kellogg air compressor

[toy]

Does any one here know anything about the kellogg air compressors. there is an eighty gallon tank 5 hp one for sale near home. She said that she was pretty sure it was a two stage compressor but didn't know if it was a single phase or a three phase. She said it was pretty old but hadn't been used much. She is asking $600 for it, is that excessive or is it just that I don't know much about that particular brand of air compressor? I know from reading on the net that in 1971 they sold out to another company and according to that article quality suffered in order to make it more competative product.

[MossRoad]

You might want to post this in the related topics forum. You will get more looks at it.

[ponytug]

They are a high quality brand, but if it hasn't been used lately the orings could be stuck/sticky and you might be looking at an over-haul.

Just for comparison, you can get an Ingersol-Rand 3HP 60 gal, single phase, 230V, SSL3 for $599 from Northern tool.
There is a used Kellogg on ebay for $799 at the moment, supposedly in great shape. claims 14cfm, (It might actually be 19cfm.)

I'd make the call on how much air and how often you need it. If you are planning on using 10cfm all day every day, I'd get the Kellog, and take it to a dealer for an overhaul, wire it up, put synthetic oil in it and go for it. If you plan on using it intermittently, I would probably go for the IR.
Bear in mind that the Kelloggs tend to be 3 phase.

All the best,

Peter

Originally Posted by toy

Does any one here know anything about the kellogg air compressors. there is an eighty gallon tank 5 hp one for sale near home. She said that she was pretty sure it was a two stage compressor but didn't know if it was a single phase or a three phase. She said it was pretty old but hadn't been used much. She is asking $600 for it, is that excessive or is it just that I don't know much about that particular brand of air compressor? I know from reading on the net that in 1971 they sold out to another company and according to that article quality suffered in order to make it more competative product.

[toy]

Thanks ponytug, I kind of thought it might have been a high quality compressor. It is a horizontal 80 gal tank with a 5 hp motor. She said that her husband had passed away about two years ago, she also said that it had been her fatherinlaw's so that gives it some age. She said that her neighbor had used it occasionally but that he had bought him a new one and that she was wanting it out of her way and that she was either getting a smaller one or had already gotten one.
The compressor would be a replacement for a single stage porter cable 5 hp 110 volts that I have in my power trac garrage. The pressure switch on that one has stuck twice the first time it stuck it blowed the regulator and when I discovered it I don't know how long it had ran but I barley touched the pressure relief valve and it opened. When I replaced the regulator I found that its max pressure ratting was about the same as the kick off pressure so I put a little higher rated regulator on it the next time the pressure relief valve opened as it should. When I get a chance I intend on checking to see if the contacts has a spring that I can stretch a little to give it a little more kick to keep the contacts from arcing so much and burning the contacts in on it.
The porter cable has a hard time keeping up with some of the things that I need it for. It kicks off for a few seconds then back on so there is no need to burn it up. I thought about putting an auxillery tank on it, but I don't know if that would help.
My motherinlaw had a stroke the next day after I posted the first post so I haven't been able to do anything concerning this, but I have learned that I can get an Ingersaul Rand two stage air compressor for $1299 new that might be a better way to go.

[Gravy]

If the Kellogg is powered up, run it and see how it sounds and how long it takes to fill the tank. If it reaches full pressure in 5 minutes or so, it's probably fine. It should be a true industrial quality compressor - maybe not absolutely top of the line, but still the Real Thing. Unless it's obviously beat half to death, it will likely still be working for your grandchildren. It should be enormously better quality than the Porter Cable. The Ingersoll Rand probably falls somewhere between the others as far as basic quality. It might make sense if the Kellogg is tired or you need a warranty.

[Gator6x4]

Kellog air compressors have been around for a long time. CompAir bought out Kellogg in 1971. If the compressor belonged to the father in law it could be an old Kellog. The compressors on these units were built like a tank. They had oil pumps where most manafactures today rely on the splash method for lubrication.

[toy]

I got an ingersoll rand 5hp, two stage pump, 80gal tank upright. It kicks off at 175 psi, and the only regulator that the store had was rated for only 150psi and the salesman said that he thought that would work but it seems to me that the compressor would blow the regulator up if you tried to use that one. Is my thinking right or is there something I don't know about that would make that regulator work?

[ponytug]

Rated is rated. 175psi into a 150psi rated item is asking for trouble. Compressed gas explosions tend not to be pretty and a few have made the Darwin awards.

What you could do is adjust your compressor to kick out at 140 or so. Personally, I like a larger margin of safety.

I'd return the regulator and find one rated higher...

All the best,

Peter

Originally Posted by toy

I got an ingersoll rand 5hp, two stage pump, 80gal tank upright. It kicks off at 175 psi, and the only regulator that the store had was rated for only 150psi and the salesman said that he thought that would work but it seems to me that the compressor would blow the regulator up if you tried to use that one. Is my thinking right or is there something I don't know about that would make that regulator work?

[toy]

Originally Posted by ponytug

Rated is rated. 175psi into a 150psi rated item is asking for trouble. Compressed gas explosions tend not to be pretty and a few have made the Darwin awards.

What you could do is adjust your compressor to kick out at 140 or so. Personally, I like a larger margin of safety.

I'd return the regulator and find one rated higher...

All the best,

Peter

I didn't think it would work, that would mean that you didn't need a safety pop off valve because it would blow the regulator before the pop off valve would open. I have looked at all the box stores that sell air compressors in my area and 150 psi was the highest one that I could find. I put a new one on my porter cable compressor and the next time that the contacts stuck it opened the pop off valve instead of blowing the regulator. I have also looked at the local auto parts stores and they don't have them either. I haven't tried the welding supply yet but they might have them, if they don't then maybe my best rout is to call Ingersoll rand and try to get one.

[Bob999]

Toy, your post got me curious and I started looking online for air regulators. Most I found did not list what I undersood to be a max pressure rating--rather they had a max pressure that they regulate to. Here is a quote from one I found: "Regulates the air pressure from 0 to 160 PSI to give an even air flow". Obviously to regulate to 160 the supply pressure has to be 160 or higher.

I fully agree with ponytug's comments about safety but I wonder if basically all units will handle the 175 psi of the compressor and the difference is the pressure they will regulate to. I have no tools that use even 160 psi--most max out around 100 psi.