Help a novice choose an air compressor

[Jimefam]

So my new garage is being built and i am in the process of selecting tools, cabinets etc and next on the list is a good air compressor. I will preface this with saying i know VERY little about air compressors and have been reading up online for a few days only. I currently have a husky 30 gal compressor which is terrible for what i use it for. It is always running and even then cant keep up and its very loud. I work on cars alot and use grinders and other tools that run for a decent amount of time continously. The priority for me is that its QUIET as my garage is unfortunately attached to the home and underneath what is my master bedroom closet. I want something that will last a long time with moderate use and regular maintenance. Prefer as made in the us as possible and want a good warranty in case things go wrong. From what ive read and researched i have it narrowed to two options but that doesnt mean i wont look at other compressors i may have missed in my search if they fit the bill and are within this price range. Here are the two im looking at:

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Quincy-4152002723-Air-Compressor/p10831.html

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Chicago-Pneumatic-QRS3.0HP-1-Air-Compressor/p2020.html

From what i have seen on here and other sites quincy seems to be a quality brand and i have seen the name chicago pneumatic many times although i am not familiar with their reputation with air compressors. Based on this site it seems they have some decent reviews and both are rated similarly in terms of noise. The chicago pneumatic ones SEEMS to have half the cfm amd power but more then twice the warranty. I say seems because i see one says cfm and the other acfm which leads me to believe there is some marketing at play. So what do the GJ experts think?

 

[1950mercury]

Do a search this question gets asked probably once a month

 

[Jimefam]

Do a search this question gets asked probably once a month

Thanks for that suggestion. Believe it or not i actually searched quite a bit for user experiences with either of these models or something similar and didnt find anything. And zero on whether chicago pneumatic compressors are any good. I am not posting some vague question about which compressor is the best one with no qualifying info ive narrowed it down to two models for which i was hoping to get real user insights and/or recommendations. I have been a user on here 2.5 years and this is my third post so i dont exactly post up every query i have.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Those compressors seem like overkill from what you described for your needs.

If you are a one man shop what are the CFM requirements of your "biggest" tool (not size wise, but CFM wise). Sand blaster, sanders, die grinders tend to need a lot of air.

If quiet is your primary concern, I would check into a California Air 15020C or a California Air 1740. Both have kind of small tanks, but the 1740 pumps almost 11 CFM at 90 PSI which is pretty darn good ! These are the quietest air compressors on the market. They even make a version for dentist offices that is "silent".

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Of the two, I'd go Quincy. But....

First, you aren't comparing apples to apples here since the CP is 3hp and the Quincy is 5hp. The ad for the CP is kinda screwy as well, since it states it is 230V/1PH, then goes on to say it is tri-voltage capable. Perhaps it means it can run 200/208/220, or 208/220/230 or some such combo. It says 8.5cfm @ 40psi in the box, then 8.5cfm @ 150psi in the print. It seems an awful lot of money for 3hp worth of air. No way in HELL this is going to do diddly-squat for a body shop, despite what the ad says. 3hp is 3hp, end of story.

I have limited experience with the small Quincy encapsulated screws. I do know they use the same airend for several hp ranges, and at the top of the line the screws are turning over 10,000rpm. The few I worked on didn't leave me too impressed, but then they were probably not well looked after either. I would guess they are all built to a price point at this end of the market.

For both machines, it seems you are on the hook for a service fee or bound to use factory only parts to get the warranty. Find out the total cost, since these, especially branded lubes, are often major profit makers for the companies. Quincy is usually a stand-up company, and so is CP I would hazard to guess, just get the total costs nailed down so you don't end up with a nasty surprise (like the brokerage fee I just got from UPS...). I don't know for sure, but I would not be surprised if the CP used a European screw set, maybe a Bauer or Boge.

Having said all of that, if I were personally set on a screw compressor in this HP range, I would go with a Kaeser, if there was a dealer nearby, simply because I am familiar with them and they have proven to be reliable in the installations I have seen them in. They were quiet and pretty energy efficient.

