How Big Is Your Compressor?

[JMPRO]

A few years ago my old friend the craftsman compressor gave up. So in a effort to upgrade and not ever to buy another i decieded to get a bigger one. looked around and bought the 5hp 30 gal devilbis oilless. Much to my dismay after a few years it started to make awful sounds. Pulled the head off and found a big surprize. The cylinder is nothing but a thin, sheet metal tin can. The piston has no wrist pin , so it wobbles in the cylinder and the rings are no more than a piece of fiber material fastened to the top of the piston w/ a screw. I had no idea the design was so cheesy. Sure the new cylinder and ring was only $22.00 and i fixed it myself but i sure didn't think that the unit should wear out so fast. It has somthing to do w/ cycle time. so a warning, if you need a good compressor that will last DO NOT BUY THE OILLESS DESIGN, get the good old real piston and cast iron cylinder kind and deciede how big you need then go bigger. I use a lot of air tools in my repairs and upfixen and the oilless type is not designed for that

Jerry- never oilless again

[bfrenz]

I have an oiless 5.5 32 gallon and I find that I am spending too much time waiting for it to "air up". Forget about sanding or taking down rust. If i hook another 30 gallon up to it she keeps up and I have no down time.
I don't know what my CFM is but my 2 cents say don't get oiless and make sure you get 60gallon.

[pjv911]

8HP 200 gallon but thats used daily in my shop. The brand is Big Red sold through Snap on.

Kurt Williams

[widebody911]

5Hp 90gallon, 220v. It sits outside the garage, with the plumbing going thru the wall to the air dryer on the inside. Plumbed for 1/4" and 3/8" tools. I have a removable cover over the ocmpressor, which looks like a shed, heavily insulated, to knock down the noise so the neighbors don't get too anoyed.

[jhale356]

6 HP and 80 gallon. Runs all of the air tools just fine. We also have a blast cabinet and the the compressor will keep up and we can run it for hours.

John

[RoninLB]

I use 60 gal, 5hp, 220, 2 stage, Snap-On. I think 60 gal is minimum for air tools. Border line for paint guns.

[rfix'n]

"I think 60 gal is minimum for air tools. Border line for paint guns."

I guess that means I will not be using the 175PSI - 25 gallon I got for christmas to do a bunch a painting projects. It runs my air tools just find, although I have not used a die grinder yet.

Suprised painting takes that much air!

[RoninLB]

Robfix...paint gun..it depends on gun air consumption. At 60 gal I may have to wait till comp.kicks off. I have to keep in mind the limits of tank vol. I would say 25 gal is good for touch up gun.

[Mike the mechanic]

my compressor hs 25hp but i don't knoiw the volume, but it's the lenghth of my p-cr.

[CraigD]

So all this talk about compressors made me notice the DevilBliss model at Costco. Nice looking, oil lubricated cast iron cylinders, large tank, 220 V was in a hurry so didn't get to many specifics. I think it was 10 CFM. Cost $369

Now for my questions. How much do you use your compressor? What type of task do you use it for? If you didn't have a compressor would you buy one knowing what you know now? What are the important criteria to look at? CFM, HP, Tank size?

Can they be used for painting houses? Mine is stucco and needs paint is why I ask. Just trying to put together a somewhat realistic expectation of what I could accomplish with my very own compressor.

[bfrenz]

CraigD



Instead of asking what do you use your compressor for you should ask what don't you use it for. The options are just limitless. From blowing plain compressed air to clean the sidewalk to using a plasma cutter.

I use mine for everything from drilling,grinding, sawing,sanding,plasma cutter. The list goes on and on. Once you make the intial investment of the compressor you'll find all of the tools are cheaper then electric ones. Well most of them. For instance I pick up a pnuematic(sp?) drill for $9 and it does just as good if not better then my 18v dewalt cordless. Granted you always have an attached hose but no mechanic should be without a compressor.

