Whats a good compressor

mileshigh

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 2, 2005
Location
Charlotte NC
going to buy an air compressor this weekend any suggestions, I dont want to break the bank but i want a good one. I want to run air tools off of it for when i work on my cars. How big of a tank do i need, and how much horsepower should i look at.
 
look at the CFM flow and at what PSI that flow is

HP is very misleading as diferent companies use diff measurements
 
A good home AC is around 5-7 CFM @ 90 psi. Heavy use with some tools may require a minute to let the tank re fill. With a 30 gallon tank I can run my impact no prob. I would imagine you could get by around the house with a smaller tank and less CFM - just have to let it refill a little more often.

Some of the bigger 115V AC's really need a 20 amp outlet. A 230V will work out better if you have an outlet, but they are usually a little more expensive than what you may be looking for.

An inline filter is a really good idea.
 
If you want to own it for a long time you must get a oil bath comp. They are quieter than non OB,OB's turn at a much lower rpm and why would anyone want two parts rubbing against one another without lube.

But I have a nonOB and it has ran for me for 6yrs, low cfm though is common for NOB.
 
JThomas said:
and why would anyone want two parts rubbing against one another without lube.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have had some personal experience with this problem.
 
Can you use a 220V motor, or does it have to be 110V? Semi-portable (with wheels), or bolted to the floor?

And how much do you have to spend?

Oil sump compressors are quieter. Low RPM motors are quieter still. Cheaper compressors use 3300 RPM motors to spin the hell out of smaller displacement compressors. Pricier compressors use 1750 RPM motors and high-displacement compressors. Not a make or break deal, but it's something to keep in mind.

Northern has two IR uprights that sell for $500-600 that are decent buys. One is on wheels, the other has a larger tank and is not portable. I believe they both can be run on 110V, but can be rewired to run 220V if it's available.

HTH
 
Someone creatively price tagged a Kobalt 26 gal. compressor at Lowes. It's sitting with the compressors tagged as a 10 gal. compressor. It comes with a good air wrench, air hammer, spray gun, etc etc.
It's this one:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=99007-71025-VLK1582609&lpage=none

It's the Lowes over on 70 and Lynn Road in Raleigh.
If I hadn't JUST bought one a few weeks ago, (no where near as damn good, for about the same price) I'd be all over this one.
But I have a wife. She was competitive in kick boxing for toooo long for me to piss her off.

Hopefully, someone from here can get by there and buy it.
:D

Cheers
 
hscrugby said:
It's this one:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=99007-71025-VLK1582609&lpage=none

:D

Cheers
Click to expand...

Thats Not a real compressor, that is a vacuum cleaner with a pressure tank. The motor on that is very near a vacuum cleaner motor ( listen to it without a load ) the pump is shared with several different sized units just packaged differently to acccomidate handling.

Look around, you will see what I mean.


THe new crap they ( the Big Box Stores) are selling consumers is JUNK!!! , notice that most of the packaged deals are priced right at $300, market appeal, the average consumer is expecting to pay just about that much for a tool such as this. Notice the smaller "contractor" pumps are priced right around this as well, some with nail guns and such.

IF you want performance and reliability, you need to spend a little more.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=215921-71025-KLA1883054&lpage=none

If you have to buy at a box store, know what your getting.
 
Blkvoodoo said:
Thats Not a real compressor, that is a vacuum cleaner with a pressure tank. The motor on that is very near a vacuum cleaner motor ( listen to it without a load ) the pump is shared with several different sized units just packaged differently to acccomidate handling.
Look around, you will see what I mean.
THe new crap they ( the Big Box Stores) are selling consumers is JUNK!!! , notice that most of the packaged deals are priced right at $300, market appeal, the average consumer is expecting to pay just about that much for a tool such as this. Notice the smaller "contractor" pumps are priced right around this as well, some with nail guns and such.
IF you want performance and reliability, you need to spend a little more.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=215921-71025-KLA1883054&lpage=none
If you have to buy at a box store, know what your getting.
Click to expand...

While I don't disagree with anything in this post, it would be more helpful to also make a recommendation on what IS a good compressor. Im personally using an ancient oversized POS that is powered by a 5hp briggs and stratton and a belt drive. It works, flows great and fast but it will die. And I wont pay to rebuild this monster. This is actually a question I have been pondering for some time. IR makes somee good models, but I have also looked at some industrial 3 phase models that are way cheap (comparatively. they are still $600) bt then you need a zig zag xfmr or anoter power solution
 
SkyHiK5 said:
While I don't disagree with anything in this post, it would be more helpful to also make a recommendation on what IS a good compressor.
Click to expand...

What is a good compressor ? Man there are SO many answers to that.

My personal compressor at this time is a 10 yr old Craftsman 25gal oiless. has served me well, and I haven't been nice to it. ( bought it new, and it was all I could afford and had room for when I bought it) I have a rebuild kit waiting for when it needs it, but I will upgrade to a larger unit at some point.

Ideally, oil lubricated belt drive pump with a low RPM 220v motor. ( more energy efficient and quiet)

IR compressors with the SS 3 and SS 5 pumps are very nice units, those pumps are very near 100% duty cycle, meaning they can run all day long. And they are priced reasonably, and can be found at good prices, and easily servicable if needed.

IN a pump, you want an CAST IRON cyl block, A totally Cast iron pump assy would be the better ticket.

Pumps with disc valves instead of reeds is a better choice, both work well, reeds will have a shorter service life ( how much shorter? The IR pumps reffered to above are reed valve)

Tanks have to meet certain legal specifications to be sold anyway, so there isn't much to worry about there.

If getting a 110v compressor, try to stay with a belt drive oil lube unit, the newer oiless are aimed at the "occasional" user who would be using it primarilly to inflate tires and the occasional date. They are cheaply made and are really not capable of hard use.

My Craftsman is barely large enough to handle what I do with it, it'll handle running a plasma cutter and stay just above the optimal pressure on a long cut, good enough for now. I bought it to run a 2" buffer/grinder wheel for cleaning gaskets when I rebuilt an engine 10 years ago, the home made job I had couldn't keep up ( I'll post pix of it soon, it is quite the contraption)

IF/when I'm ever able to build a garage, I will have one like these http://www.eatoncompressor.com/page/page/504747.htm or similar.

Prefferably with a 2 stage pump.

I recently helped a friend pick out a compressor for his own uses, he doesn't have the room for a large unit, not anywhere flat for an oil lube pump to sit ands run. So I recommended this http://www.homedepot.com/prel80HDUS...session.new=Yes&CNTKEY=misc/searchResults.jsp

It is oilless, and very portable and compact, easily rebuildable, and will do what he wants it to do. and it's NOT a vacuum cleaner motor pump.

I used to repair power tools, air compressors are sold by dozens of marketers, there are some nice ones out there, but by and large, the "cheap" ones are just that, CHEAP !

Dewalt, Hitatchi, Porter Cable ( some) are some of the better brands out, Lower end Campbell Hausfield is aimed at Joe average home owner, and last just about that long. House brands ( Husky, Kobalt) are rebedged from other makes, you need to learn the differances.
 
Cool thats what i needed to know i like that higher end one from lowes and its in my price range.

Now i dont know if you guys have been out there, but the police have a building that has all the shit they seize and they auction it off, i have seen some of those 5-10hp units out there.
 
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