In my own personal opinion.....there is no good reason to spend this much money on a machine in this class unless you are looking for something with an absolute 100% duty cycle. Despite what the ads say, there certainly ARE wearing parts in a screw compressor, otherwise 99% of the compressor techs would be out of business. They will need bearings in the air end by 30,000-50,000hrs, which probably won't be an issue for home use, but they do wear out eventually. You can count on regular oil, filter, separator and belt maintenance, granted, on a much more stretched out time frame than a commercial installation. You can also forget getting oil free air without some decent filtration on your system. Oil free screws are either screaming, hot, bazillion rpm bull-gear driven monstrosities or stainless steel, water-flooded mega buck special order units well out of the price range of anything but a serious commercial concern. Screws are also not well suited to stop start operation. They like to run and get up to operating temperature and stay there. Unlike a recip, the inlet air mixes with the lubrication by design. Hence, any water vapour in the air will mix with the lube. You need a steady operating temperature of at least 180F to keep it pushing the moisture out of the oil and inner workings of the machinery. I have seen lots of screws drop water out of the separator tanks when I was changing oil in them. Worse still, if they were kept in a cold space, there was often a chunk of ice sitting in the bottom of the tank preventing any oil drainage at all until I ran it for awhile to get it up to temperature. These were lightly, or intermittently used and rarely got hot enough to boil off the water. So if you are not using them to their full potential, you will need to keep up on the maintenance. Screws do not like to start in cold weather. Some even have an interlock to prevent cold weather starting. Oddly enough, they will often overheat when cold, due to the thick oil in the coolers refusing to budge when the thermostat opens and sends the oil to the cooler.

Perhaps they are as quiet as advertised, perhaps not. They are certainly more complex and expensive than an equivalent reciprocating compressor. For the budget you have, you could probably get a top of the line recip, a dryer and some filtration if you shop around. If you are dead set on something other than a recip, you might have a look at a small Hydrovane as well. I'm sure most guys here would envy your budget. If I had the power to run it, I'd probably go for a good 7.5hp piston compressor for the money, and throw in a good dryer and filters as well. Screws do not make more air/hp than a recip. Recips are the most efficient at turning electricity to compressed air.

 

[larry_g]

The problem here with your issue is that rotary screw compressors are not common with the members here. I might suggest that you retitle your query to reflect you have a question on rotary screw compressors to pull in the few who do have this knowledge.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[kazlx]

In all honesty, you can get a killer compressor for about half of those rotaries. I have a (old) Champion and it's really not that loud and doesn't run much. If you haven't been around real, splash lubricated compressors, they are a far cry from what you are used to. Something like this would be half of your budget and probably still far exceed what you would need or expect.

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Quincy-251CP80VCB-Air-Compressor/p856.html

You could still add on a aftercooler and/or refrigerated dryer and tons of other goodies, or go all out on piping, that would benefit you far more than a rotary screw. I run a CNC plasma in my shop and it still doesn't kick on that much. If you really need to, you could build an insulated cabinet with some foam to cut down on the noise even more. My garage is connected to my house, and I have a raised foundation. It's noisier in the house from people walking around than it is when the compressor kicks on. And we have a two year old kid...

FWIW...

 

[Jimefam]

Those compressors seem like overkill from what you described for your needs.

If you are a one man shop what are the CFM requirements of your "biggest" tool (not size wise, but CFM wise). Sand blaster, sanders, die grinders tend to need a lot of air.

If quiet is your primary concern, I would check into a California Air 15020C or a California Air 1740. Both have kind of small tanks, but the 1740 pumps almost 11 CFM at 90 PSI which is pretty darn good ! These are the quietest air compressors on the market. They even make a version for dentist offices that is "silent".

I dont mind overkill to be honest so long as what i want to accomplish i can. Those that you posted are rather small and at 75 decibels would be about twice as loud as the ones i posted.

