A thousand-dollar air compressor?

[TeeJayHoward]

I'm looking for a compressor to run some shop tools and a HVLP paint setup. This will be going in a garage in your typical little subdivision with close neighbors. My neighbors have been pretty awesome about me wrenching in my garage, and I'd like to keep them (and the HOA) happy by not getting something absurdly loud. At the same time, I'd really like something powerful enough to run whatever I want to run. I'm figurin' 15SCFM@90PSI would be perfect. I don't have 240V in the garage, but I do have room on the panel and the panel itself is like a couple of feet from where I'd like to put the compressor, so I can't imagine it'd be TOO expensive to hook that up should it be needed.

So, can anyone recommend a compressor in the thousand dollar price range? Is it worth it to hit up Lowes/Home Depot/Big R/Sears, or should I be ordering online? What's the infant mortality vs lifespan on your typical compressor?

 

[Musicinabottle]

Now, it's been a while, but I bought a Campbell Hausfield single stage 6.5 horse power 65 gallon VT series with cast iron twin cylinder pump, and while I'm unsure the specs and likely not anything like the specs you called out, but the thing will run absolutely everything I've ever wanted to run, including my air blowers, paint gun impacts etc etc. I've exceeded 20 years of fairly hard usage on it. Recently replaced the valve from the tank to the pump, nothing else. Been a champ! American made. Mine is 220 volt. All you'd have to do is stick in a double poll breaker in your box if you had the room and route some wire. Mines in the basement, so not too loud.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

6.5HP means about 20CFM, which is plenty... And it looks like I can pick up one of those for around my price range, too. Of course, I know nothing about that brand. I see that the Ingersoll Rand SS5 is getting really bad reviews, which makes me wary. Not so much that there's issues (lord knows nobody ships gently) but that the customer service is lacking.

 

[Musicinabottle]

6.5HP means about 20CFM, which is plenty... And it looks like I can pick up one of those for around my price range, too. Of course, I know nothing about that brand. I see that the Ingersoll Rand SS5 is getting really bad reviews, which makes me wary. Not so much that there's issues (lord knows nobody ships gently) but that the customer service is lacking.

That's what I'm talking about! I believe, now that I think about it, mine was just a bit over $400. I bought it and slipped it down into the basement without my wife's knowledge. A week or so later, wouldn't you know it, my wife, who never goes in the basement, went in the basement. I comes home from work and she says.... "What the F.... is that big thing in the basement?" Busted! Now that she uses it to blow out her vacuums, area rugs and to dust wall hangers that she takes out to the garage, she couldn't live without it!

 

[TeeJayHoward]

One of the things I wanted to use the compressor for was soda blasting the project car sitting in my garage right now. After doing a bit more research, I'm not sure that even a thousand dollar compressor can do it! Some of the contractors are talking about 175CFM or higher as a minimum. That's just an absurd amount of air flow to me. Does it really take THAT much air?

 

[Musicinabottle]

I've used a couple huge sand blasting outfits before, we're talking 4 cylinder diesel engine running a screw compressor pump. Yes, something like that, indeed. I mean, how quickly do you want to blast the car? What you linked would run a fairly decent sized blaster I'd think, but if you ran it steady, your pressure will drop to around 80 psi unless you stop and wait for it to catch up. not long to charge up and take off again. The units I've used were a fire hose and you put it over your shoulder and leaned in to it or it'd knock you backwards type of thing. No expert on the smaller blasters, but maybe if you put up more info or photos of what blaster you have. Otherwise, I think you'd be just fine.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

I don't own the blaster yet. It's just one of the many things I wanted to do with the new compressor. Would a little Eastwood or Harbor Freight blaster work with a 6.5HP compressor for removing a car's paint? I'm fine with it taking 8 hours instead of 1. I just want it to work.

 

[Musicinabottle]

The small blasters are a bit out of my wheel house. I can tell you that it'd likely take quite awhile with a smaller unit and especially using that fine a media. A word of caution for you...... I did sandblast a truck once with that outfit I was talking about. Took about 12 minutes, but despite masking things off, it still got gritty dust in everything! From the steering wheel bushings to the dash switches and controls. My advice if you blast a vehicle, do it outside and away from your garage, and strip absolutely everything out of that car!

