PLEASE! help this newb with a compressor choice!

[Deuce Lee]

Hey everyone, a fresh college grad here with a new job, this place seems like the place for tool talk...

I'm trying to purchase my first compressor, something i won't regret, 5-7 cfm @ 90psi, been PULLING my hair over these three:

1. Porter Cable (http://www.amazon.com/Porter-Cable-CPFC2TV3525VP-Horsepower-25-Gallon-Compressor/dp/B000051WTQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_8/105-0986779-6491615?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1189130187&sr=8-8):
Price : $289 shipped
Size : 25 Gallons
Max Psi : 175psi max
CFM : 5.1 at 90 PSI
Motor : 1.6 hp running, 2 cylinder, 2 stage, Direct drive
Weight : 130lbs
Noise : 1,720 RPM --> 82db
Oiled? : No

2. Makita MAC5200 (http://www.toolsdirect.com/index.cfm/page/product:display/productId/MAC5200/manufacturer/Makita/categoryId/42):
Price : $322 shipped
Size : 5 Gallons
Max Psi : 140psi max
CFM : 6.5 at 90 PSI
Motor : 3.0 hp (peak?), 1 cylinder, 1 stage, Direct drive,
Weight : 88lbs
Noise : 3420 RPM @ 82db ?
Oiled? : Yes

3. Dewalt D55168 (http://www.absolutehome.com/home/1/819180562-dewalt-19hp-200psi-compressor-d55168.html):
Price : $363 shipped
Size : 15 Gallons
Max Psi : 200psi max
CFM : 5.4 at 90 PSI
Motor : 1.8 hp running, 1 cylinder, 1 stage, Belt driven
Weight : 92lbs
Noise : 1,720 --> 78db
Oiled? : No

Please suggest what you think i should buy. Limit is $363 lol. If something else, please let me know what that is.

I'm looking for something medium duty. I hear that something in the middle is the wrong way to go and getting one super small for household work and one 60 or 80 gal for the garage, but i don't think i'm ever going to use it.

Its pretty much going to run impacts, ratchets, small spray guns, small DA's (low consumption?), wood working tools, other smaller duty tools...

Please help stop my madness...thanks in advance...

[Bill Arnold]

Have you checked the CFM requirements of the tools you plan to use? Many air tools require higher CFM than the compressors you list. HVLP sprayers typically have a requirement of 9-11CFM, for instance, although it's possible to use them at lower rates.

Edit: I just checked a couple of other items. A PC 5" DA requires 15CFM @ 90PSI. The highest flow rate on the compressors you list is 6.5.

[Stan Welborn]

Check your DA requirements. You can wear out a compressor pretty fast using one of those for lengthy periods. Ask me how I know. ;) Tank size can compensate to some degree with insufficient cfm compressors on tools used in short bursts, but the DA is an air hog.

[Al Willits]

A "small" DA will probably still use lots of air, also painting is usually one of them start and don't stop to wait for the compressor to catch up things imho.

Like Bill says, find the tool that's gonna use the most air and match a compressor to it, get it right the first time and you won't regret it.

I don't think you'll need 60-80 gallons, maybe 40 with a compressor that will keep up, it'll take up a little less space that way, but either way, either get enough compressor or tank, especially if your going to paint.

I have my main compressor in the shop and use one of the little units from Sears I bought on sale for about a $100 if I need air in the house or elsewhere, it works great for driving a few brad nails, blowing stuff off or inflating tires.
I've seen a lot of people underestimate the uses for air and buy to small, they end up with a unit to big to be portable and to small to do all they want.

Just a thought.

Al

[Dewayne Reding]

"Its pretty much going to run impacts, ratchets, small spray guns, small DA's (low consumption?), wood working tools, other smaller duty tools..."

I can speak to the automotive tools on your list as I have been wrenching for decades. DAs really hog the CFM. For an impact you can get by with good pressure for short spurts. A great compressor is very expensive, but you can get by with a decent compressor that costs about $400 if you shop around. 10 CFM at 90# and a 60 gallon tank, imaginary HP rating around 5-6HP. More is better of course, but that's about all you get in this price range. Check the building supply and farm stores if you have them in your area. Shipping costs will probaby eat up your budget online. Someday you can also buy a little portable compressor for nail guns and such and you'll really be set.

You can get by with a smaller tank and CFM compressor with a DA and diegrinders etc , but to say it is annoying is an understatement. I repainted maybe 10 cars with a "small" DA, 3HP 30 gallon tank. It adds hours to the project. My limited experience with WW tools shows they draw FAR less air consumption. If you can't quite afford it, save up just a while longer.

[Curt Harms]

Conventional wisdom is that oiled compressors are quieter and will live longer. I've had a C-H oilless for about 10 years in a basement shop. Is it loud? yes, but for the amount of run time it sees-probably less than 30 minutes per month, it's acceptable. I use it for nail guns, blowing out the DC filter and a P-C HVLP spray gun. An advantage of the oil less compressors for spraying is no need for an oil filtering mechanism though I still have a moisture filter. I think a DA sander would exceed the capacity of any of the listed compressors though I haven't used one to know. Air sanders have a reputation as air hogs. Newer HVLP guns aren't that bad and nail guns don't use much air at all except in a framing environment.