Of the two, I'd go Quincy. But....

First, you aren't comparing apples to apples here since the CP is 3hp and the Quincy is 5hp. The ad for the CP is kinda screwy as well, since it states it is 230V/1PH, then goes on to say it is tri-voltage capable. Perhaps it means it can run 200/208/220, or 208/220/230 or some such combo. It says 8.5cfm @ 40psi in the box, then 8.5cfm @ 150psi in the print. It seems an awful lot of money for 3hp worth of air. No way in HELL this is going to do diddly-squat for a body shop, despite what the ad says. 3hp is 3hp, end of story.

I have limited experience with the small Quincy encapsulated screws. I do know they use the same airend for several hp ranges, and at the top of the line the screws are turning over 10,000rpm. The few I worked on didn't leave me too impressed, but then they were probably not well looked after either. I would guess they are all built to a price point at this end of the market.

For both machines, it seems you are on the hook for a service fee or bound to use factory only parts to get the warranty. Find out the total cost, since these, especially branded lubes, are often major profit makers for the companies. Quincy is usually a stand-up company, and so is CP I would hazard to guess, just get the total costs nailed down so you don't end up with a nasty surprise (like the brokerage fee I just got from UPS...). I don't know for sure, but I would not be surprised if the CP used a European screw set, maybe a Bauer or Boge.

Having said all of that, if I were personally set on a screw compressor in this HP range, I would go with a Kaeser, if there was a dealer nearby, simply because I am familiar with them and they have proven to be reliable in the installations I have seen them in. They were quiet and pretty energy efficient.

In my own personal opinion.....there is no good reason to spend this much money on a machine in this class unless you are looking for something with an absolute 100% duty cycle. Despite what the ads say, there certainly ARE wearing parts in a screw compressor, otherwise 99% of the compressor techs would be out of business. They will need bearings in the air end by 30,000-50,000hrs, which probably won't be an issue for home use, but they do wear out eventually. You can count on regular oil, filter, separator and belt maintenance, granted, on a much more stretched out time frame than a commercial installation. You can also forget getting oil free air without some decent filtration on your system. Oil free screws are either screaming, hot, bazillion rpm bull-gear driven monstrosities or stainless steel, water-flooded mega buck special order units well out of the price range of anything but a serious commercial concern. Screws are also not well suited to stop start operation. They like to run and get up to operating temperature and stay there. Unlike a recip, the inlet air mixes with the lubrication by design. Hence, any water vapour in the air will mix with the lube. You need a steady operating temperature of at least 180F to keep it pushing the moisture out of the oil and inner workings of the machinery. I have seen lots of screws drop water out of the separator tanks when I was changing oil in them. Worse still, if they were kept in a cold space, there was often a chunk of ice sitting in the bottom of the tank preventing any oil drainage at all until I ran it for awhile to get it up to temperature. These were lightly, or intermittently used and rarely got hot enough to boil off the water. So if you are not using them to their full potential, you will need to keep up on the maintenance. Screws do not like to start in cold weather. Some even have an interlock to prevent cold weather starting. Oddly enough, they will often overheat when cold, due to the thick oil in the coolers refusing to budge when the thermostat opens and sends the oil to the cooler.

Perhaps they are as quiet as advertised, perhaps not. They are certainly more complex and expensive than an equivalent reciprocating compressor. For the budget you have, you could probably get a top of the line recip, a dryer and some filtration if you shop around. If you are dead set on something other than a recip, you might have a look at a small Hydrovane as well. I'm sure most guys here would envy your budget. If I had the power to run it, I'd probably go for a good 7.5hp piston compressor for the money, and throw in a good dryer and filters as well. Screws do not make more air/hp than a recip. Recips are the most efficient at turning electricity to compressed air.

