How loud is your compressor?

[Shadowdog500]

Im looking to get a bigger compressor and noise level is an issue since I tend to work into the wee hours sometimes.

If anyone here has a 5HP compressor and a smartphone with a sound measuring app could you please post how loud your compressor is.

I am specifically interested in Ingersol Rand or Quincy 5 HP compressors but will consider others. I was going to get a Eaton 5HP which is 73 db. but heard some stuff that gave me cold feet.

I currently have a 25+ year old Craftman 2 HP compressor that runs at 90db. My neighbors new 5 YO equivalent one runs at 85db measured using my iPhone using the Decibel Ultra App. I hope my newer one would be even more quiet.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Garage5.9]

My crapsmen 30 gallon oil less is stupid loud. Any way one night i forgot to unplug it in the garage and it was leaking air for awhile till suddenly it turned on while everyone was sleeping at like 2 am it came on and woke me up from a dead sleep. Lets just say my neighbor heard it too and he thought some one was in his garage across the street

 

[54FordPanel]

My 3hp Craftsman oilless compressor was holy-**** loud.

My 5hp, 60hp, 2-stage Champion you can have a conversation right next to it. It's a sweet, comforting sound....like mama's heart to a baby in the womb.

 

[PsRumors]

The biggest thing that will affect how loud a compressor is is speed. Find a slow motor and pump that produces the air volume you need and it will be quiet.

 

[BTG]

My crapsmen 30 gallon oil less is stupid loud. Any way one night i forgot to unplug it in the garage and it was leaking air for awhile till suddenly it turned on while everyone was sleeping at like 2 am it came on and woke me up from a dead sleep. Lets just say my neighbor heard it too and he thought some one was in his garage across the street

Second the loudness on the Craftsman oil-less compressors. I've never went from so happy to so disappointed in my life than the day I fired mine up. I absolutely hate it!

 

[Matt M PA]

I have a two stage, 80 gallon Sanborn Black Max. I installed two different type mufflers on the input side. One looks like a long cylinder, and it's topped with one that looks like a small air cleaner. I can post a pic if wanted. I can also look up the brands. Made a HUGE differnce in noise in my garage.

 

[mikec35]

You can build a box around your air compressor with insulation and vents and turn the loudest compressor into a quiet one. I did that with a couple of sheets of plywood, styrofoam insulation and cheap vents from Lowes.

 

[Mmfh]

If you are looking at new or newer compressors, check the rpm. I think you will find the IR's run at a lot higher rpm than the Quincy. I happen to think IR isn't nearly as good as they used to be while Quincy remains as good or better.

Look for a pump that spins at less than 1000 rpm's and you will be happy. Many now a days get up around three times that much. Very noisy!

Mm

 

[Briguy_123]

"I was going to get a Eaton 5HP which is 73 db. but heard some stuff that gave me cold feet."

I am strongly considering an Eaton 5 HP. What gave you the cold feet?

 

[JFC]

Made a video with the decibel meter app for my Champion Centurion II 5 hp, 2 stage, 80 gallon compressor:

The meter reads about 87 decibels. The compressor only runs at 805 rpm - it's a low, slow chugging that is very easy to work next to. Compressor has been great. Got from TP Tools.

 

[saabman]

I have a 5 HP Quincy and it was pretty loud with the OEM muffler, I put a bigger aftermarket muffler on it and it droped the noise considerably.

 

[W-Cummins]

My Quincy QR-25 model 390 is about as loud as the fans on the VFD and the motor whine caused by it. I have heard 5hp Eaton compressors and my 20hp quincy is not nearly as loud. BTW I bet they measure the db at 25' or more from the machine to get any where near 72db

William....

 

[kyles974]

I mounted mine outside. Its a 60gal Devilbis I bought 20+ years ago. Lived in Michigan for most of its life. I used to paint cars with it and when sanding and painting my dad used to tell me I was going to burn it up, because it would never rest.
But hey, It was loud, hehee......outside!!

 

[Shadowdog500]

"I was going to get a Eaton 5HP which is 73 db. but heard some stuff that gave me cold feet."

I am strongly considering an Eaton 5 HP. What gave you the cold feet?

There were some threads concerning pump and pully failures and crude Chinese made pumps. I understand that they do go out of their way to make thinks right, but I just want something that works.

For all I know the problem are corrected now, because bad reviews hang around forever. I could still get a Eaton if I heard good recent reviews.

Chris

 

[Shadowdog500]

Made a video with the decibel meter app for my Champion Centurion II 5 hp, 2 stage, 80 gallon compressor:

The meter reads about 87 decibels. The compressor only runs at 805 rpm - it's a low, slow chugging that is very easy to work next to. Compressor has been great. Got from TP Tools.

Thanks for posting the video!!!!

 

[47p2]

Best source an old cast iron twin piston compressor that runs at less than 1400rpm, they are almost silent.

This is my 1968 IR which I can easily use at midnight without disturbing my neighbours

 

[Gary S]

Both my compressors are much louder than my beer fridge, but both are much quieter than the neighbor kid's rice burner with the fart pipe.

