Which Compressor

[Michael Ginsberg]

I am putting together a new basement shop and I need a new compressor. I now have a 12 gallon Campbell Hausfeld on wheels. It works well but runs often and very loudly. I use it often for power sanding on turning. I am planning on upgrading to a bigger unit. I saw a 50 gallon, 220 volt, at Lowes for about $500. Would this be a good way to go? I plan on running two lines. One with a filter dedicated to water based finishes and blowing off. I would use the other for lubricating air tools.

Any ideas welcome.

[Michael Mayo]

You need a unit that can keep up with the demand it will see. For air sanding and most air hungry tools you are going to want something that is rated at 17+ CFM. I just went through this myself and got rid of a Craftsman 60 twin cylinder and replaced it with an 80 ga. Delvilbiss 220v. unit that puts out 18cfm and can now keep up with my blast cabinet. It is also significantly quieter.

[Michael Ginsberg]

Michael,
I looked at the specs. of several models. They list different CFM for different PSI.
What CFM do I need at what pressure?


You need a unit that can keep up with the demand it will see. For air sanding and most air hungry tools you are going to want something that is rated at 17+ CFM. I just went through this myself and got rid of a Craftsman 60 twin cylinder and replaced it with an 80 ga. Delvilbiss 220v. unit that puts out 18cfm and can now keep up with my blast cabinet. It is also significantly quieter.

[Michael Ginsberg]

Michael ,
I just checked on Lowes website. I looked at the Ingersal Rand and the Cobalt 5hp, they both seem to produce about 17 cfm at 40 psi. Is that good enough for power sanding and sand blasting.? I am not sure what both those tools need for psi?

-
Michael,
I looked at the specs. of several models. They list different CFM for different PSI.
What CFM do I need at what pressure?

[Bill White]

The oil free compressors are really loud. I use one for the nailers when away from the shop, but my old and trusty oiled comp. has not let me down after 30+ yrs.
I've been lookin' at new stuff for when mine craps out, and don't know which brand I'd buy 'cause all the new stuff is asian-made.
That said, the PC pancake comp. I use for trim work has been very good.
I keep all my comps. drained to reduce tank failure.
50 gal. is a beast and should do a good job. That's a bunch of capacity. It is oiled? If so, change the oil regularly as described in the manual.
Also, use an easily accessed drain system.
Bill

[Craig Michael]

I pay attention to the cfm at 90 psi since that is the general pressure I use for most tools. Take a tool at northern tool to get a good sampling of what is available and the prices. For a good sized shop compressor, I would look at something like this IR model. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_158284_158284 It's 220 but anything that produces enough air for air sanders will be 220. For $200 more you can move up to the next size.

You can check out craigslist for IR compressors, every so often in my area there are some really good buys. This is probably the one I linked. http://hartford.craigslist.org/tls/2875239651.html

[Rich Engelhardt]

You can check out craigslist for IR compressors, every so often in my area there are some really good buys
That asking price of $600.00 is more than Tractor Supply charges for that same compressor brand new with a factory warranty.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/ingersoll-rand-reg-3-hp-60-gallon-single-stage-air-compressor-3496111


Tractor Supply also has a Spring sale about this time of year. IIRC, they ran the 3HP 60 gal IR for $499.00 either last year or the year before.

[Michael Mayo]

Mike,
I am not familiar with the compressors you mention can you post a link. The compressor I bought on Craigslist is a 220V. 80 gallon 2-stage that is rated at 17.5 cfm at 100 psi and I think you will find that is the minimum for running those very air hungry sanders. A compressor this size is going to set you back quite a bit of money brand new that is why I looked around on Craigslist for a while until I found one that I could afford. I was able to negotiate mine down to $550 from $800 and it is a beast of a compressor. As a comparison my old oiless Craftsman would run my blast cabinet about 60-90 secs before kicking on and then it would run the rest of the time I tried to use the cabinet and only at about 40-50 psi. which wasn't enough. The new one will run my cabinet for several minutes fully pumped up and then kick on. It will then also stay running while i am blasting but the difference is that it maintains about 100-110 psi the whole time and I can keep blasting without stopping to wait for it to catch up. The compressors that have been mentioned are very good compressors but I am not sre if they would be able to keep up with the heavy demand of the air sanders. Wat I have found is that the stated air consumption of most air tools is significantly more than what they tell you. I have some tools that say they use 4-5 cfm. @ 90 PSI and I can assure you that they use way more than that. maybe triple stated. The compressor thing really confused me and disappointed me until i finally got the monster I have now. I did a ton of reading up on them but it is confusing trying to understand all of the mumbo jumbo online about compressors. So I just waited until I found the biggest baddest compressor i could afford to come up for sale and bought it. So the advice is get the biggest baddest compressor that your budget will allow as you will not be disappointed with the performance as long as you get a big one with a lot of capacity. They use more power and take up more room but when you need to use your compressor for something and have to constantly stop what you are doing to wait for the compressor you will understand why getting the big one makes sense.

