Air compressor oil

[Dargo]

I have been careful about the oils and lubricants I use in all of my equipment and have diligently changed the oil and filters in everything...except my air compressor. It just dawned on me yesterday that my poor ole air compressor has the same oil it came with 20 years ago. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Yes, I've checked it a few times, but it has never need any added. My question is, what oil do you guys use in your compressors? This is a single stage compressor with a 5 hp 220 volt electric motor running it. I ought to be ashamed to have ignored my compressor all these years. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Also, how often do you guys change the oil in your compressors? I have to assume that it is more often than once every 20 years. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[MadReferee]

Campbell-Hausfeld Air Compressor Oil, purchased at Wal-Mart.

It's an ISO-100 non-detergent oil. The notice on the bottle says:

Use of other oils such as 10W-30 can cause carbon to form, shortening air compressor life.

 

[DmansPadge]

20 years... not bad! At work we use a non-detergant straight 30. Our compressors run nearly all the time and we normally change the oil about every 6 months.

 

[Bird]

Brent, I think 20 years ago, most people (including me) used a straight non-detergent 30W motor oil. And for home use, at least, it's not unusual for them to go several years between oil changes. In recent years, many companies have come out with oils specifically for air compressors (nope, I don't know what's different, but I've been using them). However, the manual for the compressor I have now says, "The compressor is pre-filled with synthetic oil. We recommend the use of a good quality 10W-30 synthetic motor oil for general use." It has instructions for checking and changing the oil, but says nothing about the frequency. After the first 3 months, I changed oil, and now I'll try to remember to do that annually. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif If it were in daily use, I'd probably do it about every 6 months.

 

[moeh1]

I buy Castrol Heavy Duty non-detergent for my Oliver. the oil shop where I buy it said they really only get a call for this for air compressors. About 2x the cost of Wal Mart oil - I'm hoping it is worth it for the old Oliver -when I use it, I use it. Synthetic might be the way to go for an air compressor, especially if the compressor is in an area where the temperature can flucuate.

 

[5030]

I have 3 compressors, 2 5 horse/220 units in tandem for the shop, single stage and a 20 horse 2 stage intercooled/aftercooled unit. I use Mobil Rarus 427 air compressor oil. VG100.

Enco sells it www.use-enco.com It's item Number 505-1213 and a gallon jug is $15.63.

I change my compressor oil every year, same month.

Most cast iron compressors with reed valves have a 5000 hour life span, so long as you change the oil and drain the tanks. I run automatic tank drains, with variable cycle times.

Item number-510-1357 They are a little more pricey at $109.00 each. Auto drains are really nice in as much as you don't have to remember to drain the receiver.

 

[wushaw]

My little 22gal Sanborne compressor is 21 years young and I've changed the oil twice with the most recent change six months ago, I figured it was due /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
The elect motor just had the bearings changed last week.
Someday I will have a 80 gal unit /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[kenmac]

my compressor calls for 30wt. n.d. oil

 

[5030]

Wushaw:

You probably don't run your compressor like I run the shop air compressor(s). My compressors are on standby 24/7.

 

[5030]

Kenmac:

Rarus VG100 in technospeak, i.e.: ISO terms is actually 30 wgt., non detergent oil with an additive package expressly for piston compressors.

 

[kenmac]

I wanted to add synthetic when I changed . I called the folkes that made the compressor & asked if I could run synthetic ,they said it would be ok if I could find a N.D. synthetic. Amsoil has a synthetic compressor oil for compressors, I just have to call the amsoil tech. dept. to ask if I need to use iso 46 or iso 100. I have a piston compressor. I don't have the need at this time for a screw compressor.

 

[wushaw]

Daryl, you are correct, my little air compressor is just for my shop used only on my stuff. When I do get a bigger unit I will change the oil in it atleast once a year /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[gobbler]

Kenmec,

I've got a Quincy compressor that came factory filled with Quin-Cip, a synthetic compressor oil. Call around to compressor dealers, I'd bet one of them carries it, might save you the hassle of finding and ordering the Amsoil product.

 

[5030]

Kenmac:

I'll reserve my opinion of Amsoli in general. I think you will find the Rarus is much more economical and just as good.

 

[kenmac]

Never heard of Rarus oil. Wouldn't know where to purchase it. I buy Amsoil for my cars ,atv's, tractor, trucks, etc, so I became a preferred cust. so I could buy at a good price. thanks

 

[tractorboy5500]

i know for a fact that rarus oil is a very good oil. i work on a offshore drilling rig, and we use mobil rarus shc 1024 and 1026 in our air comps. and these comps. run pretty much all the time, we change filters at 1000 hrs and oil and filters at 2000 hrs, on one of our comps has over 43,000 hrs, yes 43,000 not a miss print. and it is online as of today, and this comps reaches temp. sometimes of 220' degree F'
i would say that rarus is a very good oil.

 

[5030]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Never heard of Rarus oil. Wouldn't know where to purchase it. I buy Amsoil for my cars ,atv's, tractor, trucks, etc, so I became a preferred cust. so I could buy at a good price. thanks )</font>

kenmac:

I'm not scolding you, but sometimes it helps to read the whole thread, not just your post and the subsequent reply. Most every time I reply to a thread, I read the whole thread top to bottom. If you go 2 posts prior to your original post, you will see my post #803249 with a link to a supplier via internet as well as the item number on a gallon jug for $15 and change and I believe that is quite a bit less than the Amsoil even at your preferred customer price.

Mobil and Shell specialty oils and lubricants for the machine tool industry are the accepted standards. Amsoil isn't

 

[kenmac]

Thanks, I also read the whole thread . My wife added some program on our computer & sometimes when I cilck on all post all post don't come up. I've been trying to fix the problem /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. It has happened before when I have posted. When the page comes up I have to click all again, for it to show me all the post at once .Also, when I click on a linc, I get a page that says, page cannot be found . I hope I can get this thing working again. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif