Agree with you posters going with the big old industrial compressors. Buying those maint. free clackers is all hot air, garbage and don't last. You mentioned using air drivers; I would suggest at least a 220v wired, big air tank, V-configured (2 or 4 cyl with a big flywheel pulley) and with that size, they are two stage. Run synthetic oil (Amsoil is excellent in compressors). Having around 14 CFM is really ideal for your bigger pneumatic drivers but also for spraying with HVLP guns.

Once you have that, spend the money in a quality filter set-up and regulator. Also, I've often noticed shops with all this fancy stuff and with a big compressor but they fail to utilize it for what it really can do! Don't buy cheap hoses with a small I.D. and that goes for the couplers too. You want that air volume, including for spraying. This is different than talking about pressure. Been there and still doing it - Cheers, Scott

The oil level and fill is in the lower picture and facing you, in the middle of the crankcase are two plugs. The lower is drain and the upper is fill. If it has a little dip stick, use that but if not, fill to the bottom of that particular plug. Don't overfill.

For the pressure, if you know your regulator is working and adjusted at the max but still not getting a full 100psi rating, pull the cover off of where the pressure SWITCH is. To find that, follow the electrical power lead from the motor and it may or may not be where the power on/off switch is, but its nearby. Once you find it, pull the cover and most likely it will have a screw with a nut for locking it down. If it has the locking nut, loosen it and crank the adjusting screw in a bit. DON't over adjust. Test run the compressor and you would be safe to set it for 125 psi. Secure that lock down nut (if it has it) and replace the cover.

Thanks. I have 2 questions.
what type of oil to use? Does it matter or any grade? How often do you replace oil?
Manufacture specification is 100 PSI max, is it safe to crank it up to 125 PSI if possible?

It won't take much oil, but since you just got it, drop the oil and refill with an SAE 30 weight. Depends on the environment, moisture and heat / cool cycling and if its a heavy daily use or not, thats basically what you have to judge when or how often to change. If you're particular about your stuff and that compressor doesn't have any oil leaks, you might consider a synthetic oil.

125 psi is OK. Snug the headbolts too.

Out for the day and have fun in the shop

Synthetic compressor oil if the compressor sees winter cold otherwise it won't turn over

for my act a 60 gallon / 5hp is just about good enough for home auto painting and impact guns


the local Snap-On guy may have used compressors for cheap. Small body shops come and go quickly and the Snap-On guy reposes. It's how I got mine

Since you said SAE 30, I guess mineral 5-30 is ok too?

It is typically straight 30 non-detergent. Basically 'engine break-in' oil.

Is it something hard to get or I can get it at any autopart store like autozone?

i think non detergent oils are easier to find at Home Depot/Lowes/home improvement stores where the lawnmowers and weed wackers are.

ok, I got that at home, for the chain saw. Thanks all.

I go to a compressor shop for parts and compressor oil

NO. Non detergent is just that exactly, no additives not about break-in. Also NO to the other q about mineral oil. Anyhow, you don't need a detergent oil because you're not using it for cumbustion applications but don't sweat it, just get some straight weight 30 in there or as mentioned above, synthetic.

Since were still on the topic, drain the tank often. Condensation builds rapidly in any environment due to the heat / cool cycle.

You say 'NO', but then state the same thing? Break-in oil is non-detergent 30W (usually). Anyway, what I meant was use straight 30W non-detergent which is easy to find.

I went to sears and found the SAE30, oil for air tool. The problem is that I don't know if mine old compressor (pics above) is 2 cycle or 4 cycle. They have diff. type of oil for those. Anyone know?

A couple of things to note. Is your compressor powered by an electric or gas motor ? If it's a gas motor I am 99.9% sure it will be a 4 cycle. The oil you found sounds like it is for air tools not the compressor. To my knowledge they are two different oils.

My friends who have compressors, love their old Craftsman models...

it's electric.
Ok, so air tool oil is not air compressor oil. Got it. Lucky I decided to ask before purchase, save a trip to sears.
When you guys says "straight 30", is SAE 30 = straight 30? I usually see SAE 30.
Is the oil in the link below ok for my electric air compressor motor? It says "compressor oil" but there is no grade indicated.
32 fl. oz. Compressor Oil

Yes that is compressor oil vs. air tool oil.

Your "electric air compressor motor" is an electric motor. Obviously, you don't put oil in that. The oil goes in the v-shaped thing.

The Harbor Freight oil is probably fine but, if it were me, I'd prolly get a bottle of synthetic. It won't take much oil to fill it.

The air tool oil gets dribbled into the brass nipples on the air tools themselves. Before you hook the air to it, just dribble some air tool oil into the air connection on the tool.

I am doing a clutch in a pickup truck right now. Using my ol' small, Craftsman compressor which I got used for cheap. It works great but only seems to go to about 80 psi. 125 psi would have worked MUCH better. I had to use a breaker bar on some fasteners that my air wrench would have loosened if my compressor were making 125 psi. I wouldn't hesitate to mod yours the way intakexhaust suggested. I'm considering looking to see if that mod can be done to mine. Compressors don't explode, BTW. 125 is not unsafe. It's just a matter of how much harder your motor and compressor mechanisms will have to work, and whether your air tools are sufficiently robust.

I used to use my brother Craftman one, oil less. it is lound. This one is oil feed with a belt driven = very quite. I got it of a garage sales for $50 bucks yehhaa. This is probably the only thing I scored from garage sales around here. I will do the intakeexhaust suggested too.