Air Compressors

[scarrylarry]

I started a thread on another forum concerning air compressors and it got some attention from member Jack Olsen on this site,so I have it up here to get some of your guys thoughts.I would like an air compressor for the garage,don't we all.I won't be doing any ********* stuff like constantly running air tools for hours on end,such as painting a whole car,removing lug nuts all day,grinding/sanding a whole vehichle.But I would like to run a nailer for putting up a fence,maybe spray some chainsaw parts,use air for blowing debris off parts,maybe use an angle die grinder for some small porting jobs on chainsaws.

How big a tank would I need?

How many CFM?

How many PSI

#1 Would like it to be oil lubricated
#2 Would like it to be 120volt
#3 Prefer it to be made in North America
Your Thought Please
scarrylarry

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I started a thread on another forum concerning air compressors and it got some attention from member Jack Olsen on this site,so I have it up here to get some of your guys thoughts.I would like an air compressor for the garage,don't we all.I won't be doing any ********* stuff like constantly running air tools for hours on end,such as painting a whole car,removing lug nuts all day,grinding/sanding a whole vehichle.But I would like to run a nailer for putting up a fence,maybe spray some chainsaw parts,use air for blowing debris off parts,maybe use an angle die grinder for some small porting jobs on chainsaws.

How big a tank would I need?

How many CFM?

How many PSI

#1 Would like it to be oil lubricated
#2 Would like it to be 120volt
#3 Prefer it to be made in North America
Your Thought Please
scarrylarry

Boy are you giving off mixed signals. This wouldn't be heavy duty, then you go and list a tool that USES A LOT OF AIR.

You need to be realistic. Go out and either look at the information on the tools you have, OR are going to buy. That is a start.
A HF, cheap import compressor, is fine for air nailers (although some you still need to add a regulator, DAMHIK), but will NOT be the thing for an air grinder (THAT uses air).
That said, unless you get lucky like I did months ago, your going to be paying some $$$$$ for a 110v compressor, that is USA made, and can keep up (Quincy).

 

[scarrylarry]

I guess maybe I should ad in how hard is it to wire up a plug if for 220 Volt if I decide to go that way?But then I guess you loose your portabilty if you take it to someones house
Thanks
scarry larry

 

[mrholeshot]

The best 110 compressor Ive seen is the Kobalt 30 gallon oil type compressor. I have one and love it because it quiet. A Craftsman Oil less compressor is pretty good and will work great for a few years. For 25 dollars and 20 minutes work you can rebuild the pump when it goes bad. If you are going to be running a air grinder I'd go with al least a 25 gallon tank.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Porting chain saws is not like porting a couple of V8 heads. I would think you could be willing to wait for the air to catch up as you are only porting one cylinder.

Similar discussion last week.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67577

Charles

 

[rodm1]

I would go no smaller then a oiled pump with an 5hp motor all sow with a 60gallon tank. The spray and die grinder are your big air users. I think you will be happy with this setup.

 

[scarrylarry]

Thanks for the link Charles!And thanks so far to you fellas that have responded.
scarrylarry

 

[mrholeshot]

I would go no smaller then a oiled pump with an 5hp motor all sow with a 60gallon tank. The spray and die grinder are your big air users. I think you will be happy with this setup.

he is only spraying chain saw parts so not like painting a car. I use a electric die grinder (made for head porting) so air isn't much an issue until I get it the tight spots when I use an angle grinder (air) and I used a 26 gal Craftsman compressor for years in my head shop. The grinder would get too cold to hold it before the compressor ran out of air. I had an 80 gallon V twin compressor in my home garage for a few years. I got tired of listening to it. If I was doing stuff like sandblasting or auto painting I would have kept it. In reality most people could get away with a 10 gallon compressor in their home garage. I had a 12 gallon 5 hp oiless CampHF on my service truck (ran off the Gen/Welder that would pump more air than you could use running a 1/2 impact gun or die grinder cleaning gasket surfaces. I also have 33 gallon Craftsman that has a really good CFM rating. It's good enough to paint a car but a DA sander will take it to it's limits. I like being able to move the compressor around (like outside) so while I'm using it heavy I don't have to hear it run. You can't leave a compressor out in this area (even if you bolt it down and weld the nuts they will sheal the motor and pump. In my shop I had a room built with sound proofing board and a cooling fan going outside. I could still hear it and it was annoying. It was a 8hp 3 cyl 1958 Quincy with a 120 gallon tank. I'd love to have one of the new twin screw quincy compressors. Those babies pump mad air and are almost silent.

