Jeff Lamb

I am considering buying an air compressor and would appreciate feedback on which features, brands and models I should consider or avoid. My planned use for the compressor will be to use it to power air tools for working on my personal vehicles (two street cars and one Porsche 951 GT3 track car). Aside from the basic uses for filling tires and running an impact wrench or air ratchet, I also plan to do some periodic media blasting and paint work.

The two models I am currently considering are Craftsman portable upright units:

A) The "Basic" model #16555 selling for $285 uses a 30 gallon tank and is powered by a 6hp, 120 volt electric motor driving a single stage pump resulting in a max pressure of 150psi (8.6 SCFM at 40psi and 6.4 SCFM at 90psi).
B) The "Professional" model #16778 selling for $380 that uses a 25 gallon tank and is powered by a 3.5hp, 120 volt electric motor driving a 2 stage pump resulting in a max pressure of 175psi (5.6 SCFM at 40psi and 5.1 SCFM at 90psi).

These two compressors offer the benefits of taking up a small amount of space in my garage and do not require me to add a 220/240 volt line. The "Professional" model specifically advertises its pump as being oil free (claiming virtually no maintenance) and direct drive (no belts to adjust), whereas, the "Basic" model does not specifically claim to have these features (but might have these features?).

Some questions:
1. Will these compressors be too small or too big for my intended uses?
2. Is the "Professional" 3.5hp motor driving the 2 stage pump really better than the "Basic" model using the 6hp motor to drive the single stage pump?
3. Are "oil free" and "direct drive" good things? Or, is it better to use a pump that contains oil and is driven by a belt?
4. Is craftsman a good brand for air compressors? Or should I consider other brands?

Thanks,
Jeff

JimBob951

The "Professional" model isn't pushing enough air. You want a compressor that does at least 6 to 6.5 SCFM @ 90. Look at the required air for the tools you want to run. The #16555 should handle what you want to do, plus it looks like it comes with some tools now (rachet, impact, hammer and hose) not a bad deal!

But if you want to get into some serious sanding, cutting, grinding, you will need a big 220/240 volt job pushing well over 10 SCFM @ 90.

Oil free and Direct drive are usually found in smaller units. The larger, high capacity ones are belt driven and use oil.

Craftsman is good, as well as Campbell-Hausfeld (CH). Thats the one I have.

DAR951

My take's a little different than Jimbob's... Unless you're running it daily, or have a specific need for prolonged, high volumes of air delivery, bigger is not necessarily better. A smaller tank compressor (like those used by remodeling contractors) is often a more practical choice...

- They take less time to start-up/fill the tank and also less time to shut-down/empty (it's important to drain the tank daily to minimize moisture sitting in the bottom of it, rusting it out.);

- They can be found (Craftsman, Dewalt, Emglo, etc.) in models that will deliver plenty of air to run a good half-inch impact long enough to crack loose most any nut/bolt on a Porsche and still start and run on 15 amps (standard household circuit);

- And you don't have to hesitate to pull out the impact for that one fastner 'cause you know it'll take a good 5 loud minutes to fill the tank and another 5 to drain it when you're finished...

Jimbob is right on the "oil-free", while there's some debate on which is better, it's usually found on the higher-end small compressor models.

Hope that helps some.

Jeff Lamb

Thanks for the feedback guys! This will definitely help me make a more informed decision.

Best regards,
Jeff

Alan C.

One thing I don't like about oil free units is the sound. They all seem louder to me. Of course they are great for getting the kids up in the morning. Especially if their room is directly above the garage!

Jeff are you going to share any of the new cage photos? For those that haven't seen them Jeff's new cage is one of the best I've seen.

Alan C.

David Floyd

I agree Alan, I think Jeff's whole car is going to be one of the best we have seen.

Jeff Lamb

Uh oh. The secret is out . . .

David Floyd

My lips are sealed and I have destroyed all pics

Bill_396

Back on the compressor question, I don't know how you can be happy with the performance of such small units. I do a fair amount of tinkering on my own stuff and I have two five horse two stage compessors, one with a sixty gallon tank for smaller jobs and the other with an eighty gallon tank that I add in for big jobs. I have them both plumbed into my garage air lines on just shut off the tanks when they are not in use, they'll hold most their airs for days. Any air body tools take a lot of air for continuous use and media blasting with my cabinet blaster or free standing unit takes both compressors for continuous useage. I would consider a five horse two stage the minimum unless you have a lot of time to stand arround while the pressure comes back up to a usable level.

