Smallest Compressor for Grizzly 15" Wide Belt?

[Stewart Lang]

I have a new-to-me Grizzly G9983 15" Wide Belt sander. The manual just says "Air Requirement: 75 PSI". I have a 26 Gallon 5.8SCFM Husky Compressor that keeps up just fine, but it takes up a bit of real estate in my shop, so I really want to get the smallest compressor I can, that still works solidly with the wide belt and can keep up with 1-2hour sessions.

Anyone know if I can run it off a pancake-style compressor in the 2-4 gallon range? Is there a minimum SCFM I should go for?

[Mark Gibney]

I don't think a 4 gallon compressor would keep up, I think you'd burn out the motor. But I don't know.

I have a 15" wide belt sander that works off a 60 gallon compressor (I got a great deal on it and currently have the room) and the compressor will cycle on every 5 minutes. I must time it so I know this better.

[Richard Coers]

If you don't want it to shut off during that 1-2 hour session, then it might work. For a couple sessions, anyway. Duty cycle will need to investigated when you get too small.

[Albert Lee]

the air is used for the tracking of the belt, I guess there is no nozzle to clean the belt, the nozzle uses most of the air.

You probably want something at least 4CFM to service this sander.

This is a good little unit. a smaller version of the wide belt sander.

[Richard Coers]

the air is used for the tracking of the belt, I guess there is no nozzle to clean the belt, the nozzle uses most of the air.

You probably want something at least 4CFM to service this sander.

This is a good little unit. a smaller version of the wide belt sander.

Belt tension and tracking. Consumption on a similar model says 2cfm @75psi.

[Ron Selzer]

I have a 15" wide belt sander and ran it off of a pancake compressor when I first got it. It was constantly cycling on/off, was on more than off. So piped the 60 gallon in the garage down to the basement and added a three way switch to a contactor to turn it on. Much happier this way. I doubt that a pancake compressor will last many sessions. You right now are marginal in my opinion with the compressor you have. Move it to another room if you have to, hang it from the ceiling or whatever.
Who are you buying your belts from?
Good Luck
Ron

[Bobby Robbinett]

If you are dead set on using a small(er) compressor about the only way to make it work is to change the pneumatic tracking eye to an electronic tracking eye. The pneumatic tracking eye is like having a blow out valve open on the bottom of an air compressor. It waist a lot of air. You can convert to an electronic eye for around $800. Maybe less if you do it yourself. Otherwise you really need at least a 60 gallon compressor for a wide belt. You can get a brand new 60 gallon Puma for $499.

[Jim Andrew]

I have the smallest Puma air compressor with an oil type compressor you can buy. It runs my G9983 just fine, but does run quite a bit when sanding. Compressor is probably near 15 years old.