Air Compressors

So, I'm starting to get into gear-acqusition-mode (which can only be cured by purchasing item in question) on an Air Compressor for the garage. I've done work on all of my cars and boats for years without an air compressor. I'm ready for an impact wrench and all the other goodies that come with 90PSI worth of air. I don't see myself using high-CFM tools like sanders and paint guns. Mainly air rachets, impact wrench, etc.

What I'm finding is that it's tough to find a compressor with the following attributes, roughly:

- Oiled (not oil-less)
- Belt Driven (I don't know why in particular- cool factor?)
- 20-30 Gal
- Under 300 bucks
- Vertical if possible

I don't need/want some huge 90 gallon professional compressor, but a the same time I don't want a cheapie noisy oilless consumer model either. I want the sweet spot inbetween. There are not many choices in this particular space.

Harbor Freight has the cheapest compressor that meets the majority of the requirements that I've set:

HF 25 Gal Oiled Direct Drive Vert

With a 20% off coupon that compressor would go out the door at less than 200 bucks which is completely insane. Checked this one out in person and it looked OK but I went in with the intent to buy and walked out after I saw it in person. That said I'd reconsider if there is no reasonable alternative.

Menards has a horizontal twin-cyl belt drive 30 gal for 369.00. That's a little more than I wanted to spend, but I have my eye on it.

Lowes seems to only have consumer oil-less or pro giant compressors.

Haven't checked Home Depot recently, nor Sears.

Thoughts? Ideas? Input?

This would definitely be an "occasional use" item. Weekend Warrior stuff.

Don't buy that harbor freight JUNK! Your buying a tool, not a trinket.

Craigslist is your best bet. Speedaire makes nice compressors.

In your price range this is what I would buy:

link

I think I've just got 120V at 20A running to the garage off the main panel.

Holy Sh*t on that price. Seems really cheap!

63 Skier wrote: I've got a few 20 HP 3 phase if you're interested, you could supply air to the whole neighborhood with one of those!

Then you'd need a single to 3 phase converter!!



Joel,
The tools that really chew up the air are DA and inline sanders.

When I lived in Orlando I bought a 3-hp Gas powered air compressor it has a 30gal tank on it. It was a great investment and being gas powered I could utilize it anywhere. I rebuilt a couple of jumps it came in handy when we changed out my brothers motor in his truck. getting a electric compressor kinda limits you to an outlet where gas lets you utilize it anywhere. Mine is now mounted on a flatbed trailer along with a welder that my brother in law and I share from time to time.

thatdude596 wrote: buy once. ingersol rand 80 gallon 2 stage 10 horse. it really sucks when a compressor cant keep up with the demand or is running every other minute

Not given,
You must need plenty of air! What are you into that you need that much? You've never told us.

The IR compressor isn't one of the real cheap poor quality compressors but it certainly isn't a very good one ether. Although cast iron, it is a Chinese import without many of the features needed to make it a high quality compressor. IR like so many of the old line US companies have fallen into having their products made over seas and then sticking their name on them. They are running on there name and mass marketing.

You are lucky to have the power to run a 10 HP. Most here including some commercial members do not even have the 3 phase needed to run 10 HP. Yes, 10 HP single phase motors are available but over 7.5 HP are rare and expensive plus need a dedicated 90 amp 240 line. The single to 3 phase converter I pictured above is a alternate but at 10 HP converter costs as much as the IR compressor!!!! The converter is a "no other choice" method of having to run a 3 phase motor without having a 3 phase service.

If you do need that much air, your choice of compressor type is a poor one. Anything over and including 7.5 HP it's best to invest in a rotary screw.

thatdude596 wrote: buy once.

Now, with that IR recip, you will need to purchase 2 or 3 times!!

Sounds like you shop for compressors the same way you do for oil and filters!

Alan, I'm thinking the same thing. I'm leaning more and more toward the HF unit. Apparently a lot of that US General stuff is manufactured by the same factories that manufacture other brands (they just slap different labels on them), and I could buy 2 of them for the price of most other compressors in that league. It's also the ONLY oiled unit even remotely in that price range and that configuration that I've been able to find. Typically at around 200 bucks you'd be looking at a PowerMate oil-less.

63 Skier wrote: Pete, I don't agree on your screw compressor comment. Rotary screws are definitely the way to go if you use a lot of air, a lot of the time. If you use a lot of air, some of the time I'd still go with a recip, and if you go with a recip and a large tank you reduce the number of cycles.

David,
You are correct that it all comes down to the air required and proper sizing of a compressor for it's duty cycle. However, I'll stick to my comment on going rotary with anything over 7.5 HP. I manage a maintenace crew that takes care of 10 compressors totaling close to 800 HP. We've been through a few recips but not one screw in the past 21 years!

But, for the home garage shop no!!

Joel, everything you compare is a trade off, remember that cfm is rated at differnt pressures, make sure you are comparing aplles to apples.I would agree with getting an oiled compressor for longevity, so long as you will never run it outside below zero, I would take the time to consider everything you might wish to do with it, you will likely never NEED to buy another one in your lifetime. Will you ever want to take it to a family members house and run roofing nailers? Will you someday want to run sanders or buffers off it. For occasional air ratchet use a ten gallon with high cfm might be enough, It takes 15 amp power and you could still take it somewhere, but if you want to buff out a boat it would be undersized. I have a little makita, maybe two gallons that I use for flooring nailers, it is oil filled and has outlasted any oiless I have ever owned (5 I believe, I used to go through them every 12 to 18 months.) It will run three flooring nailers all day long but empties quikly with an air ratchet (it will get a tire off my truck, just have to wait to refill between lugs). The cool part is it has a large pump geared down so it refills quikly and is quite. It can be run in the garage at 10 pm without police visits. It sold for about 200$ new, and they put the same pump on larger wheeled tanks. I also have a little $69 husky in the garage for filling bike tires. It has about a half gallon tank but it is the one I pulled into the basemnet when I re-upholsterd the boat. You will enjoy having one around, it is easy to find uses once you have it. I cannot imagine life without one.

I bought a Craftsman compressor off Craigslist today, was a few miles across town so very convenient. An older woman whose husband was now sick was selling it, very pleasant and a good transaction all around. I paid $120 for it, seems to be in very good condition, not used much and manual came with it.

Joel, Congrats on the new purchase, and the new tools that will follow.

M3Fan wrote: It can be wired for two-phase, which is probably what I'll do down the line.

Joel,
I think you have the rough idea but bad terminolgy. Altough "two phase" was used many years back in some rural areas, What you really mean is the unit can be wired 240 volt which uses both hot legs of the power coming into the house. It's still single phase.

No, still single phase. 1 leg and neutral for 120, 2 legs and neutral for 240. 3 phase has 3 live leads in the service, 4th lead is ground for safety, actually not a part of the power circuit.

This explanation is from a non-electrician, so I apologize if any terminology is wrong, but I think the jist of it is right.

My understanding is that the 2 live leads in a single phase service are in same phase, but not sure of that.

I don't understand the phase thing either,but my Dad had 3 phase in his business 60 years ago.It was a different because back then it was pretty rural where he had it.I guess the advantage was you used less electric on big motors. I think Joel the same would be true on your compressor too,220 over 110 would use less electric, but you might not notice the difference on your usage tho.