quiet compressor recommendations

[copterdoctor]

Just what the title says, I'm looking for a quiet air compressor... one that is strong enough to supply enough air for impact guns, die grinders, blast cabinet, etc, on a pretty regular basis... I don't plan on doing any type of work commercially, but the compressor will be used in the evenings after work quite a bit...
I know next to nothing about compressors, so that's why I'm asking for help here...
and btw, I'm like most, I'd like to NOT spend an arm and a leg... but I am willing to pay a premium for a good tool.... but would prefer to be able to send my kids to college still...
thanks.

edit: the reason for the need of a quiet compressor is because 2 of my kids bedrooms are pretty much above my garage and they go to be at around 8pm... and the other half of the garage is directly below our living room..

 

[rwhite692]

You want something that is using a low RPM (around 750), conventional cast iron, oil lubed pump.

Avoid oil-free scroll-type compressors, particularly since you are looking for quiet operation.


If money is tight, you can scrounge the components and build one yourself.

I have about 300 bucks in this 120 gallon compressor that I built around a Curtis D96A pump. it puts out 18.2 CFM at 175 PSI when run at a nice, slow 755 RPM.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

As above, try looking for a LOW rpm pump from Champion, Quincy, Saylor-Beall, Eaton or similar. Most of these will have a 1750 RPM motor and a pump running under 800 RPM. The better ones will be pressure lubed and most can be bought in an enclosure for extra cost to make them even quieter.

 

[7echo]

Rotary screw machines can be very quiet, but the price may be beyond what you want to spend. It won't cost you anything to get prices on a Kaeser or Atlas Copco or similar. Most of these are enclosed and have a more modern appearance compared to the typical recip unit. They are nice machines if you can afford one.

Otherwise, Georgia and rwhite have the best solutions.

 

[jakeb]

I am interested in something really quiet as well..... I have seen some compressors with little caps over top of the motor and compressor. Would it be possible to make a cap to muffle some of the sound?

something like this

I am very close to pulling the trigger on a IR 60gal 2 stage with the type 30 pump from northern tool ($1200 shipped) and would like to make it as quiet as possible. So thinking of making something that surrounds the pump and then covered with a couple layers of drywall. I would leave the open to allow heat to escape. That all depends on how loud the actual IR I am looking at is.

 

[Steve_P]

I think eaton compressor has about the slowest running pumps. I have a quincy and the eaton is significantly slower than the model I bought- I did not know about eaton at the time.

 

[LEVE]

A little food for though. Have you thought about noise abatement? If you've room for a large compressor, then you've room to build a sound deadening insulated, vented shroud around it. If you do it right then the compressor is easily accessed for maintenance, as well as out of sight (Unless you like looking at it.)

I have a simple Craftsman 5hp, 22gal compressor. It's a vertical footprint, and very squat. I built an enclosure under my workbench. It's insulated and vented to the back of the enclosure. The enclosure is wired and I can turn the compressor on/off with a switch mounted to the outside of the enclosure.

Inside the garage, before I built the enclosure, the noise was deafening as it bounced off the walls. It was all I could do to stand being inside while it built up pressure.

Now, I can stand and work at the vice (just above the enclosure) and flip on the compressor and hold a conversation or listen to the radio with no problem. It was one of the best additions I made to the garage.

Oh, and I had enough money left over to send my kids to college, even one to Oxford. See... if I can do it, you can do it.

 

[Warrenator]

So let me get this straight.... you want the compressor to be nice and quiet so you can run your die grinders and impact wrenches without waking anybody up...... http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/images/smilies/headscratch.gif

I agree with the above posters, though, get a low RPM one. You can also get a regular one and change the pulley and belt so it runs slower, I did this with mine (cast iron pump, 5 HP) and it turned the loud whirrrrrr into a much more pleasant tapoketa tapoketa sound. (That was only temporary as I was trying to get it to not flip the breaker while starting, turns out I needed to fix the centrifugal switch)

 

[drmoonshine]

Like above just low rpm. But what kind of work do you plan on doing? Maybe the second step would be to soundproof the wall between the bedroom and the garage.

