Sanborn 30 gal compressor

[Stuart Ensor]

What do you all think of the Sanborn Cast Iron Series 30 gal belt drive air compressor in terms of performance and longevity/reliability? It looks like the same compressor as the 30 gal Dewalt and Industrial Air units. Are they the same?

[Rich Engelhardt]

They might be the same.
At one time, the DeWalt compressors were made by Emglo & were good machines.

Now, who knows? DeWalt doesn't even think enough of them to list the specs on their website & what little info they give makes no sense - a dual voltage gas power supply???

IIRC, Sanborn is Powermate (Coleman?). Nothing real special - but - not bottom of the pile.
I have and still use an old Powermate oiless compressor that's pushing 30 years old.
I picked it up at K-Mart for $99.00 on a blue light special back in 1986.

Menards carries the Sanborn line.

[Jim Andrew]

I had a sanborn compressor, that gave up a few years ago. Was the poorest compressor I ever had. The BEST one I have had is a Makair, Makita's air compressor.

[Bruce Page]

I have no hands on experience with Sanborn compressors but my gut feeling after 20 years of reading woodworking forums is that the Sanborn is of medium/medium low quality. I saw close to 25 years service out of my old Grainger Speedaire and I expect my IR compressor to give me the same longevity.