Just bought a compressor--have a few questions...

[Bret Chase]

I personnally would read the manual and do what sears says to do about the oil.

as far as the other stuff... it depends greatly on what you're planning to do with the compressor. a water seperator is always a good addition. as is a regulator. if you *ever* plan to paint using the compressor, don't add an oil fogger as you'll never get the lines clean enough to prevent the oil from ruining the paint. just add a couple of drops of air tool oil every day or every other day of use (depends greatly on the amount of use. add the oil to the tool, not the hose.

you relieve the pressure in the tank by opening the draincock in the bottom of the tank. the pressure in the tank helps to force out the water. you only really need to do it once a week unless you're running it while it's super humid out. that being said, daily draining won't hurt it.

 

[Chris142]

If your just using the air tools the lubricater is a good idea. Nuthing wrong with the water filter either but you probly don't need one in Socal.

If you plan on using the thing to paint things then you do need the water filter but not the inline lubricator.

As for draining the pressure when your done. I don't. I may bleed any water out of the tank and then close the valve.

Leave enough air in the tank to pump up a tire if needed.

 

[Lee280zx]

Thanks for the responses (I welcome more).

I definitely don't want the inline oiler as I do intend to paint. It sounds like the water filter/separator would be a good idea. The compressor has a built-in regulator (I thought the add-on type with the oiler and separator did something different).

I've had a chance to look at the compressor owner's manual. As far as oil goes, the manual says:

quote:

---

Use an air compressor oil such as Sears item number 9-16426 or SAE-20 (API CG/CD) heavy duty motor oil. Under extreme winter conditions use SAE-10 weight oil.

---

The Amsoil I purchased (that their tech recommended) is synthetic ISO-100 SAE 40 Compressor Oil. Is this too heavy?

The tech insisted it was the only choice, and I read him the above recommendation from the compressor owner's manual. It seems others in this forum are saying Amsoil has a 20 weight compressor oil.

Is it really okay to leave air in the tank? So you just open the drain valve a little to let water out, and then you close it up and it can sit like that?

I have now found where manual tells you how to drain the tank. It says to turn the regulator knob to set the outlet pressure to zero, detach the hose, pull out the safety valve ring until the tank pressure reaches 20 lbs. and then open the drain valve to drain the tank (to prevent tank corrosion) to store it.

But it doesn't say how often this is necessary. I would like to store it with some air in it if that is safe and I will be getting the water out. I guess you can't oil the tank to prevent corrosion.

I should mention I have not used the compressor yet, so it has no oil in it. I don't intend to put any oil in it until I'm sure what I should be using.

Amsoil's site says that the oil I purchased is compatible with "rotary screw, vane, centrifugal and reciprocating compressors." I don't know what the differences are, but I presume mine is one of those?

[ February 01, 2004, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: Lee280zx ]

 

[Lee280zx]

Okay, I've done some more reading (I know, should've done that first).

From what I read on the Amsoil site, it looks like the SAE 20 compressor oil that Amsoil offers (which is an ISO 46; they call it "PCI") is only for rotary screw type compressors. Does anyone know if I'm right about this? Other things I've read lead me to believe that there should be a 20 weight Amsoil compressor oil available for my compressor.

Thanks to one of those "how things work" websites, I know my compressor must be a reciprocating one, so I guess with Amsoil the SAE 40 (which is an ISO 100; they call it "PCK")is my only choice.

I'm guessing if Amsoil recommends it, it must be a pretty good way to go.

If anyone knows otherwise, please tell me. I want to know what I'm doing before I pour some oil in and break this compressor in.

I still haven't even found out what the ISO number means. Maybe I should've just bought the stuff that Sears sells.

[ February 01, 2004, 06:14 PM: Message edited by: Lee280zx ]

 

[Chris142]

Why don't you go to sears and buy the actual compressor oil? This way if you did have a problem with it you have proof that you bought and were using their oil.

I have an older compressor. I run M1 5w-30 in it although the recomended oil is 10w-40.

I run the thinner oil because the wiring in my house and garage is too small for the 2 hp motor. On cold days with thicker oil it wont start it will just trip the breaker. With the syn 5w-30 it will start on cold days.

I don't have 220V here or I'd use that.

 

[TooSlick]

Viscosity is THE most important property of any lubricant ....

If Sears calls for a 20wt, you should use the 20wt Amsoil product and not get all wrapped up with labels. Most larger recip. compressors DO call for a 40wt or ISO 100 oil, hence Amsoil has labelled their formulations to reflect this.

You want the ISO 46 stuff in this case ....

Tooslick
www.lubedealer.com/Dixie_Synthetics

 

[Lee280zx]

Hi Chris--

Sears' oil is my last resort for the same reason that I put Amsoil in my Z and Mobil1 in my Honda Insight and my Toyota Pickup.

This is just another motor, so I'm thinking I should put synthetic oil in there to make it run smoother and last even longer than it otherwise would. Don't take this the wrong way, but isn't finding the best lubrication what this site is all about?

 

[W.T.McGlynn]

Is ISO 100 the same as SAE 30 ??
I thought it was.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

 

[TooSlick]

ISO 30/46 is roughly an SAE 20wt

ISO 100 is roughly a 30wt/40wt, but closer to the latter

 

[Lee280zx]

Tooslick--

So you are saying it would be okay and preferable to use the PCI ISO-46 SAE 20 Amsoil compressor oil?

I read something about some of these oils being formulated to work with certain types of machines, and even certain brands. So I just figured that the PCI wouldn't work with my compressor or the Amsoil tech that I talked to would've recommended it.

When I spoke to the tech, he just kept saying PCK. I asked if there were different weights, and he told me to just ask for PCK.