[Craig Michael]

That asking price of $600.00 is more than Tractor Supply charges for that same compressor brand new with a factory warranty.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/ingersoll-rand-reg-3-hp-60-gallon-single-stage-air-compressor-3496111


Tractor Supply also has a Spring sale about this time of year. IIRC, they ran the 3HP 60 gal IR for $499.00 either last year or the year before.

That is the same price as ts, and that is the asking price, who pays that on craigslist? You'll also save on sales tax, plus the one on cl is new on the pallet, the warranty should apply.

[Rich Engelhardt]

That is the same price as ts, and that is the asking price, who pays that on craigslist? You'll also save on sales tax, plus the one on cl is new on the pallet, the warranty should apply
Tractor Supply's price is $599.00 - a dollar less than the asking price.
It might be nit picky - but - even so - it t's me off when jerks list something on CL for more than retail.
I get the impression they think I'm too stupid to actually google the item.
That type of thing just rubs me the wrong way.

Even if you haggle the price down $100 on the "used" one, it's still $1.00 more than the Tractor Supply spring sale.

The warranty may or may not apply. Only IR could answer that question. Not all warranties will transfer. Despite still being wrapped and never put into service, the compressor is used. Why risk it?
- According to the IR website & the manual the IR warranty is 12 months from the time the compressor is put into service or 18 months from the time it was shipped.

Outside of NY and according to Google KG Power systems has the same compressor for $595.00 w/free shipping and no tax also - and a certain full factory warranty.

[Craig Michael]

Tractor Supply's price is $599.00 - a dollar less than the asking price.

you are being ridiculous.

[shane lyall]

I bought the Kobalt from Lowes. It 60 gallon and will be the min for an air DA sander but I can spray with it without a lot of cycling. It was damaged when they were puting it into a truck for a customer. The pres switch was broken. I got the unit + a new switch off the display for $250 and had to spend 20 mins to fix it in my shop. I work for Lowes at times and just happened to be there and seen what happened. The loaders tried to lay it down in the truck and grabed it by the switch. It wasn't dropped so I wasn't afraid of the damage.The deciding factor for me was it is made by Coleman in the USA. It is a quiet unit that has ran flawless since I put it in.

If you need a biger unit I wouldn't balk at the Kobalt units. Keep your eyes open and ask at every Lowe's near you for displays or open box deals. They take fantastic care of their customers. Better than any box store out there IMO. If you find one make them an offer but have your truck with you because they may take it on the spot. You will need a regulater and water filter as most don't come with them. There mostly standard size so the set up from your unit now may fit. I bought a new set up as I keep my little P-C pancake for my framing nailer for on the go jobs.

Bottom line is keep your eyes open at Lowes and you will find a gloatworthy deal on a really good AC if you don't need it right away.

[David Kumm]

Air sanding takes a lot of air. A 5 hp industrial 60 or 80 gallon compressor is what keeps up with it. The companies that make them, Saylor Beall, Champion, Curtis, Quincy, IR, all make several quality ranges. The low end run in the 1000-1200 range, the mid end- which is what you tend to find on CL or Ebay are splash lubricated and new run 1800-2000. The high end are pressure lubricated and have an oil filter. They run 2500. Anything sold at the box stores will have Asian pumps and likely Asian motors. Not necessarily bad but they will be louder, less efficient- take longer to reach pressure, and have lighter cycle duties. The only way to get a good quality compressor of that size for under $1000 is to buy used. Eaton is another manufacturer that marries Asian and US parts for a good mid priced unit in the $1200-1500 range. Dave

[Greg Portland]

The only way to get a good quality compressor of that size for under $1000 is to buy used. Eaton is another manufacturer that marries Asian and US parts for a good mid priced unit in the $1200-1500 range. Dave
Keep an eye out for used Quincy QR-25 compressors. You can typically get a good deal on the "smaller" 3ph units (7.5->10HP range) because they are too small for larger auto body shops. These pumps are supported by Quincy and can be rebuilt (parts are readily available through Quincy).

[Michael Ginsberg]

I think I am going with the Rolair 5 hp, 80 gallon model. What you think?

[Ron Natalie]

I got a big 3HP/60Gal CH model at Tractor Supply for not too much money. They had the best deals on compressors and accessories of Lowe's/National Tool/etc... in the area.

[Dave Norris]

You could always buy two of the IR 60 gal. That would theoretically give you 20 cu ft for $1,000.

[Tim Howell]

Get a 2 stage in what ever you get. Less heat = less water. Cheap single stage compressor will run 90 mph, be noisey and pump out about as much water as it does air, and then burn up. My 2 stage is so old its an antique from the 50's or older - Wayne compressor co.

[David Kumm]

Get a 2 stage in what ever you get. Less heat = less water. Cheap single stage compressor will run 90 mph, be noisey and pump out about as much water as it does air, and then burn up. My 2 stage is so old its an antique from the 50's or older - Wayne compressor co.

The slower the rpm on the pump the better. Some units juice their numbers by increasing the pump rpm which leads to all sorts of long term problems. In a humid environment a high temp dryer becomes a necessity. Dave