[pbs911]

Painting is where the CFM's and storage capacity of the tank come into play. For example I have a Devilbliss Finishline II gun that requires 11.7 CFMs for auto painting and I have to go with 220 v compressor. A 60 gallon tank would be quickly drained if anything other than pieces were painted. There are guns that require lower CFMs that can be used successfully with lower CFM compressors. The higher CFM guns better atomize the paint which means a glassier finish. I the compressor doesn't have enough storage, the compressor will have to kick in and you may have problems with moisture or oil ruining your paint job. For painting a house, you probably do not need to go with a HVLP paint gun. If you are like me, you will be using the compressor for a lot of different tasks. So don't underestimate your future needs for the compressor.

A good discussion board is here:
http://autobodystore.com/discussi.htm

Like a porsche, get the best compressor you can afford. Stay away from the oilless compressors and aim for a 220v, two stage, cast iron cylinder, with at least 12 CFMs and at least a 60 gallon tank.

[JMPRO]

If i were to be house painting again{god forbid} i would use a airless for that ,i believe a much more suitable system for those kind of projects. I have used airless for interior house painting and found it to be a invalueable tool for that . You can even hook a roller to the gun and roll walls very quickly.
Jerry

[tmctguer]

at the risk of sounding crude, comparing compressor size is akin to comparing the size of your weewee.

unfortunately, i must admit that i have a very small Craftsman compressor. it has the 15 gallon tank with the small electric motor. i use it rather infrequently -- mostly for an air ratchet or air gun for drying a car after washing. i don't paint with it.

and for the wize-asses out there, my compressor size is inversely proportional to the size of my weewee.

[Neunelf]

Semi-off topic...
Craig- I must second JMPRO's suggestion to use an airless paint gun for painting your house. They are quick and easy to use, cheap to rent at the rental place or the paint store, and cleanup is easy too. Plus no compressor lag, even when run non-stop. This is what house painter's I've worked with (real ones, not just DIY'ers like myself) use. I've used them both inside and out, and think they do a great job. I'd rather use them outside, due to the paint dry fall when inside painting high on the wall or the ceiling. Ask me how I know . Good luck, Roy

[Early_S_Man]

The 23-year old Craftsman 220 Volt 5 hp, 30 gallon unit rated at 8.9 cfm @ 90 psi... I have was mfr by Devilbis, as was their 'best' paint gun that also bears the Craftsman label -- a non-HVLP model that only needs 5.2 cfm @ 50 psi, and the compressor has no trouble keeping up with on hoods or entire panels of cars! One thing of late that I have noted is that many compressors these days with much smaller motors than mine are rated at 6-8 hp, so I feel the standards must have become 'inflated' ... much like audio equipment power ratings! The tool that my compressor has the most trouble keeping up with is a linear air sander which is rated to require 11-13 cfm at 90 psi, but it doesn't get used for long stretches uninterupted, so that really isn't a problem! Sand paper loads up or gets shredded before the air compressor runs out of 'steam' ... typically!

The most common uses include:

1. Inflating tires
2. 3/8"Air ratchet
3. Air drill -- very handy because of very compact size in relation to power (1/2 hp rating) around cars for fabrication jobs
4. Air sanders -- both rotary and linear
5. Die grinder
6. Paint gun -- 1 qt. cup/paint tank convertible
7. Touch-up paint gun -- perhaps the most useful air tool I have, and seldom mentioned!
8. Needle scaler for removing paint and rust
9. Air hammer
10. Sand blaster
11. Solvent-suction spray nozzle

No impact wrench needed, yet, maybe some day ...

[pbs911]

I think the key to the success of Warren's compressor is the "220 v" and non-HVLP paint gun. I think many of the 25 or 30 gallon, 5 hp compressors are 115v. Even if you get one that supplies sufficient CFMs, your painting time will be very limited with a HVLP gun. It may be ok for small jobs, but not a full car.

Anyone know what system the maker of "The Beast" used?