Some terrific information here! To be honest i was looking for rotary screws because i had read that they are substantially quieter then reciprocating units. Sure the airflow and hp aren't any better then a piston version but i was willing to spend the coin for what i perceived to be a quieter longer lasting unit. However from what you are saying it would seem a screw definitely isnt for me as it will go days or weeks without being used then will run a bunch for days or a week then not again etc. The garage will be climate controlled to keep it between 65 and 80 year round but if being idle for long periods isnt conducive to longevity then it wouldn't work for me.

In all honesty, you can get a killer compressor for about half of those rotaries. I have a (old) Champion and it's really not that loud and doesn't run much. If you haven't been around real, splash lubricated compressors, they are a far cry from what you are used to. Something like this would be half of your budget and probably still far exceed what you would need or expect.

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Quincy-251CP80VCB-Air-Compressor/p856.html

You could still add on a aftercooler and/or refrigerated dryer and tons of other goodies, or go all out on piping, that would benefit you far more than a rotary screw. I run a CNC plasma in my shop and it still doesn't kick on that much. If you really need to, you could build an insulated cabinet with some foam to cut down on the noise even more. My garage is connected to my house, and I have a raised foundation. It's noisier in the house from people walking around than it is when the compressor kicks on. And we have a two year old kid...

FWIW...

Will definitely try and see if a few can go visit a of my buddies with shops around here and see what they got and how loud it is before making a decision. It sounds like i am being extremely picky i know but this:

http://m.sears.com/craftsman-33-gal...001&kpid=00916572000&pla=&kispla=00916572000P

Is currently what i have and to be honest i never run it as i get super annoyed by the noise it makes and how often it comes on. Priorities would look something like this for me:

1. Noise level
2. Reliability
3. CFM
4. PSI
5. Cost

I dont have a big budget for the garage but on an item like this that i expect to never have to buy again i am willing to spend up to 5k to make sure i can get what i need. If i can accomplish that with 2k that would be terrific as 5k is a super stretch but i rather make sure i get the best fit for me then save some stuff. So will try and see what you recommended run in real life. If its quiet enough then i agree the rest of the specs are more then i need. Thanks for the feedback so far guys.

 

[Keyrick]

The one you have is of an Oil-Free design. All Oil-Free units that I have seen, including the smaller pancake units, are stupid loud. A Piston type compressor is much quieter than any Oil-Free design. Check out some local repair shops and ask to listen to their compressors and you will see what I mean.

I couldn't stand the noise level from that unit either.

Good luck.

 

[PT Doc]

Get a 5hp 80 gallon Quincy and don't look back. Build a compressor closet and save the bucks. Those you linked to take up quite a bit of floor space.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

A good Champion, Saylor Beall, Quincy QR series, Curtis Masterline, DeVair (DV Systems, HDI), Jenny (formerly Emglo), or Kellogg would be an excellent choice. These are all top of the line units that will outlast you.

A Champion is often the sweet spot in terms of quality, price, noise and longevity. They have iron liners in an aluminum block, so they run pretty cool, yet still have individually removable poppet style valves, good filtration and are built to last. The cylinder head and block is one unit, so there are no gaskets to blow or leak. You can get them in pressure lube as well. Saylor Beall can also be had in pressure lube, every single model down to the smallest single cylinder pump they make. Quincy QR is, in my mind, top of the heap, but they are spendy. You will simply not find a better compressor. Only a Leroi-Dresser pressure lube compares, and they don't make those anymore as far as I can tell.

These are premium units, so don't expect them to be cheap, but they will still be cheaper than the screws.

 

[shampoop]

The one you have is of an Oil-Free design. All Oil-Free units that I have seen, including the smaller pancake units, are stupid loud.

Build a compressor closet and save the bucks.

Good info here. Other than those California air tools compressors, all oil free compressors are insanely loud. Seriously crazy loud. Standard good quality Belt driven oil lubricated compressors really aren't very loud, they are certainly many times quieter than the oil free versions. An if you build it in a quiet enclosure, or maybe build a small shed for it outside of your shop and plumb air into it, it would make it even quieter. I'd definitely find a nice belt drive oil lube compressor and listen to how loud it is before you make your decision. Older compressors without the intake air filter silencers are going to be louder than newer models with the screw on filters.

