Oil-less vs. oiled air compressor

[rworkman98]

I was looking at Air Compressors at Sears, and almost all of their units are oil-less. They had only one < 60 gallon oiled compressor. I’m looking at getting a ~ 30 gal compressor, and wanted people’s opinions here. Two different sales associates told me they’re getting away from oiled compressors, and that they are a PITA to keep running. For anyone that has this type of compressor, how often do you have to check the oil? How long does it take?

I would be only using this occasionally (probably < once a month) and can only spend < $500 including initial air tools. I need to spend < $400 on the compressor. I was considering either this one: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...ir+Compressors+&+Inflators&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes which often goes on sale to include an air ratchet, air hammer, and impact wrench. If it’s really that much better, I can go up to this one: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...ir+Compressors+&+Inflators&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes because the oilfree ones are quite loud, and I’d prefer not having to wear ear protection.

What are your thoughts between these two tools, or are there any others at the same or lower price you’d recommend?

 

[screwTheMan]

I have the 33 gal 6HP Craftsman (seems like a lot of people do). It is oil-less and single stage. It is also VERY LOUD. The oiled 2 stage jobbies are usually bigger, quieter and provide much more CFM. They're also usually 220V.

I like my compressor fine. It keeps up with the usual tools- but you'll always wished you went bigger. So my advice is buy the biggest you can afford and just the air tools you NEED for immediate use. Then add air tools later as the jobs require them.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Sears deals with a lot of NEW diyers. You wouldn't believe the stories (friend who works at Sears on another board). Lot's get returned, DOA, because they didn't put the oil in it to begin with.
Now the one disadvantage of an oil one, they have oilless ones that can be operated in either vertical or horizontal.
Otherwise, oil lubed ones can last longer (with maintence), and tend to be a bit quieter (although not really much, with all the aluminum and high speed motors on these).

 

[srosa707]

Get the black one. My work has the red one and its loud as ****! I got the black one and it kicks ***. Remember, its 400+tax+warranty. I spent $600 after all was said and done and i didnt get any tools! I got a hose and some couplers and little things. It adds up quick!

 

[oldgoat]

I'll throw my .02 in for the fun of it. From what I have heard the oiless ones are usually louder so I like the oil ones myself. I also like the vertical ones since they take up less room unless you are planning on puting under a bench out of the way. I have a 2hp HF oil one with about a 10 gal tank for my single car garage for about three years now with no trouble. When I built the double car garage I bought a 3hp HF oil one vertical with I believe a 21 gal tank on it. The cylinders have iron liners to them. So far it has been working fine for me.

 

[RonBou]

My oilless one is very loud. When using it extensively I put on my shooters ear muffler whicj works fine. I have the sears 120V two stage. Works great when doing extensive air tool use.

 

[rworkman98]

Otherwise, oil lubed ones can last longer (with maintence),

How frequent is the maintence required? If I only use the compressor once a month, is adding oil once a year sufficient? Do you just check a dipstick, or is checking the oil more involved than that?

 

[mike944]

i've used both oil and oil-less. The oilless ones are VERY loud. It's also an incredibly annoying loud.

The aluminum-cylindered oil ones, aren't nearly as quiet as the cast iron ones, bt they're considerably cheaper. You don't have to change the oil very often. I only do it every couple of years. I hardly ever check it, and never have to add.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

How frequent is the maintence required? If I only use the compressor once a month, is adding oil once a year sufficient? Do you just check a dipstick, or is checking the oil more involved than that?

Normally there is either a site window, or a dipstick. Should be checked before each use (if you use it that infrequently), just as a precaution (takes less then a minute). If it doesn't need it, don't add it, but like a car that has been sitting, you will want to change the oil ocassionally (I get more use then that, and just because how cheap oil is, for the amount they take, I change mine once in spring, and once in fall). Once you get it, you may find yourself using it more then you think.

 

[wythors]

I recently got rid of my 33 gallon oil-less and got a 30 gallon, vertical oiled one. It may have been on close out, since I don't see it on the Craftsman site anymore. It's identical to the 60 gallon unit, just half the height and with wheels. It is easily half as loud as the oil-less unit it replaced.

