Need air compressor recommendation

[jim gossage]

I need to upgrade my air compressor so that I can spray clear finishes (LVLP) and have decided to get a mid size compressor that can produce at least 6 CFM at 40 psi. I don’t have the room for something bigger than about 30 gallons. I have narrowed it down to 4 units and am interested in any feedback you may have on quality, output, noise level, customer service, etc. All can be run at 230 volts and are oil lubed, belt driven except for the last one which runs at 115 v and is oilless. The last one is especially interesting because it is very quiet on a You-tube video (70 dB) and has a much smaller tank and lower price than the others. Thanks much!


Campbell Hausfeld, VT 6271: 3 hp, 26 gall, 11.5 CFM at 40 psi, 3 yr warranty, $630.
Industrial Air, ILA 1883054: 1.9 hp, 30 gall, 7 CFM at 40 psi, 2 yr warranty, $549.
Chicago Pneumatic, RCP-226VP: 2 hp, 26 gall, 8.3 CFM at 40 psi, 1 yr warranty, $680.
GMC Syclone, 4620A: 2 hp, 4.6 gall, 7 CFM at 40 psi, 1 yr warranty, $369.

[Rich Riddle]

My vote would go for the Cambell Hausfeld first and the Industrial Air second. The last two would not make the list. They are inferior products compared to the others.

[Dave Lehnert]

My vote would go for the Cambell Hausfeld first and the Industrial Air second. The last two would not make the list. They are inferior products compared to the others.

I always thought Chicago Pneumatic was a better line of air tools???
Not to be confused with Harbor Freight Chicago Electric brand.

[Ty Williams]

At that price point/size, they're all coming out of the same southeast asia factory anyway, so brand pretty much only buys you a color of paint. From when I bought my 60gal, I *think* I remember that the OEM/US Importer for the pieces that make up all of these compressors is Sanborn, but memory is a little fuzzy because it's been about 5 years and I don't actually care :lol:

That's a long way of saying I'd go with whichever one you can get the best deal on and not worry about brand.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I always thought Chicago Pneumatic was a better line of air tools???
Not to be confused with Harbor Freight Chicago Electric brand.

Dave, they used to be, another victim of some bean counter cheapening up a product to stand out on a shelf some place. Same as all the rest now. IMHO, the only common air tool maker that is worth buying a brand on is Ingersol Rand, and even some of their low end stuff is suspiciously cheap.

[Mike Heidrick]

The upright IR and Puma 20gal are super nice. Looks to be made in the same place. Both 2 stage oil filled and 5.5cfm at 90psi.

[Jim German]

I would stay away from most of those brands. Dewalt stuff has always been good for me, and they have a decent compressor in that range

http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/dewalt-d55168#specs

[Greg R Bradley]

All the brands are suspect except a very few. Most former name brands owned by big companies are driving toward the bottom because the buying public wants something cheap. #4 on your list is not to be considered at all, at least for your requirements.

Do you want a wheeled portable? Do you want a horizontal tank?

Rolair is very good at giving you correct info on their website and being honest about sound level.

The Dewalt in the link above is an Emglo compressor. Were excellent but Stanley Black & Decker bought Emglo and is driving them toward the bottom as are most big companies.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Jim try this good price and foot print is about the same as a 30 gal. I picked one up last year has been very good so far.Tom $499 at ACE Hardware free shipping https://www.google.com/#q=campbell+hausfeld+air+compressor+60+gals&safe=active&tbm=shop&spd=16944192100329298676

[John Huds0n]

Take a look at this Ingersoll-Rand "Garage Mate". 30 Gallon tank, 5.7 cfm at 90 psi. 15 amp 115v - so you can practically use it anywhere

Amazon is selling it for $950 and there are a couple of other sites that have it a little lower
http://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-Rand-SS3F2-GM-Horsepower-Wheeled-Compressor/dp/B000E27JW6
http://www.tools-plus.com/ingersoll-rand-20103610.html


BUT - Northern tools has it on sale for $699 with free shipping (looks like it is dropped shipped straight from the factory)

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200339041_200339041

I would certainly add this one to your list...

(if you want it even cheaper - Amazon Warehouse has one at $603 - probably a customer return)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000E27JW6/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

[Peter Kelly]

I need to upgrade my air compressor so that I can spray clear finishes (LVLP) and have decided to get a mid size compressor that can produce at least 6 CFM at 40 psi. I don’t have the room for something bigger than about 30 gallons. I have narrowed it down to 4 units and am interested in any feedback you may have on quality, output, noise level, customer service, etc. All can be run at 230 volts and are oil lubed, belt driven except for the last one which runs at 115 v and is oilless. The last one is especially interesting because it is very quiet on a You-tube video (70 dB) and has a much smaller tank and lower price than the others. Thanks much!