Those rotary screw ones really do seem to be designed for businesses that need a lot of air, 8+ hours a day, every day. I remember one in a tire shop I worked at, was probably about as loud as my standard belt driven oil lube piston compressor. Or actually might have actually been significantly louder, it was a long time ago, and it was located in a back room far away from everything.

 

[Jimefam]

Based on everyones recommendations that a rotary screw isnt ideal for my purposes i found this machine last night:

http://www.cp.com/usen/whatwedo/us-stationarycompressors/pistoncompressors/qp.aspx

Seems to fit the bill as far as whats been mentioned here with 7.5HP and an 80 gallon tank but also comes with an enclosure designed to keep noise down to a reasonable level. Best part is i found it online with what they call a "full package" for 3k which is a very nice savings over what i was previously looking at. What is the general opinion on chicago pneumatic?

 

[yaidunno]

Based on everyones recommendations that a rotary screw isnt ideal for my purposes i found this machine last night:

http://www.cp.com/usen/whatwedo/us-stationarycompressors/pistoncompressors/qp.aspx

Seems to fit the bill as far as whats been mentioned here with 7.5HP and an 80 gallon tank but also comes with an enclosure designed to keep noise down to a reasonable level. Best part is i found it online with what they call a "full package" for 3k which is a very nice savings over what i was previously looking at. What is the general opinion on chicago pneumatic?

I would be interested to know how they handle the heat from the compressor.

This is the best advice so far, in my opinion

A good Champion, Saylor Beall, Quincy QR series, Curtis Masterline, DeVair (DV Systems, HDI), Jenny (formerly Emglo), or Kellogg would be an excellent choice. These are all top of the line units that will outlast you.

Find yourself a slow turning, industrial air compressor. It will have a quality Baldor or equivalent motor, and efficiently do its task while remaining fairly quiet. I am curious that you seem to have no complaints over the loud sanders and grinders you use, but the compressor bothers you? I know certain noises bother certain folks, so i'm just genuinely interested. My true 5 hp Champion compressor sounds nothing like "5 hp" Puma it replaced. Its a much lower tone, and slower RPM, yet fills an 80 gallon tank faster than the 60 on the Puma. I quite enjoy hearing it run to be honest.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

Those quiet CP compressors you linked seems to be very similar to their normal compressors with a shroud over it to keep it quiet. As long as the air compressor will go in a temperature controlled area, I would think it would be fine.

 

[kazlx]

I had a very similar (basically an older version) of the Craftsman that you linked to. They are just stupid loud. My 80 gal Champion is considerably quieter. If you could build a small closet or something, it would insulate the sound even more. I think most of the noise actually comes from the intake.

If you plan on having air available all the time, I guarantee any air tools you would use would be quite a bit louder than the compressor. Granted, it's not a church mouse, but the larger, splash-oiled units turn quite a bit slower and just don't have that high pitched screech like the type that you linked to.

 

[stonesfan68]

I've been in the air compressor business for 22-years. Here's my advice:

Don't buy a rotary compressor unless it will be used (loaded) for 6-8 hours per day. You'll have trouble with keeping water out of your coolant if you don't keep it hot.

Don't buy from aircompressorsdirect.com, or any other dot com for that matter. Sure, they have cheap prices. But guess what? They don't service what they sell. When you need service (and you will need service) the dot com will send you to the local distributor. The local distributor will treat you like a red-headed step-child because you chose to save a few bucks on the purchase price.

Buy a reciprocating compressor and a big Solberg silencer, and install the machine on rubber vibration pads and use a stainless steel flex hose to connect it to your system. Pipe the inlet filter outside or up high to keep the noise level as low as possible.

