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air compressor recommendations

Started by DouginUtah, February 14, 2012, 05:14:57 PM

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DouginUtah


What would you recommend for a small air compressor for a woodworking shop? I'm thinking a 60 gallon tank and which will run on a 20 amp circuit. I may do a limited amount of (sand) blasting.

I had hoped to get a Quincy (quiet) but they have apparently stopped making small-sized ones.

At HD they have one for $449, 15.3 amp. (Ingersoll-Rand I believe)
Lowes has the Kobalt brand (Campbell-Hausfield) for a bit more.

Any suggestions?
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

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samandothers

I have one from northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company I bought 10 years ago and has served me well.  It is a two stage compressor 240 volt with 60 gallon tank. I have used it to sand blast some, spray paint, air tires etc. It is stationary so I have wired it to a switch on the wall.  It sits in my garage and I run air hose to driveway or where ever I am working.  I had thought of running a hard line to the basement for my shop but have not done that yet.

Clam77

Get a name-brand one for sure so you can get parts if it ever craps out on you, and get the best you can afford from the start.

We've burnt up 2 or 3 of those Kobalt ones from Lowes here at work - don't know what their deal was but they weren't used that heavy enough they'd burn up.

Ingersol-Rand, Quincy, and Speedaire (made by Dayton and sold from Grainger) are all excellent for anything you'll need to do.  Just up to you how much you want to spend on it..   :o

Andy

Stihl 009, 028, 038, 041, MS362
Mac 1-40, 3-25

Ironwood

Look for an older Quincy or a Champion. Both should be pressure oil feed, and if a REALLY nice Quincy it might have he oil filter screw on. They are VERY desirable, if the Amish see one at a sale GOOD LUCK, they will take it home. That is how you know good from bad, they dont waste money. I think the Quincy 5 HP would be a 325 , and a slightly bigger a 350. 

If you were closer I could help you I have few in inventory.  ::).

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

CHARLIE

Don't get an air cooled air compressor. The noise will drive you out of the shop. :o  Get an air compressor with cast iron cylinders or cast iron cylinder sleeves, oil lubricated and belt driven.  I didn't want a stationary air compressor because I would have to take everything to the compressor. I opted for a Campbell Hausfield, 5HP, 20 gallon compressor on wheels. It has served me well for about 10 years both in and out of the shop.   
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

Brad_bb

Sandblasting is the biggest air hog.  What type do you intend to do?  If you mean using a bead blast cabinet, I'll tell you that I had a 3hp Champion compressor with 60 gallon tank.  I could blast for about a minute and then I'd have to wait for it to catch up.  I just replaced that old compressor with a new Champion 7.5hp, 80 gallon unit.  Much improved.   If you are talking about using a pressure pot outside, you might be able to run for 30 seconds with my 3hp.  I haven't tried with the new compressor.  But an outdoor pot type is the biggest air hog.
  I like the Champion advantage series compressors, but if you're doing any blasting..go as big as possible.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

sawguy21

You need volume at a steady pressure, most compressors will reach 125 psi but the small ones will only hold it for a short time. I suggest a 5 hp motor and a 60 gallon tank, the pump should be capable of around 15 cfm at 90 psi. You will need 220 VAC.
It will be air cooled, be sure to get an oil lubricated unit with a cast iron pump. As Charlie said aluminum pumps are noisy and they just don't last. If you are blasting, invest in a good water trap. Mount the unit high enough to access the water drain and scrap the stock petcock for a ball valve.H-D sells an Ingersoll-Rand that is good for home use.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

SPIKER

I went through same thing as you,  2 months ago, ended up with a 999.99 IR from TSC, 5HP 80gallon tank.   I run a sand blast cabinet and it keeps up and shuts off while continuously blasting!

Cost more than I was hoping but hey I agree with others you get what you pay for in Compressors for sure.   I also have 2 small HF/HOMIER compressors that work well for airing tires running nail guns ect but way different...

mark
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

Raider Bill

My Craftsman 5 hp with 30 Gallon tank is 25 years old. Just keeps on making air. I have a 80 gallon side tank I picked up from the side of the road plumbed in.
A word about sand blasting is I keep the pressure to my cabinet down to around 15-20 PSI, rarely do I need to let the tank refill. Higher pressures just seem to tear the media up too fast.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

thecfarm

That was when Sears made good stuff. Now all they make are good hand tools.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

DouginUtah


You guys running 5 HP motors...

What amps does the nameplate say and do you run on a 30 amp breaker?

My problem is I just have a 60 amp service and I am getting too loaded up to have two or three 30 amp breakers. I wonder if a 20 amp breaker will trip when starting a 15.3 amp motor?
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

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Raider Bill

Quote from: DouginUtah on February 15, 2012, 12:29:43 PM

You guys running 5 HP motors...

