Help me find an Air Compressor

[winks2]

I live in a fairly small town... Enid, Oklahoma. My wife is in pilot training here. I don't have a lot of stores to choose from here. We have a Sears, and Atwoods, Kmart, Walmart, and a few ACE hardwares... I am looking for an air compressor for my birthday at the end of September, it will go into my 1 car garage. I need the compressor to handle an impact wrench and air ratchet. It doesn't need to be anything that a professional would use, I do however want it to last at least 15 years with weekend warrior use.

I was looking at this craftsman...
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...&+Air+Tools&sName=Air+Compressors+&+Inflators

I like the size, i am just wondering what other things I have to worry about...

I would prefer it to be right around $200-$300...

Thanks Guys!

 

[Danglerb]

Thats ballpark size/price I am looking for, but I think its on the edge for capacity, SCFM Delivery At 90 psi:4.9 SCFM. I'm not sure if any modern cheap compressor is going to last 15 years, maybe with a couple repairs, if a repairable unit.

You would have to be doing a heck of a lot of work to run out of air unless you have something like a sander that runs for long periods. 4.9 scfm its going to take some time to fill, and cycle more frequently. Normal 110 vac socket can't deliver much more power than it takes, but I think some compressors are closer to about 6.0 scfm @ 90 psi.

This is also something I would wait for a good sale on.

 

[SteveU]

If you KNOW that you will not want to run more than an impact & ratchet the IR Garagemate compressor is a good one. If you think there is any chance that you will want to paint, run cut off's, air die grinders, air sanders, etc. you will want to look into getting something that runs on 220v & is 12+ cfm.

 

[ColdDuckTime]

Personally, I'd look for as quiet a unit as possible.

Not to change the subject, but have you considered buying a small cordless impact plus a plug-in 1/2" one?

 

[jimvannoy]

I don't think I would count on that one lasting 15 years. The type with the pump/motor built as one unit are not built as well as the separate motor and pump types. Plus on the separate unit types you can replace a motor or rebuild a pump. 26 gallons is also not a lot of capacity if you are doing a lot with it it's going to be running a whole lot and if you ever want to try your hand at painting I would forget it.

 

[goodfellow]

This is a very "touchy" subject on this kind of board because many of us started out with small units and eventually moved up (serveral times) to ever larger units. I started out in a one car garage; that meant portable air. At the time I went and bought an underpowered Sears direct drive unit that was noisy, annoyed the neighbors and burned up the pump after three years.

My suggestion is to get a good 115v 30 gal unit, with cast iron cylinders and splash lubrication. Two years ago I needed to add air to my new woodshop so I did my homework and decided the best value for my dollar was a Lowes model.

Kobalt
1.6-HP (Running) 30-Gallon Cast-Iron Air Compressor
Item #: 215921 Model: KLA1883054
$379.00
5.7 CFM @ 90 PSI
115 volt motor
3-year warranty on cast iron pump
One-piece cast iron crankcase
Pneumatic wheels for portability

It's a great deal and works quite well. Maybe a bit more than you want to spend, and you might have to make a trip outside your area, but it's one of the largest 115v units on the market.

 

[ColdDuckTime]

Another answer would be to buy a decent quality, tolerably quiet small unit (Thomas maybe?) that you would plan on using for portable pneumatic tools (nailers) in a few years when you buy the gigando garage model.

 

[Danglerb]

Guy that put in my rollup garage door used a Dewalt cordless impact, and while it doesn't have huge power, it sure does smaller jobs well. One trip to pick a part could pay for it, or maybe half, since its like $150.

I am watching the used stuff, because many people do step up, and many also buy a nice one for one or two big projects.

 

[winks2]

Wow all great ideas! Thanks! I don't think i will be doing any painting. I am part of the craftsman club so i might get that compressor for cheaper who knows. I'm sure i will upgrade in the future but i think for now all i need to do is use my air for blowing, impact wrenching and other small things, I would how ever like to be able to use a die grinder.... Hmmmm... I would love to get an IR... this town is horrible for retail stores, we do have a LOWES though i forgot to mention.