 

[torquednutzcustoms]

First post here hello to all. I have a 5hp 80gal curtis. Can stand next to it and talk but the air filter is outside witch made a huge difference.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have a 5hp Craftsman oil free. It's loud but I have it in the back storage room in the garage. It helps keep the noise down a little bit. I've also considered adding a louvered bi-fold door to the room to help quiet it down.

A buddy of mine has an older Craftsman 5hp (not oil free like mine) and I think his is just as loud.

 

[JCQuick]

We have a new quincy 5hp 220v in an attached 3 car garage you really can't hear it in the house. but in the garage you can talk over it by raising your voice. I'll have to get a decibe reading

 

[Jonboy1974]

I've got the IR SS5L5, you can have a conversation next to it, but by no means is it quiet.
My wife said she can't hear it running in the kitchen next to the garage. Had a 5hp craftsmen 60 gallon you could hear 2 blocks over running.

 

[lotsoftools]

I have an old school Farm Test compressor that is, or was, fairly loud. I had the tank repaired by welding a few years back but am now too scared to use it.

 

[Brad1234]

In general a belt drive is much much quieter than an oiless. They also tend to last longer.

 

[DCarr]

I have a Black tank 6 HP Craftsman " Industrial " that is very quiet. It shocks everyone who owns and is so used to them noisey *** oil less POS compressor.

I can have a phone conversation standing next to it while it is running.

 

[Mike_C]

my quincy rarely kicks on, it could use a better muffler though as someone else said.

 

[peter_x]

This was a quiet compressor. Campbell Hausfeld 5HP Medallion Series:

 

[Zeppe807]

I have an old Curtis Air Compressor, built in 1939. It is a slow RPM, large diameter piston work horse. I can have a nice conversation while running it. My wife does not realize when it is running from inside the house.

I out works my dads oil-less compressor that has a larger hp motor. I got it at a estate sale for $120.

Unfortunately I do not have it wired up in my new garage yet, so I cannot get the dB level.

Hope it helps, don't get an oil-less.

Joe Zeppe

 

[machine_punk]

I've been doing some measurements on my air compressor lately, since I am getting ready to start a project to make it quieter. I know it's not quite the compressor you were asking about, but here is the information I have on compressor loudness...

My compressor...the Coleman 33-gallon, 6-HP (of course, we know that isn't a real 6HP...it is 120 volts/15amps motor), oil-less compressor.
View media item 12942
A shot with the black, plastic covers off...
View media item 12944
The shape of the intake...
View media item 12943
Where their meager attempt at a factory-built muffler attaches to the intake...
View media item 12946
The other end of that muffler...it makes a zig and a zag, and has a bit of foam in the way of that zig and that zag (here you see the piece of foam and the inlet cover)...
View media item 12947
An overall view of my measurement method--a Radio Shack Sound Level Meter, using C weighting, at one foot the air intake, in line with the axis of the sound...
View media item 12956
The reading without the plastic cover and factory sound muffler in place (110 decibels)...
View media item 12955
The reading with the plastic cover and factory sound muffler in place (105 decibels)
View media item 12957
The decibel is a logarithmic measurement. If I remember correctly, every 3 decibels indicates a doubling of the amount of sound energy and every 9 decibels is perceived as 'twice as loud' by the human ear. This shows that the factory attempt at sound muffling reduces the sound level by five decibels, but at 105 decibels, it is still too loud to consider going without ear plugs or other hearing protection.

 

[yhprum]

Most of the noise is from the intake. I used a piece of garden hose stuck into the intake on my Husky 5 HP, and it eliminated 90% of the noise. You could also route the intake outside or in the attic too.

 

[countryroad82]

There were some threads concerning pump and pully failures and crude Chinese made pumps. I understand that they do go out of their way to make thinks right, but I just want something that works.

For all I know the problem are corrected now, because bad reviews hang around forever. I could still get a Eaton if I heard good recent reviews.

Chris

I have an Eaton 5hp. Its going on a year old now, all I have done is change the oil every 3 months and keep an eye on the oil level (paranoid, but on the plus side the site glass makes checking the oil level easy). I have an auto drain for it that I have never hooked up. I leave it on 24/7 and I run a small body shop that is pretty taxing on a compressor with all the air tools I run, from DAs, grinders, paint guns, and my blast cabinet it hasn't given me any problems, it will actually catch up with my grinders and DAs when I'm using them for extended periods of time which my old compressor would never do. For the money, I think the Eaton is a great machine and recommend it to anyone, as a matter of fact a friend of mine is going up to pick up one for his shop due to my recommendation. As for the noise level, I have mine outside in an open compressor house and it isn't loud at all, I don't have any Db devices or I would tell the noise level, but I find it far better than what I had. Hope this helps with your decision.

 

[Falcon67]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25979&highlight=compressor&page=2

Post #40

Most of the noise is from the intake. I used a piece of garden hose stuck into the intake on my Husky 5 HP, and it eliminated 90% of the noise. You could also route the intake outside or in the attic too.

Re: above post and test - no, that may not happen.

