Help me choose... Air Compressor

[RyanO87]

Considering FSCurtis, Champion, Saylor Beall and Quincy. Don't mind spending the money as long as it lasts. Will go in the garage in a residential neighborhood so noise is a concern. Primary use is going to just be air tools, grinders, and a plasma table. Here are the units I'm looking at:

Saylor Beall

FS Curtis

Quincy

Champion

 

[Sumboodie]

If noise is an issue QST30/60 from Eastwood

 

[tarbellb]

If noise is an issue QST30/60 from Eastwood

Not necessarily
These bigger units the OP is looking at run slower rpms and dont generate a lot of decibels

Add to that a history of easy to find parts and service

The Eastwood is still a oddball w documented issues

 

[finn]

The SB shown is three phase, which is not commonly available in residential neighborhoods.

I have a two stage Champion, and although it runs at low speed, it’s by no means silent.

I agree that, although I have never heard the Eastwood rotary, it by design should be significantly quieter than a commercial two stage reciprocating compressor.

 

[RickP330]

One vote for Quincy. I bought a factory rebuilt one 35 years ago and I think I only just changed the oil twice.... I you are using air tools, I think the compressor noise will be the lesser of your problems.
RP

 

[Steve_P]

I have a Quincy QT-7.5. It makes a lot of air but is LOUD. With all of the doors closed, I can hear it at the mailbox 100 ft away. And it's in a basement garage with insulated doors.

There is a new Eaton compressor that's supposed to be super quiet:

5 HP Air Compressors Archives

5 HP Air Compressors. Eaton Compressor carries a wide variety of rotary screw and piston air compressors with the best warranty in the business.

eatoncompressor.com

 

[driftpin]

Where do you live? Consider adding that below your screen name. If you live in So. FL or even have the means to transport a compressor from there, my acquaintance's shop sells new and refurbished air compressors. He's in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. I bought a used refurbished Saylor-Beall 705 80 gallon upright from him, w/a Baldor motor, about 25 amps, single-phase. It was less-than 1/2 the cost of a new one. I've had it for probably 8 years, best as I recall, and I use it for pneumatic tools, and media blasting. It fills the tank from atmospheric pressure to 165psi in 5.75 minutes.

I recommend a made in USA product, the Saylor-Beall.

 

[dnschmidt]

I have a Quincy QT-7.5. It makes a lot of air but is LOUD. With all of the doors closed, I can hear it at the mailbox 100 ft away. And it's in a basement garage with insulated doors.

There is a new Eaton compressor that's supposed to be super quiet:

5 HP Air Compressors Archives

5 HP Air Compressors. Eaton Compressor carries a wide variety of rotary screw and piston air compressors with the best warranty in the business.

eatoncompressor.com

Winner, Winner chicken dinner. I quiet is what you want this is what you need.

 

[RyanO87]

I’m located in California. I’ve been looking for something 2nd hand or rebuilt for the last few months but i haven’t seen anything locally. I’ve looked at the Eaton, Polarair, EMax stuff but I read too many mixed reviews.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

If noise is an issue QST30/60 from Eastwood

No offense intended but I would never recommend anything from Eastwood. Comparing a Saylor-Beall to a (Chinese likely) Eastwood compressor is like comparing a Mercedes to a Yugo. Most of Eastwood stuff is rebranded Chinesium marketed to DIY. It is not Profesional grade stuff. Whether we are talking about equipment/tool or supplies they sell. All of it is "meh" at best.

If money is no object then a Saylor Beall hands down. They are the best you can get IMO. Quincy and Champion are both good choices as well. Consider them a tier or so lower than Saylor-Beall.

Main thing you want is a pump that operates below 1000 rpm. Much much quieter and low rpm operation = extended life. Mount the compressor outside of the work area and you will hardly hear it when running.

 

[RyanO87]

Thanks everyone. Looking at pulling the trigger on this one - 60 gallon, 230/1 with a magnetic starter. (Going with a 60 just due to space).

 

[Citation]

I can't offer a preference between the compressors in question but I will say that sound levels of these machines are greatly affected by the intake systems. Just like a muffler on a car, the noise levels vary greatly while things are otherwise the same. Much of what makes the Eaton compressors quite is a muffler intake system that could be added to many other compressors.