 

[kbs2244]

Even more than speed, the biggest cause of compressor noise is the inlet.
They all put a minimal filter on them but no one puts a muffler on them.

Plumb in a muffler from a large garden tractor (20 HP or more) or a small car.

 

[Jack90210]

Even more than speed, the biggest cause of compressor noise is the inlet.
They all put a minimal filter on them but no one puts a muffler on them.

Plumb in a muffler from a large garden tractor (20 HP or more) or a small car.

That's a great idea -- I never thought of that!

 

[Jeremy W]

Even more than speed, the biggest cause of compressor noise is the inlet.
They all put a minimal filter on them but no one puts a muffler on them.

Plumb in a muffler from a large garden tractor (20 HP or more) or a small car.

hmmm............never thought of that, how would one go about this, the filter ***** in so would you have the muffler backwords?

 

[SgtRauksauff]

My Quincy (325) uses a 5hp motor running at 1725rpm, and I've got the drive sheave (aka pulley), which is adjustable, set at its max diameter of 5.5", so my pump's running at 593rpm or so. It was at 4.5" initially, running the compressor at 485rpm. Sounded like an old John Deere, lol!

Just make sure you don't change the pulley to go TOO slow, or you won't get proper lubrication.

--sarge

 

[billspit]

I have a CH 5 hp compressor that runs at 3,500 rpm and has no inlet filter. That baby is loud. I never knew how loud until a few years after I began working on my Spitfire that a neighbor two doors up and in the opposite direction from the garage door made a comment in passing about my air compressor. I guess the noise bounced off the neighbors house on the other direction to them.

 

[saabman]

The suggestion of an intake muffler is spot on. I have a QT5-HD and it was quite loud. Years ago I bought an intake silencer from Grainger and that made it much quieter

 

[Jack Olsen]

You can spend thousands on a low-rpm compressor. Or you can enclose a lower cost model. I'm currently using a screaming-loud oil-less compressor, and it's in the crawlspace under my house's master bedroom. Crazy, right?

It's inside an insulated box, with duct fans that blow air in and out for cooling.

It's extremely quiet.

I've got a 10.2cfm@90psi 60-gallon Campbell Hausfeld 1100-rpm oiled compressor waiting to go in (it's on the to-do list). It was $220 on sale, and it will be quieter than my old oil-free model. But I'll still put it in an enclosure.

In terms of bang-for-the-buck (or silence for the buck, I guess), there's no beating a compressor closet.

 

[copterdoctor]

So let me get this straight.... you want the compressor to be nice and quiet so you can run your die grinders and impact wrenches without waking anybody up...... http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/images/smilies/headscratch.gif

I agree with the above posters, though, get a low RPM one. You can also get a regular one and change the pulley and belt so it runs slower, I did this with mine (cast iron pump, 5 HP) and it turned the loud whirrrrrr into a much more pleasant tapoketa tapoketa sound. (That was only temporary as I was trying to get it to not flip the breaker while starting, turns out I needed to fix the centrifugal switch)

lol, ok, maybe I need to explain a bit more... I guess it's more along the lines of the vibrations from the sound also... the die grinders won't be used real late at night, and honestly, i like the sound of them... but a loud compressor is just a droning annoyance to me... so it's also to suit my own personal preference too I suppose...


is lower RPM on a compressor going to affect the time it takes to fill the tank I would assume? Will it still have enough "oomf" to power the tools I listed?

someone asked what type of work I'm doing.. well, I'm having to tear down and rebuild a 46' Ford truck... probably going to be chopping it, but not sure yet... but if not this one, definitely the next one... I have a "aviation theme" idea that I want to do on an older truck... including rivet construction... ya ya ya , I know, bucking rivets is very loud, lol, but I enjoy that sound too....

I know I never gave a budget... I'd like to stay under 1,500... if possible...
thanks for the help..

