Portable compressor

[Mark W Pugh]

I need a portable compressor for using with nailers. I saw one at HF and was wondering if anyone has one and how does it work for you? Any other suggestions. Needed for basic construction and cabinet making.

Thanks

[cody michael]

I have a smallish, maybe 5 gallon compressor from harbor freight, my dad used it for years then it got hard to start in the winter, you had to keep pushing safetyrest/fuse button. he bought a new and gave it me, I just jumpered the fuse and it has been working great for the last few years, my dad replaced it with a harbor freight 20 gallon and he really likes it.

[Jerome Stanek]

I was looking at one at HF and it was identical to the Husky that someone gave me.

[Rich Engelhardt]

NMI....

Budget, air requirements (what's the most air hungry tool you plan on using), how much of a factor is noise vs longevity, how portable does portable mean,how much amperage does your basic outlet deliver nearest the location(s) you plan to use the thing...

I have a ~ $300 Ingersoll Rand "twin hot dog" with 4 gallons of storage that consumes 14.5 amps and delivers about 4.3 standard cubic feet of air. That's enough to run up to two roofing nailers or two framing nailers. I can attach a 10 gallon portable tank to it and run a 3/8" ratchet or an air hammer.
It's on the loud side, but it's got a 100% duty rating - - and it's an Ingersoll Rand (which means it's going to last about forever).
@ about 70 pounds, the term portable just barley applies - but - that's what it's called.
It's also a heavy current draw machine that needs a lot of amps to run. It can'rt run on an extension cord or run off a small generator.

I also have a Sears 3 gallon oiless that delivers just enough air to run an 18 ga brad nailer. It's as noisy as the larger IR.
I also have a one gallon Coleman mini ultra portable that runs a 23 ga pin nailer or an 18 ga brad nailer. It's noisy also.
They were both about $50 machines I bought on sale for that price. They work fine for small jobs. I use them all the time. Probably 90% of the time.

Makita, California Air and Senco all make very nice quiet compressors. They cost in the same area as the Ingersoll Rand "hot dog" and deliver about the same amount of air. They should last a good long time, are quiet and are somewhat portable.

Porter Cable and Bostitch both make a 6 gallon oiless pancake compressor that runs about $150 and puts out enough air to run a framing nailer. They are noisy and have a limited life span. Contractors love them because they are fairly cheap and deliver enough air to run any nailer and are portable. They also only consume about 12 amps so they can run on the end of an extension cord or a small generator.
They also usually give some kind of advanced indication they are dieing,,,

Harbor Freight, Sears, Husky (Home Depot) and Lowes (Blue something or other) are all pretty much the same Chinese made junk. They work ok, but, usually die a sudden and unannounced death.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The PC 6 gallon ones use a vacuum cleaner motor for power. Noisy and wears out much quicker than other designs of compressors.

[Mark W Pugh]

Rich,

I was wanting to use it with any nailer. Looks lije PC and Bostich may fill my order. No double guns, just me remodling my house.

Thanks

[Jim Dwight]

If noise is a criteria you may want to look for a compressor that has lubrication. They tend to be quieter. HF sells some but they are bigger, generally. The oil less type all seem noisy to me. My wife came with a PC which works fine. I have a Bostitch with a bigger tank but the compressor is about the same. Neither get used a lot. Nearly anything will run a nail gun. But if you want to run a framing nailer continuously you will need to be a little careful. Normal intermittant use small ones work.

[Mark W Pugh]

Jim,

I will need to add structural lumber. I don't want one that shoots one nail, and then have to wait. I'm not building an entire house, but I want to be able to nail more then a couple of nails before having to wait for pressure.

[Mike Cutler]

Rich,

I was wanting to use it with any nailer. Looks lije PC and Bostich may fill my order. No double guns, just me remodling my house.

Thanks

Mark

If the PC you're looking at, is the same little red one they sell as a combo with their nailers, it is a screaming little banshee. If you were closer, I would give you the one I have for free, and still feel bad for taking advantage of you. It's awful.
The Rolair JC 10 will run a nailer, other than roofing, for a single person just fine. It's not that much more than the PC and you could set it on the table during dinner, and still be able to talk normally while it cycled.

