30 Gallon Portable Vertical Compressor - Analysis Paralysis

[mopac01]

I'm looking to get a 20-30 gallon air compressor for my garage. I live on 5 acres, including a horse barn with a tractor in it about 200ft from the house. So something portable if I have a flat tractor tire would be very helpful. Space is at a premium in my garage so I needed it to be vertical rather than horizontal.

I have no access to run new electrical in this garage. So I'm limited to 110 in addition to the desire for portability already mentioned. I have a second circuit in the garage which is only occasionally used and is 20AMP on 12 gauge.

I started off fairly "sold" on the Quincy 26 gallon single stage based on what friends have said about their 60 and 80 gallon Qunicy 2 stages. https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612354_200612354?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Air%20Tools%20%2B%20Compressors%20%3E%20Portable%20Air%20Compressors&utm_campaign=Quincy%20Compressor&utm_content=39563&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxoLE_d6y6wIVmPHjBx2digrGEAQYASABEgJNCfD_BwE I mostly need air for filling car tires, tractor tires, trailer tires etc. I also want to get some air ratchets, including an impact and maybe an air drill or hammer. So the 26 gallon Quincy would be more than sufficient. More research revealed the smaller 26 gallon Quincy isn't a Quincy compressor at all. It's made by ABAC which appears to be part of the same holding company Quincy is now part of. A similar - although not identical - ABAC compressor is at the heart of Harbor Freights 29 gallon compressor. https://www.harborfreight.com/29-gallon-2-hp-150-psi-cast-iron-vertical-air-compressor-61489.html But the HF is $360 and the Quincy is $800 (goes on sale at Northern Tools for $700 at times). The Quincy ABAC compressor is rated at 50% duty cycle and is supposed to be good for 10,000 hours. If you spend an extra $120 on the maintenance kit you get a 3 year warranty on the pump itself and 2 years on the rest of it. It's on an ASME tank. The HF has no indication of the duty cycle or how many hours it should run. You get a 90 day warranty and the tank is NOT an ASME tank.

I really want something more than 20 gallons and the only Ingersoll Rand that's 30 gallon is horizontal. And I've read some disparaging things about the small IR compressors as well.

I've also looked at Menard's Masterforce 30 gallon vertical. https://www.menards.com/main/tools/air-compressors/masterforce-reg-belt-drive-30-gallon-155-psi-portable-electric-vertical-air-compressor/mela1683066/p-1444439608275.htm I've looked at this one in person and it is a rebadged Sanborn The "time rating" on the motor tag says "CONT" but I'm not sure if that equates to a 100% duty cycle for the overall compressor or not. With Menard's 11% rebate this would effectively be $400 and I already have $100 in Menard's credit from prior rebates. And I don't have to spend anything additional to get the 3 year warranty which covers everything on the unit. I can't tell if the tank is ASME certified after inspecting the display model at Menards. I plan to call the technical support number (really Sanborn) to ask about the tank but I'm guessing it isn't ASME or the tank would say it somewhere.

Finally, I looked at Lowes which also supposedly carried rebadged Sanborns similar if not identical to the above Menard's model. However, Lowe's no longer is using Sanborn based on what I've researched. Their portable vertical 30 gallon (under their Kobalt) name is now a rebadged Campbell Hausfeld. The Lowe's version is at https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-KOBALT-30-Gallon-Two-Stage-Portable-Electric-Vertical-Air-Compressor/1000528965
And Northern Tool carries what appears to be an identical Campbell Hausfeld badged one at https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200777686_200777686 The Kobalt version is $530 and the CH badged version is $630 on sale at Northern Tools. The Kobalt has a warranty of 3 years but labor is only covered for the first year. You just have parts coverage the last 2 years. The CH at Northern Tools is just 90 days for parts and labor. These are also 2 stage rather than single stage. That gets you about 25 more psi but similar CFM ratings. I don't think what I want to use it for will really see any benefit from that.