Buy the machine with an after-cooler and get a price on a filter and refrigerated air dryer, or get the local distributor to price up the machine without the after-cooler and a high-inlet temperature dryer. (Sometimes you can save money buying the hi-temperature dryer.)

Use aluminum piping for the pipe distribution. It is light-weight and easy to install, and the compressor fittings don't leak. Use galvanized piping if you like to thread pie and lift weights. Use copper if you like to spend lots of money and solder fittings.

Quincy and Chicago Pneumatic are both owned by Atlas Copco, one of the largest compressor manufacturers in the world. You'll be happy with a reciprocating machine from either brand, or use an Ingersoll-Rand. The slower turning the compressor, the better.

Good luck.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Based on everyones recommendations that a rotary screw isnt ideal for my purposes i found this machine last night:

http://www.cp.com/usen/whatwedo/us-stationarycompressors/pistoncompressors/qp.aspx

Seems to fit the bill as far as whats been mentioned here with 7.5HP and an 80 gallon tank but also comes with an enclosure designed to keep noise down to a reasonable level. Best part is i found it online with what they call a "full package" for 3k which is a very nice savings over what i was previously looking at. What is the general opinion on chicago pneumatic?

I'm not a fan of those CP units. The cheap ones use ABAC aluminum pumps, which are mostly junk, and the cast-iron ones are the same cheap Chinese Saylor beall knockoffs Eaton (amongst many, many others) use. Stick with the other name brands I suggested and you will get a good machine. I used to like IR, but they have cheapened out a lot over the last 15 years or so.

 

[Jimefam]

Thanks guys for all the info was definitely worth posting this question as not much info was out there for rotary screws and i may have had a costly mistake on my hands.

I would be interested to know how they handle the heat from the compressor.

This is the best advice so far, in my opinion



Find yourself a slow turning, industrial air compressor. It will have a quality Baldor or equivalent motor, and efficiently do its task while remaining fairly quiet. I am curious that you seem to have no complaints over the loud sanders and grinders you use, but the compressor bothers you? I know certain noises bother certain folks, so i'm just genuinely interested. My true 5 hp Champion compressor sounds nothing like "5 hp" Puma it replaced. Its a much lower tone, and slower RPM, yet fills an 80 gallon tank faster than the 60 on the Puma. I quite enjoy hearing it run to be honest.

Lol do you know how to make grinding or cut off wheels any quieter? I am trying to control what i can plus most of the time i use the air for mechanical work or other things that arent too terrible.

I've been in the air compressor business for 22-years. Here's my advice:

Don't buy a rotary compressor unless it will be used (loaded) for 6-8 hours per day. You'll have trouble with keeping water out of your coolant if you don't keep it hot.

Don't buy from aircompressorsdirect.com, or any other dot com for that matter. Sure, they have cheap prices. But guess what? They don't service what they sell. When you need service (and you will need service) the dot com will send you to the local distributor. The local distributor will treat you like a red-headed step-child because you chose to save a few bucks on the purchase price.

Buy a reciprocating compressor and a big Solberg silencer, and install the machine on rubber vibration pads and use a stainless steel flex hose to connect it to your system. Pipe the inlet filter outside or up high to keep the noise level as low as possible.

Buy the machine with an after-cooler and get a price on a filter and refrigerated air dryer, or get the local distributor to price up the machine without the after-cooler and a high-inlet temperature dryer. (Sometimes you can save money buying the hi-temperature dryer.)

Use aluminum piping for the pipe distribution. It is light-weight and easy to install, and the compressor fittings don't leak. Use galvanized piping if you like to thread pie and lift weights. Use copper if you like to spend lots of money and solder fittings.

Quincy and Chicago Pneumatic are both owned by Atlas Copco, one of the largest compressor manufacturers in the world. You'll be happy with a reciprocating machine from either brand, or use an Ingersoll-Rand. The slower turning the compressor, the better.

Good luck.

