Need air compressor recommendation

[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 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 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!

1. Campbell Hausfeld, VT 6271: 3 hp, 26 gall, 11.5 CFM at 40 psi, 3 yr warranty, $630.
2. Industrial Air, ILA 1883054: 1.9 hp, 30 gall, 7 CFM at 40 psi, 2 yr warranty, $549.
3. Chicago Pneumatic, RCP-226VP: 2 hp, 26 gall, 8.3 CFM at 40 psi, 1 yr warranty, $680.
4. 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