 

[Buxfan]

I bought this Makita a few months ago. I love it- quiet, powerful and portable.

http://www.toolbarn.com/makita-mac700.html?ref=base

Shop around, I bought mine for $188 + free shipping.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I understand the porting of chain saws, SO FAR, but we all know once one has a compressor, their uses tend to go up.

 

[mrholeshot]

One of my sons uses a small dewalt in his garage at home. He works constuction and picked up one from a co-worker for 150 dollars. It's a little powerhouse and does anything he needs in his garage. He uses air guns, ratchets and other stuff.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_155839-70-D55146_4294813361+4294926871_4294937087?productId=1036715&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_DEWALT_4294813361 4294926871_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_price|1

 

[JCQuick]

I have a very old 25 gal craftsman oilless compressor it's way to noisey I hate it I wish it would brak but I have used for 20+ years port several sets of VW cylinder heads and it's still kickin

where I work we are a saylor beall dist so if anyone would like to inquire on a good compressor hit me up. I got people comming in for parts for some of these that are 50+ years old

 

[rodm1]

I have a very old 25 gal craftsman oilless compressor it's way to noisey I hate it I wish it would brak but I have used for 20+ years port several sets of VW cylinder heads and it's still kickin

where I work we are a saylor beall dist so if anyone would like to inquire on a good compressor hit me up. I got people comming in for parts for some of these that are 50+ years old

What are rebuild kits running for a PL-707 pump? What would the part number be?

A side question I would like to switch to a synthetic oil around October and the pump probable won't have 5 hours on it. Is that a bad idea?

 

[scarrylarry]

You guy's have been great with your replies. Thank You for doing that!
Okay I do not want to mislead anyone hear as I am not currently porting chainsaws but want to in the future.I collect chainsaws and am just starting to get into the mechanical aspect of it.Moe collecting than repairing and I have lot's of canidates for the repair end of it.
I like the link i was given for the small Makita it's bigger brothers look like they might be good as well.
Thanks Again
scarrylarry

 

[6530]

I bought this Makita a few months ago. I love it- quiet, powerful and portable.

http://www.toolbarn.com/makita-mac700.html?ref=base

Shop around, I bought mine for $188 + free shipping.

Second for the MAC700. I just bought one a couple of months ago & love it. I needed something small that would fit in a corner for filling the kids' basketballs & footballs, inflating tires, blowing off the bench, & occasional air tool use. I just bought my first air tool (ratchet) in this board's classifieds.

I bought this one because it's quiet (much better than the prior DeVilbiss oilfree pancake) & oil-lubricated with an oversize cast iron cylinder. Plus I liked that it had a finned supply line from the pump to the tank - sort of an air to air intercooler. I looked at several others and none of them had that.

Amazon sometimes has it for about $190, shipped free. Keep an eye out - and make sure you read the reviews.

 

[scarrylarry]

What do you think of this deal?Or is buying a used compressor a risky venture?
Thanks
scarrylarry
http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/c-buy-an...sor-for-sale-Don-t-miss-it-W0QQAdIdZ215941200

 

[blaze_125]

It's a little powerhouse and does anything he needs in his garage. He uses air guns, ratchets and other stuff.

But how many times does he have to sit there and wait for the pressure to be back within the tool's operating range?

As posted in another post, I too have a small compressor and I can do everything in the garage... as long as I can wait for the pressure to build up again, and again, and again.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Wait, you are porting chainsaws? Do you mean for more power? I've never heard of anyone hopping up a chainsaw.
Tell me more, I am intrigued.

 

[W-Cummins]

Wait, you are porting chainsaws? Do you mean for more power? I've never heard of anyone hopping up a chainsaw.
Tell me more, I am intrigued.

Might be a west coast thing, so you have never seen a hoped up mac running nitromethane?? It's some thing to be seen, some place I have a video link for some jokers ( I think in Oregon ) that made a 2 man V8 powered chain saw...

William...

 

[scarrylarry]

Re: Air Compressors and Not porting chainsaws

Okay.I think I metioned this in a post after the original post.I am not porting chainsaws at present!I am not using any air tools at present.I am was just throwing the porting chainsaws into the realm of possiblities for down the road ie. using a small die grinder for the job.I think that I will rethink this whole air compressor thing over!
Thanks scarrylarry

 

[blaze_125]

Re: Air Compressors and Not porting chainsaws

Okay.I think I metioned this in a post after the original post.I am not porting chainsaws at present!I am not using any air tools at present.I am was just throwing the porting chainsaws into the realm of possiblities for down the road ie. using a small die grinder for the job.I think that I will rethink this whole air compressor thing over!
Thanks scarrylarry

No matter what you would actually use the air tools for, people are just trying to point out that any kind of air grinder will be starving for air if you go with a small compressor.

