Help with Compressor Choice

[kailor]

Hello. I've been a member for a few years and have not posted much. I have done a lot of lurking and researching on the site.

I have acquired a 24' x 56' shop and would like to employ a new compressor to handle any future needs (small blasting cabinet, air tools, a couple of tools may be run at the same time), short of building a battleship.

If you had a $2500 budget, what would you purchase today?

Stage: 1 or 2?
HP?
Gallons?
Vertical or Horizontal?

Thanks in advance.

Keith

 

[TuxThePenguin]

-2 stage easily. Higher PSI. It stores more air in a given volume, and also when you're using tools your PSI will drop and 2 stage gives you more of a buffer to work with more tools.

-5hp to 7.5hp. 5 should be fine with your needs unless the "couple of tools [that] may be run at the same time" use kind of a lot of air. 7.5 will be nice if you wanted to do more than just a "small" amount of blasting.

-60 gallons or more (some people prefer 80, some will go like 120)

-whichever fits your area better. Most people seem to think that the verticals fit into most areas better.


The compressor I recently bought is a Jenny W5B-60V-230/1 - from Zoro - and they list that compressor at nearly exactly your $2500 budget (though then there is tax...). But I used a 20% coupon.

You can actually find 7.5hp compressors within the same budget, but I went for that Jenny because it was a lower RPM than many others out there

(I cannot provide a recommendation for or against this compressor right now until I get some real use in. Just discussing what I went with in a similar budget. Jenny actually seems to be an unpopular brand around here, though I'm not quite sure why.)

Lot of people around here will say look for used stuff, but I don't think I've ever seen even a single ad for a nice compressor that I'd want to own for a decent price on any used site.

 

[sberry]

The standard,,, benchmark is 5 hp 2 stage with 80 gallon tank. Running 2 tools at once isnt much an issue unless we are talking hiring guys to do body work, not any kind of problem with body work.
5 is a little nicer on starts, less blink. 7.5 for multiple men or lots of sandblast.

 

[kailor]

Phase?
Magnetic starter?

 

[finn]

Listen to sberry.

Remember, higher hp also requires heavier wire, and heavier wire is incrementally more difficult to work with.

Unless you are into industrial blasting on a regular basis, a quality single phase, two stage, vertical tank compressor should be more than adequate.

I am partial to Champion compressors.

 

[TuxThePenguin]

Phase?
Magnetic starter?

whatever phase you have available... 1 phase if this is a home shop. If this is a commercial or industrial shop with 3p available, then 3p is the way to go.

Magnetic starters are pretty nice to have at 5hp and widely considered a requirement above 5hp (and any compressor above 5hp should have one, meanwhile you can get 5hp with or without, but the better units do include one, and you can buy them fairly inexpensively if you wanted to add one to a cheaper unit).

it's just a better, more reliable way to handle turning that much current on and off. takes the load off of e.g. your pressure switch.

 

[csp]

I'm one of the used advocates. I'm into my Quincy 325 on a horizontal 80 gallon tank for less than $1k after replacing the 3phase, 5hp motor for a single phase, 5hp Baldor. The mag starter it already had was compatible with 3ph and 1ph, just wired differently.

I also have a Quincy 210, also purchased used for $200 on a horizontal 80 gallon tank.

Both only needed a good cleaning as far as condition.

 

[driftpin]

I have an acquaintance who has a near 40-year air compressor sales and service company. I bought an 80 gallon Saylor-Beall 240 V 1 ph. Baldor 24 amp magnetic switch motor from him, and while it was used, the price was 'way-below your budget. It's a 704. I use it for media blasting, pneumatic tools, and the usual shop use. He services three counties in SE Florida (6 million population), he has used equipment all the time, he repairs 'em and sells 'em. PM me if you want further info.

 

[redmondjp]

The best bang for the buck is going to be purchasing a used, industrial-duty 5hp 80 gallon 2 stage compressor with a horizontal tank and 3 phase motor. Most people don't want the horizontal tank because it takes up too much space, and most people don't have 3 phase power available. Then you spend the $500 or so to buy a good Baldor 5hp single phase motor.