Why wouldn't he have said PCI when I told him the owner's manual called for 20 weight?

(and thanks for the info)

 

[Steve S]

Figure out the proper viscosity and get amsoil their compressor oil great.

 

[Lee280zx]

I just purchased a Sears Craftsman Professional model #19541 electric, single-stage, horizontal, oil-lubed, 6hp., 25 gal., 150 psi, portable air compressor. It has a cast iron cylinder cylinder liner and an "auto-paper type" air filter. I'm fairly certain it's a dressed-up version of the Porter-Cable CPL6025, which seems to get glowing reviews all around.

For oil in the compressor I called Amsoil and they sent me whatever their tech recommended, which I think is the 20w version of their compressor oil. Does this sound like a good choice? (I'm in San Diego, so cold weather isn't too much of a concern.) It never gets much below 50 degrees here.Should I change it early on like I would with a new engine after the break-in period?

Should I think about adding an inline filter/regulator/lubricator, or just a lubricator or filter? I don't know much about air tools, but it is my understanding that these keep your tools lubricated (which I guess you can do by hand each time you use them), and can keep water out of the tools (which you can't do by hand)?

Any other advice for someone new to air tools and compressors? I know I need to drain the tank after each use, but, for instance, what is the usual way to relieve the excess pressure in the tank when you're done for the day?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Dick in Falls Church]

Thought it might be of interest to know that Sears uses AMSOIL compressor oil in all their in-shop applications.

If you've got PCK, put it in and don't worry about it.

 

[MolaKule]

I highly recommend Amsoil PCJ (30 weight) or PCK (40 weight) compressor oil.

Drain sump and Tank once a year and it will last > 20 years.

[ February 02, 2004, 05:14 PM: Message edited by: MolaKule ]

 

[Lee280zx]

Well, I'm all over the board on this one!

I called Amsoil again this morning and spoke with a different tech. This tech agreed with Tooslick. He said I should be using PCI 20 weight if the manual calls for 20 weight oil (though he commented that that seemed a light weight for a compressor oil).

So I've ordered the PCI and arranged to have the PCK sent back.

Now I read the read the responses from **** and Molakule....

Molakule: **** just seems to be saying PCK would be fine, but you seem to be recommending it or PCJ over PCI. Why would you even given that the manufacturer calls for 20 wt.? And what is a "sump"?

I guess it seems to make more sense to me that even if I am going synthetic, I should stick with the manufacturer's recommendation for viscosity.

I do appreciate all the help, though. I guess it comes down to all the oils would work and I'm probably splitting hairs.

[ February 02, 2004, 06:51 PM: Message edited by: Lee280zx ]

 

[Lee280zx]

Stranger and stranger...

I thought maybe a call to Porter-Cable's tech rep would clear this up since they actually made the compressor.

Their tech told me that it should be a 30 or 40 wt. oil until I told her what the manual said. She then called it up on her computer, read it and was puzzled. After a moment she referred me to the previous page where it says that after every 100 hours of operation you should drain the oil and put in "clean compressor oil or Castrol Heavy Duty 30 weight."

And if you look at the actual part number for the oil that the Sears manual recommends, it is no longer valid and instead they simply sell a single compressor oil for both single and two stage compressors.

To top it off, Amsoil PCJ 30 wt isn't an option because I'd have to buy a 5 gallon bucket. So it's PCI or PCK.

It's anybody's guess and I just should've never looked into this as I am now thoroughly confused.

[ February 02, 2004, 08:03 PM: Message edited by: Lee280zx ]

 

[jthorner]

My compressor specs straight 30 weight oil. Year ago I switched over to Mobil 1 15W-50.

It works great. The compressor starts and runs noticeably quieter with the synthetic oil. Much less kicking sound on initial start up.

Five years of trouble free performance so far.

Which reminds me, I need to change the oil in that thing. Yippee, some fun!

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jthorner:
My compressor specs straight 30 weight oil. Year ago I switched over to Mobil 1 15W-50.

---

A compressor oil is far different than a Motor oil. One is designed to encapsile moisture the other is not to.

For long term health of your compressor I would change out that Motoroil. I would probably by some dino oil for a flush, then get the proper synthetic compressor oil and change it back over, you will notice the same quite startup and operation but with the proper formulation.

 

[msparks]

I won't comment on the viscosity, since it seams that even the manufacture can't get it together.

Though I would imagine that the ISO 100 would probably work best in your area, as I have some guys in El Paso with the Sears Compressor that uses the ISO 100 stuff.

 

[Lee280zx]

So I guess I have the final word after calling Porter-Cable's tech support line again.

My Craftsman compressor and all Porter-Cable compressors are made by a company called DeVilbiss. When I call the Porter-Cable number, that is actually who I am speaking with.

They do not make oil for their compressors, and do not ship them with oil in them. They hold to the 20 wt recommendation, though they state 30 wt would be passable. However, 40 wt would not be.

And the big surprise came when I mentioned that I was going with synthetic oil. They were adamant that the use of any type of synthetic oil in their compressors is prohibited and will void the warranty.

They claim that the owner's manual states this.

When I asked why this is so, all they could say was something about how whatever oil is used needs to be drained at the recommended interval and people using synthetics would try extended intervals. And then something about how it isn't compressor oil.

But it is so little oil that I would still change it at the recommended interval, and in the case of PCI, it is compressor oil (says so right on the label).

Additionally, the owner's manual does not say anything about not using synthetic oil. It simply says you must use SAE 20 compressor oil, and the two are not mutually exclusive.

So, it's PCI for me.


By the way, I really appreciate all the posts and advice. I'm new to pneumatic equipment and I want to make sure I treat it right.