I'm beginning to suffer from analysis paralysis so I'm hoping you folks can help confirm my conclusion or offer advice. I think given the $400 sale price and the existing $100 credit I have at Menard's along with the full 3 year parts and labor warranty, the Menard's rebadged Sanborn is the best overall value for the money. I don't know the expected hour rating on it as this isn't given on their website or the manual.

 

[The Cobbler]

...... I think given the $400 sale price and the existing $100 credit I have at Menard's along with the full 3 year parts and labor warranty, the Menard's rebadged Sanborn is the best overall value for the money. I don't know the expected hour rating on it as this isn't given on their website or the manual.

I think that's a wise choice. your needs aren't that intensive, any consumer grade oiled piston compressor will likely serve you well for many years .
you could always run in to an early failure tho.
I had probably the same sanborn compressor I bought at scratch & dent , the flywheel was split ( bad design) I replaced the flywheel and sold it for a nice profit. it ran nice & quiet & built air pressure nicely.
the flywheel is tapered on tot he crank shaft, and if it gets over tightened it will split, which is what happened on this one I think . flywheels were redialy available on EBay so it tells you something. I was going to put a spacer in so the bolt couldn't be over-tightened but never did. I told the buyer ( an ex employee) about it , so he was going to make a spacer & put in.

 

[mopac01]

I called Sanborn today and got a little more information on the Menards unit.

It is NOT an ASME tank (which I sort of suspected because the back tag on the tank - photo attached - was blank under the "Complies CAL OSHA" section and I know to comply with OSHA a tank has to be ASME certifies) but neither is the HF unit's tank. The expected pump life is 1,500 hours so that's quite a far cry from the 10,000 hours on the ABAC pump in the Quincy. But for the relatively light use case I have this may not be the biggest determinator. The duty cycle is 50%.

 

[redmondjp]

. . . The duty cycle is 50%.

This specification really isn't that meaningful for a compressor. The more important, and much harder-to-find value, is the number of starts per hour allowed for the motor. When the motor starts, both the start and run windings draw a very high current momentarily. It takes a long time (several minutes) for the heat generated by the start to dissipate out of the motor. If you start and stop a motor too frequently, it will become overheated.

For most consumer-grade compressors, I seem to recall that the number is 3 to 5 starts per hour. I remember seeing the number and thinking that it was really low.

This is the reason why the industrial compressors such as the Quincy QR series have an optional control mode which keeps the motor running continuously but unloads the compressor when the high pressure setting is reached. It is much better for the motor (heat-wise) to stay running than it is for it to start and stop multiple times per hour.

All that to say, you can easily overheat a consumer-grade compressor. If you insist on running it hard, do it a favor and set up a window fan blowing over both the motor and the compressor to help it run cooler.

 

[setfocus]

I work at a tire type shop, that's full service. Main compressors are kaeser (I think screw type) but outside "free air" pump ran on a dewalt 30 gallon 120v 24/7. Motor started tripping the breaker. This time they replaced it with a 2 stage kobalt 30 gallon. It's so much quieter. I guess time will tell if that's the only upside... but, I think I found both online, and the dewalt was single stage and more expensive and is the second unit to fail.

Sent from my SM-G920V using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[theoldwizard1]

You had better hope that you can get the full 20A out of the one circuit ! You're asking a lot to run a "true" 2 hp motor on 120VAC !

 

[mille755]

You had better hope that you can get the full 20A out of the one circuit ! You're asking a lot to run a "true" 2 hp motor on 120VAC !

True.
I have a 2 hp old speedaire on 120v, that can be wired for 240 and I have checked it's amp draw at the panel with an amp clamp, and while running it draws between 13-15 amps, but at start up it spikes to 50a.

 

[klitzke]

So I just went through the exact process you are in. I ended up buying harbor freights new fortress compressor. I actually traded a little auto work for it!