 

[mikeyr]

get a real compressor...the airless compressors ...oops oilless...are super noisy and super unreliable if you are going to actually use them. I started with a 3hp (I think) 30gal airless, it broke 2 days into using it, I purchased a 5hp 60gal airless as a replacement, they made me a deal since the one I was returning was only 2 days old and seized up. The bigger compressor lasted about 2 weeks before it started giving me trouble and besides the thing was SUPER noisy.

I gave it away to a guy about a month later and bought a 80gal 5hp Champion and never looked back. True 5hp not SEARS 5hp which is more like 2 or 3, ever wonder why SEARS 5 HP only needs 15 amps when other manufacturers 5HP need 30 amps ? because they cheat and their airless compressors are worthless.

The only issue with a reliable oiled compressor is that as they wear you may get oil in the air and that will mess up your paint job,there are separators for that. I had a oiled SEARS compressor for 27 years with no trouble and nothing but trouble with their airless ones, oh yeah they also put out very little air compared to others.

 

[PatrickM]

I will agree with all of the guys that have posted, avoid the oil-less ones. Like mentioned, too loud, too cheap. My father in law works at a Sears refurb center and they get the oil-less ones back all of the time to fix and resell. He wouldn't let me buy one. It had to be an oil cooled compressor. Both my dad and my father in law's compressors are 20 plus years old......before oil-less was even invented.

 

[kartracer55]

Stay far away from them.

 

[pl_silverado]

Oiled is the only way to go.

 

[TNToy]

If you're going to spend $400, you can get a lot more compressor by staying away from the overpriced Craftsman units...


$399

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/jsearch/product.jsp?pn=100083906

 

[SteveU]

I was looking at Air Compressors at Sears, and almost all of their units are oil-less. They had only one < 60 gallon oiled compressor. I’m looking at getting a ~ 30 gal compressor, and wanted people’s opinions here. Two different sales associates told me they’re getting away from oiled compressors, and that they are a PITA to keep running. For anyone that has this type of compressor, how often do you have to check the oil? How long does it take?

This is a good example of sales people not having a clue what they're talking about. Oiled compressors are a lot more reliable, quieter, and more durable than the oiless ones. Oiless compressors have a few advantages such as being able to be used at an angle, no oil residue in the air for medical or scientific uses but for the average joe these don't come into play. Checking the oil on mine is done by glancing at the sight window in the pump everytime I use it. This takes less than a second and is by far quicker than checking the oil in my car. Changing the oil is quicker & easier than in the car also. My partner at work wore out & rebuilt his sears oiless compressor twice painting cars & running airtools at 75.00 or so each time. He then got an oiled compressor & hasn't had a problem since.

 

[Rrumbler]

Just another nickel in favor of the oil lubed compressor. I bought a Craftsman oilless several years ago, because it was the only thing available at the time, and I was in a bind - needed a replacement quick; the tank on my 30 year old Speedaire blew out. The oilless is too noisy, gets really hot in long running situations, and, did somebody say something about the noise being annoying?? It'll drive you nuts.

An oil lubricated compressor will last almost indefinitely, if properly maintained. We used to change oil in our industrial units once a year, and did a regular maintenance check; out of hundreds of units in service, we might have to repair or replace one a year. Just check the oil every so often, most have a crankcase capacity of a quart or less, keep the intake air filtered, and the filter clean, and the unit in general; make sure the belt(s) tension is correct, and drain condensate regularly. A cast iron unit will be quieter than an aluminum cylindered one. If you are going to get a large unit, consider a two stage, with an oil pump instead of a splash lube system.

 

[Ryan Wilke]

Just check the oil every so often,
most have a crankcase capacity of a quart or less,
keep the intake air filtered,
and the filter clean,
and the unit in general;
make sure the belt(s) tension is correct,
and drain condensate regularly.

EXCELLENT POINTS!!

