. On the other hand the Puma PK6060v compressor gets good reviews and is the same price. The Quincy Q13160VQ seemed to have some plastic parts on it which wasn't to appealing, but hey most of the cars now are all plastic. The compressor is going to be used to work on cars, and restore an H (separate thread once I get the necessary equipment) and I would like to paint the tractor myself so ideally it should run an hplv paint gun. It seems to me just by reading the specs a 60 gallon single stage should work, but I'm open to suggestions.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these compressors?
A quiet air compressor is my goal so does anyone know if any of these models are quiet? Or does anyone know of a model that is more quiet?
How is the customer service of these brands or any recommended brands?

I know its a lot of questions but I don't want to buy one twice or deal with constant problems.

 

[Fallon]

Get a belt driven oil lubricated one. Those oil free ones are noisy crap that die quick. The slower the pump turns, the quieter as a general. so get a big slow pump that puts out the CFM & pressure you need over one that spins faster.

I'm finishing up a rebuild on a Saylor Beall thats as old as I am. The new ones only have a few minor differences than my 30+ year old one. New is WAY out of my price range & yours too i expect.

Figure out your CFM & pressure needs then shop based on that. Tank size is only a buffer, so if the pump cant keep up with your usage, it just means you wait longer for it to fill back up. 2 stage units are a little more efficient & do higher pressure (175psi or so), but sacrafice CFM. A single stage unit tops out at 120psi or so. You can have single stage pumps with multiple cylinders, so cylinder number doesnt equal stage number.

 

[RNeumann]

I'll play contrarian- about 25 years ago I purchased a Mikita compressor made for job sites. It's a little over 6 CFM. The thing has worked great and continues to run great. I use it for all the typical tools and tasks. I also have a dedicated shop IR compressor that has an oil bath, belt drive and is something like 60 gal. If I only had one it's an easy choice for me- I'll take the Mikita 7 out of 7 days a week.
The only spec or need you don't mention is PSI. Some compressors are in the 125psi range and some 160+psi.

 

[Bird]

When I was repairing/rebuilding mechanics' air tools, I bought one of the same model Puma PK6060 compressors. And of course it was run every day. If you don't need more than 120 psi, it's a very good piece of equipment. When we had to sell the place in the country and move back to town, my real estate agent also had a ranch and I sold the Puma air-compressor to him.

 

[Johnny g]

I prefer the two stage, you say you don't want to buy one twice so I would suggest getting one that is more than you think you need(CFM/ PSI) , I would also recommend 220 volt over 110. and check the motor rpm, 117 or thereabouts is good, 230 or thereabouts is not so good. the higher speed is just over working and wearing out faster .

 

[Egon]

Figure out your maximum air CFM / pressure requirement and go from there. Be aware of your power supply and what can be handled. You may also consider cobbling together a system with different components. These can be placed at different locations to minimize noise. It may be possible to refurbish one of the older cast iron piston type compressor??

 

[LD1]

IMO all the piston ones are noisy. Keep the compressor away from the work area if you want a quiet piston type.

I have been keeping an eye on craigslist for a while, just waiting on a good deal to pop up on a 5-10HP screw type compressor.

 

[jenkinsph]

Figure out your maximum air CFM / pressure requirement and go from there. Be aware of your power supply and what can be handled. You may also consider cobbling together a system with different components. These can be placed at different locations to minimize noise. It may be possible to refurbish one of the older cast iron piston type compressor??

I agree with this post ^^^.
Take into consideration future needs and available power. Don't go for a 3 phase model if the power requirements are not available to you. Dayton speedaire (?) is one of the quietest piston compressor imo. I think the belt driven slower turning compressors was a good suggestion too. I would skip the oil less compressors as they are loud.

 

[willy44]

From what I figure the most air heavy tool I'm planning on using would be around 7-8 cfm at 90 psi. All the compressors I was looking at put out 10 or 11 cfm at 90 psi, that should be enough to allow the tank to recover I think, but there again having never owned one this large its going to be a learning experience I think. That being said all the single stage units I was looking at are belt drive and oil lubricated, no oil-less for me anymore, and they are all either 230V or 208-230V. I don't run anything over 90 psi and the average max psi for a single stage seems to be around 135, it seems sufficient to me as long as I don't open up a full time mechanic shop.

LD1, I have a California air tools 5.5 gallon 1hp compressor we bought for doing work inside the house. It's oil-less and runs at 60db, I love the little thing. I cant say as to what the longevity will be, its only 6 months old, but right off the bat its an awsome little compressor.

Has anyone built an enclosure for their air compressor? Mine is going in a barn and I was thinking of building a small enclosure to maybe mitigate some of the noise

 

[mechanic]

You will be fine with the 60 gallon compressor. I used them for years doing the same thing you are doing. They are good air compressors. Don't buy the kobalt it's worrisom.Never owned a pumpa but I hear they are good also. I think the campbell husfeld warranty would be better if you need it worked on.60 gallon would be fine.