Jeff Lamb

Bill, thanks for your feedback. It appears to me that the consensus is to go with a minimum of a 60 gallon tank with appropriately sized compressor motor and pump. I agree that the two stage pumps sound like the best way to go.

Best regards,
Jeff

Jeff Lamb

I am reporting back for the benefit of the web forum regarding the information I learned when making my air compressor purchase decision. Based on the recommendations I received from many 'listers, I ended up stepping up to a 240 volt, 60 gallon unit. If you recall, I was originally thinking about buying a 120 volt, oil free pump, 25 to 30 gallon unit that only produced approximately 5 to 6 scfm at 90 psi. Many of you mentioned that the flow rates of the smaller compressors would not really be enough to serve some of my intended purposes (especially for any form of media blasting). Here is what I generally learned about air compressors:

* High flow rate measured in SCFM is the most important consideration. The term SCFM stands for Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute, referenced to a pre-specified pressure, temperature, and relative humidity. In most cases, SCFM is referenced to 14.7 PSIA, 68°F, and 0% relative humidity. By specifying these parameters, the mass flow of compressed air and gas systems is clearly defined.
* Single stage units produce maximum pressures of somewhere between 125 psi and 150 psi and two stage units produce maximum pressures of generally 175 psi but cost quite a bit more.
* Once you step up to a 60 gallon tank, the 120 volt (plugs into a standard household electrical outlet) pretty much goes away and you are faced with installing a 240 volt line to the garage.
* An oil lubricated pump is the way to go for lower noise operation and longer life. Oil free compressors use reed valves making them louder and more prone to wearing out.
* There are basically three manufacturers of compressors: 1) Ingersoll Rand, 2) Campbell Hausfeld and 3) Devilbiss. Ingersoll Rand sells compressors under their own name. Campbell Hausfeld sells compressors under their own name plus the Husky (Home Depot), Iron Horse (Lowes) and Farm Hand (Tractor Supply) brand names. Devilbiss sells compressors under their own name plus the Craftsman (Sears), Porter Cable, Pro Air, Air America and Charge Air Pro brand names.
* From what I can deduce from my research, in my opinion, the Ingersoll Rand (IR) compressors are higher quality than either the Campbell Hausfeld or Devilbiss compressors. However, the IR compressors also tend to cost more.

I ended up deciding to purchase an Ingersoll Rand SS3L3 compressor. It’s specs are as follows:

* 240 volt, 60 gallon vertical stationary tank
* Single stage, belt driven piston pump that is oil lubricated
* 11.3 scfm at 90 psi
* 135 psi max pressure
* Price: $498 + tax delivered to my door (this price ALSO includes a start-up kit including oil and air filters valued at $30 plus a very nice in-line exit air dryer/filter valued at something like $100).

The other most similar compressors I considered were the Campbell Hausfeld #VT6275 generally priced at $400 and Craftsman (aka Devilbiss) #18419 priced at around $450. Here is why I chose the IR SS3L3:

* I believe it is a higher quality unit than the other two.
* The price differential is not that great (especially when considering that the IR price includes free delivery plus the start-up kit and in-line air dryer).
* The IR flows 11.3 scfm at 90 psi over the other two flowing 10.2 scfm at 90 psi.
* It is delivered to my door (as opposed to having to drive somewhere and then try to fit it in my vehicle).
* I should be able to easily find parts for it for a long time since there are full service IR locations all over the country (and there happens to be one not far from where I live).

Thanks again to everyone who responded with recommendations.

Jeff

Jeff Lamb

I received some private replies inquiring about where I ended up buying my compressor so I figured I would post this here for the benefit of everyone. I bought mine directly from my local Ingersoll Rand full sales and service location here in Cincinnati. You might want to check to see if you have one near you because I understand IR has full service locations in many cities. If you don't have an IR location near you, you can check out www.maxtool.com as they also have a very good selection and low pricing on IR stuff.

Jeff