 

[Steve_P]

I can't offer a preference between the compressors in question but I will say that sound levels of these machines are greatly affected by the intake systems. Just like a muffler on a car, the noise levels vary greatly while things are otherwise the same. Much of what makes the Eaton compressors quite is a muffler intake system that could be added to many other compressors.

This is true. But it's also going to reduce the efficiency. If you buy an X CFM compressor and start screwing around with the intake system, you are going to lower the CFM produced. No free lunch. The default way to lower sound is to lower the pump speed, but that costs a lot of $$$. The muffled intake will also require a larger pump to get the same output as one that just breathes thru a pleated filter an inch away; "quieter costs money"

 

[Steve_P]

Here's a Quincy with a 658 RPM pump speed; this should be on the quiet side. IIRC, mine is 1050 pump RPM- and very loud.

Quincy 5HP 2-Stage 80-Gal Air Compressor

High-quality, long-lasting, dependable - a great choice for any shop! Designed and engineered for industrial applications with a pump rating of over 50,000 hours and 100% duty cycle. QT Pro Series deliver higher volumes of air while consuming less energy. QT 5, 7.5 & 10 HP models have a new...

www.tptools.com

 

[Sumboodie]

No offense intended but I would never recommend anything from Eastwood. Comparing a Saylor-Beall to a (Chinese likely) Eastwood compressor is like comparing a Mercedes to a Yugo. Most of Eastwood stuff is rebranded Chinesium marketed to DIY. It is not Profesional grade stuff. Whether we are talking about equipment/tool or supplies they sell. All of it is "meh" at best.

If money is no object then a Saylor Beall hands down. They are the best you can get IMO. Quincy and Champion are both good choices as well. Consider them a tier or so lower than Saylor-Beall.

Main thing you want is a pump that operates below 1000 rpm. Much much quieter and low rpm operation = extended life. Mount the compressor outside of the work area and you will hardly hear it when running.

Not exactly many home garages in residential neighborhoods needing a pro grade compressor... overkill isn't always practical.

That Eastwood unit can fit under a bench. A unit for commercial use takes a fair bit of room.

Anymore these days there's limited use for an air compressor that cordless tools don't do as well or better.

My Mercedes drives like a log truck, so... there

 

[driftpin]

The Solberg filters are supposed to be very good.

There are threads on here about how to quiet-down compressors, using a rubber intake and a properly-sized Solberg filter.

Air filter for old Campbell Hausfeld compressor

I have adopted an older Campbell Hausfeld compressor model vt5587. It appears to be missing the air filters. The problem is that my compressor has a v-twin type head and every manual I can find has a single head. Anyone able to point me towards a source for the filters. I’d prefer to adapt it to...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[53Mike]

Considering FS Curtis, Champion, Saylor Beall and Quincy. Don't mind spending the money as long as it lasts. Will go in the garage in a residential neighborhood so noise is a concern. Primary use is going to just be air tools, grinders, and a plasma table. Here are the units I'm looking at:

Saylor Beall

FS Curtis

Quincy

Champion

Hello Ryan,

I just picked up a near-new Cal Air Tool 20040DCADC Ultra-Quiet for our garage shop with Auto-Drain and 98% dryer. I've been watching the auctions and was lucky to nab this one. 2 years old, extremely low hours, $703 + commission and tax.

Got rid of our old 80-gal DeWalt for $500 and 30-gal Husky for $125. Felt like we won the jackpot.

They're out there, just need a bit of patience.

Cheers !

Mike K.

 

[77thor]

Harbor Freight - Fortress 2-gal

https://www.harborfreight.com/2-gallon-135-psi-ultra-quiet-oil-free-hand-carry-jobsite-air-compressor-64596.html

 

[Rinspeed]

If you are willing to spend that kind of money my vote would be Saylor-Beall all day.

 

[SwissMetric]

If enough power is available I'd probably get a used Kaeser screw compressor or some other MAJOR brand. They're incredibly robust if well maintained and even survive (excessively) frequent starts. Maintenance is quite straightorward but parts are expensive.

Very important is to avoid too low temperatures, in extreme cases it can damage the compressor if the cold start is manually forced by sucessive attempts (too low temperature should prohibit starts automatically). Not sure if it depends on the firmware version of the Sigma control (I mostly know the Sigma Control 2) or the parameters.

I don't know the small Kaeser SXC 4 but here a good used one was slightly above USD 1000.00 (no VAT for private sales).