 

[E.rodz]

as to ad on to what someone already posted the most noise from a compressor is the intake a muffler works well. as does moving the intake outside. a little pvc pipe and a muffler/aircleaner outside will be a huge bonus.also a sound incloser around the head unit is good and bad it keeps the noise down but keeps the heat in so what I have done is put 2 small fans from a pannel box and monted the on a thermostatic sw.from local home bldg center.huge difference.

 

[SteveU]

The Eaton 2 cyl runs at 650 rpm & is quiet enough you can have a conversation standing beside it when it is running. Price is around 1200 though I haven't checked lately.

 

[vette]

I'v been researching this topic for months now.People will tell you that lower rpm's are quieter and thats true but thats a retaliative term. The model you show[bel aire qp] is the only one I'v found that gives you db's[that are the same as a screw comp] for that reason it's the one I'v ordered. I know it's a lot more money but I thougt worth it to be sure it's quiet enough.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

is lower RPM on a compressor going to affect the time it takes to fill the tank I would assume? Will it still have enough "oomf" to power the tools I listed?

The compressors we are talking about (Quincy, Champion, etc) have VERY large diameter pistons. They turn a slow RPM but move a LOT of air. Most of the "slow" compressors run 18 to19 CFM at 90 psi and don't have a problem keeping up with your tools or your blast cabinet.

 

[arvidj]

When I purchased my compressor they recommended a "muffler" for the input. Sounds strange ... no pun intended ... but it really did help. The compressor is in the basement and when it runs it makes no more noise than the dryer when it is slightly unbalanced. Here is an example of one but I do not recall paying that much for it ... Universal Air Intake Silencer ... and I'm sure some creativity with what is available at the local auto parts store would accomplish the same task.

 

[gte718p]

I like my craftsman pro. Generally any belt drive. Oil filled will be fine. I have a custom muffler on mine and 20 ft away at the end of my air hose you will forget its running. Nit cheap at $400 but not horrible either.

I had to use a friends compressor at his garage and nearly jumped out of my skin when his oilless kicked in. Once you get a good compressor you will never go back to cheep ones.

 

[bill9860]

I have an eaton 5hp 60 - pretty quiet as compressors go I guess - certainly quieter than an little 5hp 25 gal Craftsman i have used for years. But not only quiet, pretty quick recovery so it doesn't run long

 

[solo20]

i dont know what you guys are talking about but i have both a oilless Comp and oil type and they are still loud *** hell. the noise they make is real close to each other. its not like i can stand next to each one and talk to some one. does anybody have any information on the muffers how much do they really bring the decibels down

 

[T.Hadley]

You want something that is using a low RPM (around 750), conventional cast iron, oil lubed pump.

Avoid oil-free scroll-type compressors, particularly since you are looking for quiet operation.


If money is tight, you can scrounge the components and build one yourself.

I have about 300 bucks in this 120 gallon compressor that I built around a Curtis D96A pump. it puts out 18.2 CFM at 175 PSI when run at a nice, slow 755 RPM.

I would really like to hear more about how you did this for 300.00, where you bought the parts etc.

I have a Quincy right now but it dont put out 18.2 cfm @ 175

 

[nickleone]

In a past life I assembled Compressor packages.
We used Soleberg filter silencers and compared to the FILTERS that come on many compressors the sound deadening was remarkable.
Go to : http://www.solbergmfg.com/ViewSeriesDetail.aspx?SeriesId=2&src=drill
To see Solbergs charts. The more inlet holes and the larger the silencer/filter the less noise. When we built compressor packages we had to run them and when we put larger filter/silencers on them you could tell the difference.

Nick

 

[Fast Hamburger]

I would really like to hear more about how you did this for 300.00, where you bought the parts etc.

I have a Quincy right now but it dont put out 18.2 cfm @ 175

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42474

 

[IH82BL8]

Sorry, you probably already considered this but, can you put the compressor in a storage area in your house and pipe the air to the garage? I put mine in the basement because I got tired of listening to it run and so I could use the garage space for other things.

