Used air compressor value...

[Turbys_1700]

I have been looking for a good used air compressor to run my impact wrench and came across a 6HP Professional Campbell Hausfeld listed on Craigslist.

According to the owner, he purchased the unit new @ Home Depot several years ago for around $480. States that it has less than 10 hours run time on it.

From the pictures she looks like new. It is an oil cooled, belt driven unit running 240V @ 15A. Stated output is 9.1 SCFM @ 90 PSI. The tank is 30 gal.

He's got it listed @ $275 with the hose is included.

I'm thinking $250 is a fair price if she runs as good as she looks.

Anybody with any experience with this specific unit? I would greatly appreciate any advise.

 

[carpenter383]

If you don't need to move it around then I'd get a bigger one. I bought a 60 gallon 155 psi single stage kobalt oil lubed with cast iron cylinders at lowes for $399 right after christmas. They're normally $469 which is still reasonable IMHO compared to the smaller ones. It's 12.5 scfm at 90 psi, for heavy impact use the 30 gal 9.1 scfm you're looking at would be marginal. Also air compressors are overrated alot of times, there have even been law suites over it. The 6 hp on the one your're looking at is peak hp. Running hp is the number to go by. With air compressors bigger is better (and 2 stage is preferable) unless you're gonna be moving it around. Whatever you get look at running hp and get one with cast iron cylinders. Look at your air tools to see what the cfm requirements are and that will give you something to go by. Tank volume is a plus, but for a tool that gets continuous use you need to go by cfm requirements or you'll be waitin' on it all the time. But I'm not trying to say don't get the one you're looking at cause I don't know how much you do with air tools. For a weekend warrior this may be perfect and yet still mobile.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Carpenter 383,

Thanks for the advise. I really appreciate it.

Yes, I know about the numbers game with the compressor folks. I calculate that the unit should be @ 2.8 to 3.0 running HP.

I wish that I could find that particular unit you purchased around here for that price. Our local Lowe's hardly ever puts those units on sale. Even though the economy stinks right now I guess that their is still enough activity in the stores to not warrant decent sales on larger items.

It is oil lubed. I'm gonna go and look at it this week.

I would like to get a 2-stage 5 HP running unit with an 80 gal. tank but that is just not in the budget right now.

I'll post back with pics later if the unit meets my expectations.

 

[carpenter383]

Hey, I just saw that the home depot has a sale going on for power tools. You may wanna check that out. BTW My kobalt compressor from lowes is the exact same one as menards' "sanborn", just a different name. lowes was cheaper though. I'm sure it's the same with many other models of air compressors too.