Air Compressor Recommendations?

[Iplayfarmer]

I think I fried my cheap Homier Tools air compressor. It's lasted me 5 years, but after a few days of running my paint sprayer with it while painting my dump cart, it acts like it won't build enough pressure to shut off.

Now I'm on the prowl for another. What are some recommendations?

What's a typical CFM usage?
Oiled vs. Oil-less?
Are any of them quieter than others?

I do have a budget so I know I can't get the cadillac. I do want to get something good, though.

I've got a gift certificate to Amazon.com, and I'm thinking about getting this one... Amazon.com: Porter Cable C2002 Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor.

Is Porter Cable what it used to be? I've heard that they were bought by someone and all that's left is the name. I hope that isn't true.

 

[Renze]

an oil free compressor melts its teflon piston rings when running for long periods of time.

oil free is for inflating your caravan tires on the beginning of the camp season. Not for painting.

My oil lubricated compressor threw a rod bearing this spring. I bought a used, big 3 cylinder compressor for 200 Euro. It performs, runs smooth and gives 440 liter per minute. The only drawback is its size: it barely fits under my workbench. But that's why it was cheap: i'm tall, so i also have a high workbench. In a normal shop, this compressor would take up too much room so nobody wants it, but in my shop it fits under the workbench
I run a spray gun and an impact wrench on it, and leave the 200 liter vessel continously under pressure.

 

[BarryinMN]

I found this on craigslist 120 gal tank, 200psi, 16HP $300
Bores are 5.5" and 2.25", stroke 3.5".

 

[mocassincreekranch]

Get the biggest Ingersal Rand you can afford. It will last you forever,if taken care of.

 

[DieselPower]

As mocassincreekranch said, buy the bigest Ingersal Rand that you can afford. It's easier to buy big now and have the reserve capacity then to get one that will just end up being to small in the future.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Ingersoll Rand is a great name. I know we use a lot of their stuff in manufacturing. Unfortunately my hobby budget may be able to afford a single pressure guage off an Ingersoll Rand.

I'll look around. I may be mistaken, but if I remember right IR isn't really in the afforadable category.

Next question... What are the differences between CFM, SCFM, and ACFM?

 

[have_blue]

IPlay,

The best compressor for you depends on your usage and age.

If you are young and plan to use it a lot, definitely get a 220v belt drive unit.

If you are old, don't use it a lot, and don't care to have someone inherit it, then buy a cheap HF oil lubed compressor. Generally speaking, don't buy oil-less even if you're 90 and use it once a year.

I bought this one 3 years ago (still available for $100), and can't wear it out.

Cheap Oil-Lubed Compressor

A friend has a huge welding rig, and wanted a compressor in 1 of the compartments. He needed at least 6 cfm for his plasma cutter. Well, he couldn't find a 6 cfm that would fit inside the bay. I suggested 2 of the above connected by a T fitting. He loves them! They easily produce 8 cfm and easily fit in the compartment. $200 for 8 cfm of oil lubed compressor is unbeatable. If 1 goes out some day, it doesn't break the bank to replace.

 

[Bird]

I had a Puma, 60 gallon tank, V-twin, cast iron compressor down in the country, but sold it when I moved back to town. Now I just have this Industrial Air compressor from Northern Tool. I use an air-compressor nearly every day. I even use it to blow out my electric razor when I shave, the hair clippers when I get a haircut, etc. Of course, I've got a half inch impact wrench, a 3/8" ratchet, a paint gun, an engine cleaner, and an angle die grinder, but I use blow guns more than anything. When I mow the yard, I use it on the string trimmer and lawnmower, I use it instead of a broom or those back pack blowers to clean off the driveway, clean out the garage, etc. So I want one that will run continuously without hurting it.

For occasional use, the little oilless compressors are good, as long as you know before you buy it that you should never let it run more than 10 minutes at a time and you know to expect its life to be about one-tenth the life of an oiled compressor. And as I've posted many times, the best thing about them is that I can completely rebuild one in less than an hour; probably less than 30 minutes.

