Best value compressor $600 range ???

Marctrees · May 6, 2017

I would prefer to get a lightly used T30, or a GardnerDenver, Saylor Beall, or USA made similar.

Edit - Can't believe I forgot Quincy.

Had a gorgeous 30 yr old T30 in a previous life.

But, in our rural area or driving distance, not gonna happen..

So, I need to buy new.

Want to stay ideally at like ballpark $600 range.

So looking at current IR like 60 gallon 5 hp size.

Like the below link.

I read the current pumps are made in India, does not turn me on.

This would be used not every day, maybe average actual running time 15 hour week max estimate.

Medium home shop use, one worker.

Want minimum around 15 cfm, 60 gallon tank.

I'm not asking for CFM advice, that I got, only on quality and dependability wise.

****, I hate to buy non USA.

But I ain't Jay Leno.

Ready to buy now, any great deals anywhere let me know.

Experiences? Marc

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

jkeyser14 · May 6, 2017

Re: IR compressors - Current models any good?

I bought one a couple years ago and the motor start capacitor started leaking out its electrolyte within a couple months. Their customer service office REFUSED to repair it, insisting that the only way it could have failed was if my shop was wired wrong. That left a very bad taste in my mouth and I will never, ever buy another product from them again.

On top of that, a simple google search showed me that motors on these compressors all had issues, with several documented cases of them actually catching on fire.

Marctrees · May 6, 2017

Re: IR compressors - Current models any good?

And then also we got a Porter Cable (name has gotten "whored out over years) that is 4 cfm smaller-

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...belt-drive-air-compressor-60-gal?cm_vc=IOPDP2

tom-ky · May 6, 2017

Re: IR compressors - Current models any good?

I looked at them but since they went to pumps made in China an I read about lots of motor problems I passed on them.

Marctrees · May 6, 2017

Re: IR compressors - Current models any good?

Dang, and I had a Baldor TEFC true 5 hp motor on my old IR, had to sell it. Marc

Marctrees · May 6, 2017

Re: IR compressors - Current models any good?

So, I edited renamed this thread - "best value compressor for around $600?? "

Marc

matt_i · May 6, 2017

Imo, 15 hours runtime per week deserves a better compressor. I probably put 15 hours runtime on my compressor last year...

Other than that you got Houston, Dallas, and whatever you can ship.

Marctrees · May 6, 2017

Ya, shipping prices charged nowadays, seem to have all to do w the seller, and no longer on geo miles distance.

It's all about promotions.

Look at Amazon Prime and Walmart.

Walmart sends broken up orders like crazy, one jar of pecans here, a jar of spaghetti sauce next day, totally crazy.

But as long as order is $50, it's free shipping.

Order a 100 lb window AC, and the pecans and spaghetti sauce, all shipped free and in at least 2 shipments.

And I'm talkin for everyday stuff.

Including like heavy laundry soap, bleach, $15 packages of toilet paper, etc.

UPS truck drives to my rural house, and delivers a spag sauce that I paid $2.32 for TOTAL.

Insane and stupid.

But they do it everyday.

Don't know how.

If you actually shop a place like for me nearby Houston, the shipping charged me for a comp would highly probably be more than some place in middle of country.

Obviously, one looks at total price SHIPPED. Marc

Marctrees · May 7, 2017

Kobalt?

Supposedly the motors are made in Mexico,pumps in china, and tank and assembly in USA.

Marc

pancho400cid · May 7, 2017

Not an expert, but for new compressors, I think a 15 CFM at 90 PSI unit is going to be north of the $600 by a couple of hundred or more.

The site below is very good. You can break down your search by size, price, CFM etc. I was heavily checking them for a while but found a used compressor on CL and went with that.

https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com

6768rogues · May 7, 2017

I bought one from Eaton Compressor about 15 years ago and it has a lot of hours on it. No idea where the parts came from. Replaced a head gasket, which they had readily available, and it has been bullet proof. I don't know if they have some in your price range.

Dr Stan · May 7, 2017

John Deere compressor https://houston.craigslist.org/tls/6116838707.html

Must have been built for them as I've never heard of a JD compressor. Should be worth an inquiry.

Marcm157 · May 7, 2017

I bought a Husky from Home Depot about 2 years ago. CFM is onl 11.5 @ 90 psi but i have had zero issues with it and it runs everything I need it to. When running die grinders I sometimes need to wait for compressor to catch up but other than that its a great compressor for my home shop.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-60-Gal-Stationary-Electric-Air-Compressor-C602H/205389936

mustang68408 · May 7, 2017

That IR Garagemate is 559$ on amazon right now. Prime membership would be free shipping...

