Curtis Horizontal air compressor

[maralibis]

Hi Everyone,
I just found this on Craigslist and know nothing about Curtis air compressors
it's not wired so immediately it's buyer beware for the purchase.

He's asking $300 will cost me $100 to get it home is this worth investing in?

Thanks in Advance
Mike

 

[The Cobbler]

are they 3 phase motors ?

 

[maralibis]

Yes at least that's what the post says

Curtis air compressor. 60 gallon, 150 psi, 220 3 phase. Heavy duty. 2 motors, 2 pumps and 2 pressure switches can be set up at different pressures to stagger on/off. Good shape, but needs wired up. $300.

 

[DAVE VAN]

I have that same compressor except mine has 1 motor and pump.Curtis is a very good compressor that has given me 10+ years of service. $300 is a steal if you have 3 phase power or you can replace the motors with 5 HP 220V single phase motors. You could probably just run one compressor and keep the other on for a spare. Buy it!

 

[The Cobbler]

it looks like a deal if you have 3 phase power available. new single phase 5hp motor will run minimum a couple hundred

 

[coljar]

I have a Curtis vertical in the back room. I'd buy that sucker in a heart beat if it was me.

 

[maralibis]

I'm actually ready to run conduit to my breaker box for an air compressor it's been on the project list for 3 years and this is the summer I'm getting an air compressor.

So this 3 phase power something a standard breaker box can handle?

 

[AE2]

I have that compressor but only one motor. Mine used to run an hvac system and the sticker on that one says it did too. Mine was preset for like 70lbs and the pressure switch was tough to adjust above that. Once I got that figured out it’s been a good compressor. Pretty quiet for what it is too.

 

[The Cobbler]

So this 3 phase power something a standard breaker box can handle?

3 phase power is not in residential settings , it's more of commercial/industrial thing.

 

[Bert_]

I'm actually ready to run conduit to my breaker box for an air compressor it's been on the project list for 3 years and this is the summer I'm getting an air compressor.

So this 3 phase power something a standard breaker box can handle?

If your just in a normal residential garage then you almost certainly don't have 3 phase. 3 phase = 3 hot wires. Common in industrial and commercial buildings not in residential.

You will either have to replace the motors with single phase motors or there are some options to run a 3 phase motor from a single phase service, do a little searching on here, but you could spend $1000 pretty easy getting that set up to run on single phase.

 

[maralibis]

Ok I understand now about 3phase thanks ....so I wont jump on this all at once looks like getting a new 220v single phase would be the right answer ...Hmmmm and this will be a residential garage compressor for light car work and whatever broken junk my wife will let me drag home

So putting some research into this ....I'll start pricing a motor

 

[OccupantRJ]

Baldor 5 hp single phase can be had new for $350.

 

[Citation]

For $400+new motors this doesn't seem like a deal to me. For the OP's stated home use this seems like a bad idea. First, it's a climate control system for use in building HVAC control systems. The tank is only 60 gallons, the same size you can get for $400-500 at your local HD etc. A horizontal tank takes up a lot of space compared to a vertical setup. That's only a single stage compressor and I wouldn't be surprised if the flow rates are low given the size of the pumps. As a climate control system they have two pumps for redundancy, not flow.

In the end this looks like a lot of money for something that won't deliver more than a more typical used 80 gallon shop type air compressor.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

That's an old compressor for pneumatic HVAC controls. They do not develop much pressure and have low volume rates. They run 24/7 and don't get very good maintenance. I'd pass unless you want to rebuild it...

Tommy

 

[FTG-05]

Plus it appears to be missing some pump parts: Do I not see three open holes on the pumps, one left, two on the right? Is that for more air cleaners or something else?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Plus it appears to be missing some pump parts: Do I not see three open holes on the pumps, one left, two on the right? Is that for more air cleaners or something else?

It's just missing the air filters, but the left pump oil level sight glass looks REALLY milky...

Tommy

 

[southalabama]

Dad has a Curtis. Built like a tank.

 

[marinusdees]

it looks like a deal if you have 3 phase power available. new single phase 5hp motor will run minimum a couple hundred

It's a deal if you do or don't have 3 phase power available. You can watch for single phase motors on ebay, and have a quality compressor even with only one head operable. Unless you are running a commercial shop with insane air requirements, one 5 hp Curtis head will satisfy your needs. Curtis is still in business, and parts are available, but prices are high and non-negotiable. They are in the midwest, St Louis maybe. I have a Curtis single phase 5 hp and it is an air monster. Unless you have a heavy- duty wired shop, and you want both compressor heads operable, you will need to jury rig a time delay so that both motors are not trying to start simultaneously.
Good luck!!

 

[maralibis]

Thanks everyone

seeing this is utility compressor for an HVAC system I'm passing, I think a 60 Gallon vertical is still my chosen choice.

Sure learned a lot for my future compressor thanks

 

[FTG-05]

It's just missing the air filters, but the left pump oil level sight glass looks REALLY milky...

Tommy

Good catch with the oil sight glass, I didn't notice it!

 

[Worsedog]

That's an old compressor for pneumatic HVAC controls. They do not develop much pressure and have low volume rates. They run 24/7 and don't get very good maintenance. I'd pass unless you want to rebuild it...

Tommy

It's just missing the air filters, but the left pump oil level sight glass looks REALLY milky...

Tommy

ALL of this.