I know it’s not an oiled compressor but I do lots of work in a small two car garage and my ears wanted quietness over anything else. I decided against the Lowe’s 2 stage and their quiet counterpart for cost and performance reasons. Typically I don’t trust marketing numbers without in depth research but I couldn’t find anything really condemning so I figured I’ll try out the newest oil free technology.

Worst case I suppose it lasts 5 years and I learned my lesson, but at least it will be a quiet five years!

The extra pressure they stick in the tank really helps. I’ve compared it to my neighbors husky and it kicks the husky compressor’s ****.

 

[tarbellb]

Avoid the Quincy 30 gallon, its total junk.

My brother bought one, its a hodgepodge of crappy components with a Quincy heritage sticker slapped on the side of it.

Anything smaller then 60 gallon is a pitfall, not many high quality units made, and those that are tend to be premium priced.

Look into Jenny, Emglo?, and there might be a outlier from the big reputable companies like Champion, Atlas Copco, etc...

Or find the newer oddball screw compressor from ... Eastwood?
-----

Otherwise if it was my money, HF, Kobalt, California, all make a nice "quiet" series worth looking at.

 

[liliysdad]

I have the Porter Cable 30gal, which I think is the same as the Menards unit, the Dewalt, etc...Its very good for my needs. With the advent of quality cordless tools, I use air a lot less than I used to, and the 30 keeps up just fine.

 

[WinMod21]

Too bad that Decatur, Illinois is 350 miles or so away from your local, as Blains's Farm & Fleet has a portable 30 Gal. Single Stage 1.6 HP Oil-Lube Vertical Air Compressor on sale.
Though website doesn't say who makes it.

https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...e-electric-16-hp-portable-air-compressor.html

. . with the following, (if the same manuf #), according to the Family Farm & Home website:

• Pump Design: Oil Cast Iron V-Twin
• Certifications: UL, CSA
https://www.familyfarmandhome.com/dewalt-air-portable-compressor-560460.html

 

[mopac01]

Too bad that Decatur, Illinois is 350 miles or so away from your local, as Blains's Farm & Fleet has a portable 30 Gal. Single Stage 1.6 HP Oil-Lube Vertical Air Compressor on sale.
Though website doesn't say who makes it.

https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...e-electric-16-hp-portable-air-compressor.html

. . with the following, (if the same manuf #), according to the Family Farm & Home website:

• Pump Design: Oil Cast Iron V-Twin
• Certifications: UL, CSA
https://www.familyfarmandhome.com/dewalt-air-portable-compressor-560460.html

WinMod21 I'd be absolutely shocked if that farm and fleet DeWalt isn't the exact unit I've been looking at with the Masterforce sticker and black paint at Menards. However, I've called Sanborn (which makes them all) to get more information as I mentioned in an earlier post. Turns out this thing does NOT have an ASME tank, is cast iron cylinder BUT aluminum head compressor with an expected life of only 1,500 hours and 50% duty cycle.

But a forum member in another post suggested Castair in Spicer MN. He raved about the owner shooting straight and telling you what you need even if it isn't his. So I called them and spoke with Clint, the owner's son. EVERYTHING IS TRUE. He is the MOST helpful guy. They didn't have a vertical 30gallon that was 110v but shot me a price on a custom 60 gallon vertical with the 110v compressor they put on their 30gallon horizontal. It was a good price but the shipping was going to be quite high to my house. I did finally find a unit that I think is exactly what I need/want and ran it by him. He told me he couldn't say anything bad about the unit I found. It was a good unit (pump still Taiwan, but what he would sell me would be another Taiwan pump anyway) made by a reputable, mostly industrial, company.