 

[scarrylarry]

Okay fellas here I go again.I won't be using the compressor for orbital sander or really high consumption air tools.I have talked to a salesman regarding using compressed air for painting chainsaw parts and he said If you have a smaller compressor and were painting one every so often you could get by with using a touch up spray gun.How does this information sound to you?
I'm thinking maybe the Makita MAC2400 or the Makita MAC5200.
Which one would you choose?
Also has anyone used a Rolair compressor?What kind of quality are they?
Whats the difference between a Campbell Hausfeld Serious Duty,Campbell Hausfeld Extreme Duty and a regular Campbell Hausfeld compressor?Are those terms just marketing ploys?
Many Thanks
scarrylarry

 

[creativecars]

Larry, I understand you are not needing a big compressor at this point, but what many have found is once you have air, you get more and more tools, and need for more air. Air volume is your largest concern, not HP.
As far as a touch up spray gun, that would be great for painting things such as a chain saw. And most of the small compressors will handle it. I would not get anything with less than 5cfm for that.

IMO a small cheap compressor is a small cheap compressor.

I don’t know where you plan on purchasing this but the dealer and warranty are of a larger concern. A piece of equipment like this is only as good as the people behind it.

The MAC2400 seems ok, but for about $300 I think it is a little pricey and a little low on air volume.
The MAC5200 is a little stronger, but more costly yet.

For the same type of compressor I would look at the Harbor Freight

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-4-gallon-115-psi-twin-tank-air-compressor-95498.html

for $100.00 and get the extended warranty. While there you can get the grinder and touch up spray guns and still be cheaper than the Makita.

 

[Davefr]

Wait, you are porting chainsaws? Do you mean for more power? I've never heard of anyone hopping up a chainsaw.
Tell me more, I am intrigued.

When you buy a new chainsaw you're basically getting something that doesn't run (because of the EPA) and doesn't cut (because of OSHA).

You can transform these into wonderful machines by opening up the exhaust and providing a richer mix. The next step is to replace the safey chain with chain that can actually cut.

After that you can throw on big block kits and venture into the world of custom porting.

Happiness is throwing a large rooster tail of chips!!

Try this for starters:

www.arboristsite.com

 

[impulse922]

i have a portable 220v unit, only downside to it is 220v extension cords are quite expensive and even when you make one they aren't cheap.

just buy a 2hp/5cfm unit with oil bath and hope its enough.

 

[route246]

I have a Makita MAC2400 which I got through Amazon Prime. It is oil-based and meets my requirements. It is short enough to slide under a bench, it has enough CFM to run everything I have except for die grinders and other high-CFM stuff. I have an auxiliary tank which I slave on when I need more CFM. I also converted one of the nozzles to 3/8 fittings since I try to do everything using the larger format fittings and hoses.

Oil-less seems too noisy for me. This one sits inside of a well-ventilated cabinet in the garage and you cannot hear it from the house at all. The oil-less one we have can be heard quite well from the house and that was a requirement of my wife to make sure she can't hear it come on in the middle of the night when I leave it on by accident (or on purpose). I've managed to build a robust air distribution system out of black pipe and it doesn't leak much, if at all.

 

[pipsters]

I started a thread on another forum concerning air compressors and it got some attention from member Jack Olsen on this site,so I have it up here to get some of your guys thoughts.I would like an air compressor for the garage,don't we all.I won't be doing any ********* stuff like constantly running air tools for hours on end,such as painting a whole car,removing lug nuts all day,grinding/sanding a whole vehichle.But I would like to run a nailer for putting up a fence,maybe spray some chainsaw parts,use air for blowing debris off parts,maybe use an angle die grinder for some small porting jobs on chainsaws.

How big a tank would I need?

How many CFM?

How many PSI

#1 Would like it to be oil lubricated
#2 Would like it to be 120volt
#3 Prefer it to be made in North America
Your Thought Please
scarrylarry

IMO, looks like you are looking for close to what I was looking for. I wanted:

• 120V
• Oil lubed, belt driven (for quietness and longevity)
• Biggest I could get (within reason) as far as CFM and PSI go
• Mobile
• Reasonably priced

In reality anything in the 25-30 gallon range will run what you are trying to run, you might just have to take a break every few minutes or so if doing solid die grinder work.

