Seeking air compressor advice

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steve542

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I want an electric air compressor to help keep my shop clean. Any advice as to horsepower, tank size, oil versus oil free would be appreciated. Harbor freight has several on sale, but I have never bought a power tool there and am concerned about the durability of the item. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
 
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Some years ago I bought an Accuset brad nailer and compressor kit (I guess this style is called hot dog, compared to the pan cake style) off Amazon. I could not be happier with this machine. The main use is with several nail guns, including a large P+C finish nailer, and blowing off dust. As far as I remember the set was about $150 incl free shipping, but this was at least 5 years back. If you do not use it daily for hours and do not use it with air tools, a compressor like this is all you need in the shop.
 
Here's my 2 cents worth of advice, (actually 7 counting inflation). Go with an oil compressor. Over the long haul they are supposed to be more trouble free.
Also, try calling Campbell-Hausfeld direct. Before I bought my compressor I called their tech support people just to get some general advice about compressors. The tech guy mentioned that he might be able to get me a great deal on a new one. It was brand new but marked as a refurb. I got it at a terrific price and it came with a full warranty. Their number is 1-800-543-6400.
 
I bought one of HF's cheap 2hp compressor about 4 years ago and its still going not bad for a cheap compressor. It was $99. and I just seen it was on sale again its also oil filled and that is what you want. Oil less ones wont last nearly as long.[^]
Jay
 
I also bought a compressor from HF. It's worked fine, but if I had to do it all over again, I would go with a bigger tank. I think mine is 2 gallon. It runs out quickly and the compressor has to refill it, which takes a while.
 
Or-------you can go the poor mans way---------
buy a electric leaf blower-------on sale for less than $30.00.
Fastest way on earth to clean a shop.
Just make sure you have the small stuff put away---hehehehe
 
My first compressor was an oil-free one. It was incredibly loud, and wore out quickly. Home repair was not possible and it ended up on the scrap heap. I am fortunate to have a Grizzly store locally, and I bought a small two cylinder oil filled model and love it.
 
I have a compressor I highly recommend but it won't help you out much. I purchased it 7 years ago from the original owner. He had purchased it new for his Chevrolet dealership in 1953. It is a Quincy cast iron twin. Horizontal 60 gal tank, giving me about 14cfm at 90psi. And it has something you definitely will not find with todays compressors. Even at 54 years old, I can still get all the parts I need for it from the manufacturer.
 
I bought an inexpensive oil-lubricated compressor from Pep Boys....they had a rebate offer and it was less than a hundred dollars. I have had no problems with it in about a years worth of use; but it doesn't get heavy use either. Mostly what I do is blow dust around the shop and air up bicycle tires for the neighborhood kids. Also bought a pin nailer for small craft projects. Mine unit was a 2HP/4.5 gal item. It probably gets used half a dozen times once every other weekend.

If you are only going to use it lightly, I expect the HF compressor would serve you just fine. Do look out for one thing. Most of the motors run at 3,000RPMs and tend to be a little noisy. I actually jury-rigged a little muffler to go on the air intake to quiet it down.
HF has at least one small unit that has a slow=running motor....around 1700 RPMs. It might be a little quieter and most folks seem to think a unit with a slower motor will last longer. On the off side, it would seem like a slower motor might take longer to pump up the holding tank??

Not knowing exactly how you are going to use your compressor, it is a little hard to make a suggestion. Maybe we can offer better advice if you give us more details on how and how much you expect to use the compressor.

Do be prepared for one thing. Even the small compressors may require some electrical work. My garage only has a 15 amp circuit and it wouldn't handle the compressor. I had to put in a 20 amp circuit and it still bogs down if I have other things on in the shop.
 
I'm using a compressor I borrowed from my BIL from his mechanics days. It is a Craftsman with a 28 gallon tank. I had to add a 30 amp circuit to my shop to handle it as its startup draw is 22.5 amps and kept blowing the 20 amp breaker. It sure comes in handy for blowing up the daughter's inflatables when summertime rolls around!

Cheers,
Draken
 
I also have the 30 gal Craftsman. I picked it up more than 7 years ago. Now I do over use the thing on a regular basis. Sometimes when air-sanding, using the sand blaster, air drill and some other tools the volume cannot keep up. It runs constantly. Will it break from the abuse, I would bet on it, but because I want to get an oil filled unit it will last forever.


http://www.utterguys.com/xcart/product.php?productid=33216&cat=0&page=1
 
There is an ad in the local paper today for the Pep Boys compressor I mentioned earlier. 2 HP(run), 14 amps, 4.6 gal. tanks, 115 PSI max, oil lubricated.....$70 after $20 mail-in rebate.

Don't know if this deal is available in your area; but it might be worth checking out. You can find a local store by calling 1-800-737-2697.

BTW, you will need to buy a hose and the hardware to go on the end of the kit.....probably another $20±. I got my fittings from Wal-Mart and the hose from Northern Freight.
 
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