Need Air Compressor advice

[lottathought]

So I was blowing up a swimming pool for my son and my cheap, HF (Harbor Freight) air compressor died.
It was the 5HP, 26 gal version.
I am sure the 5HP was peak...no idea what the continuous pressure was.

I need to replace it but I want to do it right this time...within reason of course.

One thing that really disappointed me was the seeming lack of power this compressor had on a 1/2 " air ratchet.
For the more stubborn bolts, I would need to break them with a long breaker bar as the ratchet would not turn them.

I have looked at different units but I really have no idea what the difference in quality is between the different name brands.
I also am not real certain how much of the disappointment is due to the specs of the last unit and how much is due to the fact that it was a HF tool.
It seemed to have good CFM according to the specs…
I have looked at larger units but them seem to all go to 220V when I get much more powerful.
Do I really need a 220V unit to get a good air compressor?

Lastly..the price..I REALLY want to stay in the sub 500 dollar range.
Sub 400 dollar range would be even better.

So what do you suggest? What do I need to know about these things?

[FredP]

part of the problem with the impact driver is its a HF. I have a cheepo impact wrench also [not HF but comparable] and the cheap ones simply dont have the power of a Ingersol rand or equivilent driver. as far as compressor goes HP is a relative term for most if not all inexpensive units. check the amperage draw to find out the whole truth! 500 or less isnt going to get you a high quality high volume unit unless you find a good used compressor. buing used can be good or not depending on the unit. if it breaks soon after you get it there is no warrantee. my compressor is true 5 HP leeson with a champion 2 stage compressor on a 30 or 40 gallon tank. I never have run out of air! I built this from parts [new parts mostly] and have quite a bit more invested than your limit. to run an impact wrench for extended lengths of time you will need lots of air and fast recovery. an oiled compressor will be quieter and last longer than an oiless one. check out ingersol rand, speedair,rolair and quincy. then get out the ol wallet and max a few cards! It only hurts for a little while but chances are you will never have to buy another. searching can get confusing so get the numbers first then find a unit that will deliver those numbers. Oh and 240V is the only way to get true HP ratings. good luck!

fred

[Woodman2k]

Michael,
fred is positively on the mark.As far as HF,you get what you pay for.Decide what you are gonna do with it,calculate the air consumption ratings,as in 5.7cfm at 90 psi or whatever the tool says and you will have a baseline for how big a unit you need.I work for Ingersoll Rand and we have single stage,60 gal,5 hp units with ratings of 18 cfm at 90 psi with a top pressure of 135 psi and it goes for $745 in the employee's store.I recently tryed to organize a group buy but it came to a slow death so I dropped the effort.Pm me if you have any other questions and I will try to help you out.

[Canuck]

You may want to talk to Woodman2K about the compressor deal he was working up a couple of weeks ago. Here is a link to the thread he started...

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f...ght=compressor

I am not sure about the overall status, but he may be able to offer some good advice. (Personally, I have the little PC oiless pancake and it does ok for things like bike tires and my nail guns. Anything more sure would be a stretch!)

Good lick!

Wayne

[Woodman2k]

Hey Wayne,would this be some kind of Deja Vu.

[Canuck]

Originally Posted by Woodman2k

Hey Wayne,would this be some kind of Deja Vu.

You got that right, Greg! I have dreaming and drooling over your initial post for a few days, so the thread was stuck in the front of this old man's cerebral and just wouldn't go away!!!

Sorry to hear that the deal didn't work out, but I am sure that you can still offer some awesome advice regarding compressor buying decisions to us all!

Thanks!

Wayne

[Woodman2k]

Wayne,
the deals still on the table but I never got any real response.I want to be able to order at least 4 or 5 units as the logistics are a pain.All our units under 50 horsepower are built in Campbellsville,Kentucky.I can get almost anything but figured doing it once was easier.If you see some thing you have to have let me know.Later

[lottathought]

Greg,
I am interested and I posted in your other thread also.

Now I just need to decide what size I actually need.

My needs are this...
I am cheap.....
I like good quality.
I am cheap....

I will be using this as my only compressor.
I will be using it to work on my cars...but I will probably never go beyond using it to work on my cars. I may do some in depth work at times though.