[Johannes Becker]

Mark,

I started out with the cheapest HF pancake but the noise level and lack of air for anything but a finish nailer drove me to upgrade. I bought a Makita MAC700 but the HF is still running occasionally in the garage ($35 and still running after a 3 years). I am much happier with the Makita in my shop and it drives my framing gun just fine (single user, smaller jobs). But seriously, the biggest advantage for me is the noise level and the feeling that it won't just quit on me in the middle of a project.

[Mark Blatter]

I have a Dewalt I got about 17 years ago when Chevy was giving out tools for buying trucks and vans. My company was spending a little of a million a year on vans, so we ended up with scads of Dewalt tools. I have no idea what the price was, but think it is around a 3 gal. Not real noisy and can handle a nail gun no problem. I am building a shed right now and it will easily handle repeated 3" nails going in. Weighs about 40 lbs, if that is considered portable.

[Russell Smallwood]

Hey Mark,

I've had a few compressors over the years. Best is my current Dewalt 4.6 gallon portable, worst was some Rigid piece of crap that got returned after a day. The Dewalt would be ideal for what you are asking of it and more. It supposedly delivers enough air for an HPLV gun according to a conversation with Jeff Jewett but I've never actually tried. Only downside is that its heavy and clumsy to haul around the house despite the built in wheels and its not the quietest compressor in the world. All things considered, however, if I had to choose one compressor, I would buy it again.

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-D55146-2-Gallon-200-PSI-Compressor/dp/B000HZJLV2

That said, I'm about to start trimming out my entire 2nd floor after a major reno here, and the thought of dragging that thing around the house and listening to it cycle on and off has convinced me to splurge on a new CAT 1610A which is currently waiting patiently in the shop for me to find the time to get started. The Dewalt will sit this one out but I have no intention of getting rid of it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Mark,
1.5 HP would be the bare minimum for a framing nailer. Even that's on the light side.
The Rolair is a fabulous machine, but, the JC10 is only a 1 HP. IMHO/IMHE it's a bit on the light side for a framing nailer. Plus it's only got a 2.3 gal tank.
Plus - it's pump is only rated for 2000 hours.

IMHE - that's on the "iffy" side for a 15 ga nailer, let alone a framing nailer.
Rolair makes a 1.5 HP machine - but - it's higher RPM and makes more noise. It's pump is rated for 6000 hours.

Personally, I'd stick with something 2 to 2.5 HP that puts out 4 to 4.5 SCFM to be sure.
The IR Twin Hot dog @ $349, the Makita MAC 2400 @ $299 are the top two portables in that category.
The IR is the workhorse w/a 100% duty cycle and the Makita is the quiet one.

A Harbor Freight "price point" in that category would be this one - http://www.harborfreight.com/8-gal-2-hp-125-psi-oil-lube-air-compressor-69667.html

I have a similar old Coleman oiless model that I use as my "leave on the job site" compressor. It's old and due to die at any time. It's got the same output as the HF.
I just used it to frame in a 23 x 40 foot basement.

Don't overlook Sears for compressors. Sears can have some excellent sales on compressors.

[Mike Konobeck]

I bought one of the aluminum Husky air compressors from Home Depot. It is amazingly quiet and seems to drive my framing nailer just fine. I haven't done a large project but I wouldn't be concerned about it. I will say that it is REALLY nice having it be quieter. It is amazingly quiet (for an air compressor). California Air is likely the manufacturer of it because it seems to be awfully similar. California Air products seem to get a decent review on Amazon.

[Mike Schuch]

My small compressor sits outside the garage entry door with a 50' hose on it. The hose reaches through out the house so when I am doing reno projects I don't have to lug the compressor around. I like the small light weight size of my small compressor.

I used to have a medium sized compressor (about 20 gallons) and it wasn't very handy. It was too small for power tools and too big to be moved around easily. It was basically the worst of both worlds when it comes to size.

I now have a large 60 gal belt drive compressor in my shop. It does a great job on power tools and for spraying projects and the like. Not really big enough to run a sand blasting box of decent size but I don't have the money for something big.

For me a medium sized compressor was a waste. Small and portable + Large and powerful seems to be the best investment to me.

If I were to ever build my own house I would probably do something crazy like plumb it for compressed air! :D