So as usual, this site has me looking up things I don't really need to, as I have a Quincy that fulfills every need I have of it. But was wondering, how is Campbell Hausfeld able to sell an 80 gallon at the price that others can only manage a 60 gallon at? I looked up the components, they all seem to be US made just like other brands.
I've looked at this a bit as I've been dealing with some of the 80 gallon compressors in the ~$1000 price point.
I'm not sure how much difference there is in the cost of the tank itself (60 vs 80). I suspect the better brands do have more robust tanks. Anyway, looking at the cost of stand alone tanks I suspect the 60 vs 80 gallon difference is no more than $200.
The rest of the difference seems to be the quality/robustness of the rest of the hardware.
As examples consider this CH/Husky 5hp model
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-80-Gal-5-HP-2-Stage-Air-Compressor-HS5181/100005910
vs this Champion 5hp (I picked the horizontal because the vertical had the wrong picture)
https://championcompressor.net/products/hr5-8/
I don't know much about the motors other than you can see that many of the better models (say a 5hp Champion with an R-15 pump
Both are rated at 5hp but I wouldn't be surprised if the Champion had a higher current draw given the 17cfm vs 14cfm ratings. The CH appears to use a lighter motor frame. Basically I wouldn't expect it to handle heavier use as well.
Next, you can see the Champion has an electrical control box. That contains the magnetic starter. This is effectively the power switch for the motor. The CH uses the pressure switch to directly switch the motor on and off. My understanding is this is harder on the motor and the contacts in the pressure switch can wear over time. 5hp is the tipping point where companies start using magnetic starters instead of running the motor current through the pressure switch. The CH is a 3400 rpm motor vs 1700 rpm. I'm not sure why the slower motor is more robust or efficient but low motor RPM seems to be one of the things people look for. Note that motor and pump RPMs are different and, within limits, you can simply run different size pulleys to keep the same pump speed.
Both models are 2 stage and have an intercooler between stages. I presume the Champion is better but I don't know that. The Champion appears to have an after cooler. That's a nice added feature.
The Champion contains an auto drain vs having to reach under the tank. In an industrial setting that's nice to avoid having to get someone to remember to drain the tank daily.
We already see there is a difference in pump flow rate. I don't know if that is because one is more efficient or just that not all hp are created equally. Also, just because the motor "can" produce 5hp doesn't mean the motor is producing 5hp. Still, the Husky is using a simply reed valve plate while the Champion uses disk valves. Those valves probably flow better but also can be serviced. I suspect you will find the Champion has better cooling which allows it to run a heavier duty cycle. I think the Champion can run a 100% duty cycle. I suspect the Husky isn't rated to 100%. Another small thing is the Champion has an unloader valve for both pump stages. The Husky only has an unloader that operates with the pressure switch vs a centrifugal unloader. I assume the centrifugal unloader not just releases the pressure as the motor turns off but allows the motor to spin up a bit more before it has to deal with the load of compressing air. The Husky's unloader closes the moment the pressure switch turns on. That startup load might be the limiting factor here.
Anyway, the difference is in lots of details like that. I suspect the net result is if you put something like the Husky in a heavy use industrial environment it won't last years with nothing but scheduled service.