Campbell Hausfeld, VT 6271: 3 hp, 26 gall, 11.5 CFM at 40 psi, 3 yr warranty, $630.
Industrial Air, ILA 1883054: 1.9 hp, 30 gall, 7 CFM at 40 psi, 2 yr warranty, $549.
Chicago Pneumatic, RCP-226VP: 2 hp, 26 gall, 8.3 CFM at 40 psi, 1 yr warranty, $680.
GMC Syclone, 4620A: 2 hp, 4.6 gall, 7 CFM at 40 psi, 1 yr warranty, $369.


Any reason you hadn't considered going with a turbine system instead? Those compressors all seem a bit marginal for spraying.

[Larry Browning]

Check out this one from IR:
http://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet.com/ir/ingersoll-rand-3-hp-220volt-60-gallon-upright-11-3-cfm-s


This is the one I have (or very similar)
Its quite a bit bigger at about the same price. I use it for everything I do in the shop, from nail gun to spray painting.
Because of the vertical tank design it has a pretty small foot print.

[jim gossage]

I would stay away from most of those brands. Dewalt stuff has always been good for me, and they have a decent compressor in that range

http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/dewalt-d55168#specs

Jim,
Why would you stay away from most of those? They have gotten mostly good reviews. How quiet is your Dewalt?

[jim gossage]

Jim try this good price and foot print is about the same as a 30 gal. I picked one up last year has been very good so far.Tom $499 at ACE Hardware free shipping https://www.google.com/#q=campbell+hausfeld+air+compressor+60+gals&safe=active&tbm=shop&spd=16944192100329298676

Tom, how quiet is it?

[Earl Rumans]

You can cross the GMC off the list there isn't any way a 4.6 gallon tank can keep up paint spraying. Have you looked at the turbine systems for spraying? I was in the same boat, my compressor is not powerful enough for spraying. I just got the Earlex 6900 Spray Station and I really like it. I paid less then $400 for mine and so far I have done Clear Poly and Acrylic Latex paint with great results. It's also extremely easy for someone new to spraying to use, there are only controls for paint flow and the 3 spray pattern settings.

[Ronald Blue]

I second what Mike said about the Puma. I have a stationary that is above your minimum needs and have been quite happy with it. As for a brand that is high quality don't forget the "Quincy" air compressor line. They are every bit as good as IR. Also the Gardner Denver consumer line is Champion compressors. Northern Tool carries a large selection of compressors at good prices.

[Mike Heidrick]

The 30 gal puma is the exact machine as the 30 gal ir garage mate. Different casters. Both made overseas. Amazing med compressor.

[jim gossage]

The 30 gal puma is the exact machine as the 30 gal ir garage mate. Different casters. Both made overseas. Amazing med compressor.

I had looked at the Puma and the IR in the 30 gallon size and was put off on the Puma due to several reviews of very poor customer service, though most of the other reviews were good. Also, both IR and Puma come with only a 1 yr warranty, and several others have a 2 or 3 yr warranty which appeals to me. Any concerns about Puma's customer service or only a 1 yr warranty?

[Ronald Blue]

I have no issues with mine. I bought it in 2007. It doesn't get heavy usage but it has always served my needs. Never had any need for customer service so can't add or detract based on that.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Tom, how quiet is it?

Jim It is quieter then the 1986 20 gal Craftsman that it replaced. Tom

[Mark Blatter]

I have a Devillbis 4 hp, 30 gal tank that is 8.8 cfm at 40 psi. It is about 16 years old and runs great. I use it a fair bit and would rec it, but in reading about the company, I see that it was sold, then sold again to B & D and now produces everything in China.

I suggest checking Craig's List for something used. I have seen many compressors there for decent prices.

[Andy Pratt]

Look up the makita mac5200 and the rolair vt25big they both provide the specs you listed and will only run you $350-500 depending on where/how you buy. Don't fall victim to the "you have to have x size tank" to spray finish argument. If your compressor cfm exceeds your gun cfm requirements, then you will be able to spray finish with it, the cfm requirement of the compressor is what matters, not the tank size. Plenty of people will tell you that you need a huge compressor to spray finish, because that was true back when they learned to spray finish, before lower cfm guns came out. A large tank can help an inadequate compressor work for shorter duration sprays, but that is it.

I was stuck in a situation like you and had to get a small-sized compressor to spray lvlp with. I went with the makita Mac5200, and use it to spray with a LVLP gun requiring 6cfm and the compressor has never failed to keep up with my spraying. I have done an 8'x3' table top with it and it and that is the largest continuous spray I would ever need to do.

I would stay away from the GMC, lots of bad reviews out there. For what it is worth my mac5200 is far quieter than my porter cable pancake was, even though the pancake was rated at lower db. I am careful about noise and I will spray with my compressor running 10' away without feeling like I am doing anything bad for my ears. It feels about like you have your dust collector running.

