Buying Air Compressor - Help!
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Topic: Buying Air Compressor - Help!
Posted By: MBWisc
Subject: Buying Air Compressor - Help!
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 6:01pm
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My 3.5 HP air compressor finally gave out today. I've been waiting for this moment so I can get a full- sized shop compressor to efficiently run air tools and a sand blaster. The best priced compressors I've found are at Harbor Freight but am somewhat hesitant to buy from them. I hate to save $300 and end up with junk! Has anyone here had experience with Harbor Freight compressors?
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Replies:
Posted By: omahagreg
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 7:32pm
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I bought one from Lowes last spring! On sale for $379! 60 gallon vertical. No experience with the HF one though. ------------- Greg Kroeker 1950 WD with wide front and Freeman trip loader |
Posted By: bobkyllo
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 7:35pm
| i've never tried a harbor compressor but i did have a campbell hausfeld 5 horse 30 gallon maybe. direct drive. it worked ok but it was loud and was kind of slow. it wouldnt keep up when airing up tractor tires. so i upgraded to a 60 gallon from fleet farm. it was 400 if i remember right. runs pretty quiet and to top it off it was made right in minnesota. i havent tried a sand blaster on it yet but it runs my impact pretty well so far |
Posted By: Pete-IL
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 7:37pm
| Bought a couple vertical 60-80 gal Ingersoll-Rand through Harbor Freight for work. No problems. |
Posted By: Scott(SC)
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 8:04pm
| I bought a Campbell-Hausefield from Lowes. Slow and didn't last very long. I had a PorterCable tankless from Lowes for 10 years and loved it. I need a small one for my work truck. Any recommendations there? |
Posted By: omahagreg
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 8:09pm
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I have a Porter Cable 6 gallon portable in my truck. Has wheels and a handle, so real handy-ONCE it is off the truck! ------------- Greg Kroeker 1950 WD with wide front and Freeman trip loader |
Posted By: JohnCinMd
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 8:45pm
| About air compressors, tell me if I'm wrong, but the oil-less ones are loud & the oiled ones are quiet & thus more desired, correct? |
Posted By: powertech84
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 9:12pm
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In my opinion the best air compressor on the market is a rolair, hands down. Costs a lot more than anything you could buy at harbor freight or home depot, but your buying it for life. |
Posted By: m16ty
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 9:56pm
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I've got a very old Quincy that's served me well. It's a single stage two cylinder and built like a tank. Personally, I'd rather have a good used older compressor than some of the stuff found at the big box stores. My old compressor is a 3hp (motor data plate) but it's five times as big as a 7hp seen in stores. I don't understand how they rate the new compressors but something fishy is going on. |
Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 10:39pm
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On the small 2 piston compressor heads I have I had broken valves which caused problems, they are just a flat spring steel valve that fatigued , easy to replace . You could have what is called a 5 HP compressor and it only puts out 8 CFM at 45 PSI. 3 CFM at 110 On the motors they are what they call special duty motors, compressor rated , 5/8" or 7/8" shaft to drive the belt. Most of these are not continuous run and are capacitor start/capacitor run. Oil-less units are diaphragm units with like a moving bellows . OSHA and state boiler codes call for annual inspections of ANY unit used in public space or business. There is a tank size limitation on this (why you see carpenters and roofers with units with small multiple tanks or tanks under 6 gal exemption. (public space is anywhere public might venture into) http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/CENTURY-Air-Compressor-Motor-1ATA9?cm_sp=EN-_-L1-_-MostPopular&cm_vc=SFMP" rel="nofollow - http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/CENTURY-Air-Compressor-Motor-1ATA9?cm_sp=EN-_-L1-_-MostPopular&cm_vc=SFMP
true 5 HP motor http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DAYTON-CapacitorStart-6K633?Pid=search" rel="nofollow - http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DAYTON-CapacitorStart-6K633?Pid=search
Granger Compressors http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/stationary-electric-air-compressors/air-compressors-and-vacuum-pumps/pneumatics/ecatalog/N-af4?xi=xi" rel="nofollow - http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/stationary-electric-air-compressors/air-compressors-and-vacuum-pumps/pneumatics/ecatalog/N-af4?xi=xi
------------- Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel. |
Posted By: Allen Dilg
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 10:49pm
| Hello MB Not sure what type or model your looking at? But here are a few thoughts to consider Amount af amps 220 volts is important to compressor location. 2 stage 175 psi.LARGE TANK, vertical or horizontal, This is a lifetime investment. Go on line for Harbor freight and Northern tool to compare, is shipping FREE? |
Posted By: SHAMELESS
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2012 at 11:07pm
| i bought a small Campbell Hausfeld direct drive from HF...had it a year so far, no problems, also have a 50-60 gal upright Black Hawk from Sams Club some 10 years ago, also a direct drive, no problems with that one also! i was in HF the other day, saw many name brands of air compressors in there, and had better lower prices than the same units elsewhere! |
Posted By: marion
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2012 at 5:52am
| I use a speed air from grainger in my shop, have had for 20 years is belt drive. belt drive or screw is only way to go for shop compressor. if anybody needs a good one I have a 125 cfm ingorsol rand on wheels for $1500, under 300 hours, free jackhammer with purchase |
Posted By: DonDittmar
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2012 at 6:01am
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Do not expect to effectivley run a pressure pot sand blaster with anything less than 25cfm. Been there....... My Homemade compressor for blasting....scheduled for some re-vamping this spring http://youtu.be/X5iN7A4KnMA" rel="nofollow - http://youtu.be/X5iN7A4KnMA
<iframe width="420" height="315" src=" http://www.youtube.com/embed/X5iN7A4KnMA" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/embed/X5iN7A4KnMA " frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> ------------- Experience is a fancy name for past mistakes. "Great moments are born from great opportunity" 1968 D15D,1962 D19D Also 1965 Cub Loboy and 1958 JD 720 Diesel Pony Start |
Posted By: dave63
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2012 at 6:17am
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The air compressor engineers have cheapened them up for the big box stores.
