RebekahsZ Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 (edited) Progress is coming along on my new hybridZ shop in my back yard. Without getting too complicated or overly technical, can you fellas give me your recommendation for an air compressor to purchase? It is a 30x30 shop with two lifts. Looking for help with both size and brand. Torn between Harbor Freight and a name brand like Quincey. Also struggling with 60 gal or 80 gal tanks. I'm figuring on 2-stage, 5 hp at this point. Compressor will be indoors inside an insulated room. Any advice will help me. Edited January 16, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldAndyAndTheSea Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I have a single phase 5hp 60 gallon Ingersoll Rand. It pushes around 19 cfm at 90psi. It has been spectacular. Especially for the money. Easily charges up with continual grinder use. I've never ran out of air when using a tool. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_211720_211720 The more CFM the better, there is nothing worse than waiting on a pump.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z240 Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 CFM runs your tools, pressure just moves it along. Get the biggest one you can afford, fit and stand the noise from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socorob Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Volume, volume, volume! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nix240z Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I have had the the Harbor Freight 60 gal. 5 HP 165 PSI Two Stage Air Compressor since 2011 and use it every day. I added a cooling fan blowing on the compressor head, added a 1/4" ball valve as the drain, mounted it to the floor on hockey pucks and use the 220 breaker switch as the cut on and cut off and leave the pressure/ on and off switch alone( always on). I am Very happy with Compressor, I can sand blast, run air tools and painted my car. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NgoZ Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Best friend uses the one OldAndy has and attached to an external condenser. Works great. Good friend who paints uses the same setup, just bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Try to find a 60 or 80 gallon 2 stage unit that delivers considerable volume. As long as you are just finishing the shop, FIRST arrange for shelving along the walls. The more the better. Made this mistake and not again. Make places to store parts and label what parts are contained within. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Big Tank, Quincy is moving from Bay Minette... Big Tank. If your budget permits, consider one of the newer stripped down screw units offered by GD or Atlas Copco. They are enclosed, and will make you rethink everything you know about compressors that go "thunkathunkathunka" GX 3 or GX 5 is likely more than you will ever need, and likely the biggest you want to pay the electrical bill. Kaeser may make something comparable, and since they're belt driven, the possibility of finding an older Kaeser SX5 and putting a single-phase motor in it like you would do with a recip is very possible. Look at this brochure below. The Atlas Copco GX Series with integral dryer etc is likely the Cadillac of compressors. http://www.atlascopco.com/Images/3-15%20Hp%20Oil-injected%20Rotary%20Screw%20Compressors_tcm45-1040560.pdf The only reason I don't mention a unit from my current company seriously is because I don't think they sell the Asia-Pacific Packages in the USA. They make a small 100 psi machine that is killer--you supply the reservoir (if you get a screw machine, get the smallest you think you need, a 300 gallon tank, and set up modulation or a 2psi cut in cut out using a separate Mercoid switch) I could go on for days.... As always, the conventional wisdom of buying a used (Quincy QRD!) industrial machine in the 5HP range and converting to single phase is always a wise option. But review the sound levels for that GX Package unit. With the shop radio on, you will have a hard time figuring out if it's running, loading, or stopped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Compressed Air and Compressed Air Systems is what I do for a living, and have done since 1984. If you have questions, PM me. I will also be stateside from 20 Jan to 3 Feb if you want to call and talk in depth about your plans and shop system. Look up "Simplair" from IR, there are a lot of copies out there now for nice, proper piping of an air system. They can make your life easier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Listen to Tony. For my shop I talked with a local compressor service company about a rebuilt older unit. They had a rebuilt1950s Kellogg compressor with a new Baldor motor on a tested 120 gallon tank. $1,500 and they threw in a working Kellogg air dryer and 60'of copper pipe. Older units are nice because the run at a lower rpm and are less noisy. I ran that compressor for 12 years and sold it and the dryer for $1,500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Right now, there is an Atlas Copco GX4FF on tank for $2,900 buy it now on eBay in the LA Area. The GX series was the Single Phase Version of the "GA".... It's complete compressor, dryer, medium sized tank. This would be a smokin' deal... And perfect to hook up to my 600 gallon tanks! In fact, since I'm gonna be there in less than a week now... I may be replacing my dead Devilbiss Oil Free with an Atlas Copco! Killer deal. Just be aware...most of these compressors are rated at "KW"---so yeah this is 5 HP. It's 4KW with a 0,3 KW dryer for package electrical costing. You turn this on and actually USE all the air it's making, that's 4 Kilowatt-Hours.... Know your power costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 X2 on the IR. I run a similar one to what Andy posted and am very happy with it. It is loud, but I have it in another room of the shop behind a door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Most of those Home Depot Packaged IR's use the same pump head at different speeds for different capacities. Durability will always be better at the lower end of the frame size. You can also get a 7.5hp compressor and put a smaller motor pulley (and 5hp motor if you're feeling ambitious!) Your compressor turns slower, you only use the 5HP of energy, and increase pump lifetime. If you need more capacity as you grow, you can always refit the original pulley for the original 7.5HP Capacity. This works really well if your wiring or circuitry is limited. It really depends on what used unit you can find. There seems to be a lot of 7.5 hp recips out there...not as many 5's as there once was. Turn the lower speed and cut