What I found is a 30 gallon vertical 110v 2HP from FS Curtis in St. Louis. You can see it https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/FS-Curtis-FCT02C48V3X-A1X1-Air-Compressor/p62934.html?utm_expid=.VRedGfGISCuJzivY0IBGwQ.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F but I found it much cheaper at a local distributor for them close to the plant and within a few hours drive, saving the hefty delivery fee. I'm from there originally so I can make a day of seeing family and friends. This has an ASME certified tank and a compressor that's cast iron cylinders AND head with B10 bearings and an expected 10,000 hour life and 75% duty cycle. It's less than twice the price of the Menards rebadged Sanborn with 6 times the expected life. When I really look at what I'm likely getting, it's better value overall in my opinion although more expensive up front. (That link says it's a 4 cylinder but that's a mistake even on FS Curtis' own brochure. It's a 2 cylinder single stage pump, not 4.)

 

[mopac01]

Avoid the Quincy 30 gallon, its total junk.

My brother bought one, its a hodgepodge of crappy components with a Quincy heritage sticker slapped on the side of it.

Anything smaller then 60 gallon is a pitfall, not many high quality units made, and those that are tend to be premium priced.

Look into Jenny, Emglo?, and there might be a outlier from the big reputable companies like Champion, Atlas Copco, etc...

Or find the newer oddball screw compressor from ... Eastwood?
-----

Otherwise if it was my money, HF, Kobalt, California, all make a nice "quiet" series worth looking at.

Tarbellb: Thanks for that. See the other reply I just posted on this thread. I found an FS Curtis 30 gallon that I plan on getting. I really want a 60 gallon but right now I don't NEED a 60 gallon AND I have no way to get 220 to where I plan to put it. The cost is equivalent to the Quincy. For my needs and to give me something portable I can wheel out to the barn if I have a flat tire on my hobby farm tractor this should fit the bill. I don't mind paying more for something quality. You get what you pay for. I wanted an ASME certified tank and a pump with an expected life of at least 5,000 hours. I like to buy tools my son could one day take over.

 

[redmondjp]

Tarbellb: Thanks for that. See the other reply I just posted on this thread. I found an FS Curtis 30 gallon that I plan on getting. I really want a 60 gallon but right now I don't NEED a 60 gallon AND I have no way to get 220 to where I plan to put it. The cost is equivalent to the Quincy. For my needs and to give me something portable I can wheel out to the barn if I have a flat tire on my hobby farm tractor this should fit the bill. I don't mind paying more for something quality. You get what you pay for. I wanted an ASME certified tank and a pump with an expected life of at least 5,000 hours. I like to buy tools my son could one day take over.

Just my opinion here, but you are way overpaying if you think that the FS Curtis compressor is any better than the box store equivalent. Take a look at the picture of it - it uses the same cast-iron pump and motor as the box store ones do that cost less than half of what that unit costs.

I would just go buy the least-expensive 30 gallon compressor that uses an oiled pump as that one does - they are pretty much all the same unless you are buying one with a Champion or Saylor Beall pump on it ($$$). You can go through 4-5 of the box store ones for the same price as one of the higher-hour-life industrial-duty ones, and honestly as much as I do love me some premium equipment (full disclosure, I do have a Quincy 325 compressor but I only paid $450 for it), for your use case it's just not worth it.

My "main" compressor (still haven't switched it out for either the Quincy or the Curtis that is sitting alongside the garage) is a box-store Ingersol-Rand 60 gallon upright that I bought new in 1990. It's lasted 30 years so far and still running good. So all that to say, get the lowest-priced box store one that you can find, and just take care of it.

My $.03

 

[tarbellb]

Same ^^^

I would def check into the components and not rely on the sticker and $, aka Quincy.

 

[WinMod21]

There's an 'Industrial Air' 60-gallon single stage, 230V, belt drive, ACME Certified, compressor on sale--@ familyfarmandhome.com -- for $425 (at what they're calling their 'lowest price of the year').

 

[mopac01]

There's an 'Industrial Air' 60-gallon single stage, 230V, belt drive, ACME Certified, compressor on sale--@ familyfarmandhome.com -- for $425 (at what they're calling their 'lowest price of the year').

Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately I only have Tractor Supply and Menards in my area (beyond the standard Home Depot and Lowes). But more limiting is that this compressor is 220 and where I'm going to put this I don't have access to 220. The most I can do is 110.

