Craftsman Air Compressor
- Thread starter jpickar
- Start date
Falcon67
Well-known member
Is it a "real" 5HP, which would be a big compressor, or one of the pre-fess up your real rating jobs with a 120VAC 1 1/2HP motor rated at a "peak 5HP". A good buy would be a 25 gallon tank with a belt driven separate compressor head, even if it was only a real 1.5 HP 120V motor.
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RECox286
Well-known member
What he said ^^^^
Uncle Bob
Uncle Bob
TSirotock
Active member
I have the 5HP/25 Gallon Craftsman (not a true 5HP - "oil-free"), going on nearly 20 years old and still works like a champion for what it is. I do not use air enough or to the fullest sadly, it is loud, but so far it has never given cause for complaint. That said I think $200 is too much. If you want any specs off the machine I will gladly provide it, just PM me.
EOC_Jason
Well-known member
If it's an oil-less, pass... If it's the separate pump (that holds oil) / motor, check the motor label... Does it say "5 HP" or "5 SPL"... If it's SPL then it's more like 3 HP at best.
Falcon67
Well-known member
That's a good sign - those were close to $500 new. I have a Porter-Cable like that, had it for almost 10 years now. Very good unit. Paid $350 new for that one. Then 8 years later, paid $399 for my 60 gallon 3.2HP unit, go figure.
Kevin C
Well-known member
I have a 3 hp ( real 3 hp) Craftsmen air compressor that I bought in 81 or so. I have sandblasted and painted several cars with it. some days it ran for 8 hours straight running a DA. I did go through the compressor about 15 years ago, one of the intake valves was cracked. The unit was actually made by Devilbiss. Most likely you have the same pump on yours.
I remember being told that my aluminum compressor would not hold up as well as the all cast iron units. My thought was its aluminum with cast iron sleeves. It cools better and has good wear surfaces. After 30 years. I'm pretty sure that it's durability is probably OK.
It still runs perfectly although it might be time to put new bearings in the motor or at least grease them. They sounded a little loud when I first started it on a 40° Morning.
I remember being told that my aluminum compressor would not hold up as well as the all cast iron units. My thought was its aluminum with cast iron sleeves. It cools better and has good wear surfaces. After 30 years. I'm pretty sure that it's durability is probably OK.
It still runs perfectly although it might be time to put new bearings in the motor or at least grease them. They sounded a little loud when I first started it on a 40° Morning.
That compressor is now marketed under the "Craftsman Pro" name and it's still a good compressor. I have had mine now 3 years and still like it. It might be 220 or a dual 110/220 motor, you'll have to look. A lot of them came in just 220v back then. Either way a great compressor, $200 would be "fair" IMO especially retail at a pawn shop if it's not too abused. Plug it in and time how long it takes to pump up to (I assume) 150 psi (what mine is). If it's a 110v compressor it should run around 4 mins new and would go up from there depending on wear. That will at least give you a ball park.
Here are what the new ones look like...design hasn't changed much at all.
Here are what the new ones look like...design hasn't changed much at all.
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wnstwolf
Well-known member
Sorry to be a thread stealer but why the negative comments on the oilfree AC's? I have an older Craftsman pro that has been flawless with medium duty daily use and an occasional full day of beating...?
Falcon67
Well-known member
Because they are noisy as hell, basically. I had one, got rid of it. Got tired of putting on ear muffs when it fired off. The separate compressor units have - usually - a larger piston and can move more, or the same, air at a slower speed. Less wear and tear and for a similar size unit, 3~4x less racket. My 3.2HP 60 gallon unit makes not quite as much noise as my old 20 gallon oilless. About 80db at full song. The 25 gallon 1.5HP Porter unit with the separate compressor unit can be running in the same room while you talk on the phone. It looks like a red copy of the black Craftsman unit posted above. But was over $150 less. My oiless also put more water into the lines because of the high speed and compactness producing a lot of heat.
