Compressor Help

[Jerry Bruette]

I'm looking to buy a portable air compressor and thought all my research questons were answered when I got the latest edition of Wood magazine.

Not so lucky.:mad: They reviewed everythng but the Ingersoll Rand P1IU-A9. Anybody have one or any experience with this model?

Any info would be appreciated.

Jerry

[Kent A Bathurst]

Just got that model to replace my dying 12 yr old PC pancake. Like it a lot. Even though it is oiled, it is noisier than I thought it would be - quieter than the PC pancake - but everything short of a 3 yr old kid having a meltdown is quieter than a PC pancake.

It's heavier than the pancake, but I rarely move mine so that didn't bother me any.

[Jerry Bruette]

Where'd you get it from Kent? Cheapest I can find is Amazon. Any trouble with the gauges?

[Kent A Bathurst]

Yep - In May I paid the same $266 they are showing now.

The only problem with the gauges is my eyesight, and the fact that it is on the dusty floor = dirty knees when I gotta read them - which I haven't done in 6 weeks - got it where I want it, and just let 'er rip.

EDIT: I can't speak for him, but I pulled the trigger based on comments here + some PM back-and-forth, by Rich Englehardt - he's had his for a good while, and likes it - he had the same comments re: noise v pancake [the 3 yr old was my observation based on the neighbor girl].

EDIT 2: as I said - it is heavy, which I meant as a comment that it's built solid. Pretty doggone hard to beat the rep that I-R has for compressors overall, I'd think. This one seems to me like the small end of the line of gear you'd take to get abused at a job site.

[Rich Engelhardt]

+1 to what Kent said...
I paid $299.00 for mine at Tractor Supply.
I like it so much I don't even mind having paid more for it.

Re: the Wood magazine review - I read that also and was surprised they didn't include the IR.
I'm a bit biased towrds IR having sold them at one time. They (IR) are head and shoulders above the rest in terms of quality.

The Makita 2400 - which is in the article - was the other compressor I considered when I bought my IR. I went w/the noiser IR based on it's 100% duty cycle. I don't run mine @ 100% all the time, but, w/4 rentals and other rehab work, there are times it runs for 10 hours straight for a few days.
If quiet is more important than long life, the Makita is a good one. Just be ready to incur some shipping damage if you buy it via Amazon according to the reviews there.

Their (IR) customer service is top knotch. I had to change the oil in mine a couple weeks ago. Being too lazy to walk in the house, up the stairs and fire up the internet to check online for the manual to see how much oil it takes - I dialed their 800 number on my cell phone instead.
>60 seconds later, the nice lady on the other end told me it takes 4.2 ounces & explained all the benefits of using the IR oil.

I picked up a furniture dolly from HF for $7.99 (on sale) and screwed a piece of 3/4" plywood to it. I keep my IR on that and wheel it around the shop. @ ~ 70 pounds it's rather heavy to carry.

[Jerry Bruette]

Same ideas I had Rich, put it on a 2 wheeled dolly and it won't be too heavy and I like the 100% duty cycle.

Jerry