I need a compressor!

[WOOCHOW]

Looking for advice on a decent air compressor for my garage.
I want to run air tools, nothing really heavy duty, but general auto repair, wheel removal, the occasional stuck bolt; general use. I am limited to 110v, 15 amp service, want something that will last. I am totally clueless as to what features are necessary, so any advice is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Jim 5]

There are plenty of chinese made compressors on the market at a good price, however reliability is unknown. I like compressors that have a sump (rather than the oil-less style). This way it's another sump/oil/OCI to obsess about.

If you are not intending to use sanders, cut-off wheels, drills, and HVLP paint guns, then the garden variety small home-depot model should do the trick. Impact guns for wheel removal and topping up your tires do not require many CFM's like the items above use.

However, if you are thinking of future hobbies like car restoration including auto-body, then I would spring for a 10 CFM or bigger compressor. I have a Campbell Hausfield "professional" compressor made in the USA that I bought about 10 years ago at Home Depot. It has given good service, and I know parts wouldn't be hard to get from this well-known company. I worked it pretty hard on a car restoration I completed about 7 years ago. This in my opinion is an entry-level compressor when it comes to decent quality. I have no regrets about this purchase.

Many compressors in this range can be wired to run on 120 or 240v service. They run cooler on 240v, but run very reliably on 120 as well.

I hope this helps.

 

[Tempest]

I am a big fan of Makita compressors. They are VERY quiet and use oiled pumps. They are also low RPM for a lower current draw. I have a MAC700 (i.e. small) and will run air tools for short periods of time. I mostly got it for woodworking though. The larger MAC2400 might just be ideal for light automotive use, however.

THIS 25 gallon Craftsman oiled comp would do just about anything you need it to, short of running sanders. I'm looking at getting one of these as well.

All of these will run on standard circuits, but the Makita's have less draw.

 

[JTK]

I used to have a 30gal Coleman Powermate I bought from a home center about 10-12yrs ago. It could be wired 120/240V. I had it 120V and it drew a LOT of amps at startup. It would not start in extreme cold. Nice unit, but it was overkill for me. I gave it to my brother who has put it to better use. I replaced it with a Harbor Freight tools, twin tank, handle-carry job. It's perfect for my light needs. It is heavy to carry around though. If I had to get another one, I'd get a vertical, wheeled unit like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94667
I think most of your Sears and lots of others are all made in China anyhoo.

Joel

 

[sfam198]

Quote:

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THIS 25 gallon Craftsman oiled comp

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I just got one of these a couple weeks ago. Honestly, I didn't really expect much out of it, but I was in a pinch and for ~$400, it fit the bill nicely. I used it the same day I brought it home for replacing the hub assembly and upper and lower balljoints on my sister's truck. It performed excellent...much better than my old, tired 30 gallon Craftsman compressor. Aside from having to wait for the tank to fill back up when removing and reinstalling the axle nut (It honestly didn't take long...I think the whole tank is filled from completely empty to full in about 3 minutes). It worked great.

 

[sierrascout]

I second the Craftsman oil lube air compressor. I have had mine since early 1999, I bought as a reconditioned unit and it has performed great.

 

[Merkava_4]

Basically you're going to need a 25 gallon air tank to have enough reserve on hand; otherwise, the compressor will be running constantly. Check the CFM consumption rating of the air tool that will be consuming the most amount of air volume, and compare that to the output rating of the compressor. If you plan on running a die grinder at anytime, then you want to make sure your compressor can handle it. Look for about a minimum of 5 CFM output at 90 PSI.

10 CFM at 90 PSI would be ideal.

 

[Steve S]

From my experience the bigger the better. Get a compressor that has the highest pressureand cfm that you can get. There is nothing worse than a 2 horse compressor that won't break lugnuts etc. 10+ cfm if possible will get you by for light auto repair .Cheap air tools are just that. Buy good ones .

 

[1 FMF]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94667

I have this compressor,
I was in the same boat as you- needed 120V, portability, wanted oil-lubed for durability. Have had it for 4-5 years. I'm very happy with it, also got it for $149 at the time.
If you're limited to 120V then that will be what limits you for air flow capacity and pressure because nobody will make anything big to run on 120v. But what you can do is find an air storage tank and plumb it in for extra capacity if you really need it. be forwarned, when i got mine ups trucked it on it's side, oil everywhere, broken gauges. sent it back, 2nd one same thing. got replacement gauge free from HF and lived with it.