Even if you get an oiled compressor, if you get aluminum instead of iron, be sure to read the manual before you buy. Some, if not all, of them say to not run them more than 10 minutes at time. And be sure to keep enough oil in it; i.e., fill it right to the top. You can take the plug out and see oil and think it's good when the crankcase is so shallow that you'll burn it up if it isn't full.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I'm glad I've got the feedback on the oilless compressors. It's funny because Porter Cable's Website states that it's oilless "for durability"

My little cheapy that I've been using worked great for me for years because I would use it only a few minutes at a time. I'd blow sawdust off the bench, fill a few tires, or run an airwrench to rotate the tires. The first time I used it for very long at a time was a week ago painting. As soon as it would pressure up, I'd run it down again and so forth. That continuous use just killed it.

I'm glad to know now that a oilless would suffer the same fate. I may need to just keep this old one of mine limping along until I can save up enough to get a good one.

I did find this one. It's just almost twice what I wanted to pay by the time I figure shipping, but if it will last twice as long it may be worth it. I really like that it touts that it's designed for 100% continuous use.

 

[schmism]

i hate oilless... noisy and lacking in CFM.

IMHO go as big as you can then add some.

personally im going 2stage (175psi) high teens/low 20's CFM

this one

5 HP, 2-Stage, 60-Gallon Vertical Air Compressor

you figure even a small volume of 175psi air translates to a long spray time at 35-40lbs inbetween compresser runs.

 

[firefighter9208]

I bought a compressor similar to this Craftsman Professional 60 gal. Air Compressor, 3.2 hp, Vertical Tank, Oillube Pump - Model 18419 at Sears.com at Sams about 8 years ago. You can't go wrong with a 60 gallon upright. The brand I bought was a Black Max and I paid about $399.00 for it. I do a lot of sanding and painting and haven't been disappointed.

One thing to watch for is the CFM requirements of the air tools you buy. I had a cheap (Walmart) dual action sander that cost about $20.00, but it used 8 cfm. I replaced it with a Craftsman model that was $49.00 that only uses 4 cfm. Cheap air tools often use a large quantity of air to turn them versus more expensive air tools.

Chris

 

[Bird]

Chris, I might be wrong, but I don't think there's much comparison between your Black Max and the Craftsman you posted the link for, except for both of them being 60 gallon uprights. Did you read the reviews posted for that Craftsman? I'm not absolutely sure on that particular Craftsman, but I think that's one of the aluminum compressors I mentioned, made by DeVilbiss, with a very shallow crankcase; usually no problem if you keep it full of oil.

You can see the Puma I had and it's a type that I never worried about it running continuously. I guess you know that Sanborn (which made your Black Max from Sam's Club) and Coleman PowerMate (which made my "Industrial Air" compressor from Northern Tool) are the same company.

 

[schmism]

the crapsman compressor (reviews) highlight the most important part of the compressor. The pump head.

Even if you put a cheep chiese motor on a IR or quincy pump head, youll have a compressor that will put out reliable good compressed air. Shure the cheep motor might burn up, but they are a dime a dozzen vs a good pump head.

 

[ragkar]

The first thing you need to do is determine your requirements both current and future. Check the ads for the cfm of all the attachments that you might reasonably want to buy in the future.
Also do you want portability? Would you sometimes want to take it out of the garage and bring it to the other side of the house for painting or something. I'm talking wheels.
I'm told that the oil type compressors are a lot quieter than the oil-less. Is that a consideration?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

The first thing you need to do is determine your requirements both current and future. Check the ads for the cfm of all the attachments that you might reasonably want to buy in the future.
Also do you want portability? Would you sometimes want to take it out of the garage and bring it to the other side of the house for painting or something. I'm talking wheels.
I'm told that the oil type compressors are a lot quieter than the oil-less. Is that a consideration?

Quiet is a consideration, but not paramount. I'd pay a little more for quiet, but I won't trade power or durability for quiet.

As for CFM of the tools, the biggest air user I'd have right now is the CH paint sprayer. It's advertised at about 4 CFM. The biggest thing about the sprayer is that when I go to use it, I'm running it constantly for an hour or more. That's the big appeal to the IR one I posted the link to. It's rated for continuous use.

I suppose the same result can be achieved by a larger compressor and a bigger tank. I'd still have the same amount of available air, but the compressor would cycle on and off.