Please allow me to emphasize the last point: I don't care what size or type of compressor you have - if you don't drain the condensate regularly (drain frequency is directly related to the amount of run time & the humidity level of the incoming air) it will lay in the bottom of your air storage tank and rust a hole in the bottom. Then you can replace the tank.

Yeah, some folks will weld a patch over the hole, but to do it legally (can you say 'law suit' in case it lets go and hurts someone someday?) any welding on a pressurized tank should be done by a certified welder. A friend of mine told me that before he assembled the piping on his compressor, he squirted in a ~1/4 cup of oil into the tank "To prevent it from rusting". Then I reminded him that the oil will simply float on top of any condensate water collected inside and STILL rust out the tank! AND that the oil will travel thru his hoses and he can expect it to foul up any spray painting and sand blasting!!

So when you decide on what air compressor to get, locate it & plumb it in so you can easily drain the condensate. If you only use it for 10 minutes at a time, once a month, you'd likely only need to drain the condensate every 6 months. Even if you only get out a 1/2 spoonful of water, that's enough to rust a hole in the bottom of the steel tank over time.

Good Luck!
RW

 

[Charles (in GA)]

If you are going to get a large unit, consider a two stage, with an oil pump instead of a splash lube system.

Great idea, until you start comparing prices. My splashed lubed compressor (a 7.5 hp two stage/80 gal) will cost about $1700 now. There are several on the market that fall in this price range. To get an equal in a pressure lubed pump, will cost around $2500, possibly more. Indeed, the pump on the pressure lubed one will last longer, but my splash lubed pump is rated for 15,000 hrs. Its about here that reality sets in. I'm probably not going to ever run my compressor anywhere near 15,000 hrs. My heirs will get to enjoy it, or whoever buys it from them.

Charles

 

[M_George]

Is there any difference between using one or the other for fear of getting oil contamination in the air. Painting, sand blasting, etc?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I have a Sears 30 gal horizontal "5HP" I got for free. It's a good 20 years old and has performed flawlessly since it was given to me, but if I had my choice, it would not have been oilless. They're loud, are less efficient, have higher discarge air temps and have considerably shorter lifespans. If I used it as much as it was used at the race shop, it would have died long ago. There's a reason pretty much all commercial/continuous duty units are oil or presurized oil lubed.

Tommy

 

[jdsac]

Be patient, check the local craigslist- an industrial quality used compressor will outlast an oil less one, and when you don't need it anymore it's saleable.

example: http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/tls/5950329360.html

 

[Ree75]

I had an oilless direct drive 80g years ago. I used it about 4 days out of every month in my home garage for sidework. It was pretty loud and vibrated a lot. after just over two years the crankshaft broke, a connecting rod and I am not sure if the mount on top of the tank cracked when this happened or before. I figured no problem, I'll order parts from sears. To my surprise the model was discontinued and no parts available. I eventually found another "parts compressor" repaired and sold it.
at my current work we have an oiled puma 60g. while I feel it is very underpowered (low cfm and the compressor will not keep up while running air tools) it get used constantly for filling up semi tires and even worse farm tires (tractors, combines and such) which puts a huge work load on it. It has been going without a single breakdown for over 3 years and bi-yearly oil changes.

 

[jubilee]

I have four 2 stage 7+ hp air compressors with splash oil systems. Two are truck mounted with 18 hp gas engines. All have lined tanks. Newest is 18 years old. Oldest is a 40+ Year old IR. IR ran almost daily for 25 years or so. Now only runs a couple three days a week. Have never changed oil in any of them and have never had any of them apart. Wore out motors, belts, pressure switches and even sheaves but, no compressor problems. All were very expensive units and I swallowed hard when I purchased each one but, you get what you pay for. I've painted 12-15 cars over the years with the IR. I have water traps in my solid lines from compressor and just use the deposable screw on filter at spray gun. No problems.

 

[dave*99]

I had a portable Campbell Hausfeld oil free compressor. I used it very intermittently for 2 years to fill bicycle tires. It died. It would not make pressure. I disassembled it and saw the piston ring was worn out. It was such a piece of junk I threw it out.