 

[SteveU]

I'm sure i will upgrade in the future but i think for now all i need to do is use my air for blowing, impact wrenching and other small things, I would how ever like to be able to use a die grinder.... Hmmmm...

Die grinders are serious air hogs, especially the cheap ones. I have a 5 hp 20 cfm Eaton & my cheap die grinder will pull it down to 100 psi & keep it there with the compressor running nonstop. The Aircat does a lot better & the compressor will pump up to 125 running the die grinder nonstop but that is still a lot of air. Best bet is to get an electric or battery powered one since the air ones use 20+ cfm & with a small compressor you would be waiting far more for it to catch up than you would be working.

 

[chad s]

I'm sure i will upgrade in the future but i think for now all i need to do is use my air for blowing, impact wrenching and other small things, I would how ever like to be able to use a die grinder.... Hmmmm...

Die grinders are serious air hogs, especially the cheap ones. I have a 5 hp 20 cfm Eaton & my cheap die grinder will pull it down to 100 psi & keep it there with the compressor running nonstop. The Aircat does a lot better & the compressor will pump up to 125 running the die grinder nonstop but that is still a lot of air. Best bet is to get an electric or battery powered one since the air ones use 20+ cfm & with a small compressor you would be waiting far more for it to catch up than you would be working.

I think I have the same compressor as yours (mine is a 2 stage). I run a die grinder a lot (IR 3102). I dont always hear my compressor as its in the basement in the house, but I know it runs when using a die grinder, but I have never had an issue where I didnt have enough air. Ive never had to stop to wait for the compressor to catch up.

 

[SteveU]

Chad, I was refering to the 115v 5.7 cfm units. I don't have any problem running one either, the example I gave was mashing the button down on one & running it non stop which you wouldn't do when actually working with it. Still don't think anyone with a 115v compressor would get more than a few seconds use out of a die grinder at a time & their compressor would be running nonstop trying to catch up. Doing this often would lead to exceeding the duty cycle & shorten the life of the unit not to mention being very frustrating & unproductive.

 

[chad s]

Chad, I was refering to the 115v 5.7 cfm units. I don't have any problem running one either, the example I gave was mashing the button down on one & running it non stop which you wouldn't do when actually working with it. Still don't think anyone with a 115v compressor would get more than a few seconds use out of a die grinder at a time & their compressor would be running nonstop trying to catch up. Doing this often would lead to exceeding the duty cycle & shorten the life of the unit not to mention being very frustrating & unproductive.

Absolutely agreed!

 

[Danglerb]

One of the other forums I follow has a lot of head and intake porting guys, and there seems to be an individual preference for air vs AC, so you might want to spend some time with both types before making a choice. Issues I think were speed control, vibration, and comfort/weight of the tools.

 

[Mandres]

imo there are a basic guidelines when buying a compressor.

1. Don't even consider a direct-drive unit like that craftsman. They're noisy (ridiculously, ear-piercingly noisy), cheap and aren't built to last. I remember reading that the life expectancy of a direct drive motor / pump is less than half of a belt-driven cast iron pump.

2. Buy used wherever possible. Watch Craigslist, e-bay and local sales / auctions very closely and you just might strike gold. The real deals are for "broken" compressors that people aren't inclined to mess with. I picked up a 2 hp, 25 gal, belt drive Sanborn for $40 because it leaked. A new check valve ($15) and a little paint and it's running great. These are very simple machines to fix, as long as the tank is in good shape.

3. If it's going to live in your garage seriously consider a 230v model. They're more than twice as powerful and that power opens up a much wider range of tools. Sanders, grinders, blasters, painting (especially hvlp), etc. are pretty much unusable on a 5 cfm 120v unit.

 

[Danglerb]

Not sure how it would fly as birthday present, but I saw an old Wards Heavy Duty (what isn't according to the label) compressor, obviously a workhorse in a shop environment, with a Doerr motor I assume was a replacement, and I am pretty sure $40 and it would come home with me, but yipes it didn't have a lot of curb appeal.