The only truly quiet, quality compressors out there (rolair has a 2 cfm one I think) can't put out the cfm you need, so you are better off just buying the right compressor and mitigating noise by other means.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The Mac5200 is one really nice compressor - if quiet is the main requirement.
I went with the Ingersoll Rand 2 HP "twin hot dog" instead because the Makita is (or was - I don't know if it still is) only rated for a 50% duty cycle and the IR is rated for 100%.

I use my IR onsite to run a roofing nailer, framing nailers, finish nailers and a flooring nailer.
I haven't tried it for HVLP or LVLP - yet.

For a home shop, the 50% duty cycle of the Makita is probably fine.

[John Coloccia]

I would stay away from most of those brands. Dewalt stuff has always been good for me, and they have a decent compressor in that range

http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/dewalt-d55168#specs

That's what I have in my shop too...replaced my 60gal monster. Oilless but quite reasonable for noise, not like most oilless. I run die grinders on it....spray....drill. It meets all of my basic needs.

[Jim Andrew]

I've had several air compressors in my career as a contractor. Had a couple Campbell Hausfeld, the older was fair, the later threw oil everywhere. Had a Sanborn, it was not good for spraying. The most expensive was a Mak-air, by Makita, it was and is awesome, only use it when I do framing, which is getting less and less frequent, and in my home shop have a Puma, which is the best less expensive compressor I've had. No oil or air leaks. The dealer that sells the Puma is great, had a reset switch that went bad, and they just mailed me a new one. They are North central Air, and you can call to order what you need and they deliver it. They also have industrial air compressors.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

282054
got mine for $250 factory refurbished.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Looked at a few Quincey brand compressors yesterday at the local farm supply store. US made motors AND pumps. I was impressed, the Dewalt models beside them had neither. For the record, I have a little Dewalt Emglo in my woodshop that has never let me down.

[Steven DeMars]

QUINCY ! ! !
Quite . . . the quietest
Dependable . . . the most
American Made . . . I lean toward American Made
Free Shipping
Not much more $$$ than the others . . .

[jim gossage]

282054
got mine for $250 factory refurbished.


282054
got mine for $250 factory refurbished.

I have liked my dewalt planer. Seems that I have heard rumors on this forum of either Dewalt or Delta not providing good parts support. Anyone know which it is?

[Ronald Blue]

Quincy compressors are made in Quincy Illinois.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Quincy makes a nice compressor - but - the two smaller ones (2HP) - the Q12126VPQ and the Q12120PQ both draw 19 amps and require a 40 amp breaker.
That really makes them sort of useless as a portable - despite being such nice machines.
That regulates them to being a stationary shop machine which begs the question "Why bother?"
If you're going to drop that much money on a stationary shop compressor, then you might as well go bigger.

The 220V 3.5HP Q13160VQ (http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Quincy-Q13160VQ-Air-Compressor/p12330.html) can be had for about the same money or just a little more.


Seems that I have heard rumors on this forum of either Dewalt or Delta not providing good parts support. Anyone know which it is?That would be Delta...

[David Hostetler]

My vote would go for the Cambell Hausfeld first and the Industrial Air second. The last two would not make the list. They are inferior products compared to the others.

I am sooooo glad I didn't have a drink in my mouth when I read that! You seriously consider Campbell Hausfeld superior to Chicago Pneumatic? I am not saying Chicago Pnuematic is a winner, but at least in my book, Campbell Hausfeld is the absolute, total bottom of the barrel...

I personally own a Central Pneumatic (Harbor Freight) #68127 2HP 29 gallon compressor. It flows 7.3CFM @ 40 PSI. Yes I bought the extended 2 year warranty, and ran it out unneeded... But glad I had it just in case. I would love a 60 to 80 gallon compressor, but this 29 gallon unit does a very nice job.

Due to prior experience with Campbell Hausfeld compressors, I wouldn't give them a passing glance except to not trip on them...

[John Coloccia]

I'll definitely check out Quincy for my next compressor. Thanks for the link.

[Earl Rumans]

Quincy makes a nice compressor - but - the two smaller ones (2HP) - the Q12126VPQ and the Q12120PQ both draw 19 amps and require a 40 amp breaker.
That really makes them sort of useless as a portable - despite being such nice machines.
That regulates them to being a stationary shop machine which begs the question "Why bother?"
If you're going to drop that much money on a stationary shop compressor, then you might as well go bigger.

The 220V 3.5HP Q13160VQ (http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Quincy-Q13160VQ-Air-Compressor/p12330.html) can be had for about the same money or just a little more.

That would be Delta...
I don't think you will find any 110v circuits with a 40 amp breaker in anything but a commercial building. I agree this is basically useless for a homeowner.

[John Coloccia]

Just run a 110 circuit with 10ga wire. Every outlet in my shop is wired with 10ga.

