My new compressor!

kythri · Aug 18, 2010

Well, new to me!

Started discussing compressors with my dad a bit (he managed a NAPA store for about 20 years, and then moved on to be a purchasing manager for the maintenance shop of a large local farming conglomerate before he retired, so he's got some contacts around), and mentioned that I was looking at the Lowe's 80-gallon CH unit.

He had me call a local compressor shop (sales/service place) and see what they might have used.

They had this bad boy:

Campbell Hausfeld 80-gallon unit built in 1993. 7.5HP motor, 2-stage compressor, mag starter. 240V single-phase!

27.2 CFM @ 90 PSI, 25.1 CFM @ 175 PSI.

Delivered into my shop for $650.

I'm freakin' STOKED about this thing - WAAAAAAAAY better than the stuff I was looking at, both inside my price range, and even a ways outside it.

This shop has a fantastic reputation, they've done the PM service on the thing for the previous owner, until they traded-up to a heftier 3-phase job.

They took it in as trade, went over it and verified everything. As it's used, it's only got a 60-day warranty, but it's a pretty rock-solid unit, so I'm not worried about that!

Now all I have to do is get the work in my shop finished - cleaned up, the circuit for the compressor ran, and plumb the thing, and I'm set for air forever!

jayoldschool · Aug 18, 2010

Wow! That's as big as they come for home use. Lots of CFM. Nice score.

930dreamer · Aug 18, 2010

You'll be happy with that one.

mrholeshot · Aug 18, 2010

Thats a really good compressor. I had one almost identical to it in my first shop.

kythri · Aug 18, 2010

Looks like I'll need to get a regulator and I want a filter/drier.

Any recommendations?

jayoldschool · Aug 18, 2010

Looking forward to hearing suggestions, cause I need that stuff for my setup, too. Pics would be great

Lushdrunk · Aug 18, 2010

Ive never seen a single phase compressor push the numbers that one is. 27cfm from an 80 gallon compressor is amazing. The pump must be huge!

CH compressors are great. The early 90's models (like yours) where the best! The performance and price was outstanding,
But some time around the late 90's early 2000's they had Coleman build/supply their compressors and they where pure ****. They over inflated the specs, and had cheap parts like non ANSI certified tanks with 125psi max pressure rating and 115psi single Cly pumps. They only made them like that for about a year, maybe two and are real easy to spot. They all where red in color and had a huge air filter housing to make the pump look big.

Now the new CH's are much better, and still fair priced but nothing like they where between approx 1991 to 1997.

If I was in your shoes I would spend another $100 and buy a new ring and gasket kit for the pump and "brush" kit for the motor. That compressor is much too nice of a find not to rebuild. A replacement at that CFM level would be well over $1600 plus their not hard to rebuild. $100 is cheap insurance and it will last you another 17 years!

930dreamer · Aug 18, 2010

kythri said:
Looks like I'll need to get a regulator and I want a filter/drier.

Any recommendations?

Decide on how your going to run airlines or just use the air hose out of the tank. I bought everything used on ebay, water seperator, regulator, dessicant filter.

nate379 · Aug 18, 2010

Wow! Awesome compressor for the price! I hate you! :bounce:

kythri · Aug 19, 2010

Lushdrunk said:
Ive never seen a single phase compressor push the numbers that one is. 27cfm from an 80 gallon compressor is amazing. The pump must be huge!

Yup, it's enormous. It and the motor are FAR larger than anything I've seen shopping around.

If I was in your shoes I would spend another $100 and buy a new ring and gasket kit for the pump and "brush" kit for the motor. That compressor is much too nice of a find not to rebuild. A replacement at that CFM level would be well over $1600 plus their not hard to rebuild. $100 is cheap insurance and it will last you another 17 years!

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll need to call the shop and verify, but I believe it's been done quite recently (within the last year or two) as part of the PM they did for the previous owner.

kythri · Aug 19, 2010

930dreamer said:
Decide on how your going to run airlines or just use the air hose out of the tank. I bought everything used on ebay, water seperator, regulator, dessicant filter.

I think I was going to hard-pipe it out of the tank, at least through the filter/regulator/drier assemblies, and then put a couple fittings off of it, allowing me to run a couple different hoses and what not - at least for now.

Long term plan is masking off a "paint booth" in the shop, and getting a blast cabinet as well, so I'll probably do more than just air hose to both of those.

Charles (in GA) · Aug 19, 2010

I have that exact same compressor, in the Husky version. Except for the paint color and the brand of motor, its the same. Motors are low bid, one week its Emerson, next week its Baldor, etc.

Good price, new about $1795 is the best you will do now. Newest compressors, the pump does not say "made in USA" (mine does) and pump and motor are reversed, allows use of shorter copper tube, saves money..............

Good compressor, little loud but good.