 

[OccupantRJ]

One of the things I wanted to use the compressor for was soda blasting the project car sitting in my garage right now. After doing a bit more research, I'm not sure that even a thousand dollar compressor can do it! Some of the contractors are talking about 175CFM or higher as a minimum. That's just an absurd amount of air flow to me. Does it really take THAT much air?

On a pressure pot the nozzle size determines the cfm needed. I blasted years ago with a 75 cfm portable commercial unit, and it did everything I needed, as it could outwork me. I think 20 cfm would run one of the small pot blasters for a backyard guy. You may need as many breaks as the compressor. If you have never blasted you will see why. You will have grit in places where grit ain't pleasant.

 

[CompressorPros.com]

6.5HP means about 20CFM, which is plenty... And it looks like I can pick up one of those for around my price range, too. Of course, I know nothing about that brand. I see that the Ingersoll Rand SS5 is getting really bad reviews, which makes me wary. Not so much that there's issues (lord knows nobody ships gently) but that the customer service is lacking.

6.5 HP screams consumer grade and suspect real HP rating. Check delivered air (CFM) at a given pressure. If they just list CFM, it is likely just displacement, which is a useless number as it just is saying what the compressor produces under 0 pressure. You want as much air as you can afford based on your application.

 

[TRWham]

6.5HP means about 20CFM, which is plenty... And it looks like I can pick up one of those for around my price range, too. Of course, I know nothing about that brand. I see that the Ingersoll Rand SS5 is getting really bad reviews, which makes me wary. Not so much that there's issues (lord knows nobody ships gently) but that the customer service is lacking.

That Puma lists a 50% duty cycle, so in effect it's a 10 cfm compressor for any continuous process like blasting. Single stage compressors will always have more cfm for a similar size, but at a lower pressure. It may work just fine for many jobs, but be sure you are looking at the right numbers.

 

[SgtHawkUSMC]

6.5HP means about 20CFM, which is plenty...

Somebody is dreaming... You're not getting 20 actual CFM for $1,000.00.
For what it's worth, I've been real happy with my Bel Aire 216v for the last 10 years or so. I got it for less than $1,000 from aircompressorsdirect.com. If I were buying today, I'd check out compressorpros.com. He posted a couple posts back. Good site and seems pretty responsive.

 

[Citation]

How much space do you have? The diameter difference between a 60 and 80 gallon upright may be a problem. Also consider the size of the pump. The big difference will be width and to a lesser extent height. How much painting are you thinking about? Will you go non-stop or can you wait for the tank to refresh from time to time?

Noise is something that you can probably handle on any compressor. Attach some of the threads on intake mufflers for compressors. Like a car, how loud a compressor happens to be is often related to the muffler built into the air filter/intake. If you don't mind the project you might look for used stuff. My brother and I just put a composite in his garage. It was a Colman "4.7" hp (17 Amp) 3 cylinder 80 gallon unit with a bad pump. That was replaced with a "3 hp" HF pump. Net result is an 80 gal compressor that claims to deliver 10 cfm @ 90psi and up to 145psi. The original pump claimed 14cfm and 155 psi. The specs are on the low side but I bet they would do what you want with only minimal pauses. The key part was we got the parts for free. Yes, free isn't always easy to reproduce but I bet Craigslist will have something that would work nicely for under $500.

As a separate topic, have you thought about how you will distribute the air? Just a hose from the tank or some plumbing? Since my brother's air demand was low and the budget tight we went for pvc air hose (not PVC pipe, the cheap air hose that gets stuff in the cold) as a way to run air to the other side of the garage. It's about the same as running a 3/8" hose from the compressor. Either way, do consider that most stationery compressors don't come with regulators, connectors etc. You want to have an idea how you will handle that when you start the job.

 

[GRB]

Quiet and 5hp is going to blow your budget. Think you would want a lot more air than that do much blasting. We used to have a 10hp 120gal and it ran hard to blast. Big cooler and water separation too. What about the noise at the nozzle?

 

[StRacerDuke]

I'm looking for a compressor to run some shop tools and a HVLP paint setup. This will be going in a garage in your typical little subdivision with close neighbors. My neighbors have been pretty awesome about me wrenching in my garage, and I'd like to keep them (and the HOA) happy by not getting something absurdly loud. At the same time, I'd really like something powerful enough to run whatever I want to run. I'm figurin' 15SCFM@90PSI would be perfect. I don't have 240V in the garage, but I do have room on the panel and the panel itself is like a couple of feet from where I'd like to put the compressor, so I can't imagine it'd be TOO expensive to hook that up should it be needed.

So, can anyone recommend a compressor in the thousand dollar price range? Is it worth it to hit up Lowes/Home Depot/Big R/Sears, or should I be ordering online? What's the infant mortality vs lifespan on your typical compressor?

Suggest you up your budget a little and buy one that will last you a lot longer:
https://www.eatoncompressor.com/pis...ingle-phase-80-gallon-vertical-air-compressor

 

[Bretny]

If your willing to wait for the compressor to catch up while blasting or are willing to rent a compressor a 60gal will run a hvlp gun just fine. Says it does 11.5cfm at 90psi. I have painted and DA sanded with it quite successfully. The few extra psi it has at 155psi really wake up air tools. Its also half of your budget.

Get 240v in your garage.

 

[mike93lx]

One of the things I wanted to use the compressor for was soda blasting the project car sitting in my garage right now. After doing a bit more research, I'm not sure that even a thousand dollar compressor can do it! Some of the contractors are talking about 175CFM or higher as a minimum. That's just an absurd amount of air flow to me. Does it really take THAT much air?

Yes. A towable diesel or gas comp is what you use for that. Same as you'd use for a jackhammer. Tons of air

 

[TeeJayHoward]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Looks like I'll be waiting a bit and picking up a better compressor.

 

[Kaizen]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Looks like I'll be waiting a bit and picking up a better compressor.

I had the desire to media blast as well. After spending maybe 500 bucks on piping to dry the air, the blaster, and the material. I now realize I should have just brought it to a pro or had a mobile glass blaster do in my yard. (Dustless blasting)
No way would I try to do it in my garage or in the yard in a hoa.
While I used a husky 500 dollar unit it sucked and took forever. Was drunk from drinking beer while waiting for the compressor to catch up.
Also I used media not soda. I’ve heard some real horror stories from soda. Do your research.


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[bob15]

Have you looked on c-list for an older used compressor? I found/have an older 25cfm IR for under 1k.

 

[95vette]

Hello, Check the Ingersall Rand five horse, eighty gallon at Tractor Supply.

 

[dnschmidt]

The Dreamers aren't Mexicans they're the people that think $1000 is going to buy an air compressor that will do sand blasting and whole car painting. Well, that's a nice dream but not going to happen. My SATA spray guns consume 17SCFM. Quincy 5HP 80 gallon dual stage compressor puts out 17SCFM meaning that it will barely keep up with my spray guns. When doing a complete I often need to wait for the compressor to keep up. 7.5 HP 80 gallon is the minimum if you want close to sufficient air and $2,500 to $3,000 dollars for a good Champion quiet low speed compressor with the necessary bells and whistles is what you're looking at to do what you want to do. You're also going to need a dessicant system like an RTI or refrigerant dryer as both sandblasting and painting require clean dry air.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Hello, Check the Ingersall Rand five horse, eighty gallon at Tractor Supply.

************* with a nice publicist.

You need to surround yourself with pinups of Champions, Saylor-bealls, 1980 era Quincys, and 1970 era Ingersols until you can recognize what makes them great. There are many compressors with names you have never heard of that are fantastic but reasonably priced machines. I think the easiest of the "must have feature group" for a newbie to spot is a 1800 rpm motor.