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wnstwolf
Well-known member
Thanks Chris I totally agree the thing makes a racket. I am in the market for a 60 or 80 gallon IR or similar. There is a local Snapon Big red on C-list but the guy wont budge of a price that is purely name driven
SGKent
Banned
the craftsman belt driven of yesteryear - to about 2000 were made by Devilbliss with GE motors. The later ones are made with chinese GE motors that are worthless. The Chinese motors don't last and cost more than a new compressor on sale. I bought a used one that turned out to have a shorted winding and after searching for a motor I found new one on fleabay that did not sell and made the owner an offer he accepted. Once running right the belt driven do well but they will never be as strong as a cast iron pump with a true 5hp motor. The 5hp motor units are 3 hp and from what I can tell the same motor has carried stickers from 1.8 HP to 5 HP depending on which line in the manual you want to believe. To run a latex paint sprayer or a blast cabinet I have two of them with the tanks tied together. $200 is fair if it is like new. $125 if it is a gamble. The motor is held on with a special welded on bracket so no one but Sears etc has the special motor. Set aside $500 for the motor if it goes bad unless you can find a new one like I was lucky to. Also if it has pneumatic chinese wheels they go flat all the time. Get one with solid wheels or buy them and replace the pneumatic ones. Incidentally my attitude towards FedEx comes from trying to get that motor delivered without taking a few days vacation waiting for FedEx Ground to deliver as promised. The driver decided to work his/her own hours and take the truck home at night rather than bring it back into the yard so even drives to the yard, 50 miles away, were wasted.
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The motor is a 5HP compressor motor and the 20 gal tank is very heavy. It is a 220 volt motor. I could rewire it to 100 but I think I I'll run a 220 volt circuit from the panel to where the compressor is going to be.
I can get it for $175.
It hasn't seen much use and runs well. I think I will get it.
John
I can get it for $175.
It hasn't seen much use and runs well. I think I will get it.
John
EOC_Jason
Well-known member
Sounds like a deal... Heck I saw at HD a new Husky oil-less 20 gallon upright POS was $179 + Tax...
Kevin C
Well-known member
My 1980 Craftsman 3 hp compressor does have a Devilbis compressor but the motor is made by Doerr.
As far as the motor goes when I did not have 220 volts to run my compressor I adapted a lower RPM 120 volt motor. It took me less than two hours to fab up a mounting bracket to adapt a new motor.
As an electrical engineer, I'd like to point out some issues for those shopping for a new compressor or looking for an old one.
First, 220V is way better than 120V at any horsepower. For starters, they generally don't make your lights dim every time they come on. Second, the current draw for a 220V vs 120V is half, thus the motor can usually run cooler and sometimes quieter.
Second, any manufacturer or individual who tells you they have a compressor, new or used, that is more rated for more than 2HP (standard 15A rated plug and outlet) is misleading or falsifying the true HP rating (probably unknowingly). I know that this seems like an outlandish statement at first, but just do the math-
1. One horsepower requires 745.7 watts in theory, there's no getting around this scientific fact.
2. Watts = Voltage X Current (amperage). The current is not necessarily what is on the breaker, but the rating of the outlet and plug, which is almost always 15 A. Thus, a standard household receptacle outlet can provide up to 1800 Watts.
3. That said, an 1800 Watt receptacle in theory and in reality can power at moist a 2.41 HP motor. Thus, my outlandish statement about 2HP as stated above.
So now that you are armed with truth in science, go back to the craftsman compressor aisle and ask yourself how they can claim they are getting 5HP out of a standard plug and receptacle. Do you still trust them?
As far as the Devilbiss style design, I bought the 5HP 220V dual cylinder model. After I had to rebuild the Devilbiss 3 times, it was apparent that this design ***** and is not rated for heavy duty. I bought the 5HP twin V cylinder from Harbor Freight and scrapped the Devilbis, which was the smartest move I ever made, not to mention it works better and delivers more air.