Marctrees · May 7, 2017

I guess it all boils down to Chinese/ Indian/ Mexican unless we go over around ballpark estimate $1500 for true 5 hp.

Marc

Marctrees · May 8, 2017

Still looking for suggestions of models currently available.

Looks I have to be at about 10 cfm, to be around $600, I can live with that. Marc

ZipSnafu · May 8, 2017

I have a 60 gal that puts out about 10 cfm and it is barely adequate for my shop use. Grinders and DA's just eat up the air. You have to figure what is more important, cfm or price.

pancho400cid · May 8, 2017

I think Husky and some other big box store offerings are often re-badged Capbell Hausfields similar to the one in the first link below. That link is to a company I see advertising on my local CL. I have no experience with them, but my compressor is similar to the first link - a very common one. It works fine. As said, 10-12 CFM is ok for a lot of stuff but for long-term body work, lots of sandblasting etc. more CFM would be better

They might be worth a call. The prices I've seen seem good.

http://www.dicksontoolonline.com/vt-6195-air-compressor.html

http://www.dicksontoolonline.com/tq-3104-air-compressor.html

Marctrees · May 8, 2017

10 cfm is fine for my uses bottom line.

As long as I have the 60 gallon tank, I'm fine. Marc

Nexussian · May 9, 2017

Check your local NAPA.

They sell a line of compressors that list at exorbitant prices (MSRP) but are almost always on sale.

Pops bought one, MSRP nearly $4K, was on sale for $2,700 wish, including tax (bought it in AZ, I don't know what the sales tax is there).

If you don't need this compressor immediately and can wait for the right sale, it might be an option.

His is 7.5 HP, 24 CFM @ 175 Psi and came with a Belt Guard mounted after cooler, low oil shutdown and an automatic drain.

It has a Baldor motor, Eaton Mag starter and while I don't see a name on the pump all the literature for it says Atlas Copco.

http://napaaircompressors.com/piston-simplex.html

Or, for a quieter model:

http://napaaircompressors.com/quiet-piston.html

But they typically cost more for a given capacity.

Good luck.

graffix000 · May 9, 2017

I have the same equivalent IR compressor shown in the first link and have nothing but positives to say about it. it is 7 years running now. Use it a few times a week.

JohnnyK81 · May 9, 2017

Does HF still have their 2 stage 60 gallon? It's what I have (and no, it is not Chinese).

bastage · May 9, 2017

pancho400cid said:
Not an expert, but for new compressors, I think a 15 CFM at 90 PSI unit is going to be north of the $600 by a couple of hundred or more.

The site below is very good. You can break down your search by size, price, CFM etc. I was heavily checking them for a while but found a used compressor on CL and went with that.

https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com

This... I did the same looking in there and window shopping before I found an old air America with a US 6hp motor and an Italian pump for 500 (was listed at 800 and I just politely low balled them at 500 and they agreed immediately).

bastage · May 9, 2017

JohnnyK81 said:
Does HF still have their 2 stage 60 gallon? It's what I have (and no, it is not Chinese).

Yeah they do, but it's a little out of the 600 budget.

rburke65 · May 9, 2017

Re: IR compressors - Current models any good?

jkeyser14 said:
I bought one a couple years ago and the motor start capacitor started leaking out its electrolyte within a couple months. Their customer service office REFUSED to repair it, insisting that the only way it could have failed was if my shop was wired wrong. That left a very bad taste in my mouth and I will never, ever buy another product from them again.

On top of that, a simple google search showed me that motors on these compressors all had issues, with several documented cases of them actually catching on fire.

You bought one.....one what? What brand name? Hard to read.

Marctrees · May 9, 2017

Ok, heres the latest digging results -

The Harbor Freight linked below -

Century motor made in Mexico.

ABAC T29S pump made apparently in Italy.

Morganton "certified" tank, made APPARENTLY in USA by an Italian owned company.

Condor pressure switch - not sure where made but looks OK - (What the hell ever happened to SqD pressure switches? seem to be rare now)

Seems to be the best value around.

Anyone with differing info please post.

Marc

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...n-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html

Marctrees · May 9, 2017

So, I think I have made my choice unless one of you guys has something better, or at least comparable.

