need air compressor opinions

[Soundguy]

In my shop I have a 3hp, 120psi 30g upright oil lubed compressor.

It handle all my needs.. but is always on the edge of being adequate on the large needs like painting or running a 3/4 to 1" air tool if doing lots of tire work..e tc.

for instance. I can out paint it's recharge capacity, and or use enough air tools to need to take a break to let it charge.

Here are two options I've come up with.

3 local stores have an upright 60g compressor for sale. sizes range from 3 to 3.7hp, and 10.9-12.9 scfm @ 90 psi, 130 to 155 psi air. all are single stage, and most likely chinese rebrands ( one is a CH ). prices are about 500$

same 3 stores have smaller units like I already have.. IE.. 26-30g upright but 'portable', both oil and oilless, 120-150 psi.. 1.5-2.5 hp, single stage. in the 150-200$ range.


trying to decide if I need to jump to the larger compressor, or simply buy a 2nd unit and tie them together.

I have a buddy who did exactly that.. has 2 units similar to mine.. think they are 26g 2 hp, has them unioned with a home made manifold and short large diameter hoses to each, and then from that manifold has a 1/2" air line / port to feed his tools... has air regs set essentialy the same, and both are similar scfm capability.. thus they tend to run in tandem when they run.. etc.. kind aloud.. but?? it's air. these seem to do fine for him painting and running his 1/2, 3/4" air tools and a blast cabinet ( which is what he got it for as his single compressor couldn't keep up with the blast cabinet. )

so.. do I get a 2nd smaller unit and parallel their air... or do I get the larger unit and move the smaller one to my garage.. or keep it for smaller tire filling and whatnot?

soundguy

 

[Farmerford]

For $800 at Lowe's you can get a Hitachi 5hp Honda powered "wheelbarrow" compressor that is praised by the professionals. I bought one a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with it; I put a 1/2" hose and reel on it. On the once a month that my 25 year old CH 2hp electric needs a little help I hook them together with a quick disconnect. The gas compressor gets more work than I thought it would outside: spraying anti-rust on implements when I park them for the season, blowing out radiators in the field, painting a fence, etc.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I have the two compressor system like you described. I like it that way. My air needs are much smaller than yours, but my compressors are also smaller. I have an auxilliary tank that both compressors can hook to. When I need more air than my stationary unit gives me, I plug in my portable and they both run together. I have the best of all worlds this way. I have a moderately sized stationary unit that is always pressured up and ready to inflate a tire or blow off my workbench. I have a portable unit that's great for running a nail gun or inflating tires away from the shop. Then if I have a high demand project like painting or sandblasting, I hook them both up.

 

[SandburRanch]

When I was a kid and went to the chicken coupe to gather eggs I should have always taken two baskets but never did. Then one evening I was discovering centrifugal force when my grip loosened and we had no eggs.

 

[grsthegreat]

In a large cabinet shop i wired, and do alot of work on, they kept running out of available air...and they were running a screw compressor. What he did was to buy two old, non working tank compressors and put them in series so the main compressor simply stored the air in the non working tanks. He says he never runs out of air anymore.

I have a 60 gal stand up single stage lowes compressor myself, and i haqve never run out of air while using the plasma table, but the compressor is constantly running. I should have broke down and bought the 2 stage compressors. They are WAY quieter and tend to outlast any single stage unit. Spendy though. My unit specs are 155 PSI max pressure, 13.4 SCFM @ 40 PSI, 11.5 SCFM @ 90 PSI , 3.7 running HP and cost about $500 at lowes.

I saw a beautiful 2 stage unit at NAPA, but they want $2,400 for it.....na. im too cheap

 

[Bird]

I used to have this Puma PK6060V and of course they used to be labelled as 6 hp. Since I used an air blow gun to sweep out my shop, it sometimes rain continuously for fairly long periods of time, but I never ran short of air. And now, I have this Industrial Air ILA1883054 by Power Mate. It, too, runs continuously when using the blow gun for a broom:laughing: but it's never hurt it and I've never run short of air for the paint gun or air tools.

To me, the 155 psi vs 100-120 psi it quite a difference and I do like the higher pressure. Of course a two-stage 175 psi would be even better.

 

[Soundguy]

for painting, right now, I have a 15g air up tank that I plumb to my 30g upright and let them charge.. i have also run a 4g/2hp pancake compressor, witht he 15g air up tank, with the 30g upright compressor all together when doing a large project that required continous air.

it was a loud ordeal and had lots of fittings.. but worked. i'm sure one pump gets worked over more than the others.. so is not an ideal setup.

hmm..

leaning towards the upright 60g unit as oposed to 2 smaller 30/20g ones. my 1 30g i have now has been worked pretty hard. i'd hate to buy a match ofr it to have 60g of air, then have the comp die, and be left with a single pump.. though the 2 tanks could still be worked in tandem i guess.. lots of air at startup as long as you didn't need continous flow.. etc..

decisions, decisions.. 200$ vs 500$

soundguy

 

[Iplayfarmer]

If you bought the single larger compressor, would you be able to sell your current compressor to offset some of the costs?

To Sandbur's point, there is an additional advantage to not putting all your eggs in one basket. If one breaks down, you can still get by if needed. At work we purposely built the plant with two half sized compressors rather than one larger compressor. We have one on either side of the plant and they are connected in a loop. We can take one down for maintenance and keep the plant running with the other.

 

[kevinj]

I have a 60 gal upright and can still tax it

It does a good job overall but large air tools and small sand blasters take some air!!!!!!!!!!!!

It keeps up OK but you get a lot of moisture when you over use the air. I do not have a dryer on mine. Someday I will get a good one off a job.

 

[Soundguy]

i probbaly wouldn't sell the 30g unit if I get the 60, but would instead use it as a smaller compressor for smaller jobs.

right now in my garage at my house, I have a lil pancake compressor for airing tires and such, and I have my 30g compressor in my barn shop. I also have an equipment barn at the edge of the property where I park all my tractors.. there is no compressor there, but does have power. there is almost always something needing a tire aired or a battery boosted.

I got a yard sale 6a 6v/12v charger that lives down there, and figure I could relocate the pancake compressor out there for filling up tires, and put the 30g unit at the house.. etc..

so nothing would go to waste..

soundguy