Battle of the low cost ($400) 60-gallon 240v compressors -- help me decide

[simonac]

funny the same husky 60 gallons compressor here is 649 at hd.... we are getting srewed here.....

 

[GregJW]

I looked at the US General. It seemed like a sturdy built compressor. The pump appeared 100% cast iron (more quiet and better cooled). And the specs are top performing.

Not sure about reliability.
Not sure if the specs can be trusted. Maybe specs are just marketing?

After doing some searches, the US General might be a BelAire 6061V with a M182711 motor and B3800 pump. Can anyone confirm or deny?

Jake

I bought one a few years back. Love it. Works great. 12.9cfm @ 90psi to run my blast cabinet, more than Home Depots, Lowes, or Craftsman. They sell for $499, but you can often find them for $399, and take in a 20% off coupon, its about $320! Cant beat it!

 

[vtjballeng]

I am in the market and only need about 10 scfm @ 90psi. I am upgrading from an oil free 30 gallon sears which only does around 6 scfm @ 90psi and I don't need much more airflow. The biggest issue by far is noise. I'd like to avoid building a cabinet enclosure but still want to use the phone in my shop and already have hearing loss.

I see many people stating the two-stage compressors are quieter but I can't find hard data to back it up. I am interested in the quietest air compressor available under $1k (unfortunately this eliminates rotary screw compressors). Space is an issue as well so I can't use a 100 gallon horizontal compressor in my shop were I to find one on craigslist.

The primary candidates are:
Porter & Cable C7501 - product listing states 76 db but does not state RPM
http://www.deltaportercable.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=21767

CH VT6275 at Lowes, cheap but RPM and db level unkown

CH/Husky VT6314 at HD, cheap and low RPM... is it as quiet as the P&C C7501?

Any other compressor under $1k (the cheaper the better) with quiet operation as a specific goal / feature....

I know some of these compressors have their db level on the sticker at the store, how about that Husky you got Jack? Is it the VT6314 and how does it compare to the standard db charts?

http://www.esoundproof.com/Screens/Basics/Academy/Sound Measurement/Decibels/dBChart.aspx

It is amazing to me that more companies aren't certifying their compressors to ISO 3744 standards as I am sure lots of small businesses buy these compressors and in theory are supposed to comply with OSHA regs that these compressors are right on the edge of. Porter and Cable seems to be the best about listing the noise levels online but they have less than 50% of the compressors listed with the dba level.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Over the years I have had a couple of entry level consumer grade 60 gallon single stage compressors. As have several of my friends. Just a bit disappointed. This time around I got an Igersol-Rand at Tractor Supply. It was a dent and scratch and they marked it down big time. I was more concerned this time with longevity than price. We will see if the extra bucks I put out were worth it.

 

[993James993]

You need this 60 gallon unit:

http://www.saylor-beall.com/air_compressors/tank_mounted_vertical.php

Somehow I don't think that this unit is in the $400 price range. Does anyone know how much these go for?

 

[Tom2]

I bought one a few years back. Love it. Works great. 12.9cfm @ 90psi to run my blast cabinet, more than Home Depots, Lowes, or Craftsman. They sell for $499, but you can often find them for $399, and take in a 20% off coupon, its about $320! Cant beat it!

They have this for $399 at my HF. not on the website though.
They had 2 of them. One was refurbished, one was new.. but I think the price was the same for either of them.. That being the case, I would take the new one.


How well does it work with your blast cabinet?

I was just in HF and looking at one.. I'm struggling to decide if I want that one, or the Husky from Lowes that's 10.2CFM for $400.


Does that 2-3CFM make a big difference?

How loud is it?


I'd like the big 2 stage for $850..but that's quite a price jump. They're around 15cfm.
The Husky HD version is over $1000. Well out of my range. A local store has some in stock. I might call up a manager there and see if they want to really move one. Theirs a $750 refurbished one on the site - but shipping is like $400. Maybe if a manager could sell me one off the floor for that price..I'd probably go for it. Edit: Just called. No dice.

I have $400 worth of store credit at HD, so I'd like to go that route...but if the CFM is that much better on the US General, maybe I'll go with it.