If you realy want an "industrial air compressor" you need to look at the CFM/Preasure ratings. Go with Coke's advise. ------------- The universal answer to all questions is yes, how much do you want to spend? |
Posted By: TexasAllis
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2012 at 6:32am
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I just bought a small compressor from Northern tool but I checked out their larger compressors for future reference. Very competative prices on name brands. |
Posted By: David Maddux
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2012 at 6:51am
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I bought a compressor from Orschelens probably around 20 years ago. In the last 10 years it has been used hard. It is a 7.5 horse with 80 gal. tank. I am not sure of the cfm's off hand but it has been a good unit. It has had two break downs since I have had it," check valves". I think the company that made it is in Minnesota," Classic Air" is the manufactor. The main thing for longevity is change the oil like it was your car, and keep tank drained daily. |
Posted By: m16ty
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2012 at 9:48pm
| I've thought in the past of building my own high CFM compressor out of an old engine. Take a old 4 cylinder (or whatever) engine and hook it up to a PTO shaft. Don't know how well it would work but it should provide some high CFM for sandblasting and such. |
Posted By: SteveC(NS)
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2012 at 5:18pm
| m16ty, if you're serious check out building a compressor out of a air cooled flat 4 Volkswagen engine on the net. There's a guy that sells a kit that converts 2 of the cylinders into the compressor. Ooodles of air. Thanks for jaring my memory I may revisit it myself. |
Posted By: Dusty MI
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2012 at 6:11pm
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HP in electric motors The amount of power a motor can produce running continually. Some how the manufactures saws and air compressors are allowed a different definition. The amount of power a motor can put out just before it stalls. Dusty ------------- 917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express" |
Posted By: Stan IL&TN
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2012 at 6:54pm
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Also remember that you can plumb two compressors into the same line so if the price is right for buying two over one large one then you can go that route. I've got a 32 gallon and a 12 gallon connected. As I sand blast one kicks on and as I continue to blast away then the second one will kick on also. Only if I blast for longer than 20 minutes will it start to run out of air. I also installed one in the attic and If I did it over I'd put both up there to keep all the noise out of the shop. ------------- 1957 WD45 dad's first AC 1968 one-seventy 1956 F40 Ferguson |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2012 at 7:19pm
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"MOST" of the $400. compressors will say about 5 HP and put out 12 CFM at 50 psi and 9 CFM at 90 psi. If your running a sand blaster or power tools for any length of time, you want about 16 CFM at 90 psi. 18-20 is real nice. You have to get up to about $800. minimum to get that kind of flow. A more name brand like Quincy will cost twice that. I have an older Blackhawk with a big 2 cylinder VEE compressor that puts out 16 CFM and i works out great for me. About 10 years ago i replaced a 7-9 CFM compressor that just could no keep up with blasting, Single stage is o.k., mine has a 125 psi setting and will run a blaster for an hour straight and hold over 90 psi. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 20 Jan 2012 at 7:29pm
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this is about the smallest i would suggest buying
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-hp-60-gallon-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.harborfreight.com/5-hp-60-gallon-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html
i dont know how fast this one runs, but i made it a point to look at several compressors when i bought, and all had 3400 RPM motors. I measured the pulley on the motor and pump and bought the one that had the biggest pump pulley so it rans slower than the rest. (about 900 RPM).. To get the same volumn as the others, i figured it had a bigger displacement of the pump. Dont buy a small pump that is running 1400 RPM just to get the volumn out of it. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: MBWisc
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2012 at 9:33am
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Thanks much for all the input! I bought an Industrial Air from Farm & Fleet. 15.8 cfm @ 175 lbs and 17.5 @ 100 although I haven't seen more than 150 lbs yet. 5 hp, two-stage belt drive and 80 gallon tank. Same price as the Ingersol @ Harbor Freight but three year warrenty vursus two and higher output. Service is available on-sight. Actually, the local auto body supply store was very competitive as well. I plumbed it into my around the shop system with 300 gallon nurse tank. Should run air tools and my blast cabinet well. If I have to wait a bit for recovery (?) there is always something else to do during that time! I plan to hire commercial service for large sand blasting. This isn't someting I use everyday so am hoping it will serve me the rest of my life and potentially the next generation!
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Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2012 at 10:00am
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thats an excellent size, should work out great ! ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: AllisChalmers37
Date Posted: 21 Jan 2012 at 10:15am
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I got one of the 5hp Ingersol Rand 2 stage compressors from Tractor Supply. They actually had them mispriced (I didn't tell them that but they lost about $600 because my cousin got the other one they had mispriced) They are great compressors and they do great for painting and sanding on old AC's. LOL ------------- 1937 WC, 1950 CA, 1959 D14, 1967 190XT, 2006 Ram 3500 |
Posted By: MBWisc
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2012 at 8:35am
| I failed to explain that the second year warrenty for the Ingersol cost an extra $100 for the purchase of oil and filter replacements so the actual warreny is one year. Also, the Ingersol was on sale and the Industrial Air wasn't. If ordered via internet the Ingersol offered free shipping. Farm & Fleet pickup was local as well as warrenty service at my shop. Hope it works out! |
Posted By: powertech84
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2012 at 8:42am
Ever heard of schramm tractors? 6 cylinder ih engine, 3 power the tractor, 3 pump air. Local junkyard had one complete a few years ago. Kinda wish i had bought it. |
m16ty wrote:Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2012 at 11:44am
------------- "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford |
Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 22 Jan 2012 at 11:49am
------------- "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford |