Air compressor decision

[zak77]

Now that i have 220v wired in the garage, my next hurtle is my air compressor. I have a 20 gallon oil-less for small jobs and a old Kellogg 30 gallon oil lubed that i use for larger jobs. I had to repower the Kellogg when i got it several years ago but due to having only 110v at the time i could only get a 1hp motor. The pump still works but i can tell it's tired so i happened to pickup a new pump at TSC last winter for less than $100 in hopes of putting it on and getting more air out of the old compressor. Well that motor isnt powerful enough to spin the pump to get over 75 psi so i'm at a cross roads here.

I dont do a ton of air powered stuff since my access is air is limited but i do occasionally need to paint or use die grinders and of course those things eat air like crazy. So, do try to keep the old Kellogg alive or go new/bigger?? I would like a vertical to save space at the same time, but it's not a deal breaker. I don't have a ton of cash to throw at this purchase but i dont want a complete cheap POS either. The IR compressors at Tractor Supply seem to have a lot of issues. They sell a Porter Cable 60 gallon for about $500 but does anyone have any opinions on this compressor?

I've also thrown around the idea of getting a 3.5hp motor for the existing compressor and using the new pump. But that's going to cost me about half of the Porter Cable so might as well spend the $500 and get something bigger and hopefully, better. If i do get the new compressor i'd use the old tank to make a new patio bbq smoker i've been wanting to make for a while now. If someone has another option i'll consider it but the budget is about $1,000 max.

 

[rlitman]

If you're looking to be talked into something bigger than you were originally considering, you've come to the right place.

But seriously, with that budget in mind, you have plenty of options.
I would really think about buying a complete compressor rather than continuing your frankenstein process on top of an old tank. An oil lubricated 60 gallon machine will run die grinders continuously just fine (though depending on the setup, it may be a stretch for a DA).

 

[md21722]

With a $1,000 budget I would try to buy a 5 HP / 18 CFM compressor. You really need about 5 HP to run most of these tools for any length of time. Look at Northern Tool for some ideas on what you can get in this price range.

 

[ScottReb]

Please dont rule out finding an old American compressor on the used market. With the resources here you can refresh anything you might find and you get more and better used for the same cost. I see the chinese 5hp IRs on CL around here several times a week for half what a new one is. But plenty of USA compressors for good prices too. With your budget you could fine a Champion, Curtis, IR, Quincy or another good 5-7.5HP/80G compressor, that needs little to no work, with a little patience.

 

[raffaelli]

HF 60 gallon. Have it. Love it.

 

[md21722]

^^ watch out on the recommendations from the HF 60 gallon. They've replaced it with a different model than the well loved one. The new style is easily identifiable by a W body pump with three air filters. They do have a finned cooper line between all three cylinders that leads into the tank. ;-)

 

[redmondjp]

^^ watch out on the recommendations from the HF 60 gallon. They've replaced it with a different model than the well loved one. The new style is easily identifiable by a W body pump with three air filters. They do have a finned cooper line between all three cylinders that leads into the tank. ;-)

That may not be a bad thing - if the new one has three cylinders with three air filters, then it is a single-stage unit. It's probably more efficient at producing a higher airflow, at a lower pressure, than the 2-stage unit that it replaced.

The three-cylinder, single-stage pump has been used for quite some time - does the new HF one look like this Puma pump? It's a PUK-65:

http://www.allaircompressorparts.com/puk-65pumasinglestagecompressorpump.aspx

 

[md21722]

It's only rated at 15.8 CFM @ 90PSI just like the old and appears to advertise a higher than expected pressure for a single stage, somewhere around 145-165 psi. Single state pumps become pretty "slow" at those higher pressures. The whole thing just looked "as cheaply made as possible". The shutoff valve had poor movement and the pump had that cheap/rough finish. At least it has a 1/2 - 3/4" tank outlet. In my opinion it should cost less than it does. Compared to the picture linked above, I don't recall the copper lines being present, but the finned discharge line between cylinders was present. There are better options out there for less money. Considering that the "better" dual stage 5 HP units are rated around 17.5-19 CFM @ 175 PSI, and 5 HP single stage units are often rated around 18.5 CFM for the same or less than HF wants, I just don't see the value anymore at least after you add in the extended warranty for $179.

 

[md21722]

As far as the Porter Cable goes, its your standard 11.7 SCFM @ 90 PSI 3.7 HP unit. Lowe's sells one with the same specs. I don't know the details of your replacement pump. A motor for it should be available for $200. If the existing tank is in good shape then it may be wise to get the motor. If the tank is poor/questionable then look elsewhere. One of the 16-18 SCFM compressors will run the power hungry air tools better and 30 vs 60 gallon tank does give you an extra few seconds on the bigger air tools if your compressor can't keep up (but also means you'll have to wait longer for it to build pressure back up).

 

[herbet99]

I have one of these from Tractor Supply. It's 5hp, 60 gals. 18.1 cfm at 90 psi. And it's on sale for $849 I've had it for about 4 years now and it works great for what I do. I'm a hobbyist. I just painted my 66 mercury (a large car) using HVLP guns and spent a lot of hours running air sanders and air grinders getting the body ready. This air compressor had no problems keeping up. The only thing I don't do is sand blast, which is probably the biggest air hog.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ingersoll-rand-ss5l5-5-hp-60-gal-high-capacity-air-compressor?cm_vc=-10005