I'd avoid nearly all DIY store compressors, most I've seen are poorly built, made in China or Italy. Especially also the power pressure switches are unreliable. It's so lame to not use a contactor. At least the motor should be separate, it's easier to replace by a non-OEM motor if there's a belt drive.

The large (250 kW or so) Atlas Copco are reliable too but I don't know the very small ones well enough. CompAir (Ingersoll Rand) are probably reliable too but don't know them well. Also there are often service contracts for large compressors so you only perform some routine maintenance and maybe emergency repairs.

And BTW make sure to have enough space around the compressor to perform maintenance. Remove the panels or open the doors and check which components need to be the best accessible ones before installing the compressor.

Also often the tanks are undersized which leads to low excessively frequent starts.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

Not exactly many home garages in residential neighborhoods needing a pro grade compressor... overkill isn't always practical.

That Eastwood unit can fit under a bench. A unit for commercial use takes a fair bit of room.

Anymore these days there's limited use for an air compressor that cordless tools don't do as well or better.

My Mercedes drives like a log truck, so... there

Well the OP was asking about those models (Saylor Beale, Quincy etc) so I commented as such. Just trying to point out that Eastwood stuff is not high quality stuff and most definitely not in the class of the compressors he was asking about.

 

[53Mike]

I've come across and looked at the Quincy's, Kaeser's, Atlas Copco's and others. My own challenges are that most all of these are 3Ph, larger form factor, do not have an integrated auto-drain or dryer and are hard-wired at the auction site. And part of the rigging/removal requirements at most of those sites is that the disconnect be handled by a licensed electrician (liability issues).
And they're heavy bastards, often requiring a forklift load and unload, which I don't have available.

With the Cal Air unit we got, we'll build a vented cabinet, with remote gauges, I/O switch, hour meter and drain.

SwissMetric made some excellent suggestions and valid concerns. If any of the units you purchase don't have an hour meter, get one as they're very inexpensive.

I took a look at the Saylor-Beall and agree they are very nice and quiet. Many of their systems 5HP and less can be specified as 1Ph. Made in the USA! And if money isn't an issue, would be a strong consideration.

Keep us posted on your decision.

Cheers !

Mike K.

 

[Sumboodie]

I've come across and looked at the Quincy's, Kaeser's, Atlas Copco's and others. My own challenges are that most all of these are 3Ph, larger form factor, do not have an integrated auto-drain or dryer and are hard-wired at the auction site. And part of the rigging/removal requirements at most of those sites is that the disconnect be handled by a licensed electrician (liability issues).
And they're heavy bastards, often requiring a forklift load and unload, which I don't have available.

With the Cal Air unit we got, we'll build a vented cabinet, with remote gauges, I/O switch, hour meter and drain.

SwissMetric made some excellent suggestions and valid concerns. If any of the units you purchase don't have an hour meter, get one as they're very inexpensive.

I took a look at the Saylor-Beall and agree they are very nice and quiet. Many of their systems 5HP and less can be specified as 1Ph. Made in the USA! And if money isn't an issue, would be a strong consideration.

Keep us posted on your decision.

Cheers !

Mike K.

Agree.

I have a 160 gallon (i think), 15hp Champion I got at auction for $105 after fees.

May end up getting rid of it. While nice, it's a ton of work and $$ to make it functional. We have 100 amp service in my area. 15hp is 50+ amps.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

The deciding factor for me was local sales, service and warranty provider.

I went with a Champion largely because it was the only major manufacturer with local sales and service, everything else would have to have been shipped and if I need support, it wasn't local.

2-Stage was an absolute must.

A big box store compressor was not even a consideration.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

The deciding factor for me was local sales, service and warranty provider.

I went with a Champion largely because it was the only major manufacturer with local sales and service, everything else would have to have been shipped and if I need support, it wasn't local.

2-Stage was an absolute must.

A big box store compressor was not even a consideration.

Congrats. That will make a great compressor for you.

 

[Brand X]

Considering FSCurtis, Champion, Saylor Beall and Quincy. Don't mind spending the money as long as it lasts. Will go in the garage in a residential neighborhood so noise is a concern. Primary use is going to just be air tools, grinders, and a plasma table. Here are the units I'm looking at:

Saylor Beall

FS Curtis

Quincy

Champion

 

[Brand X]

I think you will like any on your list.. I bought a Curtis 5 hp with the E-50 (3 cylinder disk vave) new about 1999 and finally
sold it to my friend for his shop..Cabinet blasting, Plasma table, air tools etc. Never one issue, and still like new.