For now, though, you've all effectively talked me out of the oilless one that I was looking at to begin with. That being the case, It'll be a little while before I can round up the money in my hobbies budget to get what I really want.

Anyone want a snowblower? Ditch Pump? XM Radio?

 

[schmism]

For now, though, you've all effectively talked me out of the oilless one that I was looking at to begin with. That being the case, It'll be a little while before I can round up the money in my hobbies budget to get what I really want.

Anyone want a snowblower? Ditch Pump? XM Radio?

i thought we all had side jobs JUST to pay for new toys... i do, my neighbor does... (his is a sizeable side job bulding custom bikes and to support that he does cusome paint for the local neighborhood body shop)

 

[Bill_C]

I bought a Craftsman about 15 years ago. It claimed 3-1/2 horsepower, but a close look at the motor amps revealed that the motor was indeed only 2 hp. How they can stick a 2 hp motor on something and label it 3-1/2, is beyond me...

Now the compressor has held up fairly well for occassional use, but now that I've bought a sandblasting cabinet, I can plainly tell this "3-1/2" thing ain't gonna last long. I'm leaning towards the "buy the biggest I-R you can afford" approach, in this case maybe a true 5 hp, 60 gallon. Big bucks but I don't wanna buy another compressor in my lifetime.

 

[automech]

These guys seem to have a nice product. Eaton Compressor & Fabrication Inc. I don't have one but I would consider them. We use a 10 horse Champion compressor at work, and I have a 4.5 horse 110v Big Red type at home, both over 20 years old. I would recommend either of them.

 

[Bird]

I bought a Craftsman about 15 years ago. It claimed 3-1/2 horsepower, but a close look at the motor amps revealed that the motor was indeed only 2 hp. How they can stick a 2 hp motor on something and label it 3-1/2, is beyond me...

Now the compressor has held up fairly well for occassional use, but now that I've bought a sandblasting cabinet, I can plainly tell this "3-1/2" thing ain't gonna last long. I'm leaning towards the "buy the biggest I-R you can afford" approach, in this case maybe a true 5 hp, 60 gallon. Big bucks but I don't wanna buy another compressor in my lifetime.

Bill, most, if not all, of the Craftsman compressors are/were made by DeVibiss. The first of 1995, I bought a 30 gallon, 3.5 hp, horizontal tank, oilless. The first time I used my sandblaster was the first time it broke (still in warranty), but after rebuilding it 3 times in a short time period, I sold it and bought the Puma.

Now I don't remember all the details, and just who decided on the horsepower ratings to claim, but a year or so after I bought that 3.5 hp Craftsman, they were selling the exact same thing with a 4 hp label on it. My Puma was labelled as a 6 hp, although the dealer said they called it an "imitation 6" and showed me one with a true 5 hp motor that was twice the size of the imitation 6. It seems that most of the compressor companies were doing that with the labels and claims until a lawsuit and the government got involved, and you'll notice now how much lower the horsepower ratings are on all the compressors; much closer to the truth.

 

[firefighter9208]

Chris, I might be wrong, but I don't think there's much comparison between your Black Max and the Craftsman you posted the link for, except for both of them being 60 gallon uprights. Did you read the reviews posted for that Craftsman? I'm not absolutely sure on that particular Craftsman, but I think that's one of the aluminum compressors I mentioned, made by DeVilbiss, with a very shallow crankcase; usually no problem if you keep it full of oil.

You can see the Puma I had and it's a type that I never worried about it running continuously. I guess you know that Sanborn (which made your Black Max from Sam's Club) and Coleman PowerMate (which made my "Industrial Air" compressor from Northern Tool) are the same company.

Bird,

I wasn't suggesting that he buy a craftsman, just that that type compressor can be had reasonably. Didn't mean to start a brand war.

BTW we do have a 60 gallon upright Craftsman "oilless" at our fire department. Bought it brand new for $200.00 still on the crate. I have painted several fire trucks with it and we use it often and have not had any problems? Could just be lucky.

Also, not everyone can afford an I-R. Wish I could. My dream would be an 80 gallon upright 2 stage with about 15 cfm. Oh well, I'll wake up now.

Chris