Air compressor recommendation?

[downsizingnow48]

Also have three compressors - 20 gal Ingersoll Rand for the shop, my 30 year old Emglo for just about everything else, and for the last 3 years a tiny lightweight Makita compressor that is made for a brad gun but works fine on bigger tools too.

 

[kenmac]

at this point in my life, I could do without the 7.5 hp 80m gal. belair compressor. I bought it years ago to operate my large commercial glass bead machine for cleaning parts for my race car. I'm no longer in the race car business, so I hardly crank this compressor up. That thing will run a glass bead machine or a sand blaster, or 2 da sanders with ease. Most of the time I use the 32 yr old 2 HP 20 gal. compressor.. It's portable

 

[xring100]

I have three air compressors right now and have owned quite a few more. My main one in my shop is an Emglo wheelbarrow electric one that's probably 20 years old. If it ever dies on me, I'll go to something bigger because of all the air tools I use for it. Sanding is probably the worse, but I also sand blast metal and that uses a lot of air too, and I currently can't keep up with what I have now. It's a great unit that will power a full crew framing a house, but it's on the heavy side for loading onto the truck.

My portable unit is also an Emglo. I've tried just about every brand out there for compact air compressors to take out on the job and this one is the only one that's lasted more then a year. I always bought compressors that you have to add oil to them because I've always read and believe they are better then oiless compressors. It's a bit on the heavy side, but I can handle it with one hand and load it easily enough. You still grunt when picking it up, but it has plenty of power for the framing gun and sprayer that I texture walls with.

Recently while building my gazebo and only having a Honda portable generator that only puts out 13 amps, I had to resort to buying a small Bostick oiless air compressor. It's not my favorite brand of tools, but it was the only one with a low enough draw that it would work on with my generator. It's worked great and I now grab it before my Emglo which cost three times as much. Its lightweight, easy to carry and it never throws a breaker at my clients homes. I don't know how long it will last, but for the money, it's going to be hard to go with anything else if it dies on me. I can run a framing gun on it and haven't had any issues with the texture sprayer. Anything will run a brad nail gun, so that's never been an issue.

As for filling tires, I've never used the small compressors for that. Same thing with impact tools. I always use my bigger Emglo in my shop. That was a $700 air compressor when I bought it. I don't think they are any cheaper today, but it's been awhile. An air compressor is one of those tools that is worth paying extra for, especially if you have things that break.

Eddie

Looks like Emglo's parent company is the same as your Bostich

 

[xring100]

I have three air compressors right now and have owned quite a few more. My main one in my shop is an Emglo wheelbarrow electric one that's probably 20 years old. If it ever dies on me, I'll go to something bigger because of all the air tools I use for it. Sanding is probably the worse, but I also sand blast metal and that uses a lot of air too, and I currently can't keep up with what I have now. It's a great unit that will power a full crew framing a house, but it's on the heavy side for loading onto the truck.

My portable unit is also an Emglo. I've tried just about every brand out there for compact air compressors to take out on the job and this one is the only one that's lasted more then a year. I always bought compressors that you have to add oil to them because I've always read and believe they are better then oiless compressors. It's a bit on the heavy side, but I can handle it with one hand and load it easily enough. You still grunt when picking it up, but it has plenty of power for the framing gun and sprayer that I texture walls with.

Recently while building my gazebo and only having a Honda portable generator that only puts out 13 amps, I had to resort to buying a small Bostick oiless air compressor. It's not my favorite brand of tools, but it was the only one with a low enough draw that it would work on with my generator. It's worked great and I now grab it before my Emglo which cost three times as much. Its lightweight, easy to carry and it never throws a breaker at my clients homes. I don't know how long it will last, but for the money, it's going to be hard to go with anything else if it dies on me. I can run a framing gun on it and haven't had any issues with the texture sprayer. Anything will run a brad nail gun, so that's never been an issue.

As for filling tires, I've never used the small compressors for that. Same thing with impact tools. I always use my bigger Emglo in my shop. That was a $700 air compressor when I bought it. I don't think they are any cheaper today, but it's been awhile. An air compressor is one of those tools that is worth paying extra for, especially if you have things that break.

Eddie

I had not seen the Emglo name before was checking out their website and it Looks like Emglo's parent company is the same as your Bostich. Stanley Black and Decker.

I personally use a dewalt 4.5 gallon 200 psi portable off site. A 60 gallon Ingersoll Rand 3hp In the barn. A cheap Chinese 15 gallon compressor in the garage my parents gave me 10 years ago. I have to run synthetic oil in it as the factory oil was to thick at Temps below 20 degrees. The little Chinese motor that cant doesn't make enough torque to turn over with the factory oil. The motor has no thermal overload protection and will just sit there and smoke. My wife found this out

 

[downsizingnow48]

Emglo used to be a standalone company. About the first to put out framing compressors. Top quality at the time.

 

[EddieWalker]

I didn't know that Emglo was bought out by Stanley. I did buy two DeWalt air compressors that where painted yellow, but said Emglo on them. Both where junk and I returned them both in the same day.

Stanly and DeWalt are both brands that I have had tons of problems with. I still have a few DeWalt tools, but I wont replace them with DeWalt when they die. Stanly is just the low end brand from Walmart. Junk is too good a word for them. I sure hope Emglo doesn't fall into the Stanly trap of build cheap, sell cheap and through it away. I know they also own Bostic and I've had some success with that brand. I really like their hammers and levels.

Eddie

 

[bumperm]

Sorry for wandering off topic.

If you have a lot of older hand tools, you learn to treasure the ones "Made in USA", about 100% of them are of excellent quality, and most are irreplaceable.

In some fields, it's near impossible to buy US made tools anymore - - the companies have folded, been absorbed, or have taken it to Mexico or off shore. The Chinese make some passable quality tools, some excellent, but they also make junk.

When US companies make the decision to move manufacturing off-shore, it's usually about bottom line, reducing labor costs. There are other drivers pushing up costs of doing business here too, high taxes, EPA regs, anti-business government regulations and more.

Most all the old line US names, Stanley, DeWalt, Rigid, and many more, are making their tools in China. Obviously they can choose to import reasonable quality stuff, or they can buy low end. When a company chooses to increase profits by reducing costs of their imports, the Chinese happily accommodate.

I'm not looking to debate issues or cast blame, there's blame enough for all parties. I know unions have essentially closed down some of the very industries that fed them. Costly, inefficient "work rules" and high labor costs can strangle a company. If your competitor is mfging off-shore and your mfging here, it's all but impossible to compete. Still, if a company is relying on the US consumer to buy their products, it's seems exceedingly shortsighted and hypocritical to outsource manufacturing, eliminating the very jobs that once put money in the hands of the US workers who built their products, their former employees. In the long run, unless we turn this around, we are toast. Low quality import tools, by comparison, will be a minor annoyance compared to the withering demise and eventual collapse that threatens.

I think NAFTA was a mistake. Global market or no, America has to suck it in and become self-sufficient once again, and we haven't even started to look toward that corner to turn.

bumper

. . . (a legal immigrant in '52, naturalized citizen, proud to be an American. As a 10 year old in public school, I won second place on an American Legion sponsored essay about the American Flag, - - do they even teach kids patriotism anymore?)

 

[Turbys_1700]

I have several portable compressors in addition to one 60 gal shop compressor...
Actually way back in 1988 or so I won an Emglo portable double saddle compressor in a drawing at a local trade show...
That unit still runs great after all these years...
Just to add thought...
I've been real fortunate to purchase two really nice shop compressors off Craigslist...
The first one which was stolen was a 30 gal unit and the current one is a 60 gal 6 HP unit...
Lots of times used units bought by homeowners are excellent buys...
I gave $200 for the 30 gal and $250 for the 60 gal...
Even though they were used they represented a great value...

 

[murphy1244]

Sorry for wandering off topic.

If you have a lot of older hand tools, you learn to treasure the ones "Made in USA", about 100% of them are of excellent quality, and most are irreplaceable.

In some fields, it's near impossible to buy US made tools anymore - - the companies have folded, been absorbed, or have taken it to Mexico or off shore. The Chinese make some passable quality tools, some excellent, but they also make junk.

When US companies make the decision to move manufacturing off-shore, it's usually about bottom line, reducing labor costs. There are other drivers pushing up costs of doing business here too, high taxes, EPA regs, anti-business government regulations and more.

Most all the old line US names, Stanley, DeWalt, Rigid, and many more, are making their tools in China. Obviously they can choose to import reasonable quality stuff, or they can buy low end. When a company chooses to increase profits by reducing costs of their imports, the Chinese happily accommodate.

I'm not looking to debate issues or cast blame, there's blame enough for all parties. I know unions have essentially closed down some of the very industries that fed them. Costly, inefficient "work rules" and high labor costs can strangle a company. If your competitor is mfging off-shore and your mfging here, it's all but impossible to compete. Still, if a company is relying on the US consumer to buy their products, it's seems exceedingly shortsighted and hypocritical to outsource manufacturing, eliminating the very jobs that once put money in the hands of the US workers who built their products, their former employees. In the long run, unless we turn this around, we are toast. Low quality import tools, by comparison, will be a minor annoyance compared to the withering demise and eventual collapse that threatens.

I think NAFTA was a mistake. Global market or no, America has to suck it in and become self-sufficient once again, and we haven't even started to look toward that corner to turn.

bumper


. . . (a legal immigrant in '52, naturalized citizen, proud to be an American. As a 10 year old in public school, I won second place on an American Legion sponsored essay about the American Flag, - - do they even teach kids patriotism anymore?)

The weird part of this is the prices never went down when they moved. Most went up and the Brass got the money.imo

 

[MossRoad]

Well, I can tell you what NOT to get... hahahaha...
21 gal. 2.5 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

The review from Street Trucks Magazine says:
""The perfect compressor with powerful, quiet and consistent airflow…plus we love the low price."
Street Trucks Magazine"

Uh... NO. Its LOUD, slow to pump up to full pressure, low CFM at pressure, but it is CHEAP, so that's why they love the price.

It is so loud that it hurts my ears. I am considering building it a sound proof box to sit in. That's how loud it is.
I needed something quick and cheap. It fills tires. It runs an impact wrench. It runs an air nailer. It takes up little room. It was under $200. I would only recommend it to folks that need something now, don't need to run high CFM air tools, blaster cabinets, etc... and already owns good hearing protection.