Shop Air Compressor

Soundguy · Jun 30, 2005

Get plenty of air. i'd guess you don't want anything under 5hp/60 gallon. That's a nice unit for a shop that uses air tools.. etc.

Soundguy

have_blue · Jun 30, 2005

( I paid $350 for it with a bad 3-phase motor, which I replaced with a 3HP Baldor single phase, 220V motor, )

If you can find a deal like that one, throw all advice out the window and go for it! That compressor will drive brads, run a sander, or anything in between.

Deals like that never find me. That's why I buy cheap stuff and use it until a deal like yours comes along. I'm still waiting.
/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

DTCOOPER · Jun 30, 2005

I just sold a 5Hp 60 Gallong Quincy vertical unit with about 200 hours on it, for 662.00 on Ebay. Awesome deal on one of the few American Made compressors left. It is valued at about 1400 bucks. And I shipped it for that 662.00 too ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thanks as always,
Daniel

JasonL · Jun 30, 2005

Thanks Everyone! First I have been reading previous threads as suggested. Second, I am looking for a large shop compressor to put in my new (hopefully soon) shop. I am in the construction trade and have several contractor compressors (Emglo-wheelbarrow- for framing,
Emglo-twin tank- for finish work) I also have a small Porter Cable oilless in my current woodshop. What I think I want is a large compressor I can plumb in a new shop. I am planning to build a woodshop in the basement with a structural concrete slab above so I can have a tractor/truck workshop on the main level. It looks like some of the really nice compressors might set me back several thousand!? Don't know if I can justify that until I at least get the shop built. I suppose I could just use what I have now and still plumb them in untill I can afford a nice one. Thanks, Jason

LetsRoll · Jun 30, 2005

Watch out for Napa cause they have a Farm/Auto sale from time to time (well they do here). You don't have to pay shipping and if your good, you might be able to talk them down even lower than what there sales are going for. But, if you don't have the funds on hand at the time, the Napa here will lease you the unit. And the last payment will be a $1, which will pay for the compressor. I just opt to pay for the compressor since I had the money and was ready to buy. They also gave me a one year warranty on the compressor. The link below is the compressor I purchased from Napa. I talked the owner down to $1608 and some change. I haven't had a problem with it and the noise level is not that bad. I used it once for 4 hours sandblasting and the only problem I had was the meter on the house was going crazy. This compressor pulls 60 amps (30 amps per leg). Other than the amount of amps it takes to run this unit, I've been pleased with this unit. And "if" I have a problem, my local Napa can get me the parts for it.

http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NAPAonline/search_results_product_detail.d2w/report?prrfnbr=15627876&prmenbr=5806&usrcommgrpid=

Attributes: Air Compressor
Gas or Electric: Electric
Stage Type: Dual Stage
Horsepower: 5 HP
SCFM Rating: 16
Maximum Pressure: 175 psi
Pump RPM: 800
Phase & Voltage: 1Phase, 230v
Motor Type: Baldor
# of Cylinders: 2
Pump Material: Cast Iron
Type: Reciprocating
Series: Professional
Magnetic Starter Included: No (Napa said it's included)
Magnetic Starter Required: Yes
Lubrication System Type: Splash
Tank Type: Horizontal
Tank Capacity: 80 gal
Height: 53''
Length: 71''
Width: 31''
Weight: 580 lbs
CFM Pump Displacement: 21.7

~Note~
I included the stats cause I can't get the link to come back up for me.

frederic · Jun 30, 2005

( Deals like that never find me. That's why I buy cheap stuff and use it until a deal like yours comes along. I'm still waiting. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif )

Well, truth be told, before I bought that unit I was about to buy a 80 gallon Husky (home depot) vertical unit, because I have so many home depot gift cards (my family and friends apparently aren't very creative), and putting all the cards together essentially made the compressor free. Then a friend of mine who I respect sold me on the same story I shared here, and I spent eight months or so suffering with my portable, toy compressor (trying to sandblast, run my plasma cutter, etc) trying to find the right deal. I had set a virtual dollar amount of $500 for a non-working unit in non-leaking condition, and $850 for a working unit, plug and play. Took a long time to find, and as impatient as I tend to be I'm really glad I waited. While there isn't anything wrong with the home depot unit, I have to say the quincy and equivilent commercial machines are awesome.

With my plasma cutter, I can cut 1/2" plate and never have to stop waiting for the air compressor to keep up. With my toy compressor plumbed in, I'd cut about two inches into 1/8" plate and the plasma cutter would shut off, waiting for more air to become available. Even with an adjustable regulator.