My experience and worth what You paid for it.

Curt

[Per Swenson]

Hi ya,

I own and use a bunch of compressors.

I think its up to eight now.

When I bought my first one, almost 30 year ago, I said to self,
oh, I have to have a air ratchet also.

30 years that thing has sat in a box.

This years favorite air machine is this Makita....

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-MAC2400-Horsepower-Gallon-Compressor/dp/B0001Q2VPK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0563133-0774543?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1189424758&sr=8-1

It will take everything you throw at it and most importantly its cast iron sleeve, oil filled and QUIET. Real quiet.

Hope this helps.

Per

[Bill Arnold]

... This years favorite air machine is this Makita....

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-MAC2400-Horsepower-Gallon-Compressor/dp/B0001Q2VPK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0563133-0774543?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1189424758&sr=8-1

It will take everything you throw at it and most importantly its cast iron sleeve, oil filled and QUIET. Real quiet. ...Per,

With a flow rate of 4.2CFM, what makes this a favorite?

Thanks.

[Per Swenson]

Bill,

I just run nail guns.

I now spray everything with a hvlp turbine unit.

Back to nail guns...

Sometimes in order to pursue my efforts in Fine Mahogany rooms

I have to take the building the whole house job.

Keep the coffers full as they say.

I can run two framers/ roofers on this baby all day long.

And it is if not The quietest, its one of the quietest compressors

on the market today.

My sanity, my customers hearing, for some of you guys the baby sleeping

and the neighbors complaints make a quiet compressor the only issue when purchasing.

That's why.

Per

[Mike Heidrick]

Deuce, I saw look for a used compressor. I bought a PUMA from 1999 that cost me $275. It has a pump and motor both made in the USA. Motor made in St.Louis and the pump in TN. It is a 6hp two stage 60 gallon machine. I like it a lot for my shop.

Maybe get a pancake and the 3 gun set from PC for $250ish around the holidays and then find a big compressor for the air sanders and bigger CFM requiring tools.

I have run my Bostich framer off my pancake with NO problems. Should get you by for whatever hobbiest nailing needs you might have.

[frank shic]

I just bought the smallest thomas air compressor from amazon.com to replace my DEAFENING porter cable. It cycles a little more frequently but at least it doesn't chase everyone out of the house! It's also extremely lightweight (30 lbs) and doesn't smack into the side of your leg as you're carrying it.

[Matt Meiser]

Based on what you want to do, the only thing I'd consider is the 25gal model because it has a chance at keeping up with you. I have a 60gal Ingersoll Rand and a 3 gal Harbor Freight. The small compressor struggles to run a 1/2" impact with any torque long enough to do much. I'm sure someone will jump all over the cheap compressor, but impact will burn through the air in the tanks in a few seconds--that has nothing to do with the brand. My impact is a Chicago Pneumatic so its not a cheap one. The impact needs so much air so quick that even hose size affects its operation--I frequently find that I have to get out my big 1/2" hose to run the impact because the 1/4" hose I keep on the reel by the door isn't enough for things like breaking loose rusted bolts on shocks or the blade bolts on my neighbors' mower deck which had probably never been removed.

What air tools do you have now? What do you expect to buy in the next year or too? One thought would be to buy a small inexpensive compressor now and save money for a second, larger compressor better suited to the tools you eventually want. If you buy a portable 110V unit you can keep it for portable use, or if you buy a mid-size roll-around model you can probably get a fair amount back out of it on Craigslist.

My dad had an undersized compressor for about 25 years but painted several cars with it and ran a DA. However someone always had to be stationed by the breaker to shut it off when it didn't want to unload after being worked too hard. Otherwise the motor would overheat and trip, and then you'd have to wait for it to cool down. Eventually he got a huge compressor which works much better and I got his old compressor which worked fine after a little work--until rings no longer sealed and it started pumping oil into the tank. Even then it worked, just had to keep putting oil in it and draining the tank. I doubt today's compressors would survive that kind of beating though.

[Mike Langford]

I think the lowest CFM rating on any DA I've ever seen has been 5 CFM. (a Dynabrade sander is 14 @ 90) So if you held down the trigger on a 5 CFM DA with any of the compressors you've listed........when the DA has depleted the tank,(min or less) the compressor would "kick on" and try to keep the tool running and fill the tank too....with the DA requiring 5 CFM that leaves very little to re-fill the tank....So the compressor would never shut off.....

Impacts and air ratchets are fine if used sporadically. Get yourself a good (electric) Random Orbital Sander (ROS) like a Porter Cable,Makita,DeWalt,etc.(electric die grinder also!)