If I ever need to reach for a breaker bar because the bolt is simply too tough, I will be disappointed.
I do not have a 220V outlet in my garage...yet...but I am guessing that it is not too hard to run one. (If you see me laying across the yard and smoking...roll me over a few times please...)
I suppose it is getting time to run a 220V anyways.

I was wanting a mobile unit .....but if that means that I need to move to a unit too small for me, then I suppose that I can get a few more hoses for length.

I only have a nail gun that needs the compressor for woodworking right now.....but I may decide to get into spraying the finish at some time..who knows////

Frankly..I am starting to get confused with the specs.

Did I mention I am cheap?

[Woodman2k]

Michael,
you do not want a 60 gallon compressor with a 5 horsepower motor on wheels.They don't make them portable.Your talking some serious weight.It should be bolted down.As far as specs,look at your individual air tools and see what there air consumption rating is.If the gun neeeds 90 psi to deliver max torque and it uses 6 cfm of air then the unit I told you about will do the job.Air nailers are not a problem,air sanders and die grinders do use alot of air.And as far as spraying a finish,you need to deal with Clean and Dry air!I'll check to see whats available and get back with you tomorrow.

[lottathought]

Sounds good..
Also...I am buying this for what I might decide to do in the future too.
And the wheeling option is something I can live without...should I decide the extra power is that much better of an idea.

[Gotcha6]

If you're doing a lot of bolt turning (particularly removal) you need an impact wrench instead of an air ratchet. Impact wrenches are more efficient when it comes to air consumption as they will accumulate momentum on the nut/bolt whereas an air ratchet has to use the same amount of air to move the fastener each stroke. In my shop, the impact wrench can remove several fasteners before the air ratchet does one in both time and air consumed.
I'd look at the compressor motor rating to validate a manufacturer's claims on HP. Also, if you like NOISE, just go ahead and get a cheapo direct drive compressor instead of a belt drive. DAMHIKT (X3 yet).

[lottathought]

Thanks for the info Dennis.
Sometimes I use the wrong label.
I actually only used an impact wrench (1/2")...
It was just strong enough to loosen a lugnut if it was at full power.
I tried a ratchet on the old unit once.
It could not turn anything.

And the noise is something that I was not thinking of....but I really like the idea of it being quieter.
The HF unit was loud enough that my wife would complain on the other side of the house with all the doors closed.
Course I could not hear her till the compressor stopped.

[Charles Lent]

Michael,

The others have given you very good advice. I would like to just say that just like clamps, you can never have too much compressed air. When you have it available you tend to find new uses for it really fast. I'm now on my third compressor, and I finally think I have one big enough to hold me for a while. It's a 5 HP 240 volt 80 gallon unit from Ingersol Rand. Before this one I had started with a pancake contractors style. It ran a nailer great, but was REALLY LOUD. I then had a 2 HP 240 volt Sears unit given to me but it had bad reed valves and Sears wanted more for the valve plate than I could buy a new compressor for. I subsequently replaced the compressor keeping the tank, regulator, and controls. This unit kept me happy for about three years before it couldn't keep up with my needs. Then I added a second tank to it (a modified 100 lb LP gas tank). This let me have more air for the high consumption needs, but I had to take frequent breaks for the compressor to catch up. Then one day I came across the Ingersol Rand at a good price (Tractor Supply) and decided that I had to have it. Well, it maxed out the credit card and I had to add on to my woodshop for a place to put it, but I'm not regretting it's purchase one bit. I finally have enough air to sand blast, paint, run nailers, and impact wrenches without having to wait on the compressor every few minutes. It has been one of my smarter purchases ending many years of agravation. I doubt that I'll live long enough to out grow this one. It hurt to buy it but that pain went away quickly when I started using it.

Charley

[Woodman2k]

Charley,
would you mind PM'ing me with the info on the IR unit you bought.I work at IR and I am curious how our employee's prices compare to what discounted prices are out there.What model # do you have?Is it a type 30 compressor ,V design or apposed cylinders.That tells us which factory built the unit.Thanx,Greg B

[lottathought]

Hey Greg...
It seems that Sears and Amazon carry a lot of the models.
Have you compared their prices?