out based on motor amperes verified by an amp clamp. Turning them slower than the direct ratio will allow them to pump up a bit higher in pressure before max load on the motor is experienced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) Tony D. Sir, I need you to dumb it WAY down for me, just like I would if I were discussing your up-coming eye surgery (father time gets us all eventually). Im trying to decide between models that I can have delivered off a truck and that a friend and I can wrestle into place on a Saturday. I'm looking at new units ranging from $800-$1300. Probably not best, but that's the paradigm I'm working within. As a layman, the pump performance behavior that I have experienced is this: can it spin my tools to a high enough rpm (have only had trouble with a cutoff wheel, so I bough an electric one), tank fill time, and frequency of the motor needing to kick on. All my 110V compressors in the past have had trouble in one of these areas, but I have been very space limited in the past. I had a small Craftsman (maybe 20 gal) that cycled on and off and blew my circuit breaker about every other time it kicked on. So I got a bigger one from Lowes. This one was maybe a 40 gal, and it would stay off for longer periods between recharges, never blew the circuit and was much more quiet, but it took FOREVER to fill. So much so that when it died after 2 years (repair parts could not be found) of occasional use, I bought a little small one (maybe 5 gal) like a contractor would use for a nail gun. It is loud enough to wake the dead, is easy on the circuit, but it fills really quick and is ready to use in less than a minute. But, it has to recharge after filling less than one tire, gives me just enough slaps with my impact wrench to pull a front flange on a diff, blow sawdust in my eyes, or get a koni adjuster jammed when installing a shock. It is great for those quick jobs because of the fast fill time, and honestly, 99% of the time those little quick jobs is what I'm doing in my shop. It runs continuously while filling a tank to 100psi to take to the track for tire filling and sharing air with other guys (that somehow sounds a little weird), but Ive made a lotta friends with that little tank. Now I want a 220v compressor on its own circuit that would allow me to get a blasting cabinet, use a cutoff wheel or wire brush, rough painting (suspension components, floor pans, etc) and run some air-assisted hydraulic jacks. I will keep the small 120V nail gun compressor because it is so handy. I plan to build a PVC air distribution system with several 50' pull-down air hoses and ports that I can snap into along the walls. This garage will be the Taj Majal, for a hobbiest (not a pro) and I will likely fire up the big compressor once a week for less than a couple hours. Questions: what performance spec determines initial fill time for a compressor? Can i have the convenience of the small tank AND the benefits that are gained by a larger tank? Should I relieve the pressure to zero after each time I use it? Should I drain the water off the bottom everytime I use it? I like your idea of putting a smaller pulley on to reduce rpms and increase lifespan, how does that affect fill time? How does the horsepower rating relate to the factors that I have dealt with? Edited January 18, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Why not buy two cheap 5hp compressors, a bigger motor, smaller motor pulley, and hook this mess up to one tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Good morning John. I'm still needing more dumbing down (we've talked before and you know I'm a bit of a simpleton). So, the hp rating is for the compressor, not the motor, aha! And I guess having more compressor on the tank would fill it faster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeatrpi Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Actually the HP is the rating on the motor, but be careful you're looking at the actual running horsepower, not the "peak" rating. What performance spec determines initial fill time for a compressor? Why are you worried about this? My 60 gallon two-stage takes over 5 minutes from 0 to 175, but I hardly ever experience that. CFM at 90 psi is a better measurement. More is better, generally. A two stage pump gets you higher pressure, but since (I assume) you're regulating your pressure you're really getting a capacity benefit. Should I relieve the pressure to zero after each time I use it? I don't. You'd waste a ton of electricity pumping it back up. Put a ball valve on the tank and shut it when you leave the shop. Also shut off the power when you leave. Just in case you have a leak, you don't want it running. Should I drain the water off the bottom everytime I use it? I do it periodically. You'll figure out how often to drain it based on your usage patterns. I usually just crack the valve for a few seconds and it shoots across the floor. Its also surprisingly noisy when the tank is pumped up. Other thoughts - don't use PVC for the air lines. Folks do it all the time, but there is a case to be made that it can be dangerous in the event of a failure. Copper, black pipe, or "systems" like Rapid Air are proven to be safer. And, make sure you're setting your regulator pressure with the tool running. IE, hook up the impact and adjust your regulator while squeezing the trigger. My regulator sits around 115psi but drops to 90 when I have tools running. You will definitely notice a difference! You've already gotten good advice here, but I'll throw out a plug for the compressor that I have. Love it! http://www.tptools.com/Champion-5HP-2-Stage-60-Gal-Air-Compressor,6246.html?b=d*8065 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Thanks, man. I've always had cheap, crappy tools, and my dad managed with very little in the way of power tools. So, I don't really know how to take care of stuff like this. I talked to a couple of buddies who also leave their compressors with pressure in them when they walk away for the day. Dad thought that was bad for his compressor so we always had to start with an empty tank and drain it at the end of the day. And just about all I know is from watching dear ole Dad. Thanks got filling in a bunch of blanks in my experience. Some day I will be the old salty one. Edited January 21, 2015 by RebekahsZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socorob Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Look on craigslist. There are quite a few shop compressors selling around here for around $4-500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 I will do that. Thanks for that suggestion-I often forget Craigslist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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