I don't understand why all the compressor you have listed have such a high PSI shut-offs.....Most air tools operate effectively at 90 psi.
You'd have to regulate the pressure down to keep from shorting the life of your tools.....pressures above 120 psi are useless for anything except maybe blow guns....Could you imagine firing a brad nailer at 175 - 200 psi? :eek:

[Stan Welborn]

I don't understand why all the compressor you have listed have such a high PSI shut-offs.....Most air tools operate effectively at 90 psi.
You'd have to regulate the pressure down to keep from shorting the life of your tools.....pressures above 120 psi are useless for anything except maybe blow guns....Could you imagine firing a brad nailer at 175 - 200 psi? :eek:Higher shut off PSI means more air in the tank as reserve before the compressor has to kick on again.

[Mike Langford]

Higher shut off PSI means more air in the tank as reserve before the compressor has to kick on again.

Higher PSI's just means the pressure in the tank is higher.....
....A 25 gal. tank (i.e.) is only going to hold 25 gal. no mater what the pressure!

[David Weaver]

I rarely buy cheap tools, but I actually got one of the 8 gallon 15 amp compressors that HF was selling for $99 on sale a while ago. I only use a compressor for finishing. I believe it's 5.0 cfm at 90 psi, and max pressure is only 115 psi.

That said, it keeps up with a full size HVLP gun no problem, probably running 2/3rds of the time. It would run nail guns without a sniff of trouble. It would certainly be nice to have a 15cfm 80 gallon compressor that hardly had to run to do the finishing, but I finish something once every 2 weeks to once a month, so it doesn't hurt to put it through its paces.

It's a little bit crude (no more so than a sears type, though), but it's expendable, and I know where I can get another one.

I also never buy insurance deals on new machines, but their policy is $19 gets you another one any time in the next three years if you manage to break it doing anything other than dropping it, so I got that, too.

It is far and away a better machine than my parents' sears unit of the same type, and supplies a whole lot more air (both are labeled as "2hp compressors", which is a bit of a joke I guess as sears has some really odd numbers for horsepower on 110 volt machines).

At some point I will get a real compressor, but in the mean time, I refuse to spend $400 on a 5.5-6.0 cfm 110 vac unit that may not last more than a year. The extra CFM wouldn't do me any good - to take a step up to using all air tools, I'd need another 10 cfm.

If you're close to an HF store, I would recommend it as a first compressor until you figure out whether or not you're going to use a lot of the tools that really require a compressor that can deliver 15 cfm at 90 psi.

It is not quiet like what Per is recommending, but it's not the loudest compressor I've heard either - it isn't one of the oil-free racket makers. I don't have the issues Per does, or I would buy the same as Per recommends - the quietest compressor that would get the job done.

[Dewayne Reding]

Higher PSI's just means the pressure in the tank is higher.....
....A 25 gal. tank (i.e.) is only going to hold 25 gal. no mater what the pressure!

You are both right. 25 gallons of air stored 1t 150PSI is in effect a bit more reserve working capacity than say 25 gallons at 100PSI. We're talking about five or ten seconds, but that can be enough to break a bolt loose with an impact. It don't mean diddly if you are running a DA or any tool that draws excess cfm though. Once the compressor falls behind, shutoff PSI means nothing of course

[Deuce Lee]

Thanks for all the valuable replies...

the thing i liked most of these three compressors is the following:

Porter Cable: 2 stage, 2 cylinder, biggest tank

Makita: Makita's quality of motors, oiled, highest cfm @ 90psi

Dewalt: Lightest and a stand up, highest max psi

What i'll be using it for is for box building for car audio and home audio, working on houses on the side (my old man and i've been building houses, living in them for a couple of years and selling them)...i've also painted a couple of cars on the side and would like to continue that, i also work on car repairs...

all i have right now is a decent sharpe cobalt spray gun, other than that, i don't have any tools right now but i do plan on getting GOOD stuff, i heard a quote on here that says if you buy good stuff, you cry once but you buy cheap and you cry every time you use it...i've known that but that quote really says it! I'm a system's analyst so the money is there, but i still strive to get the best value and also buy quality stuff that will last the long haul...

my old man's got a mid 90's craftsman compressor (not even a professional version) that puts out 7.5 cfm at 90psi and is a 2 cylinder and its still going great! too bad craftsman don't build any anymore...

from what you all are saying, I guess i may end up getting a big water heater compressor in the next 5 or 10 years for the garage...

so out of these three, which one would you get? or please suggest another route or another compressor...

too bad makita doesn't make a 2 cyclinder, oiled, 2 stage, 200psi max, 7cfm, 90lb upright...i'd be happy to pay $500 for it...:p

[Deuce Lee]

To answer what you guys asked:

Supposedly craftsman has a DA that requires 4.5CF at 90psi, but I will probably taking your advices and end up getting an electric DA until I get a bigger compressor…from what I’m seeing, there are also good impacts that make 500ftlbs of torque that uses 5cfm or less at 90psi

Again, I think I may be looking for something more on the lines of better portability right now, and possibly get a big workhorse for the garage in the future…so I don’t think a 40 gallon will work for me right now…

As far as shipping costs go, amazon usually has free shipping and I only shop places that have free shipping, I hate places that have a $350 sticker but another bill for shipping…

Again, I guess I’ll look more into something that may be a little cheaper, easily portable and save up for a big tank down the road…