 

[winks2]

Yeah I would love 220V compressor, but I am living in a condo that only has two 120V outlets and its only a one car garage. Their are some other air compressors at Atwoods (like fleet farm) but they aren't brand name by any means... craigslist doesn't even have a city close to Enid on their boards the closest place is Oklahoma City or Stillwater... hmmm. I have been cruising the classifieds but nothing...

 

[wrigh003]

I bought the Craftsman professional 25gal horizontal, the oil lubricated one that usually runs $400. Got it for $320 because I waited for it to come on sale, one of those online-only midnight-to-6AM sales, then I went and picked it up at the store. When I was looking, it seemed to have the most CFMs for a "portable" (the thing is a PIG, good thing it has nice pneumatic wheels with good bearings on it) compressor. I am not deep deep into the hobby yet, still kinda in the tool collecting phase, but I wanted something that would run just about anything I could throw at it (nailers, etc., as well as impacts, sanders, grinders, and all that other fun stuff). On paper, at least, I think this will do all those things just fine- by the time I need a bigger/more CFM one, I'll probably be building a detached shop for it to live in.

And it's quiet, which is key for everybody's sanity. My current shop is in the basement of my house, and you can just barely hear it kick on/off upstairs.

What you need depends on what you want to do, but since I wasn't sure what all I'd be getting into, I went relatively big, and for now I am happy with it.

 

[winks2]

I am really considering the one you got wrigh003. I was always eyeing the professional line. But i never thought about that 10% off between then 12-6AM thing. also i'm hoping that it might be a CC membership discount next month! We'll see!

 

[Mandres]

Yeah I would love 220V compressor, but I am living in a condo that only has two 120V outlets and its only a one car garage. Their are some other air compressors at Atwoods (like fleet farm) but they aren't brand name by any means... craigslist doesn't even have a city close to Enid on their boards the closest place is Oklahoma City or Stillwater... hmmm. I have been cruising the classifieds but nothing...

Yea, understandable. In that case I'd agree that the two best options are the Sears Professional model mentioned above:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00919541000P?vName=Tools&keyword=professional+compressor

or the Kobalt 30 gallon at Lowe's:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=215921-71025-KLA1883054&lpage=none

They're both in the $300-400 range but it's worth hunting for a coupon or sale. Lowe's has a 10% coupon for registering on their site: http://www.lowesmoving.com/ and you can get an additional 10% off if you sign up for their credit card. I'm sure Sears has similar deals.

 

[Danglerb]

I found this site surfing around tonight, fair amount of info on air compressors. Link is to what I would like, but at $530 its too high.
http://www.toolcritic.com/products/campbell-hausfeld/campbell-hausfeld-VT6275-details.html

Hits all the hot points though, twin iron cylinder with 60 gallon iron tank.

This one is closer to price I like, but you can see its a step down.
http://www.toolcritic.com/products/porter-cable/porter-cable-CPFC2TV3525VP-details.html
$399 or so, but 5 yr warranty, and claims that higher tank pressure (175) give it more "legs" with tools that like a lot of air.

 

[PoorOwner]

For die grinders there are situations where you will want to run it non-stop pretty much over 10 minutes, if you have a carbide burr to open an exhaust manifold or another cast iron pieces.. I have just this kind of work and the whole process put over 2.5 hours on the pump, including polishing work. I took breaks in between for the compressor to cool down on mine because it ran continously.


To the OP if you live in a small town just order one from amazon free shipping or something.

 

[Mandres]

I found this site surfing around tonight, fair amount of info on air compressors. Link is to what I would like, but at $530 its too high.
http://www.toolcritic.com/products/campbell-hausfeld/campbell-hausfeld-VT6275-details.html

Hits all the hot points though, twin iron cylinder with 60 gallon iron tank.

