Air Compressor

[rickycobra]

Kind of a dumb question but I always thought there was no difference between a horizontal and a vertical air compressor. So is there really a difference or do company just like to label everything differently so that it can be sold as a different product?

Lastly I've been looking at air compressors for just occasional use. However I would like to store in the back of my garage as I do now but not have to move up to the front if I'm working on something. Would it be better to have a long hose on the gorund or over everything and to the front of the garage?

 

[Theloniousmonk]

cheaper to just get a longer hose, but you can gain a bit of volume if you use some larger diameter iron pipe to plumb a system... horiz. compressors are usually larger than verts., or at least they used to be... you have a slimmer chance of tipping a horz. comp. over than a vert. one.

 

[bsaint]

Horizontal tank or vertical tank.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Don't get an oilless.

 

[rickycobra]

Don't get an oilless.

My understand this second would be that with an oilless compressor the part wear down easier or do you have a bad experience with one.

Theloniousmonk
I was looking at this one just getting familiar compressor again because I own my dads:http://www.gesusa.com/Belaire-IMC-5020P-Air-Compressor-p/101220.htm but the vertical one on their site all seem to be more expensive. So instantly I thought they must be better or is that not the case?

 

[Skin]

it helps if your air lines are elevated out of the tank to keep moisture draining into the tank as opposed to the air lines becoming your lowest point.

Oilless will wear out eventually as they function at higher RPMs and use teflon piston rings [as a result are considerably louder].

Oilless can still be fine for the weekend warrior though. I've got a 35 gal 135psi powermate i've been trying to beat into submission for the last 8 years or so of hard daily use [including cut-off tools]. It still hasnt quit. If i were using it within close proximity i'd have to use ear protection, no joke.

With the prices of compressors at big box stores these days though i really see no reason to go oilless when you can get a cast iron splash lubricated unit for a few hundred dollars.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Oilless is considerably louder -- and you mention having it inside the garage.

 

[dwm]

As far as plumbing goes, overhead is better because it leaves you the option of more effective drip leg(s). As mentioned, black iron is good for this, especially if you're going to include a drip leg. Whether or not you desperately need a drip leg or more depends on what tools you're driving.

The main advantage of a vertical is less floor space, and usually somewhat more effective draining. But if you have wall-mounted cabinets or want to stuff the compressor under a workbench, a horizontal makes more sense. Both are available as portables or stationary, though most of the vertical portables are a little smaller tank-wise than a horizontal. In the end, true CFM and duty cycle are more critical than tank size. If your typical use is 100% duty cycle, the tank is almost irrelevant.

No need to roll the compressor around inside your garage. A 50' hose should cover the whole garage unless your garage is large. Two 50' hose reels on opposite ends is even better. I usually have one near the bay doors for outdoor use, and another at the other end of the garage for most indoor use. You can either feed them both via a tee and some piping or hose, or plug one into the other when you need to work at the other end of the garage. The $89 ReelWorks hose reels from Northern have served me very well for a long time (roughly 10 years, I think). I haven't searched and haven't been here long, but Im' guessing many others are using the same reels.

 

[bsaint]

Oil less is garbage.

 

[sberry]

I have one of each, horz and vert. The horz one is the primary and I have it stashed behind a fiberglass blanket for sound, the second one only comes on with heavy use. Fairly rare so noise isn't that big of a deal.

 

[type11966]

sberry Your compressor looks like mine.

 

[BlindViper]

My old oil less craftsman would scare you out of your skin when it came on.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Oil less is garbage.

No, it's not. There are some excellent portable oilless compressors out there, some are even quiet. Oilless units are great for construction, trim work, roofing, painting, etc. They work in any position, don't put any oil into the line, are lighter and easier to put up on a roof, etc.

I certainly prefer an oil-filled unit as a stationary air supply in the garage, but I love my little oilless job for trim work.

 

[rickycobra]

Oilless is considerably louder -- and you mention having it inside the garage.

Thanks for the help Jack your always someone whose posts when I see them I have to read. I should be able to purchase a compressor soon is there anything else I should watch for that will make me happy I choose that over any other features.

 

[rickycobra]

No need to start another thread but sales galore today. So I was wondering if someone could answer my question above.

 

[kams1973]

"Lastly I've been looking at air compressors for just occasional use." When you occasionally use the air compressor, what tools will you be using??

 

[Red Green]

Basicly there are Oil-less and Belt driven. Both will work for occasional/home owner type use.

Hoziontal vs. Verticle. Basicly is which one will fit in your shop better.

The only other things that you need to look at are they 120v or 240v

The CFM and size of tank need to matched to what you are planing on running for air tools and for how long of a time do you plan on running them?

 

[rickycobra]

"Lastly I've been looking at air compressors for just occasional use." When you occasionally use the air compressor, what tools will you be using??

Pumping up tires, nail gun and painting with compressed air.

Basicly there are Oil-less and Belt driven. Both will work for occasional/home owner type use.

Hoziontal vs. Verticle. Basicly is which one will fit in your shop better.

The only other things that you need to look at are they 120v or 240v

The CFM and size of tank need to matched to what you are planing on running for air tools and for how long of a time do you plan on running them?

What is the different between 120 and 240?

 

[dwm]

Pumping up tires, nail gun and painting with compressed air.

Almost any compressor will handle filling tires and the nail guns. Painting... it depends on what you're painting (big panels or small stuff) and the gun. If you have particular paint guns in mind, look at how much air they consume, and get a compressor that has a sufficient CFM rating.

What is the different between 120 and 240?

120V operation (can plug it into a normal wall outlet) versus 240V operation (requires a 240V outlet or hardwiring, which you may or may not already have in place).

 

[Red Green]

What is the different between 120 and 240?

120V operation (can plug it into a normal wall outlet) versus 240V operation (requires a 240V outlet or hardwiring, which you may or may not already have in place).

This

 

[bsaint]

No, it's not. There are some excellent portable oilless compressors out there, some are even quiet. Oilless units are great for construction, trim work, roofing, painting, etc. They work in any position, don't put any oil into the line, are lighter and easier to put up on a roof, etc.

I certainly prefer an oil-filled unit as a stationary air supply in the garage, but I love my little oilless job for trim work.

Oil less are garbage.

 

[dwm]

No, it's not. There are some excellent portable oilless compressors out there, some are even quiet. Oilless units are great for construction, trim work, roofing, painting, etc. They work in any position, don't put any oil into the line, are lighter and easier to put up on a roof, etc.

I certainly prefer an oil-filled unit as a stationary air supply in the garage, but I love my little oilless job for trim work.

Agreed. For truly portable use, a small oil-free is the way to go. No oil in the lines means no oil stains on finish work and no need for a filter to take the oil out of the lines. They're also considerably lighter to haul around (pancake compressor, etc.). Low CFM on a truly portable, but that's all you really need for nail guns and the like. It all boils down to how you're going to use it. I need the 60-gallon stationary oiled unit for mechanical work, but I still use my oil-free units for finish nailing or when the compressor needs to go with me.

Many of us wind up with 2 or 3 compressors (not counting 12V models in our cars). LArger oil-lubricated unit and a smaller oil-free unit, and sometimes something in between. I have 3 at the moment: 60-gallon oil-lubricated on 240V, 33-gallon portable oil-free that runs on 120V that I can put in the truck by myself, and an oil-free pancake that will run nailers that I can carry anywhere.