Air compressor question

[snapper]

Two questions: First has any body added an extra tank to their air compressor to gain more reserve?? Can you tell any difference?? I use mine for air tools and blowing up and off things.. I have a 5 gallon air tank I could use..
And secondly, What are your opinions of the extreme duty air compressors from campbell hausenfeld?? The one I am looking at is the 5 horse, 30 gallon, twin cylinder, all cast iron one.. Three year warranty.. I figured the speed and it only turns 863 rpms!! would see air tool use and blowing up and off things.. Any comments??


Thanks again, Chris Smith

 

[MikePA]

Welcome to TBN, snapper. You might try doing a search of TBN for 'air compressor'. There have been a lot of threads on this topic. Here's a link to a recent one.

 

[BillyP]

snapper,

If there's a Lowe's near you, you could check there. I bought a 7hp 60 gallon Porter-Cable for $379.

Billy

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I've decided to give up arguing with people who want to buy cheap air compressors.
Go to www.devair-compressors.com/index.html , and learn about air compressors, then make your own decision.

 

[frank_f15]

a larger tank would help to a certain degree, but it will not take up the slack for any application that requires a higher output(cfm) know what u want to do and buy accordingly

 

[MikePA]

Chris, I'll reply again. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As Frank noted, adding an extra tank would only increase the draw down, to use a water tank analogy, it wouldn't increase the cfm.

As you could probably tell, discussing air compressors on TBN is almost like discussing religion /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. There are those that feel unless a person buys a twin cylinder, 2 stage compressor then they're throwing their money away. However, that'd be like always recommending one size tractor, regardless of how it'll be used and for what. There are also people who bought an inexpensive, oil-less compressor and it's worked fine for them and what they wanted it to do. Both recommendations can be equally valid as well as equally wrong for your situation.

While there are junk compressors, most of them, like CH, PC, Puma, Quincy, etc. are not right or wrong. It depends on what you want to do with them and how frequently you want to do it. The compressor has to deliver enough cfm at the right air pressure to run the tool. Then you have to ask yourself how often you're going to use the compressor.

The CH compressor might be fine for a home owner who uses it to fill tires, run an impact wrench, etc. a few times a year. It would be the wrong compressor for someone who wants to sandblast a car body or use it in a business. Do you want a compressor that's good enough that your descendants will be using it, or one that will be used for a single project then sit idle? The CH compressor you refer to could be exactly the right one for you. Or it could be too much or too little compressor. It'll all depends upon what you want to do with it and how frequently.

 

[OkieG]

A few years ago, my wife got me my first air compressor (yes, she is quite a woman!)...a 4hp, 25gal Sears. Man, filling low tires and basketballs was never so easy. My "need" for air has grown since then. I am contemplating getting a 7hp, 80gal to properly feed my little sandblaster and 3/4" drive impact wrench.

MikePA is absolutely right...

My only caveat is, if you see air in your future, you probably won't regret getting the nicest of the finalists on your buy list.

OkieG

 

[Egon]

OkieG

Some years ago the wife came along with me when I went to town to buy an avalanche probe. Came home with an air compressor, a truck load of harwood, mastic and a brad nailer. Didn't even get to the stoore for my probe and didn't need it as I was busy putting down a harwood floor.

Egon

 

[lgjhn]

Yes, I've done this in the past trying to get a little more "capacity", but to be honest, I finally had enough of cheap compressors and make-do situations so I purchased the biggest Ingersol-Rand 1-phase 230V dual stage compressor possible. Other than the price, I've not regretted it yet.