 

[redmondjp]

There's an 'Industrial Air' 60-gallon single stage, 230V, belt drive, ACME Certified, compressor on sale--@ familyfarmandhome.com -- for $425 (at what they're calling their 'lowest price of the year').

That's an incredible deal on a new compressor. Beats most of the compressor prices on Craigslist even!

 

[WinMod21]

Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately I only have Tractor Supply and Menards in my area (beyond the standard Home Depot and Lowes). But more limiting is that this compressor is 220 and where I'm going to put this I don't have access to 220. The most I can do is 110.

Oh yeah, right. I forgot about your 110 only. Are you still looking though? If so, best wishes in finding a good one.

 

[WinMod21]

That's an incredible deal on a new compressor. Beats most of the compressor prices on Craigslist even!

I've never had a vertical compressor, but I thought it looked like a pretty good deal....if the brand is decent enough.

Btw, we used to live in & around Redmond for 30 yrs or so; including 3 west of the lake; then 9 up on the Plateau; then 18 or so out by the Snoqualmie.

 

[hbus1300]

How is the FS Curtis? Assuming you picked that one up? I’m in STL looking for a similar compressor

 

[Showkey]

You want portable, 120v, low price point and high duty cycle:



I have a Bostich version ( Dewalt rebadged) with the double tank. It’s 100% duty cycle, 200 psi, it won’t paint or sand blast low cfm.........but.........it runs impacts, nail guns and fills tire all day long if required. 6 years old and counting, no service, Used in basement wood shop.

 

[mopac01]

How is the FS Curtis? Assuming you picked that one up? I’m in STL looking for a similar compressor

I don't have a review yet although I've made the decision to go with this FS Curtis. I'm just sort of waiting for what's going to happen with 2020 before I spend the extra $. But once I'm ready to pull the trigger I'm set on FS Curtis.

 

[RandyIA]

I'd tend to agree on the lower priced units for a simple tire filler.

As for not having access to 240v? What's that hangup? Running electric isn't hard assuming local code allows DIY. It will be expensive however even if you do DIY. 6/3 wire is spendy. That's about the minimum size wire for an entry level home/shop compressor less than 50' from the service entrance or adequately sized sub-panel. Add more feet and voltage drop requires bigger wires.

FWIW - I just got finished installing a Dewalt 60 gallon single stage in shed to primarily run a blast cabinet. As such I am installing a secondary 60 gallon storage tank outside the shop to help dry the air also before it gets to the final filter setup before going into the blasting cabinet.

The reason for the smaller compressor? It was all I could afford. The reason for the extra storage aside from acting as a condenser? Because a blasting cabinet requires CFM, not high pressure. Most air tools require CFM, not high pressure. 90psi is about all that any compressor should have to supply consistently. Many tools work just as good at even lower pressures as long as they have the CFM. Myblasting cabinet works fine with 45PSI. But it struggled with my old 30 gallon oilless Craftsman (that's over 30 years old BTW) although it did work. It just has to take a break every 5 minutes or so. More stored air, longer run times. Less required PSI, longer run times. Only pumping the system up to 100psi instead of 155psi, much cooler compressor because of fewer starts. It's all interconnected.

Sorry if all this was already common knowledge. I am still in the research stage for my supply lines (I settled on a Rapidair m7500 3/4" flexible tubing kit). I was just reading about the comparisons between PSI and CFM when using air tools. I've used air tools for over 50 years and had no clue that more pressure was a waste of money when it's not necessary and it does nothing for the 'air supply' (CFM) pushing the tools mechanism's.

