Is this a good A. Comp.?

[srosa707]

Is this a good air compressor? Im lookin to buy my first one and i dont have but around 500 to spend. Anyone use this brand? I will be using it for home garage use. Working on my Model A and running air tools. Will this unit be sufficient?
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/BEL-5026VP.html

 

[Stuart in MN]

The one thing I can say about it is that 5hp rating is bogus...they probably mean 'peak' hp, or some other sort of made up number. It's kind of like how stereo manufacturers rate the power of their amplifiers, they always want to make them sound bigger than they really are. At 15 amps and 120volts, the actual value is going to be more like 1hp.

 

[Tman]

If you do some research you will find many of the compressors come from a couple companies and are imported in part or whole. I bought one from Canada made by Eagle, the same comp. can be found under the Sanborn,Kobalt,and Coleman names.

I bought twice the compressor for the same money on sale at my local farm store, shop around man!

What Stuart said is right, they like PEAK numbers because they are more impressive. Look at duty cycle, CFM to PSI for the real scoop. I can power a stucco sprayer with mine nonstop for a couple house!

 

[srosa707]

thanks guys, ill shop around.

 

[rodwerkz]

I can't vouch for that model but it seems a little pricey for its size..

Try your local home depot... I bought a Husky "5 hp" single stage with a 60 gallon tank for around 499.. Of course the 5 hp is bogus but it has enough power for me...

I've been running it for nearly two years and it has never given me a problem. I use it for painting, air tools and just about anything you could think of. I also have it plumbed to a reserve 80 gallon tank which it has no problem filling.

 

[srosa707]

what size should i look for? What brand?

 

[Jeepguy]

well its not a bad brand its actually made by a company out of france named ALUP known for really good stron variable speed screw compressors. they are about the same as a sears or home depot 5 hp and if it doesnt have APSI or ACFM in the manual dont get it becuase you dont know what kind of load it can handle. for a good 5hp comp you are looking at the max $2,500

 

[RonBou]

I have had this Sears model for 3 years now. It is a two stage and is good for prolonged use of air tools.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...0916778000&subcat=Air+Compressors+&+Inflators

 

[AndrewM]

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...0916778000&subcat=Air+Compressors+&+Inflators

WOW!

I say that, because they were honest about their specs! 15A @ 120 VAC is indeed about 1.5-1.6 hp! I think that's the first one that I've seen honestly advertised. Kudos to Sears.

My 8 year old Campbell-Hausfeld 15A @ 120 VAC compressor is labeled (with huge stickers) 5 hp, with no other ratings. Yeah, right.

The compressor I'm now looking at getting (Ingersoll-Rand) is 5 hp - and it's 28A @ 220 VAC (which would be ~50A @ 120 VAC).

Anyhow, for regular air tool use - impact, ratchet, tires, blowtube... really any compressor in the $500 range will work. If you're looking to paint or run a DA sander, look a lot more carefully at CFM ratings.

If you can swing it, look for an oiled one (and not an oilless). They're quieter and run cooler. My oilless C-H compressor is super loud.

 

[mike944]

I second the comment about oil-less compressors. They're super-loud, and they produce diddly for CFM. But, people buy them, because they're cheap.
________
Tuono

 

[Jeepguy]

they are both right about the oiless, a splash lubricated is fine if you are painting and using an HVLP gun they require 18 to 22 CFM to spray properly. Trust me 5CFM doesnt work, very bad paint job.