Example: I just picked up a used Speedaire-branded unit (as described above), with a Champion RV-15a pump on it for $180. My brother already had a single-phase Baldor motor, and he took a couple of hours and swapped it on and he is already using it. That compressor was probably about $2500 new.

Lots of existing compressor threads to read here, everything has been covered, start searching and reading! The best way to search is to use a google site-specific search as follows: type "site:garagejournal.com" followed by one space, and then the search terms that you are looking for - that will limit your search results to this site.

I would also recommend a 5HP (or 7.5HP if you can find one) 2-stage compressor with an 80 gallon tank per the others above. Happy hunting! Best value new I would recommend looking at Belaire, my .02.

 

[sberry]

The reason for 5 is it really lets a guy sand continuously without air management.

 

[930dreamer]

This and change out to an electric motor;

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/305274290561545

 

[FuzzyTiger]

I'm far from an expert on compressors but $2500 seems like a pretty large budget for what I'm assuming is a home/hobby shop.

I'm pretty sure you can find used 5 hp, 60+ gallon compressors for well under a thousand. Spend the rest on a shed to put it outside your shop and hard lines throughout the garage.

 

[kailor]

Thanks for the replies, thus far...

 

[sberry]

I can understand a brandy new one too. I do wish used shopping was as good way back I bought my last one though.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

The quality of your electrical service will determine how much compressor you can run. Get that nailed down before committing to anything.

I'm not a big fan of those Saylor Beall knockoffs for heavy duty commercial use, but they should last well for a weekend warrior. That might be a good option. Schultz compressors seem to be selling at a good price point as well. If I was setting up my own shop I'd seriously consider that as my house brand actually. Champions and Kelloggs, all good stuff. It's hard to go wrong with a DevAir/DV Systems compressor. $2500 gets you into the better brands, although maybe you could save some of that money with a cheaper unit and invest the rest in some filtration, a proper piping system, and maybe a dryer.

I'm not sure what the used market is like there. It's hopeless in my town. White collar government burg. Very rarely something interesting will come up. I missed out on a pair of climate control Quincy QT-3s with belt guards and motor for $100 a few months ago because I had no storage. I could have built up a couple of units and probably made 10X that in profit.

Used industrial compressors can be a great bargain, but I remember one shyster I worked for who used to put together compressors made up of failed components and gave them a bright new paint job before sending them out to auction, so you really need to know what you are looking at and for.

 

[redmondjp]

I'm far from an expert on compressors but $2500 seems like a pretty large budget for what I'm assuming is a home/hobby shop.

I'm pretty sure you can find used 5 hp, 60+ gallon compressors for well under a thousand. Spend the rest on a shed to put it outside your shop and hard lines throughout the garage.

Yes, for a 3.3HP 60 gallon single stage compressor. Which won't run any continuous-use air tool for more than 5-10 minutes before you get water spraying out of your tool at 80psi.

We are talking about an 80 gallon TRUE 5HP two stage compressor. What I would consider (after working with my 3.3hp 60 gallon box store compressor for the past 30 years) the minimum-sized unit for any shop that plans on having air tools used.

You can only find one of those used for under $1K if you are lucky. Super lucky if it has a single-phase motor on it.

 

[Hammer1963]

Great suggestions. I run two 5HP 80 gallon compressors programmed to alternate cycling. One runs, shuts off and then the second runs on the next cycle. I always have plenty of air and the moisture content is reduced greatly due to the rest periods of each unit. Total investment is about at your price point. By the time the air runs through the piping and traps, there is rarely any visible moisture and this is in Ohio Valley which is extremely humid.

 

[Citation]

The "best" is something like a 5+ hp Champion (or other industrial brand) 2 stage with mag starter etc. However, if this is a home shop I wouldn't discount a deal on a "pro-sumer" type 80 gallon compressor. My father has a Campbell Hausfeld/Husky, 12CFM, 2 stage, 80 gallon unit. While it doesn't perform as well as the Champion he used to have, it is certainly quite a bit of compressor for home shop use. It does require some air management with the sand blaster but not too much. It has no issues with air drills, die grinders, cut off wheels etc.

Being a pro-sumer model I'm sure it couldn't stand up to the work load the old Champion handled but my father no longer does that kind of work load.