A buddy drug home a 60 gallon 5 HP craftsman that was oil free. It threw a connecting rod. The unit looked like new. But it was given to him because the previous owner hated the noise etc. We fixed it for about $100. Internals look like junk.

My 30 gallon 3 HP Dayton oiled compressor was rescued from a machine shop. It has to be 30 years old. It was neglected, but ran fine. I drained 10 gallons of water from it, changed the oil and air filters. Still runs great. I've owned oil lubed compressors for many years. Maintenance is not difficult and not required often.

The question about oil free vs oiled comes up often on GJ. Personally I will never buy another oil free compressor. They generally are noisier and do not last as long as the oil lubed types.

Also look at motor speed when considering compressors. The units with 1725 RPM motors are generally quieter than the 3450 RPM units.

I bought a Makita MAC700 portable compressor. It is oil lubricated. Very quiet and well built.

If longevity in particular is of importance to you, then consider this decision carefully.

When someone posts a photo of their brand new oil free compressor and says they love it - great. Hopefully they researched the durability of that unit and will still love it in 10 years.

YMMV

 

[94EG8]

Go oiled. I've never seen a decent oil-less compressor, they're extremely loud, failure prone, and hard to get parts for. Besides they they're generally very small. Get the largest oiled unit you can afford. Check the oil level periodically, change it every couple of years.

Both my dad and my father in law's compressors are 20 plus years old......before oil-less was even invented.

Oil-less goes back a lot further than 20 years. I've got a small unit out of a lab for a mine from the '60s.

Is there any difference between using one or the other for fear of getting oil contamination in the air. Painting, sand blasting, etc?

There's some chance of getting oil in the lines with an oiled compressor, but that said you wont find a body shop that uses an oil-less either. Just make sure the compressor is in proper working order and you have proper filters and everything will be fine.

 

[AMCguy]

In my opinion, the important thing to know is the physical difference between the two.

The oil filled will have an automotive style crank, rod and piston. Oil with bathe the bearing and the other internals will be splash lubricated. Remember oil is a lubricant, a cleaner and a coolant. It is therefore generally essential that the correct non detergent oil is used. This is where the average non mechanically inclined or careless user gets into trouble.

An oilless design uses a rigid piston (actually a disk with a seal around it) and rod, with a sealed ball bearing where the rod meets the crank. Way simpler, less costly to manufacture and easier to market as superior to the type of buyer mentioned above. On average they are rated in hours of life expectancy. In this throw away society, the latter fits right in.

The oil filled has a much greater life expectancy simply because of the fact that it's got oil in it. An oilless is wearing out from the instant you first turn it on. It's life will be determined by weather or not you are asking it to do more than it was intended to do.

 

[AMCguy]

I'll second the Makita MAC700. It has to be the best bang for the buck small compressor, with a big heart, that has ever been made.

 

[doge]

Not sure what you'll be using, but if mainly for impact wrench I'd go with cordless, it's amazing the power they have. The m18 impact is rated at 1100 ft-lb

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[rburke65]

The poster that said oil less is as loud as an oiled unit is.....well very...... Ok everyone is entitled to their opinion, but..... I have both. A 30 gal single stage oil less. You can't hear yourself think. The 2 stage, 60 gal. Champion, oil, you cane stand next to it and carry a conversation.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Someday I'm going to ask my uncle what he did with my grandfather's compressor. I'd like to maybe get it from him. I don't remember the brand or anything in detail, but the sound of it softly chugging away in that garage is a strong memory. Thinking about it now is almost comforting.

Tommy

 

[crewchief888]

i still have a CM oil less compressor i bought new in '87. i rebuilt it about 10 years ago, and it's needs it again.

last time parts were almost $150

i dont use it much, but when i do it runs continuously...

they push out a lot of hot air, and the more worn out they get, the noisier they get.

i'm still debating whether i rebuild it again, or buy new.

 

[coljar]

That salesman was right about Sears getting away from the oil-less compressors, but they're also getting away from the oiled ones too.
Go with oiled. The 2-stage oiled Kellogg-American in my old shop has been there since 1946 without being apart. Same with my Curtis, except it's much newer, 1969.