So my advice is to buy the compressor with the most CFM available at 90PSI. Which is why I settled on the Dewalt compressor, it supplies 11.5cfm (supposedly) at 90PSI. The blasting cabinet requires (per the manual) 10CFM @ 90PSI. However, CFM is realistically only the amount of free air sucked into the pump and pushed into the storage tank each minute, not the actual amount of usable air coming out of the compressor when the pump is idle. That's about as far as I understand it all. And I may be wrong on some points too. Still learning. YMMV

 

[Dh3256]

As for not having access to 240v? What's that hangup? Running electric isn't hard assuming local code allows DIY. It will be expensive however even if you do DIY. 6/3 wire is spendy. That's about the minimum size wire for an entry level home/shop compressor less than 50' from the service entrance or adequately sized sub-panel.

I'm curious how you calculated 6/3 wire for a 240 VAC compressor? That seems significantly larger than NEC requires, even for a 120 VAC compressor.

You mentioned a 60g DeWalt, their specs say 22A @ 230 VAC and NEC specifies 12 gauge NM-B for a 100' or less run. Upsizing to 10 gauge is good practice, but it seems 6 gauge is way too much.

 

[Iron Beaver]

I'm late with this, but: For small and especially for portable compressors, Rolair seems to have a good reputation.

 

[toyotadriver]

I'm curious how you calculated 6/3 wire for a 240 VAC compressor? That seems significantly larger than NEC requires, even for a 120 VAC compressor.

You mentioned a 60g DeWalt, their specs say 22A @ 230 VAC and NEC specifies 12 gauge NM-B for a 100' or less run. Upsizing to 10 gauge is good practice, but it seems 6 gauge is way too much.

I run my 60 gal compressor on a 30 amp breaker with 10ga wire.

 

[RandyIA]

I'm curious how you calculated 6/3 wire for a 240 VAC compressor? That seems significantly larger than NEC requires, even for a 120 VAC compressor.

You mentioned a 60g DeWalt, their specs say 22A @ 230 VAC and NEC specifies 12 gauge NM-B for a 100' or less run. Upsizing to 10 gauge is good practice, but it seems 6 gauge is way too much.

My bad. You are right, the compressor itself will work fine with 12 or 10 gauge wire. But my response was primarily about not having access to 220volt. On the rest I was I simply made an assumption. I assumed (a few erroneous things actually) that since the space didn't have 220volt (or a suitable sub-panel nearby) that an upgrade might as well be done even though the OP said he had no "access".

The other clue was saying he lived on a place with tractors. The barn mentioned apparently also had very little electricity available, if any so the need for a portable air compressor. I also live on a farm with a storage shed that has no electricity where i store my tractor. In essence, I was extrapolating with no other real evidence.

I was thinking- why not buy once and cry once? I neglected to add those thoughts however.

Mostly I was curious about why it was hard to get 220v to the location of the garage since two 120v circuits were already installed. But as is normal for me I started rambling....

 

[RandyIA]

I run my 60 gal compressor on a 30 amp breaker with 10ga wire.

I'm pretty certain a 30amp breaker is pointless with 10gauge wire. 10ga should have a 20amp max breaker. A breaker is designed to protect the wire, not the machines on the circuit. 90°c wire will fare better than will 40°c wire. At least it won't burn through the insulation as fast. It doesn't make the same gauge wire carry any extra current however. It will simply withstand some intermittent over-currents better such as locked rotor amps or starting a compressor full of summer grade oil in a garage that's 40°f below zero.

8ga will use about 30amp and 6ga will use about 55amp, 4ga about 60amp, etc. all are just rounded to the nearest breaker size. However, it's not that cut and dried. Soo many variables and charts to consult as well as using the right temperature wire, voltage drop due to wire length, and so forth. Near as I can tell going up a wire size (larger diameter/smaller number) doesn't hurt a thing, going down a wire size (larger number/smaller diameter) is detrimental your life and belongings. It can get expensive in both cases.

I am not an electrician nor do I claim that what I say is correct or code. I have been doing a LOT of research on electricity recently. I have been around many electricians on job sites and have learned enough for me to be troublesome to those that do know codes. I do all my own wiring right or wrong. All I can say is I could never be a journeyman electrician. Way too complicated for my numbers shunning brain.