I'm not a fan of those CP units. The cheap ones use ABAC aluminum pumps, which are mostly junk, and the cast-iron ones are the same cheap Chinese Saylor beall knockoffs Eaton (amongst many, many others) use. Stick with the other name brands I suggested and you will get a good machine. I used to like IR, but they have cheapened out a lot over the last 15 years or so.

Excellent advice. To be honest i liked the CP because i had heard the name alot and assumed they were good as well as the fact their colors go very well with the decor in my garage . However i saw these two units today which i found interesting and both at a better price then i initially thought i was going to have to pay. I assume either of these two are units people would consider quality pieces, i see on saylor bealls website they claim 100% made in the USA which is a very nice thing if true i also like the 120gal tank.

http://www.championpneumatic.com/products/reciprocating_compressors/lubricated/evolution/?n=490

http://www.paxontool.com/SAYLOR-BEALLVT-735-1202-Stage5hp120Gal705Pump1-PHASEWithMa.aspx

 

[zable9]

I've been in the air compressor business for 22-years. Here's my advice:

Don't buy a rotary compressor unless it will be used (loaded) for 6-8 hours per day. You'll have trouble with keeping water out of your coolant if you don't keep it hot.

Don't buy from aircompressorsdirect.com, or any other dot com for that matter. Sure, they have cheap prices. But guess what? They don't service what they sell. When you need service (and you will need service) the dot com will send you to the local distributor. The local distributor will treat you like a red-headed step-child because you chose to save a few bucks on the purchase price.

Buy a reciprocating compressor and a big Solberg silencer, and install the machine on rubber vibration pads and use a stainless steel flex hose to connect it to your system. Pipe the inlet filter outside or up high to keep the noise level as low as possible.

Buy the machine with an after-cooler and get a price on a filter and refrigerated air dryer, or get the local distributor to price up the machine without the after-cooler and a high-inlet temperature dryer. (Sometimes you can save money buying the hi-temperature dryer.)

Use aluminum piping for the pipe distribution. It is light-weight and easy to install, and the compressor fittings don't leak. Use galvanized piping if you like to thread pie and lift weights. Use copper if you like to spend lots of money and solder fittings.

Quincy and Chicago Pneumatic are both owned by Atlas Copco, one of the largest compressor manufacturers in the world. You'll be happy with a reciprocating machine from either brand, or use an Ingersoll-Rand. The slower turning the compressor, the better.

Good luck.

Thx for the share

 

[zable9]

A good Champion, Saylor Beall, Quincy QR series, Curtis Masterline, DeVair (DV Systems, HDI), Jenny (formerly Emglo), or Kellogg would be an excellent choice. These are all top of the line units that will outlast you.

A Champion is often the sweet spot in terms of quality, price, noise and longevity. They have iron liners in an aluminum block, so they run pretty cool, yet still have individually removable poppet style valves, good filtration and are built to last. The cylinder head and block is one unit, so there are no gaskets to blow or leak. You can get them in pressure lube as well. Saylor Beall can also be had in pressure lube, every single model down to the smallest single cylinder pump they make. Quincy QR is, in my mind, top of the heap, but they are spendy. You will simply not find a better compressor. Only a Leroi-Dresser pressure lube compares, and they don't make those anymore as far as I can tell.

These are premium units, so don't expect them to be cheap, but they will still be cheaper than the screws.

Thx for the share

 

[The DIY Hubby]

If noise is a big issue, I would recommend that you look at California air tools. I have researched hundreds of <a href="http://www.thediyhubby.com/air-compressor-reviews/">specifications and tests</a> on air compressors and CAT compressors always seem to have the lowest db ratings. Some as low as 60db.

 

[doojus]

^CAT doesn't make anything near big enough for what OP is looking for.

