Compressor recommendation

[Andybull]

I've owned a Belaire 7.5 HP 80 gallon tank air compressor that is in my basement garage. I just bought another one (same model) and installed it in my newly built hobby shop. I try to buy American whenever possible.

Over 30 years ago we purchase a CH compressor for our business, it turned out to be junk. We ended up having to replace it within a year, we did so with a Kellogg American. As we grew the business we replaced the Reciprocating compressors with a pair of Sullair Rotary units.

 

[pipsters]

MR, I have used only syphon feed blasters. My comp output is 7.4 SCFM @ 90 psi and most of the time I have not been disappointed. 10% more would be adequate. I do/have run it greater than a 50% duty cycle and it has thousands of hours. It was a tough ******. I've complete blasted many car frames and suspensions plus one 65 Mustang GT all over. Worn out lots of blasters! Comp probably runs 90% doing this continuously. I just don't want to overshoot and get into the electrical hookup complications - not afraid of them and know how, just don't want to..
My worry is that folks nowadays tinker with the ratings. My 2 HP is likely a 5 HP now, but 8 SCFM @ 90 psi is still 8 SCFM @ 90 psi.

The HP ratings were getting out of control but maybe a decade ago a lawsuit was filed against the major resellers and the posted HP on name brand units is accurate.

 

[pipsters]

A bit OT, but why is my 18 year-old CH oilless, 120 volt, 4HP 20 gallon compressor rated at 6.3 CFM @ 90PSI and all the newer offerings seem much more anemic and cost a lot more?

You can't get 4hp out of a 120v wall outlet (15-20 amp). It's impossible. Your old compressor was overrated and the new ones are "correctly" rated as running HP. That 4Hp rating was likely just the startup rating. Typical back then. The output was also most likely rated at that same point.

I have a Sears 120v compressor and 10-20 years ago it was rated for 7.2 CFM @ 90 psi. Now it's rated for 5.8 CFM @ 90 psi. Same idea.

Pump is the same, output is the same, just a more realistic rating.

 

[jeffk14]

You can't get 4hp out of a 120v wall outlet (15-20 amp). It's impossible. Your old compressor was overrated and the new ones are "correctly" rated as running HP. That 4Hp rating was likely just the startup rating. Typical back then. The output was also most likely rated at that same point.

I have a Sears 120v compressor and 10-20 years ago it was rated for 7.2 CFM @ 90 psi. Now it's rated for 5.8 CFM @ 90 psi. Same idea.

Pump is the same, output is the same, just a more realistic rating.

Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember years ago getting some kind of class action notice against CH for some kind of overrating on their compressors, but IIRC, I thought that just dealt with the horsepower, not the CFM.

Funny thing is, I was notified by mail to let me know that I was, IIRC, entitled to about $8 in "damages" because of this practice. I threw the letter in the trash.