I plan to be able to use a 20% HF coupon at HD or HF.

I'm having such a hard time making a decision! Been researching nonstop for days. Will take any help or advice I can get. Want to pull the trigger today or tomorrow.

 

[jnt412]

As my quest for finding a compressor has come to an end. I credit this thread for giving me valuable information in my decision making. This past weekend I purchased a CH-VT6275 Compressor from Lowes. My original plan was to purchase the 30 Gallon Husky from HD for $379. For just $20 more, I then decided on the 60 Gallon Husky for $399 (VT6314 - same as VT6275 from Lowes).

I noticed that Lowes will match any competitors price and beat it by 10%. I printed everything out and headed to the local Lowes and presented the manager with sale copies of the Husky and Tractor Supply Co. VT6335, also for $399. They matched the TSC price and took off an additional 10%. The price of the Lowes VT6275 dropped from $439 to $360, which is still cheaper than the 30 Galloon Husky I was orginally looking at..

Hope this helps anyone in the market for a compressor...

 

[gandyj]

When I bought my 60 gallon Husky a couple of weeks ago I tried to get Lowes to match Home Depots price. They said because the part numbers were different they wouldn't do it, so Lowes lost out on that one. Home Depot gave it to me for the on-line price of 375.00.

 

[1Garageman]

Well, I wrapped my search up -- more out of convenience than anything else. The Kobalts are discontinued, and I couldn't locate any in California. That left the Campbell Hausfeld variants at Lowes, Home Depot or Tractor Supply -- and the Harbor Freight $400 model.

On Monday, I had to go pick up 2000 pounds of used cabinets I bought. U-Haul kills you on mileage charges and often doesn't have the truck they promise you. So I thought about it, and realized a place like Home Depot rents trucks motivated less by profit on the rental than by the fact that a truck makes it easier to contemplate buying one of their oversized items.

So I went down to Home Depot to simply rent their truck (no mileage charges at all, and $19 for the first hour and a quarter). I brought with me a Harbor Freight 20% off coupon, and figured I could either drive the Home Depot truck to a Harbor Freight and use the coupon there, or find out if my local Home Depot would take Harbor Freight's coupon. As it happened, they did. So I got $80 off the $399 compressor, and then used that truck to bring the compressor home and also to pick up the big cabinets.

Like the Kobalt, the Harbor Freight's 60-gallon model specs are slightly better than the Campbell Hausfeld (re-labeled as Husky Pro), but the Husky Pro has a 4 year warranty. The motor on mine is a Marathon, out of Wasau Wisconsin.

The cabinets are Strong Hold, also out of Wisconsin. It's difficult to describe how hard it was for one 160-pound guy to get 800-pound cabinets off of a dock-height truck bed with nothing but some lumber and rope. My neighbors think I'm insane. My wife is surprised I'm not dead. (I'm a little surprised, too.)

Nice catch Jack! Glad you are ok

I never thought to try the HB coupon's at HomeDepot before. I am going to just keep those in my jeep and next time I go in there see what happens!
Great tip!

 

[jnt412]

When I bought my 60 gallon Husky a couple of weeks ago I tried to get Lowes to match Home Depots price. They said because the part numbers were different they wouldn't do it, so Lowes lost out on that one. Home Depot gave it to me for the on-line price of 375.00.

How is the compressor working for you?.. I installed a filter and regulator last night and will be installing the hose/reel some time this week. Any suggestions on a good air impact wrench and rachet?. Planning to replace my wife's rear rotors this weekend...



Thanks,


jnt412..

 

[Tom2]

I ended up using a 20% off HF coupon for my air compressor as well. I got the 80 Gallon 2 stage Husky. Had to go to 3 different Home Depots before I found a manager who would do it though.

 

[ahaidet]

I have the same 60 gallon Husky compressor that Jack purchased. I was originally looking for a little more compressor and thought I wanted an 80 gallon. But I came across a deal I couldn't refuse and picked up that compressor barely used for $200 as a buddy was selling it last summer. I figured for that price I could afford to buy an 80 gallon in a few years if my needs warranted it and sell the 60 gallon for what I had in it.