This one is closer to price I like, but you can see its a step down.
http://www.toolcritic.com/products/porter-cable/porter-cable-CPFC2TV3525VP-details.html
$399 or so, but 5 yr warranty, and claims that higher tank pressure (175) give it more "legs" with tools that like a lot of air.

The first one doesn't specifically say but it's got to be a 220v motor. The second one is an oil-free direct drive model. I would pass on both.

 

[Danglerb]

First one is 240, thats how you get 10.4 scfm at 90 psi. I figure no matter what I buy I will need to run a new circuit just for it, 240 is going to be more efficient too.

Yup, second is oil free direct drive, 5 year warranty and mostly 5 star reviews from owners. Could be early oil free issues are getting worked out.

I'm keeping my eye out now for either one to show up at a better price or used.

 

[wilbilt]

Could be early oil free issues are getting worked out.

I doubt it. 3450 RPM battering a diaphragm will never get worked out, IMHO.

 

[Danglerb]

4 pole 1725 motor. Besides you have to give the engineers something to engineer once in awhile.

 

[SteveU]

First one is 240, thats how you get 10.4 scfm at 90 psi. I figure no matter what I buy I will need to run a new circuit just for it, 240 is going to be more efficient too.

Yup, second is oil free direct drive, 5 year warranty and mostly 5 star reviews from owners. Could be early oil free issues are getting worked out.

.

Guy I work with had to rebuild his oiless compressor twice averaging about every 6 mo's at something like 75.00 a pop using it for hobbyist use and painting maybe 1-2 cars a year. After the second time he got rid of it & got an oiled compressor which he is still using. Getting an oiless compressor is about like having an old Harley motorcycle, you'll get real good at tearing it down & rebuilding it.

 

[ColdDuckTime]

Guy I work with had to rebuild his oiless compressor twice averaging about every 6 mo's at something like 75.00 a pop using it for hobbyist use and painting maybe 1-2 cars a year. After the second time he got rid of it & got an oiled compressor which he is still using. Getting an oiless compressor is about like having an old Harley motorcycle, you'll get real good at tearing it down & rebuilding it.

You know, those things are darned good at being portable...the main purpose being nailers...so they do have their place in the food chain. I think there are ones rated for continuous duty but, as usual, you get to pay 2x or 3x the price. As I remember the original poster just brought up impact tools (a pretty easy use on a compressor) and somehow the thread vectored off into continuously running a die grinder.

Honestly, seeing as how I haven't painted or sandblasted anything in years, if starting from scratch, I'd buy all electric tools and just get a tolerably cheap/quiet/portable compressor just to stick air in tires. The thing I keep waiting for is a teensy, corded, electric impact.

 

[winks2]

Wow!! i got my air compressor a couple days ago!
I ended up getting the 25gal Horizontal Craftsman Professional!

I love it! It IS super quiet! And I got it for 279.99 originally 399.99. It was marked down! I asked the guy why and he said, "the motor was off quilter" I thought great, now I won't have to take it home find that it was calibrated incorrectly and then return it AND I don't have to pay anywhere near full price!!! So I got it home and filled it with oil and opened the drain and let it run for 20 minutes... I am thrilled! Thanks everyone for all of the input

 

[eschoendorff]

Wow!! i got my air compressor a couple days ago!
I ended up getting the 25gal Horizontal Craftsman Professional!

I love it! It IS super quiet! And I got it for 279.99 originally 399.99. It was marked down! I asked the guy why and he said, "the motor was off quilter" I thought great, now I won't have to take it home find that it was calibrated incorrectly and then return it AND I don't have to pay anywhere near full price!!! So I got it home and filled it with oil and opened the drain and let it run for 20 minutes... I am thrilled! Thanks everyone for all of the input

I have that same compressor and absolutely love it. It was the best I could find without stepping up to a 220vac unit.

 

[winks2]

Doesn't yours have the capability to convert the motor to 220V?

 

[eschoendorff]

Doesn't yours have the capability to convert the motor to 220V?

yup.........