 

[bob15]

************* with a nice publicist.

You need to surround yourself with pinups of Champions, Saylor-bealls, 1980 era Quincys, and 1970 era Ingersols until you can recognize what makes them great. There are many compressors with names you have never heard of that are fantastic but reasonably priced machines. I think the easiest of the "must have feature group" for a newbie to spot is a 1800 rpm motor.

You can also include Gardner-Denver in that group of compressors that should be getting looked at.

 

[Bradley Miller]

So, can anyone recommend a compressor in the thousand dollar price range? Is it worth it to hit up Lowes/Home Depot/Big R/Sears, or should I be ordering online? What's the infant mortality vs lifespan on your typical compressor?

Have you looked at the new scroll one Eastwood has? That is the one I would consider for noise and output.



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[Lelandwelds]

You can also include Gardner-Denver in that group of compressors that should be getting looked at.

They're the parent company of Champion and Le Roi and some other stuff. Champion easier to find at the retail level.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Have you looked at the new scroll one Eastwood has? That is the one I would consider for noise and output.



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I can't keep my eyes off of it. I hope it is extremely lucrative for them. I hope the wait list grows to 24 months. I hope the competition sprains something rushing one to market. I hope they make a five hp version.

Even at 100 % duty cycle eleven cfm is a bit underwhelming. Even with a 200 gal dry tank, there will be some waiting trying to supply a larger bead blaster. It should be completely adequate. A 10 gal dedicated surge should guarantee performance but that's a lot of support equipment. It would look impressive but better to hope for 1/3 large pump.

I love a little bit of excess but . . .

 

[FTG-05]

$450 out of your price range, wouldn't consider anything less. Good luck:

https://www.eatoncompressor.com/5hp-2-stage-single-phase-60-gallon-vertical-air-compressor

 

[Citation]

Seems like a lot of these are overkill for what the OP likely needs. This is a home user, not an industrial user. I would suggest looking at Amazon reviews for some of these things (many compressors are using the same pumps so a DeWalt review might apply to a Sandborn compressor) and see what people say. If you really need something as large as some are saying you probably want to job shot that part out.

 

[lakelandcat]

If you really want to get serious, look into a older comp. that can be rebuilt. 20 years ago I picked up a 80gl. horizontal Curtis from a Ford dealer {I use to have a Matco tool truck}. They were getting a new comp. because their old Curtis had crapped out. When I ask what was wrong with it they said it was the motor, big as hell and twice as loud but will last forever. Size is everything, one person will have to run wide open to use 80gl. but sanders, blasters, big impacts its a necessity. Noise can be toned down with a insulated room, but it will still be loud. Also remember you will need regulators, driers, ect. plumbing and fixtures. $1000 not going to happen with a new system. Go big or go home.

 

[Citation]

Remember this is in a subdivision house. A big horizontal compressor is may be too big for the garage.
This is almost the compressor we installed in my brother's garage (before we got it the pump was replaced with a HF 3hp pump)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083FBDNM/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I think the 15A motor spec is wrong. The motor we had was rated at 17.5A, 230V. That doesn't sound like 4.7hp but it's more than 3. So assuming it does deliver the 14 CFM it just about would do what the OP wants. Since it's just splash lubed and uses reed valves I'm sure it isn't 100% duty cycle rated. I've seen basically this same model for around $900. Would I suggest it for shop use? No. However, for home use I suspect you need to jump up to the true 5hp models to really get anything better for what's important to a home user (ie only used on weekends). The air filters don't strike me as anything that will do much to handle noise but again, that can be handled via the aftermarket. For not much more I would probably look at a Campbell Hausfeld unit like this DeWalt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IR1GPM0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Or perhaps the HF 60 gallon 2 stage 5hp model many people like. The 60 gallon tank is smaller in diameter which really can make a difference if space is tight.

I say that but you also might find something like this
https://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/d/ingersoll-rand-t30-80-gallon/6533988379.html
true 5hp, magnetic starter (the ones above use the pressure switch to directly control the motor, not a long life solution but probably fine for a home users).