I ended up with a used 3 phase 7.5 horse that I run on my rotary converter.. I still have some real nice single phase
englow,and smaller emglow 3 hp 3 phase on a VFD for single phase use.. The 7.5 HP is a Champion , low hour
R-30D pump These pumps are the disk valve units, and are on the 10 to 15 hp Compressors. I talked to a guy at Pacific-air
in Portland ,and he planted a Bug in Champion's ear, about mounting that pump with their 7.5 hp motor.They did, and
it turns 570 RPM, and is nice and quiet for what it is.. There are models with the lower tier pump, and those are still
decent. Friend has one tht he got for free from his work..They were pushing it way to hard, and they needed a rotary vane setup
Funny, He just bought New Curtis, 7.5 HP, and it sits in it' plastic wrap unused..

If you stick with quality it will be the last compressor you will need in a smaller shop.. Parts are availiable for almost
all of them..Although I sure Like the Curtis Masterline stuff with the D96 pump..

https://championcompressor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Champion-R-Series-Pump-Model-R-30D-Brochure.pdf

 

[gatewaysysop]

I would go Champion or Saylor Beall before I go near a new Quincy. The folks at Quincy have a fine product when it works and when it's assembled properly at the factory. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be very often anymore. Their QC is a joke and for the premium they charge, it's not worth the hassle.

 

[TJMtl]

My Saylor-Beall runs at 455rpm, love it!

 

[Brand X]

Many compressor have a low end compressor speed of 400 rpm.. Means nothing if the CFM does not cut it..Speed it up or use a larger pump geared with-in the range you need . It's just a pulley/motor matched to the correct pump .

 

[Sumboodie]

The deciding factor for me was local sales, service and warranty provider.

I went with a Champion largely because it was the only major manufacturer with local sales and service, everything else would have to have been shipped and if I need support, it wasn't local.

2-Stage was an absolute must.

A big box store compressor was not even a consideration.

That big honking thing in a suburb garage with close neighbors?

 

[finn]

This is true. But it's also going to reduce the efficiency. If you buy an X CFM compressor and start screwing around with the intake system, you are going to lower the CFM produced. No free lunch. The default way to lower sound is to lower the pump speed, but that costs a lot of $$$. The muffled intake will also require a larger pump to get the same output as one that just breathes thru a pleated filter an inch away; "quieter costs money"

Not necessarily true. A Helmholtz resonator can be designed to cancel pressure waves with no reduction in efficiency. The principle is often used on air intakes on vehicles and on high pressure fuel systems.

In fact, a properly tuned system can improve efficiency to some extent.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

That big honking thing in a suburb garage with close neighbors?

I am on 15 acres.
Nearest neighbor is about 3/4 mile away down a gravel road.

 

[Sumboodie]

I am on 15 acres.
Nearest neighbor is about 3/4 mile away down a gravel road.

The guy asking about a compressor said...

"Will go in the garage in a residential neighborhood so noise is a concern. Primary use is going to just be air tools, grinders, and a plasma table"

 

[SouthernIllinois]

The guy asking about a compressor said...

"Will go in the garage in a residential neighborhood so noise is a concern. Primary use is going to just be air tools, grinders, and a plasma table"

My apologies - I misunderstood.

 

[scooby074]

You want quiet? Hard to beat a Kaeser. They just purr.

 

[RimRider]

I might be late, and you may have already made a purchase. I know you haven’t mentioned the US Air Compressor brand, but if noise is a concern, I highly recommend their all-in-one unit. It’s similar to Kaeser’s Air Center, but they offer a 5HP 220V single-phase model, which is ideal for garages. The screw compressor, the tank and the dryer are installed inside the enclosure, reducing noise and saving space. They rate the noise level as 60dB which is way lower than piston compressors.


I personally use their 15HP models in my tire shops, and I’ve been very happy with their performance and 10-year warranty.


You can check it out here:
https://usaircompressor.com/product/5-hp-air-center-compressor/

 

[Framing101]

Ciasons Air Compressors: Air Compressors

J-Air: Hand Carry, Wheeled Portable, & Stationary Compressors

2 more manufacturers you could go with all us assembled