The big difference is cost. That Champion would be near $3k today. That Husky is about $1k new (I scored it from a friend for free). https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-8...ry-2-Stage-Air-Compressor-HDC802000/312943642

I'm cheap and my personal tools don't earn me a living. If this is the same for the OP then I would start by looking at used, 80 gallon compressors. If something in decent shape comes up for under $1k take a look. Depending on your area a deal on an 80 gallon industrial unit can be had. If new becomes the only option, I don't think the difference between a $1100 compressor vs $2500 compressor will mean much to them at the end of the day.

Oh, one other plus of a pro-sumer model, often a single person can move one. My brother moved one, with some effort. He simply removed the pump and motor. The tank was light enough to move by hand with hand cart. The pump and motor were perhaps 30-50 lb each but perfectly doable. This might be the difference between a good deal in the back of your truck and a good deal in the back of the other guy's truck because he has a lift gate.

 

[u2slow]

Brands don't matter to me anymore. I like oil-lubricated pumps driven by basic motors that can be easily changed (belt or spider-coupling). Minimum 10cfm. 5hp and 2 stage are great if you can afford it. Portable cord/plug units (single stage) can be found to 3HP. Don't forget the bigger machines are costlier to wire up... more again if you need an electrician and/or a panel or service upgrade.

Horizontal tanks are nice if you're going to tuck it under a bench, or into some other low clearance space (attic, mezzanine, etc). If you're just going to plop it on the shop floor, the vertical's footprint is most conservative. Other space-saving tricks include remote tanks and dedicated compressor sheds.

 

[redmondjp]

You need a minimum 15cfm flow rate for most continuous-use air tools. 10-12cfm is not enough. 17cfm is even better. Forget about what it says on the box that the air tool came in, especially for the value-brand air tools.

 

[Rsharp66]

When I built my shop a couple years ago I bought a new Eaton 7.5 HP V4 80 Gallon and with shipping paid exactly $2500.
I love it and the people up there in Ohio were great.
I can run my blaster full open and it only kicks in every once and a while. Good flow rate all the time

 

[sberry]

I will agree, 12 c.f. is too light. 5 hp makes about 18 or better and that works for body tools which have the highest demand other than a matched sandblaster.

 

[FuzzyTiger]

Yes, for a 3.3HP 60 gallon single stage compressor. Which won't run any continuous-use air tool for more than 5-10 minutes before you get water spraying out of your tool at 80psi.

We are talking about an 80 gallon TRUE 5HP two stage compressor. What I would consider (after working with my 3.3hp 60 gallon box store compressor for the past 30 years) the minimum-sized unit for any shop that plans on having air tools used.

You can only find one of those used for under $1K if you are lucky. Super lucky if it has a single-phase motor on it.

That's fair. I got lucky with mine. A company was closing their local branch and I shared a space with them. I offered to save them the hassle of having to move it... And then I got lucky again because the person that moved in afterwards was an electrician who eyed it enviously for a while until I offered "You're welcome to use it if you hook it up...". Still ended up costing quite a bit even with the electrician doing the work for free and paying for half the materials/pulling from his spare inventory. And on that note, OP might still have to go used if their budget is $2500 because the electrical work could really add up.

 

[kailor]

All of your replies have been very informative to me. Thank you. I would like to pose a couple more questions:

1. Which type of lubrication is best?
a. Splash Lubrication
b. Full Pressure Lubrication

2. What are are couple of good reputable on-line compressor vendor giants?

Thanks in advance.

 

[redmondjp]

Full pressure lubrication is best, but you typically only find this on the industrial-duty 100% duty-cycle-rated compressor pumps such as Quincy QR series, and Champion PL-series (R-series pumps with an oil pump added). If you can find one used, great. But I would never pay full retail for one, for home use.

 

[kailor]

Thanks redmondjp!

 

[Hack Fabrication]

I've got an IR 7.5hp with the 80 gallon tank:

I do a bit of sandblasting:

So I need the extra air. The blast cabinet has a 24 cfm gun, and it will cycle the compressor frequently. Regular air tools, etc. are no problem.

My advice is to get the biggest compressor, with the largest tank, you can afford. IR, Quincy, or other reputable manufacturer. Buy once, cry once.