 

[redmondjp]

Remember this is in a subdivision house. A big horizontal compressor is may be too big for the garage.
This is almost the compressor we installed in my brother's garage (before we got it the pump was replaced with a HF 3hp pump)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083FBDNM/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I think the 15A motor spec is wrong. The motor we had was rated at 17.5A, 230V. That doesn't sound like 4.7hp but it's more than 3. So assuming it does deliver the 14 CFM it just about would do what the OP wants. Since it's just splash lubed and uses reed valves I'm sure it isn't 100% duty cycle rated. I've seen basically this same model for around $900. Would I suggest it for shop use? No. However, for home use I suspect you need to jump up to the true 5hp models to really get anything better for what's important to a home user (ie only used on weekends). The air filters don't strike me as anything that will do much to handle noise but again, that can be handled via the aftermarket. For not much more I would probably look at a Campbell Hausfeld unit like this DeWalt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IR1GPM0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Or perhaps the HF 60 gallon 2 stage 5hp model many people like. The 60 gallon tank is smaller in diameter which really can make a difference if space is tight.

I say that but you also might find something like this
https://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/d/ingersoll-rand-t30-80-gallon/6533988379.html
true 5hp, magnetic starter (the ones above use the pressure switch to directly control the motor, not a long life solution but probably fine for a home users).

That's a great deal on that IR T-30 compressor above for $1K with a Baldor single-phase 5HP 1740RPM motor on it.

HF 60 gallon 2-stage is OK but it is fracking loud - my coworker has one of them.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Remember this is in a subdivision house. A big horizontal compressor is may be too big for the garage.
This is almost the compressor we installed in my brother's garage (before we got it the pump was replaced with a HF 3hp pump)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083FBDNM/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I think the 15A motor spec is wrong. The motor we had was rated at 17.5A, 230V. That doesn't sound like 4.7hp but it's more than 3. So assuming it does deliver the 14 CFM it just about would do what the OP wants. Since it's just splash lubed and uses reed valves I'm sure it isn't 100% duty cycle rated. I've seen basically this same model for around $900. Would I suggest it for shop use? No. However, for home use I suspect you need to jump up to the true 5hp models to really get anything better for what's important to a home user (ie only used on weekends). The air filters don't strike me as anything that will do much to handle noise but again, that can be handled via the aftermarket. For not much more I would probably look at a Campbell Hausfeld unit like this DeWalt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IR1GPM0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Or perhaps the HF 60 gallon 2 stage 5hp model many people like. The 60 gallon tank is smaller in diameter which really can make a difference if space is tight.

I say that but you also might find something like this
https://stlouis.craigslist.org/tls/d/ingersoll-rand-t30-80-gallon/6533988379.html
true 5hp, magnetic starter (the ones above use the pressure switch to directly control the motor, not a long life solution but probably fine for a home users).

17 amps is around 3 hp. Any company who uses peak hp probably also uses pump displacement instead of delivered cfm @ stated pressure. Homeowner hobbiest stuff.

Method of lube and design of valve has nothing to do with duty cycle. Spinning a too small pump too fast to get the price down lowers duty cycle. (And kills durability and length of service.)

 

[Lelandwelds]

Seems like a lot of these are overkill for what the OP likely needs. This is a home user, not an industrial user. I would suggest looking at Amazon reviews for some of these things (many compressors are using the same pumps so a DeWalt review might apply to a Sandborn compressor) and see what people say. If you really need something as large as some are saying you probably want to job shot that part out.

Once you have used a real compressor set up correctly, it is difficult to use hobby grade. Other tools and methods can work just fine. Still, I think most guys prefer air if it is available.

 

[Tech89]

Got my two stage from air compressors direct.
Great so far.

-Pat

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[plowtruck]

I'm looking for a compressor to run some shop tools and a HVLP paint setup. This will be going in a garage in your typical little subdivision with close neighbors. My neighbors have been pretty awesome about me wrenching in my garage, and I'd like to keep them (and the HOA) happy by not getting something absurdly loud. At the same time, I'd really like something powerful enough to run whatever I want to run. I'm figurin' 15SCFM@90PSI would be perfect. I don't have 240V in the garage, but I do have room on the panel and the panel itself is like a couple of feet from where I'd like to put the compressor, so I can't imagine it'd be TOO expensive to hook that up should it be needed.