Here you go, OP:

http://www.tptools.com/Champion-5HP-2-Stage-80-Gal-Air-Compressor,6253.html?b=d*8066

http://www.tptools.com/Champion-75HP-2-Stage-80-Gal-Air-Compressor,805.html?b=d*8066

That has an intercooler, aftercooler, automatic drain valve, low oil shut off. I have the 5 HP version in an attached garage, when it runs when I'm in the house it just sounds like someone is running a car outside somewhere, not loud or annoying at all.

If you want to spend a little bit more you can get a pressure lubricated version:

http://www.tptools.com/Champion-PL-Series-Pressure-Lubricated-Compressors,3269.html?b=d*8067



IMO, given that you buy the correct size to start with, both of these are "buy once for a lifetime" compressors.


The rotary compressors you linked are very nice, and in fact I thought about buying one, but I think for a home shop they're overkill. If you don't run them enough the condensation builds up in the oil which can affect the pump. From what I understand most people turn them on in the morning when they need air and leave them on all day, then turn them off when they don't need air. It's not like a regular reciprocating compressor where it just turns on when air in the tank gets below a certain PSI.

 

[72Anthony]

BelAire also makes piston compressors with a noise shroud (they have a fan to circulate air, a high temperature shutdown, and aftercooler).

http://www.belairecompressors.com/p_qp-quiet-performance.html

 

[almac]

figure out what tools you will be running and buy a compressor with a CFM large enough to support them. if you're sandblasting or painting, you'll need something around 10CFM.
if you just need something for light duty use like occasional use of an air ratchet, you can get away with 4cfm.
stick to mainstream brand names, try to avoid imported if you can.
I currently own a small 4cfm unit which works fine for my infrequent use, but I currently have no plans to paint or sandblast.

 

[engineer2]

Very good posts on shop and small industrial units. Any recs for home use in the range of 5 to 11 cfm @90 psi? I'm OK with oil or oil-free. Looking to spend under $500.

 

[JPH]

Hi - my wife and I own C-Aire Compressors based in Dresser, WI (formerly, Wyoming, MN). I just joined this forum and it is interesting reading everyone's thoughts on compressors.

We just announced to our dealers a phenomenal price on our 5HP 2 stage piston unit on a 60 gallon tank. (Part # A050V060-1230). This would probably be a good fit for your needs. Also, we run this puppy at a very slow 755 RPM, so it is very quiet (for a compressor anyway.) Our pumps are extremely well built and will almost last forever.

If you want to reach out to me offline, I would be happy to answer any questions and put you in touch with a dealer. Since I am new here, I would offer you a money back guarantee if you don't like the compressor. (I know you would love it.)

Good luck!

Jason

 

[engineer2]

And what price are those C-Aire Compressors?

 

[MacMcMacmac]

I'd buy a Champion over a 2 stage Fu Sheng running a 3450rpm motor any day of the week.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I think you best answer is get a good quality "standard" compressor (Quincy, etc) and build an outside compressor building. About a 5x5x6" concrete pad. 2x6 walls and a standard with a gable roof. Leave a 6" gap just above the bottom plat and below the top plate. Cover the open area with 1/8" galvanized hardware cloth. Pack the walls and roof with 6" of mineral wool.

Mount the compressor on 1" rubber blocks.

This will be the quietest solution and probably more cost effective than a lot of the other choices.

 

[JPH]

And what price are those C-Aire Compressors?

The C-Aire A050V060-1230 is sold online for $1399, but a number of our dealers in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota will be selling it at a promotional price of $1199 very soon. We don't sell as many of these as our 7.5HP unit and we are trying to get more of them out there. We sell a lot of compressors by word of mouth because our units run slow and are pretty quiet. So, when people show their friends they usually want to get one too.

Jason

 

[engineer2]

An outside compressor building won't work in an urban or suburban settings, in freezing climates (unless you heat it), or in towns with strict building codes. An indoor compressor room with insulated walls would work better.

At home I put my oil-free in the basement and piped it to the garage. That way my hearing doesn't suffer, but the rest of the family is going deaf. Only issue is when you forget to shut it off it and wakes you up at 2am.