I just recently purchased a blast cabinet from TP tools and I have been very pleased with how the compressor keeps up with it.

The noise overall isn't as bad as I thought it might be. You can still talk loudly while it runs if you need to communicate with someone. I have heard both louder and quieter compressors this one falls in the middle.

Before I was using just rubber hoses with it and I was getting quite a bit of vapor in my lines and tools. This weekend I plumbed my air system all through the garage with black pipe similar to the schematics that TP tools shows. Looks like it should eliminate all water vapor.

Jack have you had a chance to hook up the compressor yet? I am curious as to what clever place you might put it in your garage.

 

[gandyj]

How is the compressor working for you?.. I installed a filter and regulator last night and will be installing the hose/reel some time this week. Any suggestions on a good air impact wrench and rachet?. Planning to replace my wife's rear rotors this weekend...



Thanks,


jnt412..

I haven't used it a lot but for the time that I have used it's a lot better than 20 gallon oil less that it replaced. I still have to make a water trap and attach a filter to it. I can't advise on impacts or ratchets as I'm using ones I've had forever. Don't remember where I got them and haven't looked at the names in quite a while.

 

[Falcon67]

I noticed that Lowes will match any competitors price and beat it by 10%. I printed everything out and headed to the local Lowes and presented the manager with sale copies of the Husky and Tractor Supply Co. VT6335, also for $399. They matched the TSC price and took off an additional 10%. The price of the Lowes VT6275 dropped from $439 to $360, which is still cheaper than the 30 Galloon Husky I was orginally looking at..

Good to know they honored that for somebody - the local store would not do the 10% for me. Is OK, I spend more money at HD now

When I bought my 60 gallon Husky a couple of weeks ago I tried to get Lowes to match Home Depots price. They said because the part numbers were different they wouldn't do it, so Lowes lost out on that one. Home Depot gave it to me for the on-line price of 375.00.

The Lowes manager gave me the same stuff on the CH compressor - YES, they are different stock numbers BUT the same compressor. I flashed him a iPhone pic of the compressor label with the price at TSC. That confused the hell out of them.

 

[rodm1]

Vinco, do they have a price on the link.

$ 1850.00
http://www.888saybecks.com/parts/cart.php?target=product&product_id=255&category_id=68

 

[jnt412]

During my compressor search, I placed a raincheck on the VT6335 from Tractor Supply since they where out of stock. Received a message this morning from TSC stating that the compressor was in. Hey TSC, can you beat this deal?

 

[Gizzy]

I bought one a few years back. Love it. Works great. 12.9cfm @ 90psi to run my blast cabinet, more than Home Depots, Lowes, or Craftsman. They sell for $499, but you can often find them for $399, and take in a 20% off coupon, its about $320! Cant beat it!

I just bought this one myself,it's on sale for $399 - 20%.I agree for $320 it was the best buy for my needs. Giz'

 

[jnt412]

Good deal.. Someone needs to alert Sears about pricing. They have the CH VT-6275 for $699.99 in their catalog I received this week.

 

[Falcon67]

Good deal.. Someone needs to alert Sears about pricing. They have the CH VT-6275 for $699.99 in their catalog I received this week.

Ya, they are always way off the beam on compressors. Price their version of the HF round column mill/drill - HF price $899, in Craftsman Black you can get one just like it for a mere $2200.

 

[Diverbill45]

I've been reading this whole thread and I know times are tough and everybody is trying to save as much money as possible, when buying new equipment, but when it comes to compressors, you've got to think about what you'll be doing with that compressor later, in the future, when you start adding to your shop.

For many years I ran a single stage compressor and was satisfied with the results. It wasn't the best, but it got the job done. As my shop got bigger and the demand got greater for the compressor, I realized the need for a larger unit. I swore that I'd never get another single stage unit and was in the market for a nice two stage one. I was just about ready to buy one and a friend of mine told me about the unit he had purchased about two years earlier, and that he was really pleased with it's performance. He has a small body shop and uses quite alot of air tools and a blast cabinet, which we all know consumes lots of air. I went over to take a look at the unit and while there he showed me the compressor in operation. I was surprised at how well it held up.