So, can anyone recommend a compressor in the thousand dollar price range? Is it worth it to hit up Lowes/Home Depot/Big R/Sears, or should I be ordering online? What's the infant mortality vs lifespan on your typical compressor?

TeeJay it sounds like you want a compressor for many different things. You want to run air tools for working on autos and other mechanical type of work. Plus I believe you want to remove the paint off a vehicle you have , if this is correct I think you are going at it the wrong way . I watched a video on YouTube by Jon Kosmoski who is a master painter with I believe he said 40 plus years of experience. If you watch the video he says it is best to use an aircraft paint stripper . I would definitely check out this video for great information about painting your car . As far as a compressor many units from about a 5hp with a 30 gallon tank to a 7 to 10 hp with an 80 gallon tank will run most all air tools. The question you need to answer is which ones and for how long at a time. Impacts and ratchets and air hammers all need air but for monents at a time , you aren't running continusely just minnets or even a few seconds only. If you are the only person working at a time. The problems are wen you want to run air Sanders and painting systems. You talk about a HVLP paint gun they use a high volume of low pressure air compared to tools , that is why most can be purchased with their own 3,4, or 5 stage compressor fans I think you could paint a car with the high end systems used in wood shops l don't know but I know they use some auto paints on commercial cabinet work. You will need to ask your self if you want single or two stage . Some two stage units can put out more volume and higher pressure for not much more money. It all comes down to what you want to do . I have had three main units and many small ones for wood working nail guns and things like that. My main is a 7hp 80 gallon tank all cast iron cylinder head and pump made by Campbell Hausfeld Extreme Duty single stage unit. I had a 5 hp 30 gallon commercial unit from Craftsman farm supply back when Sears Roebuck was good. The unit gave great service but just couldn't keep up with air Sanders. The one I now have will work just fine for all my work now and I have had it for about twenty years give or take. Still runs great and I paid about $800.00 for it at a Junior's tool supply which I believe is now White Cap out of Texas . The good news is I feel compressor prices are better now you can find a lot to choose from. I would still get cast iron cylinder and pump . Acme tools formally Tool Crib of The North have had a good selection and fair prices in past but you can check every where over the internet. Sorry this is so long and being so I hope it gives you some help . If I can help just ask. Ed..


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[DC73]

Check out Air Compressors Direct.

I bought this two stage Puma for just under $1000: https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Puma-TE-5040V-Air-Compressor/p13941.html

It's close to the 15 CFM you need (14). I had to get the 40 gallon unit because I was height restricted where I needed to mount it. They do offer an 80 gallon version for a couple hundred more.

So far, it's been a great compressor.

DC

 

[Citation]

17 amps is around 3 hp. Any company who uses peak hp probably also uses pump displacement instead of delivered cfm @ stated pressure. Homeowner hobbiest stuff.

Method of lube and design of valve has nothing to do with duty cycle. Spinning a too small pump too fast to get the price down lowers duty cycle. (And kills durability and length of service.)

It's not the silly peak HP BS of the late 90s but I agree the 4.7hp claim is over rated. I'm less certain about excessive flow claims. The flow rate claims seem reasonable if you look at say an Advantage series Champion with a 23A (5hp) motor rated at 17.5 CFM. The Colman was rated at 17.5 A and about 14 CFM. 17.5/23*17.5=13.2. The difference is likely the difference rated pressure at rated flow.

Once you have used a real compressor set up correctly, it is difficult to use hobby grade. Other tools and methods can work just fine. Still, I think most guys prefer air if it is available.

I can believe that. I've had access to enough industrial tools (good 3d printers, a great Kern laser cutter with O2 for metal cutting, my father's old Champion 5hp compressor). I get the pro tool mindset. I also understand that sometimes a home user just can't spend the money so "sufficient" is often what we are looking for.