Look at these:

Sears 25 gallon, I bought on sale 1.5 years ago for $360

Lowes Kobalt 30 gallon 155 psi $429

If you are interested in the Lowes one, Northern tool sells a refurb one (same as Lowes) for $300

 

[truckdriver]

i have a portable 220v unit, only downside to it is 220v extension cords are quite expensive and even when you make one they aren't cheap.

just buy a 2hp/5cfm unit with oil bath and hope its enough.

I hardwired a home made 30ft cord for my compressor and the materials were only $40 for the wire and plug using 10/3.

 

[impulse922]

I hardwired a home made 30ft cord for my compressor and the materials were only $40 for the wire and plug using 10/3.

by hardwired do you mean using romex and only one plug?

 

[devilphrog]

I picked up the Refurbished Kobalt that was listed in Pipsters post last weekend, and although I haven't used it a ton as I have been slammed at work, I am already liking it better than my old roommate's 15 Gallon DeWalt oilless compressor that was louder than hell, and still took a while to recharge. Yeah, it's 5.7 CFM's and takes a while to recharge, but it meet's all of my needs and is so quiet that you can have a normal conversation over the compressor running. I didn't find anything oil lubricated else near the price for the quality and size, as well as the CFM output. Anything larger and you will have to step it up to 220V. For $299, you can't go wrong.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200396622_200396622

 

[scarrylarry]

Thanks for the replies so far you guys.It all helps when it comes to laying down the cash.
scarrylarry

 

[Rockerbox1]

I will back what others are saying... buy one that is "too big" for your needs.... cause soon enough, it won't be.
When I bought my HF 2.5hp 21 gal compressor it did everything I needed it to, airbrushing, tire inflation, nail gun, etc.

now that I have been doing all my body work at home, I am constantly waiting for it to catch up. When DA sanding a fender for a bike I am redoing, I can sand for about 30 seconds, then wait about 1.5 minutes for the compressor to catch up.
mine is only 6.5 cfm at 90 psi

I am soon upgrading to one that is 12.5 cfm at 90 psi, 5hp, 60 gal tank

 

[jptx]

I have a 33 gallon Craftsman oiless unit, it provides plenty of power to run my impact and ratchet. Like many others have said though, the oiless units are very loud! You may also head the advice of another post that once you get air you WILL end up buying more tools, don't go too small with the compressor and be dissapointed later.

 

[bart1]

When I was researching a few years ago, I decided this was the best unit:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00916474000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

I got a Dewalt as a gift and have made do with it, though I don't use air tools much at all.

 

[scarrylarry]

Thanks again fellas for your input.Geeezzzz your prices in the USA are sure better than ours up here in Canada
scarrylarry

 

[kams1973]

You really should look into reconditioned/refurb units. The savings can be substantial.

 

[creativecars]

Larry, Another thing about compressors.
I don’t think there is a single perfect compressor. There are 2 thoughts… and needs.

1. A small efficient, quick, easy compressor, cost effective, mobile, 120v, 5cfm, 100psi

2. A HD, 2 stage, 60 gal.,220v, 15+cfm, 150 psi, work horse

I don’t think bigger is better when it comes to what you are needing a compressor for right now. I don’t think there is a need at all for a middle of the road compressor. In the future you may want the HD, but that is later.

Right now you are needing a small compressor that will air up tires, spray a little paint and maybe use a grinder. It does not need to be too big, noisy, and take much electricity, but be efficient enough to get to operating pressure when needed.

 

[Vince B]

I found this info helpful.

http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/tools/ar101.htm

http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/tools/ar102.htm

 

[bart1]

Larry, Another thing about compressors.
I don’t think there is a single perfect compressor. There are 2 thoughts… and needs.

1. A small efficient, quick, easy compressor, cost effective, mobile, 120v, 5cfm, 100psi

You know what's better for that than a compressor? A homemade version of this:

www.powertank.com



I have a little 5 lb tank that is fantastic for a portable solution and the CFM is amazing. The downside, of course, is the cost to have it refilled, just don't use it as your primary source.

 

[scarrylarry]

Thanks to all again! I have a lot of information to digest now.I have also been keeping an eye out on craigslist in my area to see what they are asking for them also.But in all honesty I don't think I would buy a used machine as I wouldn't know what to look for, as in potential trouble spots.Refurbished might be an option,the local tool supply has them quite often.
Lawrence