OT: Which Air Compressor for Automotive / Household Use?

[Jandrews]

I have managed to live to age 37 without making the investment in an air compressor. Since I have forever fired the local mechanics, there seems to be more and more opportunities for me to need compressed air in the garage and around the house.

Does anyone have any strong recommendations, positive or negative? Which brands? What types of specs should I look for? Portable or free standing?

Obviously I would like to stay as cheap as possible, but I do believe that you get what you pay for. No need to go industrial or anything, but I would like to buy something that is large enough for 99% of automotive and household needs, and something that will last for many years.

All thoughts appreciated.


JA

------------------
John
70/73 RS Spec Coupe

[Doug Zielke]

Loads of cheapo compressors out there, John, but I have a DeVilbiss with 7.5hp motor. It has cast iron cylinders for long life. A GE motor too. You are right by saying you don't need anything too "industrial", just make sure that whatever you buy parts are readily available.

------------------
'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Member: SCWDP
Canada West Region PCA
The Blue Bomber's Website
"If it ain't broke...we'll help you fix it 'til it is!"

[Oldporsche]

Compressors, the following names are very good. DeVilbliss, Ingorsoll-Rand, Quincy are all good names. Cast iron barrels. Tank to atsm standards would be good.

My preference would be 80 gal tank, 220vt motor, small two stage comprssor with a shut off pressure of 175lbs. I have this in a very old Wayne unit that was popular in older gas stations. With these spec's you can pretty much eliminate the junk compressors out there.

BTW, Home Depot carries Ingersoll-Rand.

Some times the above mentioned brands will slip in a Campbell-Hussfield compressor into the bottom end of their lines. I've had fair luck with them as long as they were cast iron and belt driven. I would not consider an air compressor that wasn't belt driven. This gives you the widest lattitude of replacement if one of the components fails.

Good luck,
David Duffield

[Robert Coats]

I did some heavy research before buying a compressor a few years ago, and came to these conclusions…

Don’t kid yourself and think “I just want to run an impact wrench and a finish nailer” because when you get a good quality compressor, you *will* want to do more with it.

Keep in mind the compressor is going to be the power supply for a whole new range of tools. These tools can only work as good as the power supplied to them, so better to get the best possible compressor you can afford, and slowly build up a good series of quality air tools.

You have some ideas of what tools you will use, but after you get the compressor, you will discover many new ways to use it. There are a lot of great air tools out there, and even more great ways to use them. The last thing you want to have happen is to discover a new tool or application for your compressor, and realize the compressor doesn’t have the output/capacity to do the job.

Vertical tank compressors take up less space than horizontal models in a typical garage.

Portable models are fine, but unless you absolutely have to move the compressor away from your house, a fixed model usually offers much more performance, dollar-for-dollar.

Direct drive “no oil” consumer grade compressors are VERY noisy and have to run pretty much all the time. However, they require almost no maintenance. They also won’t last a long as oil-lubricated models.

Belt-drive, oil-lubricated compressors are much quieter, and those with cast-iron cylinders and regular maintenance can last long enough to be passed down to your grandchildren.

Single-stage compressors (where the air is compressed only once before entering the tank) usually work okay for most applications. Two-stage compressors (air is compressed twice before entering the tank) offer higher CFM (cubic feet per minute) flow rates and higher PSI (pounds of [pressure] per square inch).

Compressors with 240-volt motors are more efficient with electricity than 120-volt models. Belt drive models make more air more quietly than direct-drive models.

I ended up with a refurbished Puma brand, 80 gallon two-stage model. It has more than enough CFM and PSI to run any tool out there, and I’ve been quite pleased with the performance. I bought it from Harbor Freight Tools, and got free truck shipping.