[Ronald Blue]

I looked on Northern Tools website and someone asked if they could run the Quincy 2 hp on 12 gauge wire and they said yes if it was a dedicated circuit and 20 amp breaker. Seems like it is possible to get by with a 20 amp circuit but I will defer to the electrical experts.

[Steve Milito]

I keep going back and forth between Quincy and IR. The better Quincy runs 1750 RPM and is rated 50000 hours. Way overkill for a home shop. The IR is 3600 RPM and 10000 hours. The base Quincy isn't that much more expensive unless you want auto drain and an after cooler, then it gets to be a significant price differential.

[jim gossage]

Thanks guys for all the great information. You suggested some additional models that were worth considering. I'll make my decision in the next day or so, order, and let you know how it turns out!

[Jason Foster]

Just whatever you do, dont buy the dewalt 4.5 gallon 200psi. I bought one used and glad I did because after I repaired it 3 times I only threw away $225 instead of the $360 it costed at Lowes at the time. The check valve is a weak point and breaks off due to vibration. Regulator is a deal breaker, I rebuilt it but 2 weeks later it started leaking around the stem again, a lot. The regulator also won't hold a steady output pressure and tends to creep up to excessively high output pressure. Also, if you remove the plastic cover on the side, you will see that the piston is exposed to the ambient air, as is the rod bearing. Any dirt in the air can go directly into the cylinder and bearings. Really an inexcusably poor design for $300+. I just ordered a Rolair VT25big and I hope to get years of service out of it, guess we'll see.

[Jeff Ramsey]

I need to upgrade my air compressor so that I can spray clear finishes (LVLP) and have decided to get a mid size compressor that can produce at least 6 CFM at 40 psi. I don’t have the room for something bigger than about 30 gallons. I have narrowed it down to 4 units and am interested in any feedback you may have on quality, output, noise level, customer service, etc. All can be run at 230 volts and are oil lubed, belt driven except for the last one which runs at 115 v and is oilless. The last one is especially interesting because it is very quiet on a You-tube video (70 dB) and has a much smaller tank and lower price than the others. Thanks much!


Campbell Hausfeld, VT 6271: 3 hp, 26 gall, 11.5 CFM at 40 psi, 3 yr warranty, $630.
Industrial Air, ILA 1883054: 1.9 hp, 30 gall, 7 CFM at 40 psi, 2 yr warranty, $549.
Chicago Pneumatic, RCP-226VP: 2 hp, 26 gall, 8.3 CFM at 40 psi, 1 yr warranty, $680.
GMC Syclone, 4620A: 2 hp, 4.6 gall, 7 CFM at 40 psi, 1 yr warranty, $369.




You might want to consider buying used. Some of the older compressors are better than new. Here's the one you list #1 used (locally). Isn't $50 better than $630+tax? At that price you almost can't go wrong. I'm sure you can find similar in your neighborhood.

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/5009096421.html

[Jason Foster]

Craigslist is a real sore point for me right now, as I watched my stolen tools being sold for 1/3 what they were worth last week. Enjoy the killer deals out there, and thank your local tweaker for the unbelievable discounts.

[Bob Grier]

I bought a small output 25 gal refurbished oil-less craftsman compressor to have air in the shop. I think it was around 5 cfm at 40psi. It worked fine until I bought an LVLP conversion pressure gun and started spraying doors and trim with alkyd enamel paint. It couldn't keep up. I bought an old used 11.3 cfm 25 gal used Craftsman compressor for $150 on Craigslist. It had a hole in the tank so I returned it and got my money back. Then I bought another 11.3 gal used Craftsman compressor for $150 on Craigslist and still have it. It keeps up with spray and is much quieter than the oil-less compressor. I have an oil separator in line and had to add a regulator with gauge at the compressor to limit the pressure to the regulator mounted to the LVLP gun.

Output volume is important. Large tank takes up space and can extend the spray time but as soon as it needs to kick on, you are the back side of the curve and have to stop spraying until the tank is charged and compressor turns off. The compressor can not catch up and spray quality deteriorates.

I also sprayed water based polyurethane with a smaller tip. I think the smaller compressor would have been the same problem I had with the alkyd enamel paint.

Only thing I wish I had done differently: Buy a good turbine system or buy an HVLP conversion gun. Of course, at the time, I had the low volume compressor and tried to save money. It didn't work for me. I sold the original low output compressor on Craigslist for what I paid for the higher output used compressor.

If you are only spraying small items and stop between items, then a small compressor will probably work. I was spraying 3 or 4 doors or 100 feet of trim at one time.

[Paul McGaha]

I'm glad I read this thread. I have about a 20 year old Speedaire I bought at Grainger. Looking at them online I see one similar to mine is from China these days. If/When mine fails I think I'll look at the Quincy's. It might last several more years. It gets really light use for the most part.

PHM