 

[PT Doc]

I have a 5 HP Quincy and it was pretty loud with the OEM muffler, I put a bigger aftermarket muffler on it and it droped the noise considerably.

What type of setup did you get? I might want to quiet mine down. Thanks

 

[scw1991]

My IR 2475N5 80 gallon vertical compressor is pretty loud. It has the 5HP 1725 RPM motor spinning the pump at approximately 1000 RPM. Part of the noise is the motor (I think the bearings need to be changed out as there is quite the whining sound. The other factor is that I did not mount the tank on isolation pads which would have helped to reduce any vibrations transferred through the concrete and walls. My neighor has an old Wayne 5000 compressor using a 5HP 1725 RPM motor spinning the pump at 700 RPM. That sucker is quiet! Both of our compressor have the same IR air intake filter arrangement.

Steve

 

[GarageEnvy]

To the OP, I'm in the same boat and very close to pulling the trigger on a new compressor. I've been casually studying RPM and noise on GJ and the web for a while. I've looked at Eaton and I'm still considering them. There's some controversy with some people over whether they like the owner of the company or whether some claims are true or not. I'm only concerned with the product quality. People who have them tend to like them. I personally think some of the figures on the website are suspicious. Some RPMs quoted have a different number in the description than in the specs. Also, I think every compressor they make has the same decibel reading. Maybe that's true, I can't confirm or refute it but it seems coincidental. Some of the stuff on the website seems like the rantings of a lunatic but people have had good warranty experience with the company.

Quincy makes a great compressor but I do think you pay some for the name. The one I'm looking at spins 1310 RPM which is good but others like the Champion spin a much lower RPM for the same price.

Curtis and Saylor Beall also make fantastic compressors with pump speeds under 900 RPM. If noise is super critical and money is not an issue, Belaire makes a QP series compressor that they rate in the mid to high 60 decibels. It looks like they put an insulated tote and fan over the top of a $1500 compressor and doubled the price though.

There have been several IR motor failures noted in reviews and threads I've been reading so I personally am leaning away from IR. They are pretty cheap for the specs though. Right now I'm leaning toward a Champion, Curtis, Saylor Beall or even an Eaton over a Quincy or IR. It's also for home use and I don't operate a blast cabinet so YMMV.

 

[PT Doc]

Quincy reports that the 251cp80vcb is 75dba. For anyone that has this unit with the Baldor motor, can you check how loud yours is. 75dba would be very nice.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Thanks for all the replies.

Quiet, high CFM, and durability are pretty high on my list. Everything Ive found so far seems to boil down to the Eaton. I may go crazy and get the 5HP, two stage, 80 gallon tank model for $1836 delivered on my curb. (I called and got prices)

I know it is more than I need right now with my current blast cabinet, but needs always seem to increase over time and I doubt I would ever outgrow that compressor.

I just sold my old Harley Ironhead Sporster today so Im probably going to be making this purchace in the next week or so.

First post here hello to all. I have a 5hp 80gal curtis. Can stand next to it and talk but the air filter is outside witch made a huge difference.

Welcome to the forum!!!

Thanks for the idea!

Chris

 

[ChuckFirment]

I second the person who said 'put a box around it'. My old Craftsman (oiled) compressor used to live underneath my workbench. After I put a piece of OSB across the front and side legs, the noise dropped drastically.

The back of the workbench was still open to the unfinished wall, leaving huge air and noise gaps between the studs. Even with those huge gaps, it was quieter than any other compressor I've encountered.

No matter what compressor you get, put some sort of a box around it. No need for complex baffling - anything you do will block more sound than you'll expect.

 

[1931S/X]

i dont have a smart phone or a db meter, but i just got my 80 gallon ir t30 up and running. its an olde rused compressor but i think its quiet. i have a smaller 20 gallon or so ir t10, more of a homeowner grade the 80 is much quieter. the oilless are real loud, the aluminum pumps are pretty loud, but not as bad as oilless.

 

[KCarGuy]

I guess it depends on where the compressor is and where you are.
I had a buddy with a 30 gallon oil-less compressor that he kept in a wood shed behind his garage (a long metal rod stuck through the back wall of the garage to turn it on and off)...That way, it actually was OK to work in the garage.

I have a 1954 Kellogg American 80 gallon 5 hp Compressor that is unbelievably quiet.
(and it is in a room of its own inside my garage) so its whisper quite.

I had a 30 gallon IR that was surprisingly quiet, but traded that one for a 60 gallon CH last year. its Not Bad, somewhere in between the Kellogg American and the IR was.

I will have to check the DB level, But...Slower, Thicker Metal, Higher Quality, Oil Type with good Air Filters are way better compressors.

I love my Ol' 54 KA...She's a beast! (I have had her for 25 years now)

 

[taumac]

I had a 5 hp 30 gal oilless Craftsman and it could wake the dead. I got a old old pump and a dayton motor and mounted it on my 30 gal craftsman tank. It only spins at 800 rpm and it really quiet with no muffler that I can barly hear it kick on in next room of garage. I suggest older pumps are quieter and last long time.