 

[NYEngineer]

I would get a vertical tank unit so it doesn't use as much floor space. I like the Craftsman units. Is there any way you can get 220 in your garage? It will be more efficient. Also, If you can afford it, the Craftsman professional series compressors hold like 175 psi. That effectively makes the tank almost twice as big if you regulate it down to 100 psi.

 

[1 FMF]

I am totally clueless as to what features are necessary, so any advice is appreciated.

max psi the compressor is capable of- basically a 1-stage or 2-stage compressor. 1-stage gets you to ~120psi, and you can get these in 120V or 240v motors. 2-stage gets you 175psi or slightly higher, and I don't think any 2-stage is available at 120V. They're all 240V motors.
Don't go by the hp rating of the motor, it's all lies, the FTC did a crackdown not too long ago on manufacturers because they wildly exaggerated power claims for marketing. A 120V at 20 amp fuse best case is 2400 watts, (1hp = 746 watt) = 3.2hp. When I got mine it was rated at 4hp, now I see it's advertised as 3. Like said, what you need to do is go by the cfm rating at given pressures, but I won't bet money on them as being completely accurate either. Figure out the tools you want to use, what cfm and psi requirements they have then compare that to specs of compressors. what you can't have is psi you can make for with capacity, so look for the biggest tank possible, or at least that you're comfortable with. I've never seen anything bigger than the 20-25 gallon range for a 120V compressor motor. Also, 1-stagers run $100-300 whereas 2-stagers are typically > $1000.
Two ways to go on compressor motors, oil-lubricated or oil-less. Oil-less is still the same piston type motor, but an anti-friction coating is on the cylinder to allow it to operate without seizing. They work, and are cheaper, at least for the manuf. to make. Oil lubed requires maintenance but is more durable in the long run, provided you maintain it properly.
240V (220/230/240) motors are more efficient so in general you should go with that if possible. One thing to be aware of, on 120V (110/115/120) motors is don't run them on an extension cord, especially a long one. Voltage drop will cause the electric motor to run hotter and fail sooner, so while the 120V are portable you need an 120v outlet you can get it next to. Not so much for the small compressors, but for a big one like this HF 21 gallon, it pulls 15 amps so it's important to not use an extension cord.

 

[Matt_S]

I have a Craftsman similar to the one in the link above (same CFM, with 30 gal. vertical tank). It's served me very well for auto repairs (air ratchet, impact wrench and tire inflation) and even for blowing out my in-ground sprinklers, which is something most people will say you need some serious CFM to do. I find that a tank full of air will do a full zone when regulated to 60 psi, then I just need to wait a couple minutes for it to fill up again.

I've never had to wait for the compressor for anything else, though.

 

[WOOCHOW]

Thanks, keep the answers coming. I'm still confused at what the capacity of the unit should be. 10cfm at what pressure? for standard duty tools. I might want a stapler or nailer also, once again standard duty, for home projects

 

[oilboy123]

The two Craftsman I have owned were made by divelbiss. They were both 5 hp units.
Never had a problem with them. They were both oil sump models. The last one I have had for about 15 years. The first one I sold to a friend, it worked fine I just wanted a bigger tank.

 

[unDummy]

You need to research your tools. If your compressor is too small, you'll be sitting around waiting for the tank to fill up. A 5cfm compressor won't run a 20cfm impact wrench under load for too long. But, an impact wrench doesn't need to run too long anyway.

What is your price range?

Basically you should get the biggest air compressor that will fit in your garage and that you can afford.

An 8 gallon 120vac compressor for tank that you can find.

 

[eljefino]

I got the chinese compressor at big lots which is probably like the harbor freight one. $100 and it's pretty nice. If I ever want to upgrade I could probably sell it locally for at least $60, they hold their value pretty well. 5 CFM at 90 PSI and ~10 CFM at 45 PSI. I suspect you want CFM ratings at 90 as that's the minimum many tools need to run.

 

[WOOCHOW]

thanks, guys. I have a unit similar to the one above which doesn't meet my needs as far as running tools. I'm willing to spend around $400 but am limited to 120v

 

[eljefino]

You're going to need a big tank then because that unit takes 15-20 amps, the max a regular outlet can handle.

You can plumb a manifold to your current compressor and add a second tank for some surge capacity.

 

[Jim 5]

Two of eljefino's 5 CFM compressor linked together for 10 CFM's costs WAY less than a 10 CFM compressor. If I ever need more CFM's I'll just add one of those in parallel to my existing one.

 

[eljefino]

^ Be sure to put the 2nd compressor on its own breaker. Of course then you have a spare if you need to loan one out or if it breaks.