The reason I was surprised was that this unit was only a single stage compressor. I left and went to the tool store where he purchased his unit and talked with the owner. He told me that he's been selling more of these units than the two stage ones from the same company. I asked about complaints and he said that he hasn't got any from any of his customers, in fact, he's only been getting good feedback about these units. So I took a chance and purchased one. It was on sale, at the time, so I got for a $100 off the regular price. After having this unit in the shop for 3 years I couldn't be any happier. It's been used a lot, since I do a lot of blasting, on small parts and just about anything else that can fit in the cabinet. Most of my tools are air tools and it doesn't seem to overwork the compressor at all.

At the time I purchased mine it was sitting right next to a two stage unit and you couldn't tell any difference in the two, except the single stage unit has 3 cylinders and the two stage unit has 2 cylinders. Same horsepower, same 60 gallon tanks, same CFM @ 100 lbs. pressure. The only difference was the price. The two stage unit was $1099, the single stage unit was $699. Being on sale, I paid $599.

Here's the specs on both the single stage and two stage compressors:

Manufacturer: Eagle
Country of origin: Canada
Volts: 220 vac
HP: 5
CFM: 18.5 @ 100 lbs.
Tank size: Vertical 60 gallons
Compressor: Cast iron

Oh yea, the noise level: VERY QUIET

Yes, I'll admit that the single stage unit I have does take a little longer to pump up, before it shuts off, during the time it's being used, but after timing the pump up cycle with a two stage unit, having the same HP and CFM rating, I can't see where 45 seconds to 1 minute longer in cycle run time is really worth the $400 higher priced 2 stage unit. I will say that if I was running a commercial shop, then I'd more likely have the 2 stage unit, because of the amount of time the compressor would be in use each day. For all of the people that have a small shop at home, or their garage shops, this compressor seems to work great and should more than take care of any future purchases of air tools and air consumption.

I have a small at home 2 bay welding repair and fab shop. Every once in a while I have to hook up an air arc to the compressor and if anyone has ever used an air arc they know that they use lots more air than any blast cabinet ever thought of using. The compressor does work hard during this time, but you have to consider the amount of air used to operate the air arc and it's only being used for short period of time. Any big repair jobs I usually use the gas axe.

Since most of us, when building something, usually have a problem of overbuilding or overkill ............. the same goes with compressors. This compressor might be a little bigger than what you might need NOW ........... but, in the future, like my dad use to tell me, when I was growing up "It's always better to have and not need, than to need and not have."

Here's their web site: www.eaglecompressor.com

I have no other dealings with this company except as a paying customer and if I would ever need a larger compressor, in the future, I would surely look at the offerings Eagle Compresors has, first. The unit I purchased came from Salem Tool in Salem , Oregon.

Since these pics were taken, 2 years ago, I've insulated, sheet-rocked and heated my shop, so it's a lot better than what these pics show. I'm also going to be adding a home made air dryer to the compressor, in the near future. You can build one a lot cheaper than what they want for a new factory model and it'll do just as good of a job, at trapping moisture.

Hope this info is of use.

 

[rustbucket49]

DiverBill - what's the difference between the Eagle you bought and the IronHorse they sell??

 

[Diverbill45]

That, I really can't say since I did not research the different brands that much. I guess you can go to the web site I listed and it has different brands and quite a few different model numbers for each brand, with specs.

Actually, before I talked with my friend I had never heard of the Eagle brand and some of the other brands that were not BIG NAME BRANDS didn't seem to be exactly what I was looking for. I also had heard and read about the pros and cons of some of the units sold in the big box stores and decided to keep looking, before I made a purchase.

The store where I bought my compressor only had a few different brands, Iron Horse was not included in their line, and I just read the info supplied for each and decided on the Eagle, basically on the price range, compared to the others with the same features and also from the recommendation that my close friend had given me, about his unit.

Sorry I couldn't be of anymore help.

 

[1Garageman]

Ya, they are always way off the beam on compressors. Price their version of the HF round column mill/drill - HF price $899, in Craftsman Black you can get one just like it for a mere $2200.

