looking for an air compressor

[T77911S]

ihave npt heard of these PUMA comprssors. any thoughts?

Puma Belt-Drive Stationary Vertical Air Compressor — 60-Gallon Vertical, 3 HP, 12 CFM, Model# PK6060V | 10 - 20 CFM| Northern Tool + Equipment

here is a home depot one,

Husky 60-Gal. Stationary Electric Air Compressor-C601H at The Home Depot

i see one has a "V" design for the compressor, the other is side by side. either one better?

i was thinking about getting an IR comp, but i dont know if i really need one that big, or this bog for that matter.

going to paint the BMW and part of the mercedes. i had a 60 gallon one before but it is old and not very good.

[theFONZ]

Search craigslist and try to find an older "oiled" compressor. I picked up a few year old USA assembled Kobalt for $180 that is pretty quiet and works great. Stay away from "oil-less" compressors, which it looks like you already are judging by your links.

ETA: of those two, I'd go with the Puma. US made and looks to be better quality
.

[gshase]

I have a Speedaire SPEEDAIRE - Grainger Industrial Supply And I run it 8 hours a day in my business. If it is home use anything around 12 cfm @ 90 psi with a belt drive is more than enough. After a break in period switch to a synthetic oil and it will outlast you. Also drain the water out of the tank as often as you can.

[Don Ro]

Search this forum - this subject comes up now/then. Same questions/same answers.

[Rusty Heap]

Budget?

If you have $1000-1200, this one is hard to beat for bang/buck.


Husky 80-Gal. 5 HP 2 Stage Air Compressor-HS5181 at The Home Depot

[enzo1]

I have a smaller Puma(7 yrs) and no problems, sturdy built , like it

[Robert Coats]

I've had the big 2-stage Puma belt-drive vertical for about 11 years now and its been bulletproof. Change the oil and clean the air filters once a year, drain the tank every month, no issues at all. Plenty of PSI and CFM to run any tool I've every used with it.

Bolted to my garage floor, it's a bit noisy (70 dB) when running. If I had the time/money to do it over, I'd put in on a pad outside the garage and build a small shed to cover it up.

Always buy more compressor than you need. You many think you only need it to run an impact or nailer, but will find things like a drill, sander, spraygun, etc. will be great to run, and you don't want to have to wait for the system to re-charge all the time.

Two other tips: (1) Install a small ball valve, 45-degree elbow and suitable length of tube/pipe in place of the compressor's oil sump drain bolt. Makes it much easier and less messy to simply open the valve and drain the oil. Remove and hide the valve handle if you have kids in the house; they WILL open it to "see what happens." (2) Install another ball valve and male fitting on the tank drain. Use it to (a) easily open/drain water, (b) connect up easily to quickly manually fill a portable air tank. You don't have to hold a chuck down on the filler valve, just connect, open valve and watch the gauge on the portable until it's filled.

[ltusler]

Take a look at C-Aire, built here in Minnesota by a Porsche guy.
C-Aire Compressors "Quality Built...Because Quality Lasts"

[T77911S]

thanks. i was going to go big at first but started thinking how much have i used one in the past 5 years or so. i AM doing some body work and paint work right now but its not something i want to keep doing.
from what i have read the puma is quieter which i like, but the other one is cheaper.

i have never heard of puma so i had no clue as to how good it was.

what about the compressor piston designs? does the "V" ff the puma make it better?