 

[Dh3256]

I'm pretty certain a 30amp breaker is pointless with 10gauge wire. 10ga should have a 20amp max breaker.

That's not correct, max circuit breaker for 10 gauge wire is 30A.

8ga will use about 30amp and 6ga will use about 55amp, 4ga about 60amp

No, per code:
8 gauge 40A
6 gauge 55A
4 gauge 70A

However, it's not that cut and dried. Soo many variables and charts to consult as well as using the right temperature wire, voltage drop due to wire length, and so forth.

It kind of is that "cut and dried". For most normal home or farm use, the wire and breaker size is well defined.

Near as I can tell going up a wire size (larger diameter/smaller number) doesn't hurt a thing, going down a wire size (larger number/smaller diameter) is detrimental your life and belongings.

Maybe, it depends on the application. Going up a wire size can be OK - IF you still follow the box fill rules, breaker sizing rules, and other NEC requirements, AND the termination components you are using are rated and certified for that wire size.

 

[Prospecter]

DH & Randy: My compliments. This is one of the most civil exchanges I've read here! Nicely done, guys!

 

[mopac01]

Mostly I was curious about why it was hard to get 220v to the location of the garage since two 120v circuits were already installed. But as is normal for me I started rambling....

I have more than enough electrical service at the house for this. The problem getting 22v to the garage is that it is a rear entry (walk out basement) garage and the entire basement level is finished space - sheetrock walls, ceiling etc. with the electric service entrance and panels on the opposite side of the basement level. So I'd have to tear up sheetrock to run wiring from the one side of the basement through a family room and bedroom to get to the garage side.

The barn also has sufficient electrical service at it's sub panel. I just don't particularly need an air compressor that far from the house. Yes, I have a tractor there, but usually it's topping off a tractor tire and I can drive the tractor up to the house easy enough with a compressor in the garage. Or fills my portable air tank and take that out to the barn.

I don't have enough need for air to justify tearing up finished space. But if I'm buying even a 30 gallon compressor, I want a solid unit that will last. Cheap tools might be sufficient for the immediate needs but I'm just not a fan of getting "just enough" to get the current job done. I rather cry once even if the beneficiary is a son or grandson after I'm gone. Most of my tools are 60-75 years old and were my grandfathers. I like that longevity even if it isn't the most "efficient/cost effective" approach.

 

[Rinspeed]

Ampacity ratings.







https://www.usawire-cable.com/pdf/nec-ampacities.pdf

 

[RandyIA]

Thanks all! I mentioned I'm no electrician and want to make certain my house and shed don't create the conditions for roasting marshmallows!

When I said "cut and dried" I meant that distance comes into play (right?)

My setup is less than 50' total. That's what my searching is about.

I should have checked the ampacity charts before posting because I know my memory doesn't always work for me and it often works against me.

I'm in the learning stages. I apologize for that. I don't always frame my sentences correctly either. But I seldom take being told I'm wrong badly. It's the internet, being wrong in someones eyes appears to come with that. The fact of the matter is I do my own research. I don't take anything off the webz as fact. Everyone has some amount of expertise in some things but that doesn't make any of it right.

For example, I downhill skied for years after being self taught. I did fine and could negotiate some mild moguls but could never make it through some of the tougher Black Diamond slopes without a serious crash and burn or two or three. I finally took lessons....it's amazing how hard it is unlearning what you know even when you find out it's wrong. So many examples of that in everyday life too. If it works why change it? Sometimes it's to improve... No improvements come without many mistakes.

 

[anndel]

I have a 5 year old Husky 33 gallon vertical and it powers my various impacts without issue. I run a Snap-on PT850, IR 235 QTMAx, Air Cat 1150 and various Astro Pneumatics. Still running strong, its a dual piston belt-driven pump and I change the compressor oil annually. Currently it runs on 110 VAC but can be switched to 220 VAC.