Ya Sears is that way on a LOT of things! I quit buying a lot of things from there because of their prices. Everything from simple screw drivers to Drills and Air tools. I think you pay more for the name SEARS than you do the tool your buying.

 

[jnt412]

I agree. In my case, when you run across a screw or lug nut that you can't take off or your arms get tired from removing screws on oil, transmission pans and tires.. etc. The right Air Tools and compressor will go a long way. Changed my wife's rotors this past weekend using my new 60gal compressor. It did a nice job. I no longer fear coming across a bolt/screw I can't handle..

I've been reading this whole thread and I know times are tough and everybody is trying to save as much money as possible, when buying new equipment, but when it comes to compressors, you've got to think about what you'll be doing with that compressor later, in the future, when you start adding to your shop.

For many years I ran a single stage compressor and was satisfied with the results. It wasn't the best, but it got the job done. As my shop got bigger and the demand got greater for the compressor, I realized the need for a larger unit. I swore that I'd never get another single stage unit and was in the market for a nice two stage one. I was just about ready to buy one and a friend of mine told me about the unit he had purchased about two years earlier, and that he was really pleased with it's performance. He has a small body shop and uses quite alot of air tools and a blast cabinet, which we all know consumes lots of air. I went over to take a look at the unit and while there he showed me the compressor in operation. I was surprised at how well it held up.

The reason I was surprised was that this unit was only a single stage compressor. I left and went to the tool store where he purchased his unit and talked with the owner. He told me that he's been selling more of these units than the two stage ones from the same company. I asked about complaints and he said that he hasn't got any from any of his customers, in fact, he's only been getting good feedback about these units. So I took a chance and purchased one. It was on sale, at the time, so I got for a $100 off the regular price. After having this unit in the shop for 3 years I couldn't be any happier. It's been used a lot, since I do a lot of blasting, on small parts and just about anything else that can fit in the cabinet. Most of my tools are air tools and it doesn't seem to overwork the compressor at all.

At the time I purchased mine it was sitting right next to a two stage unit and you couldn't tell any difference in the two, except the single stage unit has 3 cylinders and the two stage unit has 2 cylinders. Same horsepower, same 60 gallon tanks, same CFM @ 100 lbs. pressure. The only difference was the price. The two stage unit was $1099, the single stage unit was $699. Being on sale, I paid $599.

Here's the specs on both the single stage and two stage compressors:

Manufacturer: Eagle
Country of origin: Canada
Volts: 220 vac
HP: 5
CFM: 18.5 @ 100 lbs.
Tank size: Vertical 60 gallons
Compressor: Cast iron

Oh yea, the noise level: VERY QUIET

Yes, I'll admit that the single stage unit I have does take a little longer to pump up, before it shuts off, during the time it's being used, but after timing the pump up cycle with a two stage unit, having the same HP and CFM rating, I can't see where 45 seconds to 1 minute longer in cycle run time is really worth the $400 higher priced 2 stage unit. I will say that if I was running a commercial shop, then I'd more likely have the 2 stage unit, because of the amount of time the compressor would be in use each day. For all of the people that have a small shop at home, or their garage shops, this compressor seems to work great and should more than take care of any future purchases of air tools and air consumption.

I have a small at home 2 bay welding repair and fab shop. Every once in a while I have to hook up an air arc to the compressor and if anyone has ever used an air arc they know that they use lots more air than any blast cabinet ever thought of using. The compressor does work hard during this time, but you have to consider the amount of air used to operate the air arc and it's only being used for short period of time. Any big repair jobs I usually use the gas axe.

Since most of us, when building something, usually have a problem of overbuilding or overkill ............. the same goes with compressors. This compressor might be a little bigger than what you might need NOW ........... but, in the future, like my dad use to tell me, when I was growing up "It's always better to have and not need, than to need and not have."

Here's their web site: www.eaglecompressor.com

I have no other dealings with this company except as a paying customer and if I would ever need a larger compressor, in the future, I would surely look at the offerings Eagle Compresors has, first. The unit I purchased came from Salem Tool in Salem , Oregon.