Marc

JohnnyK81 · May 10, 2017

This is what I suggested, and then bastage said it was beyond your budget. Read up above your post.

Yes, this is what I use. Compressor is fine. Pressure switch broke quickly, who cares, they are $20 at any local store.

You will need a minimum 30 amp 240 circuit. (larger than the 'regular' 60 gallon compressors you find in box stores).

bambbrose · May 10, 2017

I have a PUMA PK6560V, 5HP Single Phase 60 gallon. Its been excellent. It has a NIDEC motor, 56 Frame. I've had great luck with NIDEC on other machines and that was a deciding factor for me.

The tank is also US built.

The pump is the same as many twin cycle units around, but there are some PUMA differences such as cooling fins on the outlet tubing, etc. It makes me think they did actually evaluate the design and improve upon it.

I picked it up locally for around $700. It is listed for more online but it is one of those things you may be able to get cheaper at a local distributor than online.

bastage · May 10, 2017

Marctrees said:
Ok, heres the latest digging results -

The Harbor Freight linked below -

Century motor made in Mexico.

ABAC T29S pump made apparently in Italy.

Morganton "certified" tank, made APPARENTLY in USA by an Italian owned company.

Condor pressure switch - not sure where made but looks OK - (What the hell ever happened to SqD pressure switches? seem to be rare now)

Seems to be the best value around.

Anyone with differing info please post.

Marc

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...n-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html

I do have one other suggestion.. And its location dependent.. Call around to any tool places. I did & one of the places local to me called Idaho Tool sells the Belaire 216v for I believe 869.. While that is a little more then the HF unit, its actually the same exact unit, except with a 2 year warranty instead of 90 days. So if you can grab it locally for a price like I can it ends up being much cheaper then the HF 60g with the HF extended warranty. Plus you would most likely get much better service if there was ever a problem. If thats not an option & your not finding anything on CL then I wouldnt have any quams at all about getting the HF one. Just make sure that you get the one with the inline 2 cylinder instead of the V twin.

Also of note I have the same pump on my Air America 6hp 60 gallon. Mines an older one obviously, but I paid 500 & got a bigger US made motor, but no warranty. So far its exactly as I expected, but a bit louder then I would prefer. I have a adapter & new intake muffler on the way and should be here Friday to hopefully quiet it down a little bit. I also added the Home Depot air tank braided drain to it so that I can drain it with the ball valve out front. This can be done piecing the stuff together yourself as well, but the cost difference is nill..

MrSurly · May 10, 2017

I recently noticed that Lowes is now carrying Quincys. Has anyone investigated these?
https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=quincy

arizonajack · May 10, 2017

I bought the Campbell Hausfield from Home Depot in 2009 for about $450 with a 3 year warranty. A year later the pump shook itself to pieces. Turns out the hold down screws thread into the base with no nuts and vibrated loose. I got the pump replaced under warranty and the screws now have nuts and lock washers. No trouble since then. I guess I use it about once a week on the average.

Matt Matt · May 11, 2017

I'm rebuilding a compressor from a bunch of scrap parts. I got an 80 gallon tank for free, a 3 piston pump for free, a baldor 5 hp three-phase motor for $40. This is what started the project. I've spent almost $170 just in fittings, piping, gauges, ball valves... and paint. I'm getting about 16-17 CFM at 90 psi. At 10 CFM with a 3 hp motor the best deal I could find was about $800.

tom-ky · May 11, 2017

Marctrees said:
Ok, heres the latest digging results -

The Harbor Freight linked below -

Century motor made in Mexico.

ABAC T29S pump made apparently in Italy.

Morganton "certified" tank, made APPARENTLY in USA by an Italian owned company.

Condor pressure switch - not sure where made but looks OK - (What the hell ever happened to SqD pressure switches? seem to be rare now)

Seems to be the best value around.

Anyone with differing info please post.

Marc

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...n-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html

Condor pressure switch is made in USA. I did recently buy one of these compressors and the switch was bad, called the support line and the next day shipped a pressure switch. It works fine now but has had limited use, will start seeing more use soon.

Marctrees · May 11, 2017

MrSurly said:
I recently noticed that Lowes is now carrying Quincys. Has anyone investigated these?
https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=quincy

Just keep in mind it won't be an old school Quincy till you get well north of 2k as far as I understand.

The ones around 1k - I looked at them a year ago, don't recall specifics, but didn't get too excited about getting one.

It all comes down to ya gotta pay for what ya get.

Marc

Best value compressor $600 range ???

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