110 compressor recommendation?

[BajaBound]

Good evening guys,

I am in search of an air compressor for my garage. I am an offroad enthusiast and enjoy wrenching. All of my tools are hand and power. I am looking for a great long lasting preferably american made compressor to fill offroad tires 37-40" run some air tools like angle grinders. Blow out my rzr's clutch after trips to the desert etc.

Looking for something midsized. Low maintenance and reliable.

At this time I am not super interested in pulling 220 although I have the space to do it.

Thank you for your time and thoughts.

 

[Jlbc212]

Why not get a portable gasoline powered, twin tank air compressor, the type contractors use on job sites? Craigslist often has listings for used ones at reasonable prices. I have one that was given to me and it does a great job of seating the beads on my F350 truck tires and blowing the water out of my lawn sprinkler system. Battery powered impact wrenches perform just as well as air powered. IMHO angle grinders work best powered by 120 volts. A gasoline compressor can be placed outside the garage with the air piped inside. Makes for a quieter garage.

 

[Citation]

How much air do you need for the tires? Assuming you aren't trying to seat beads just about any compressor will do that job. The grinder is a bigger problem. If you are going to use it continuously you will probably outrun any 120V compressor. My compressor wasn't able to keep up with my 3" cutoff wheel when I was doing long cuts. It wasn't at the point where the tool was useless but if I ever need to make such cuts in the future I'm going to T in my roofing compressor. That will move me from a stated 5.5 cfm to about 9.5 cfm. I expect that will allow the pumps to keep up with the tool.

Given your goal I would suggest a 30 gallon, 5+ cfm compressor. That is about as large as you can get on a single 120v outlet. They are typically belt drive with separate pump and motor and around $400.

I don't think such compressors are that popular mostly because for about the same money you can get a 60 gallon, 10+ cfm 240v compressor. Those compressors can typically keep up with any pneumatic hand tools but won't like sand blasters.

So I suspect a lower end, 8 gallon compressor could handle some of your needs (under $150) but you need to step up to something bigger or multiple 120v units to hit all your needs.

 

[NUTTSGT]

How much air do you need for the tires? Assuming you aren't trying to seat beads just about any compressor will do that job. The grinder is a bigger problem. If you are going to use it continuously you will probably outrun any 120V compressor. My compressor wasn't able to keep up with my 3" cutoff wheel when I was doing long cuts. It wasn't at the point where the tool was useless but if I ever need to make such cuts in the future I'm going to T in my roofing compressor. That will move me from a stated 5.5 cfm to about 9.5 cfm. I expect that will allow the pumps to keep up with the tool.

Given your goal I would suggest a 30 gallon, 5+ cfm compressor. That is about as large as you can get on a single 120v outlet. They are typically belt drive with separate pump and motor and around $400.

I don't think such compressors are that popular mostly because for about the same money you can get a 60 gallon, 10+ cfm 240v compressor. Those compressors can typically keep up with any pneumatic hand tools but won't like sand blasters.

So I suspect a lower end, 8 gallon compressor could handle some of your needs (under $150) but you need to step up to something bigger or multiple 120v units to hit all your needs.

Good advice here other than the highlighted red. Once you start looking at compressors, start price comparing a 120V unit and a 240V compressor. Then figure out what percentage that smaller compressor is of the larger compressor. You may find it's more of an issue of buy one, cry one.

Don't forget to take a look on CL and possibly find a good used unit from someone that needs the cash or selling from an estate sale.


As far as the red highlighted goes, I really don't know the intent or what the compressors are being tied together. However, once tied together, the tanks will equalize and if both compressors are running may create issues if they shut off at different/set to run at certain pressures.

 

[Citation]

Good advice here other than the highlighted red. Once you start looking at compressors, start price comparing a 120V unit and a 240V compressor. Then figure out what percentage that smaller compressor is of the larger compressor. You may find it's more of an issue of buy one, cry one.

Don't forget to take a look on CL and possibly find a good used unit from someone that needs the cash or selling from an estate sale.


As far as the red highlighted goes, I really don't know the intent or what the compressors are being tied together. However, once tied together, the tanks will equalize and if both compressors are running may create issues if they shut off at different/set to run at certain pressures.

You are correct to note that you can't just connect any two compressors. In my case the two units have similar operating pressure ranges (both cut out around 125 psi and both safety valves open at 150). The little compressor would kick in at a bit lower pressure than the larger one so this would result in a staggered start and the big compressor doing the majority of the work when demand is light. Don't connect a 175 psi compressor to a 120psi unit and expect all to go well.

 

[theoldwizard1]

120V will limit you to about a 1 HP compressor (maybe 1.5 if you have 12 gauge/20A wiring). A "real" 1 hp, oil lubricated, piston compressor will run most impacts and air hammers, at least in short bursts. Cut off wheel or die grinder will "run out of air" fast, depending on the size of the tank. Even my 2 HP 240V compressor ca not keep up with these for more than 1-2 minutes. Forget sanders or sand blaster.

If you can find a 120V compressor that goes to 150 psi and has a 20 gallon tank that would be better than a 100 psi 12 gallon combination.

 

[428PI]

Try out the Harbor Freight 120 volt model with 29gallon 2hp 150psi for around 350 bucks and could be converted to 220 later. Even has a digital hour gauge for maintenance.

 

[earthmover1980]

Well for the 110v shop compressor, I have an older Johnson Controls Craigslist deal. It was used to operate ventilation doors in a building. It's heavy duty cast Iron pump, heavy gauge tank, and century motor make it a deal at $100. If I was going to buy new, I would like to have a rol-air dual tank portable hotdog tank electric air compressor. Ideally, I would select the one that offers on demand operation, or constant run like a roofing contractor would use. Rol-air has one that has the selectable constant run function. It seems that it's about 8.5 scfm @ 75 psi. So, here you have a shop compressor, a roofing nailer compressor, and a portable go anywhere compressor that puts out a bit more scfm than one of the 20-30 gallon size. I would really like to have one. Yes, there are bigger units, but I think the rol-air would be very universal, in shop, or onsite.

 

[99LeCouch]

I have a Porter Cable branded 30 gallon 120v compressor. Like the OP, I don't want to run a 220 line. It's plenty enough for running an impact wrench. It gets through about 20 passenger car lug nuts before refilling. I haven't tried grinders or anything needing sustained air output. That stuff is electric when I need it. For more intermittent tools, it's fine. It also wheels out of the way when done.