Since these pics were taken, 2 years ago, I've insulated, sheet-rocked and heated my shop, so it's a lot better than what these pics show. I'm also going to be adding a home made air dryer to the compressor, in the near future. You can build one a lot cheaper than what they want for a new factory model and it'll do just as good of a job, at trapping moisture.

Hope this info is of use.

 

[bad5x8]

Any more updates from anybody?
I'm about to jump on board the U.S. General band wagon...
The Husky version has an off-brand motor, but the Kobalts do have the A.O. Century motors on them. I havn't checked about the Kobalt price matching the HF model but I doubt they will. I have tried to have them match before.

Thanks,
Blake

 

[lawfarm]

I still have the Husky...going on 5 years now. Love it, and never had any problems with it. I've changed the oil a few times, and changed out the cheesy twist drain valve with a ball valve in the bottom, but otherwise, it's great.

 

[nate379]

You need to adjust it. The max on mine says 135 (I have the red one in the pics) but I turned it up to just under 150.

My Dad did the same to his when he bought it about 15 years ago and it's still going strong. Only thing he did to is was put synthetic oil after he forgot to turn it off and it killed the belt cause the oil was too thick to turn the pump (-30*)

Beware the "higher PSI" labeling - most of those read "MAX PRESSURE ***". Mine is Max 135, regulator cuts off at 120 and my average system pressure is around 100. Compressor cut in is about 85~90.

 

[little d]

post #38, costner asked about the sanborn brand 60 gal compressor that minards has. does anyone have any experience with them, or any info on these compressors?

 

[spbvmv]

Hi Jack,

I followed your search for a 60 gallon compressor. How do you like your Husky?

Thanks, Phil

 

[Harleyguy]

I have the Husky but it comes with two different type compressors. I choose the V-Twin style as this design allows for better cooling around the cylinders as they are not the side by side model that does not allow air cooling through the center. Less heat build up equals longer life and less water in the tank from condensation. longer oil life also

 

[rockettee]

Hi new bee, i though they don't take the coupons because it says on the coupons not for compressors, thanks

 

[Justanoldguy]

Well it's a 2 year old thread so who knows what the story was then...

 

[rockettee]

im also thinking on the lowes kolbalt 3.7 60 gal, dont like the 22 amps on the hf model but like the scfm on it

 

[5lima30]

Jack, did you check Northern Tool they have a very good selection of compressors and have sales that are usually pretty decent. Good Luck!

 

[Mmfh]

I just wanted to put in a word about the Coleman compressors. I have a 60 gallon upright unit that I use daily for general needs. I've run this thing for the last 15 years and I have not been gentle with it, actually I'm not very nice to it at all. In all that time I only changed the oil once, it still looked clean and I'm lazy.

It started knocking and after awhile I thought it was getting worse so I took it apart to see what was causing the knock. Turned out to be the one way valve going into the top of the tank, nothing wrong with the pump.

After running this thing very hard, I mean non-stop for hours at a time with no break. In a little room I built to keep it quiet with no ventilation, when I measured everything inside of that pump it was like brand new! I'm serious, I rebuild engines for a career and I know what stuff should look and measure like.

It had no wear, I put in new gaskets and its back running everyday again. This one has aluminum head and iron cylinders. Like it very much! And its fairly quiet too!

All I'm saying is don't be afraid of Coleman compressors. If it were me I'd look for something high quality used off of CL. But If I found another one of these I would buy it.

Mm

 

[Mmfh]

Just noticed its a old thread, might still be useful to someone?

 

[gatorgrabber]

I just finished reading the whole thing. Yes, very useful!

 

[automobiliben]

Just noticed its a old thread, might still be useful to someone?

Yes it is as I am about to invest in a 60 gal. compressor!

I plan on using the tank on my current 15G oil-free in line.

 

[jonnythunder]

Raising the dead here. But has anyone seen a HF coupon (20% off) that does not have "cannot be used on compressors, etc"? I'd like to try the price match thing. Thanks.

 

[blk00ss]

60 gal husky here. Been great for the past 8 months I've had it. Buddy I mine has had one for a few years with no hiccups.