Even if you play with "toy air tools" there is no such thing as too much air.

My cousin came over with his rusty clunker earlier in the summer, and he was air-sanding rust off one side, while I was air-sheering off panels on the other.

Spiffy · Jul 1, 2005

I wouldn't mind having one of those true industrial units either; especially if I ever find a deal like Frederic did.

Since you have the Emglo units; it might be of interest that "Steam Jenny" bought the real Emglo line [as opposed to the imported knock offs] and I wouldn't doubt they make a bullet-proof unit. Of course, you'd probably pay for it too, but you never know.

Anyway, you can still get a lot of compressor under 2K delivered or even less:

Starting low: another member said he was happy runnning even a blaster on a sub $500 Puma?; I think about the same thing as the "iron horse" at Runnings [I'd still get around 20CFM - output, not displacement; I think about $900 in that line] . The IRs I seen at TSC looked a little nicer, but were built much the same [I do recall, they had a $1500 IR that looked pretty heavy].

Going further, it probaly won't be quite the bullet proof machine as Frederic's industrial one, but I wouldn't be too afraid of Quincy or Champion "heavy duty consumer" units...the reed valves [like all the aforementioned units] are a "red flag" but since we're not talking mission critical, they are the essence of simplicity: either they work or they're broke [not sure if I ever heard of one sticking or leaking etc.]. In retrospect, I would have even considered this route and just had replacement set on hand...though they'd likely never fail in my life anyway. I'm guessing the Napa one may fit this list or probably about like the IR's I mentioned.

Quincy @ TP Tools

For exactly 2K (I've never tried haggling with TP, but maybe you'd get delivery thrown in) the Champion Advantage looks like a die hard....disk valves...tapered roller bearings...arrhhh arrhhhh arrhhhhh! Not sure about buying "big ticket" things on Ebay, but I think the same unit is listed for $1885 w/ free shipping.

Champion

Irronically, you listed in build it yourself. I had a 60 gallon horizontal tank; so I bought an Eaton 2Stage 20CFM and a industrial 5HP. The head unloaders [the motor stays running under no load, while air just blows in and out of the intakes helping cool it] are an awesome feature I'd recommend for any high consumption application. I releazed just a little late that Eaton sells imported pumps; the "fit and finish" left much to be desired; but Eaton was exactly right about their heavy duty design, very knowledgable, and I still like they way advertise true HP....so, I would have still liked a domestic pump [including reasons beyond the product itself], else, I don't have regrets.

While you're plumbing, don't forget to use plenty of black pipe and slope it for water knock-out....Filter-Regulators or F-R-Lubricators are invaluable too....just don't oil any branchs that won't be used exclusively for air wrenches and the like. Blasters and paint guns benefit from a coalescing filter too [and I really like a desicant right before the paint gun too]. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

frederic · Jul 1, 2005

In the spirit of DIY, find yourself a junkyard 3-cylinder Geo Metro engine, rehone the cylinders, replace the rings, and make an adaptor from the crankshaft tail (where the flywheel used to be) and splice in a 5HP 220V Beldar motor. Then fill the crankcase with oil, make a plate to seal the three exhaust ports, then insert threaded bungs into the spark plug holes, then combine them in a small "manifold" made of a piece of black pipe, put a large 1" check valve on the end of that, then feed your air tubing throughout your garage from that check valve.

Believe it or not, some of us "old guys" remember when Popular Mechanics had an article on a special camshaft that converted an air-cooled VW engine to a two-cylinder gas engine, using the remaining two cylinders to compress air into a tank of your choosing /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

40Kchicks · Jul 1, 2005

This year I put 3 waste oil heaters in my barns because propane is getting so expensive. Each heater uses 3cfm plus I have a small air operated diaphragm pump that pumps oil to heaters. I looked around and found the Home Depot Husky 80 gal 2 stage compressor gave me about the best bang for the buck. I wanted an air compressor that would last and have low RPM’s and thus low noise. The Husky unit is pretty good. It isn’t as high of flow as some but then at 17.5amps it’s not as power hungry either. It has more of a putt, putt, putt sound to it which I like. The compressor is rated for 10,000 hours. I would recommend it.

Eric

RalphVa · Jul 1, 2005

I've a Clark Champ bought at TSC for less than $200. It's an oil type with quality parts, like the copper drain valve. Think it's 5.0 SCFM.

I've used it for tires, driving my Farmhand 550 ft-lb air impact wrench, powering my Farmhand touchup sprayer and for blowing off the tractor. It's the best compressor I've ever had, lots better than a couple of oilless ones that usually quit after a bit.

Ralph