What amps does the nameplate say and do you run on a 30 amp breaker?

My problem is I just have a 60 amp service and I am getting too loaded up to have two or three 30 amp breakers. I wonder if a 20 amp breaker will trip when starting a 15.3 amp motor?

I just went out and looked, mine is running off a 20 amp breaker. Not sure what the plate says though as I'd have to ladder up to where the compressor sits. If I think about it and can get the ladder from My Son this weekend I'll check.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Gary_C

Doug, there's a huge difference in 5 HP motors and their nameplate rating. You most likely have a 3450 rpm motor and that is completely different in current needs from a 1750 rpm motor. Plus there are motors designed for different applications that have very different start and run current.

And then there's single stage and two stage compressors, max pressure setting, and unloader valves.

So I would say to try a 20 amp breaker and see if it works. If you have an unloader valve, probably the hardest starting current is going to be when you have pressure in the tank and it drops to the cut in pressure and the motor has to start somewhat under load. It depends on how good the unloader valve works as to how much starting current it takes.

And it doesn't take more current to use a 30 amp breaker. The motor will draw the same regardless. It's OK to have more breaker capacity than the main breaker will handle. The breaker size is mainly to protect the wire on that circuit from overloads. So the total of the breaker capacity can easily be over the main breaker capacity.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

sealark37

Do yourself a big favor and put the compressor outside the shop.  It is a LOT quieter than being inside, and if you should have a tank failure, it will just be a big boom.  If the tank fails inside the building, it will do a great deal of damage.  All you need is a small concrete pad and a shed roof to keep rain off the motor and belts.  Lower pressure will make blasting and glass peening much easier.   Regards, Clark :)

DouginUtah

Quote from: sealark37 on February 15, 2012, 07:25:20 PM
Do yourself a big favor and put the compressor outside the shop. 

You know, I agree with that but...another two holes through the concrete wall??
Maybe after five years.  :D
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

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sawguy21

Run one hole through the wall for the air intake. The pump will run a lot cooler and you will have a lot less condensation in the tank.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Larry

The good names for compressors are Saylor-Beall, Curtis, Champion, and Quincy.  Ingersol Rand also has a good name but beware they have two lines of compressors.  One industrial and the other....

The bad news is that they are expensive as most good toys.  The good news is that these things are built to run 50,000 hours with little maintenance.  Buys abound in the used market.  Most parts are available even for some of the antique compressors.

In any case you want a compressor with a 17xx rpm motor.  Nice and quiet.  The imports run 35xx rpm motors and turn the pump as fast as possible to get there impressive CFM ratings.  Lucky to get a 1,000 hours out of the pump.  Maybe less if your planing on much sand blasting.

Found this one last summer.  A Champion 10 HP with 120 gallon tank.





It was 3-phase which I ran off my rotary phase converter for a while.  I hated to start up the RPC for a quick shot of air so I rebuilt a Baldor 10 HP single phase motor.  I didn't need all the CFM this beast is capable of, so I slowed down the pump a bit more.  Total out of the pocket is about what one of those China Kobalts sell for.  Think a new Champion this size is something north of 4 grand.

I found a smaller Curtis about a month ago.  It was about 40 years old, but ran like a top.  Just put it in a foster home a few days ago.  I bet it will still be running good in another 40 years.  There out there...just have to look.






Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Ironwood

 I dunno what it is like in Utah, perhaps much different than back East here. I found two Quincy's hooked in series (one runs then other kicks in the next time air is called for) so they could "rest and cool" between cycles. I found them on Craigslist in Pittsburgh. They were about half/ quater of their actual value. I grabbed them to just have around if I ever needed BIG air. Both are 120 gallon vertical tanks.

I would keep your eyes open for a "good one", and as stated slower RPM is WAY better. Even an old LeRoy, or Gardner Denver would run forever if cared for and WAY WAY better than the new 3500 RPM units.

  

  

 

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Ironwood

One other idea, the pump is the heart of the matter, you could find one and have just that shipped to you and get the rest locally. Tanks and motor should be easy to find.

Sometimes GovLiquidation has old heavy Champions for sale, sometimes they were hooked to a small Chrysler or Wisconsin twin gasoline engine. They are GOOD pumps. I think I have one here I paid 5-600 for several years ago. Horizontal with 7.5 HP motor. 


Ironwood

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Brad_bb

I think the prices for the Champion Advantage series is pretty good.  Check out this line on the Champion website.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

mooleycow

some great advice here.  do try to run on 220.  look at tools and instruction book will list air pressure required.  match this with compressor.  be very careful with used comperssors.  seen pancake batter substance drained out of one kept indoors and not maintained.  they will rust inside.  one blew up on one of my patients.  thankfully he was bent over and his head did not catch the blast of shrapnel.  he spent time on his stomach recovering.

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