I feel sorry for anyone who gets tricked into buying an oiless model, not just for the sake of their ears but that they will be dropping their investment off at the scrapyard one day very soon. The only reason to buy such a model is their upfront cost is less. For someone who only uses their compressor to fill up bicycle tires once in awhile, this may be a plausible justification.
First, 220V is way better than 120V at any horsepower. For starters, they generally don't make your lights dim every time they come on. Second, the current draw for a 220V vs 120V is half, thus the motor can usually run cooler and sometimes quieter.
Second, any manufacturer or individual who tells you they have a compressor, new or used, that is more rated for more than 2HP (standard 15A rated plug and outlet) is misleading or falsifying the true HP rating (probably unknowingly). I know that this seems like an outlandish statement at first, but just do the math-
1. One horsepower requires 745.7 watts in theory, there's no getting around this scientific fact.
2. Watts = Voltage X Current (amperage). The current is not necessarily what is on the breaker, but the rating of the outlet and plug, which is almost always 15 A. Thus, a standard household receptacle outlet can provide up to 1800 Watts.
3. That said, an 1800 Watt receptacle in theory and in reality can power at moist a 2.41 HP motor. Thus, my outlandish statement about 2HP as stated above.
So now that you are armed with truth in science, go back to the craftsman compressor aisle and ask yourself how they can claim they are getting 5HP out of a standard plug and receptacle. Do you still trust them?
As far as the Devilbiss style design, I bought the 5HP 220V dual cylinder model. After I had to rebuild the Devilbiss 3 times, it was apparent that this design ***** and is not rated for heavy duty. I bought the 5HP twin V cylinder from Harbor Freight and scrapped the Devilbis, which was the smartest move I ever made, not to mention it works better and delivers more air.
I feel sorry for anyone who gets tricked into buying an oiless model, not just for the sake of their ears but that they will be dropping their investment off at the scrapyard one day very soon. The only reason to buy such a model is their upfront cost is less. For someone who only uses their compressor to fill up bicycle tires once in awhile, this may be a plausible justification.
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My brother recently brought me a Craftsman Model 919.165220 5Hp 22 gallon compressor that he got from a side job that the P.O. said it just quit one day. It was the Run capacitor and it cost $10 on Ebay. I will keep this one until I need some thing more, it is a great $10 compressor.
rickv
New member
I have a Craftsman 919.152921 compressor and am having no luck finding a replacement AC0007 regulator that's affordable. Anyone know if a different regulator will work on it.
SGKent
Banned
There are universal regulators about $20 but they will not read both the tank and the outlet.
what is wrong with the regulator you have ?
also they are quite universal, you should be able to find something that will fit . do you have any good repair shops by you?
if you were close to me, I'd help you out ! LOL
you willing to lose the shroud around it it will open up your possibilities too
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SGKent
Banned
the issue is that the AC-007 had a port for the inlet pressure and one for the outlet pressure in opposed positions. That allowed someone to read both the tank pressure and the outlet pressure with the gauges on either side of the regulator. All the new models have an inlet and then two outlet gauge ports and an outlet. The idea being, that one could hook up a gauge and two lines. The AC-0007 has been NLA so long that no one has one. I spent an hour looking for him tonight and all the usual places show no longer available. Q and A on some air compressor businesses say sorry no substitute and no kit to rebuild. The only thing I can think of is pull the gauge cover off, put a brass tee in before the regulator and put your tank gauge there. Then put the outlet gauge into the regulator. Keep the cover etc because a lot of people appear to be looking for them. Best guess is the Chinese screwed up with the ports when they made the bases because the ports are simply passages with threads. Or find someone with a dead compressor and buy the regulator off it. I have two compressors with that regulator. I had to replace it on one of them about 5 years ago but the part was still available then.
It might be possible to adapt one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LX5T1GD/?tag=atomicindus08-20
or this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BCNFA04/?tag=atomicindus08-20
or this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XEAGL8I/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Also - if the tank pressure switch has a port that is plugged with a screw in plug which some do, the tank gauge can go there.
It might be possible to adapt one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LX5T1GD/?tag=atomicindus08-20
or this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BCNFA04/?tag=atomicindus08-20
or this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XEAGL8I/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Also - if the tank pressure switch has a port that is plugged with a screw in plug which some do, the tank gauge can go there.
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LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
I have the 5.5/30. Same usage & history. Oilless wouldn't have been my choice if I bought it new, but I got it for free, so...
Tommy
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sberry
Banned
The only real reason to run it higher voltage is if it trips a breaker. Its not a bad idea to run its own wire to it anyway, I do it for some equipment where it has a home. But,,, the voltage isn't 220 and 120. The 20A 120V circuit tolerated about 1 1/2 hp on motors like this at best as starting current is so hi.
This is the benefit of dedicated and higher voltage, can tailor the circuit to compensate and tolerate. Having said that I tend to keep it at 120 if it works, just less stuff, still portable, uses common cords. Be a little different if its parked, never moved and ran 24/7 where it was creating a little heat loss in small wire.
This is the benefit of dedicated and higher voltage, can tailor the circuit to compensate and tolerate. Having said that I tend to keep it at 120 if it works, just less stuff, still portable, uses common cords. Be a little different if its parked, never moved and ran 24/7 where it was creating a little heat loss in small wire.
Keep in mind guys, this is an older thread. It was brought back by someone looking for parts for a compressor.
Yes, I realized this is an old thread . it's not always obvious unless you read the dates tho. Thanks for the note! .
here is a 4 port reg that the user could probably adapt to his console. it has the port fot tamk pressure. a bit of plumbing knowledge should make for an easy swap.
I realize this has the pressure switch too, but just showing there is availability .I have also repaired regulators by using the parts from another reg, there's not a lot to them. I would walk the poster thru if he wanted , that's why I asked for more details.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Ports-Ai...493780&hash=item48c5d4be4a:g:A7sAAOSw3g5co~iA
here is a 4 port reg that the user could probably adapt to his console. it has the port fot tamk pressure. a bit of plumbing knowledge should make for an easy swap.
I realize this has the pressure switch too, but just showing there is availability .I have also repaired regulators by using the parts from another reg, there's not a lot to them. I would walk the poster thru if he wanted , that's why I asked for more details.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Ports-Ai...493780&hash=item48c5d4be4a:g:A7sAAOSw3g5co~iA
Marctrees
Well-known member
I have NEVER seen a TRUE 5 hp on that size tank... or at least certainly not Craftsman
As others have said, it is NOT a true 5 hp/
No free lunch, a true 5HP motor takes at least 22a @230.... And will NOT run on 115V n normal common situations.
Compressors and shop vacs are the most common tools to show total ******** HP figures.
A TRUE 5 HP comp puts out approx 16 cfm.
I GUARANTEE this one does not... but probably approx 1/2 that amount.
All that matters is if it will give you the CFM YOUR needs are.
For a starter comp, get it.
And as time goes on, move up from there as needed.
$175 no bigee either way if it works and looks decent.
Marc
As others have said, it is NOT a true 5 hp/
No free lunch, a true 5HP motor takes at least 22a @230.... And will NOT run on 115V n normal common situations.
Compressors and shop vacs are the most common tools to show total ******** HP figures.
A TRUE 5 HP comp puts out approx 16 cfm.
I GUARANTEE this one does not... but probably approx 1/2 that amount.
All that matters is if it will give you the CFM YOUR needs are.
For a starter comp, get it.
And as time goes on, move up from there as needed.
$175 no bigee either way if it works and looks decent.
Marc
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Marctrees
Well-known member
****........ Old thead.
Well, anyway, the archived info will help future Guy's that have the brains to search old posts.
Most don't unfortunately.
Marc
Well, anyway, the archived info will help future Guy's that have the brains to search old posts.
Most don't unfortunately.
Marc