air compressor help

[BArTY]

hey guys, just wondreing what air compressors you all use? mine took a crap on me and its time i invest in something more powerful. i need something to power a cutoff tool. im thinking a craftsman 26 gal oil less or something of that nature. but i havent researched much so any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jake8092]

Honestly I would avoid any compressor that advertises an oil free pump, for starters they are extremely loud and they really aren't beneficial. Also think about your consumption of air many compressors advertise SCFM Which is really meaningless to us on the user end, find the actual CFM rating. They say a cut-off tool can require anywhere from 5-10 CFM (cheaper ones usually take more air) It's pretty easy to find a 2-3 hp compressor that supplies enough actual CFM in a 20-30 Gallon tank. Keep in mind if your doing continuous work the little guy would run quite a bit. I have a 5hp 60 gal IR that will supply about 17 or 18 CFM @90 in my garage which is more air than I ever need but I like being able to run 2 DA's or a large pneumatic buffer at times.
Get the most you can for your buck and what ever voltage you can handle If you can go 220VAC the better! amp load on 110 units can be kinda high.

That is just my 2 cents but I would just suggest keeping away from oil less units (they are stupid noisy)

Jake

 

[Skyeye]

Jake's got the right answer! As big as you can afford, stay away from oil-less and 220 instead of 110V any day!

Scott

 

[BArTY]

Awesome thanks for the reply Jake, and beautiful dog by the way! So what do you mean by 220V? Does that have anything to do with the wall plug? I'm in California so I'm not sure if I can use a 220V machine. Again I'm not sure what exactly 220V is referring to so please fill me in if I'm way off haha. Thanks!

I will be looking for a 25 gal machine that is not oil-less now.

 

[crazypj]

Tank size is pretty meaningless, 25 gal has nothing to do with the air delivery.
SCFM meand standard cubic feet per minute at a specific PSI, (the amount of air delivered to tool is usually slightly less)
Find out 'consumption' of what you want to use and look for something that delivers more air (air tools vary from 0.5cfm up, 4~12CFM @ 50~90psi is about average for most shop equipment)
220V is voltage, you should have 220 single phase in California, just plug it into a dryer outlet

PJ

 

[Rocan]

big as you can get it... not sure how many gallons mine is, but its a 5 horsepower unit that ones on 110 volts... works fine for everything i have. larger tank is nice because it doesnt have to fill as much. i can usually work for 3 or more hours before having the compressor start to go again.

 

[BArTY]

Tank size is pretty meaningless, 25 gal has nothing to do with the air delivery.
SCFM meand standard cubic feet per minute at a specific PSI, (the amount of air delivered to tool is usually slightly less)
Find out 'consumption' of what you want to use and look for something that delivers more air (air tools vary from 0.5cfm up, 4~12CFM @ 50~90psi is about average for most shop equipment)
220V is voltage, you should have 220 single phase in California, just plug it into a dryer outlet

PJ

i found this 26 gal compressor with a 10.2 CFM @90psi. the only problem is the price! man these things are expensive! haha, but i'm guessing they are worth their weight in gold

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Campbell-Hausfeld-VT6271/p87.html

 

[BArTY]

hey i found this one locally. what do you guys think? http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/1594898684.html

 

[dakine_surf]

hey i found this one locally. what do you guys think? http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/1594898684.html

That looks like it is great... spec wise at least... It might need a rebuild, and depending on what the inside of the tank looks like... could be a bit of a project, but the specs are great and you can buy new tanks for cheap. In fact that compressor would be fine for even a 30 to 50 gallon tank.

Just be careful to not put any (good) tools downline from a tank that is rusty and corroded.

Good news is that 9.3cfm at 90 psi means that you can use it for just about any tool, even the good ones. I say buy it. For $150, even if it needs some work it is good buy. I have something similar right now as my rolling compressor... I also just got a twin screw setup for my barn but I am still building the system

This Quincy stuff is the shit! Real quiet and reliable... but pricy I don't remember off hand what this one above cost but I think it was in the $1500 range. But like I said real good stuff! Check out some of their compressors http://www.quincycompressor.com/index.html

 

[BArTY]

ya i'm just a little worried about the rust on it. might get some air leaks in it sooner than later. not sure about a tank replacement, where would i look for a new tank?

 

[BArTY]

found another, a bit more expensive but seems a lot newer and in way better condition, though a drop in CFM..

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/1599964005.html

 

[dakine_surf]

The other compressor is WAY better... that craftsman is a piece of shit. The Campbell Husfeld is a professional compressor capable of running high end tools. The Craftsman is really just normal compressor... I would be willing to bet that CH compressor was $1000+ when new.

The rust wont cause leaks, it would take a really long time to eat it's way through, but it can ruin any tools down line. As far as a tank goes, you can either restore the original tank or just scavenge a tank off a cheaper compressor.

I am in the process of building a hardwired central system and the tank is coming off an old packing plant compressor that I did electrolysis to and then repainted.

 

[BArTY]

thanks for the helpful info. i've made my decision and i'm picking up the campbell husfeld next weekend. thanks again for all your help and everyone elses as well.