 

[copterdoctor]

Sorry, you probably already considered this but, can you put the compressor in a storage area in your house and pipe the air to the garage? I put mine in the basement because I got tired of listening to it run and so I could use the garage space for other things.

dunno if you actually read this whole thread, I already addressed that... but no worries... I'll say it again....

my garage is on the lowest level of the house... above it are 2 bedrooms and our living room... so putting it in another area wouldn't really help much..

I'm going to look into some of the suggestions mentioned here and see what the best choice is economically...

 

[T.Hadley]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42474

Thanks for the link,

The I built this for 300.00 is just a little deceptive, It would be very hard to copy for 300.00

Still a nice comp.

 

[slickgt1]

You want something that is using a low RPM (around 750), conventional cast iron, oil lubed pump.

Avoid oil-free scroll-type compressors, particularly since you are looking for quiet operation.


If money is tight, you can scrounge the components and build one yourself.

I have about 300 bucks in this 120 gallon compressor that I built around a Curtis D96A pump. it puts out 18.2 CFM at 175 PSI when run at a nice, slow 755 RPM.

Wow that is nice. Can you possibly make a how to, or at least a part list, and where you purchased the parts? This is pretty nice, especially the price.

 

[Kbomb25]

Makita mac2400 is the best compressor ive ever owned and its super quiet!! You can carry on a conversation right next too it while its running. The cheapest place I found them was on Amazon.com

 

[TCJ1981]

My old boss bought a Snap-on branded compressor(I'm sure someone else makes it but I haven't researched to find out) and it was one of the quietest ones I've heard so far. If I remember correctly it was the biggest vertical 220v compressor Snap-on made.

 

[6768rogues]

I had a Craftsman that my wife gave me for Christmas. It was so loud that I looked up the sound level specifications and it was 10 db above where hearing protection is advised. I returned it and the wife said I could buy whatever I wanted, since it was my present. I ordered an Eaton compressor (3 times as much money) and it is so quiet that a conversation can be held over it.
By the way, after a couple of years the pressure switch failed and it blew a head gasket. I called Eaton and they sent me a new pressure switch and head gasket, free of charge.

 

[jakeb]

I plan to buy a muffler/silencer for my new IR. It isn't that loud but I want it to be quieter.

There is this one that was shown before in this thread.
http://www.greenvalleycompressor.co...e_Code=PT&Product_Code=UAFS&Category_Code=AFS

There is also this one from mcmaster, which looks like the same thing but is half the price.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/116/0349

Is it the same thing?

Last is the IR compressor filer inlet pipe 1" NPT?

 

[copterdoctor]

Makita mac2400 is the best compressor ive ever owned and its super quiet!! You can carry on a conversation right next too it while its running. The cheapest place I found them was on Amazon.com

just looked really quickly at one of those... doesn't seem like it's big enough for what I intend on using it for.... but thanks...

 

[solo20]

I plan to buy a muffler/silencer for my new IR. It isn't that loud but I want it to be quieter.

There is this one that was shown before in this thread.
http://www.greenvalleycompressor.co...e_Code=PT&Product_Code=UAFS&Category_Code=AFS

There is also this one from mcmaster, which looks like the same thing but is half the price.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/116/0349

Is it the same thing?

Last is the IR compressor filer inlet pipe 1" NPT?

iam still not sure if these muffler are worth the money but the one you found look the same . i have a IR compressor 2475N7.5 just by looking at it looks like a 1 to me dont know which model you got

 

[digdug18]

http://www.eatoncompressor.com/catalog/item/504747/172983.htm

230 single phase, 5hp, 60 gal, 14 scfm @ 100 psi. $999

best part its only 73db

 

[copterdoctor]

http://www.eatoncompressor.com/catalog/item/504747/172983.htm

230 single phase, 5hp, 60 gal, 14 scfm @ 100 psi. $999

best part its only 73db

THANK YOU!!!!!

just curious about the db claim though... most of the RPM's listed in this thread are under 1K for a quiet compressor... is it likely that Eaton "fudged" those db numbers a bit???