Charles

kythri · Aug 19, 2010

Nice! Where'd you get that stand? I don't want to bolt mine to the floor (afraid of the vibration eventually busting a mount since there's no flex in the concrete), but I don't care too much for the pallet that it's on, so I was thinking about grabbing some lumber this weekend and building a new "pallet" for it.

Skin · Aug 19, 2010

Lushdrunk said:
Ive never seen a single phase compressor push the numbers that one is. 27cfm from an 80 gallon compressor is amazing. The pump must be huge!

Its a pretty typical CFM for a 7.5HP compressor, only difference is the 3phase vs single, he just takes the bigger hit on power draw up front, probably around 30ish amps running. The pumps really arent that much bigger than one you find with your standard 5HP, they pull the CFM with high RPMs, usually around 1000-1100 for the pump which is quite high.

Great air, not the best for heat and noise or moisture. For $650 though i certainly wouldnt be complaining.

kythri · Aug 19, 2010

Skin said:
Great air, not the best for heat and noise or moisture. For $650 though i certainly wouldnt be complaining.

I'm not, especially after finding what appears to be the current version:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00916625000P?mv=rr#ppspecs

(Sears has the pictures backwards, though - the 5HP model has the 7.5HP pic, and the 7.5HP model has the 5HP pic: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00916619000P?mv=rr)

JPRACING · Aug 19, 2010

very nice that's what i need :thumbup:

78Bird · Aug 19, 2010

Whoa, thats a beast. If it has been recently rebuilt then it'll last a long, long time...

IMO, run copper hard line in the size of the tanks output, then to a filter/regulator. Dont put the filter next to the tank, the air will be hottest there and it will seperate the least water. The more you can cool the air, the better before it gets filtered and dried.

Copper transfers heat very well, so will cool the air the best.

kythri · Aug 19, 2010

Thanks for the advice on the copper line! Hadn't really thought of that, had black pipe in my mind, but copper seems like a much better way to go - I'm not going to be doing a ton of plumbing in the shop, but I checked some prices of copper pipe, and it's not as horrible as I thought it might be. The blue rated stuff (I think it was blue that was better than red) is $21 for 10 feet at Home Depot. I'll price it around everywhere else before I buy, but I've been thinking about placement of the compressor in the shop, and I think that I could probably do what I need to do with about 50-70 feet of pipe (of course, I'll need fittings and what not, but I'll get that figured out.

At least it's another fun (to me) project to play around with for once I get the electrical done in the shop.

78Bird · Aug 19, 2010

Just make sure to use the higher rated copper. I think it's type M (please correct if wrong!) the thinnest stuff is a little iffy on pressure @ 175 psi, but the next grade up is plenty strong. When I did mine, the copper wasnt much more $ at all, and no threading issues if you need custom length, just cut and attach.

Just use normal plumbing solder, you dont need anything exotic.

do some searches for how to make a dogleg for the output to help trap more moisure before the filter. Basically go up over and back down, with a drain leg where it turns up initially. This will catch a LOT of water and it can be easily drained off.

kythri · Aug 19, 2010

Looks like "K" is the higher rated stuff, "L" is the mid-grade and "M" is the lower-end. There's also a "DWV" which is even lower.

"L" is the blue-lettered stuff, and "M" is the red-lettered stuff.

Home Depot's guy was saying red is fine for water, but blue would be better for air. According to the charts here (Tables 3a, b, c and d):

http://www.copper.org/applications/plumbing/techref/cth/cth_3design_burst.html

Per that chart, it seems the M/red stuff would work fine, but the cost difference between M/red and L/blue is small enough that it doesn't make sense to try to save a few bucks for the added pressure capacity.

Charles (in GA) · Aug 19, 2010

kythri said:
Nice! Where'd you get that stand? I don't want to bolt mine to the floor (afraid of the vibration eventually busting a mount since there's no flex in the concrete),

Made it from 2x3" steel tubing and Mason adjustable machinery feet from MSC,

Charles

kythri · Aug 19, 2010

Cool.

I'm not quite to the stage of making my own yet.

I think I'll go pick up couple pieces of lumber to complement what I already have, and build a new pallet to move it to, and bolt it to that for the time being. I might get some rubber isolators to complement the damping ability of the wood...

Skin · Aug 19, 2010

Use hockey pucks as pads if you dont have real ones, they work great.

larry_g · Aug 19, 2010

kythri said:
Cool.

I'm not quite to the stage of making my own yet.

I think I'll go pick up couple pieces of lumber to complement what I already have, and build a new pallet to move it to, and bolt it to that for the time being. I might get some rubber isolators to complement the damping ability of the wood...

I have picked up truck tire treads from the side of the road and cut feet/pads from them.

BTW who was the dealer that you got the compressor from and do they normally have used equipmant?

lg
no neat sig line

My new compressor!

Well-known member

Well-known member

Super Moderator

MEMBER EMERITUS

Well-known member

Well-known member

Member

Super Moderator

Attachments

Banned

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member