SCott5

iTrader: (40)

What kind and size do you guys have at your home's? I am looking to purchase one for my garage next week but not sure what size to get. Looking to use for cutting wheels, grinders, wheels on and off vehicle, drills and so forth. I don't wanna get a huge one but also not too small where it's on every 5 mins. I have looked at Lowe's and they have a pretty decent sale on them right now

camarof41_383

iTrader: (7)

I have the 30 gallon air compressor in the link below. I like that its portable so I can wheel it outside if I need to. It has enough capacity to do the small jobs that I normally do using cut off wheels, air ratchet, impact..etc. Occasionally I have to wait for it to catch up if I'm using an impact on some stubborn bolts, normally not a big deal. If I used it daily I would want something bigger, it works fine for me turning wrenches on the weekend.

I prefer the belt drive oil lubricated style compressors over the oil-less compressors. The oil-less ones are super loud.

Be sure to get some quality hose. The cheap stuff tends to not be very flexible especially in colder temps. I got some flexzilla hose from menards, stays super flexable even in freezing temps.

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/...FYSPMgodBg0A4g

EDS01SS

iTrader: (30)

with tools like cutting wheels you will want at minimum a 60 gal tank. I had a Ingersoll Rand 30 gal compressor at one time and yes i could use a cutting wheel with it but i would have to stop every other minute to let it catch up. slowed the job way down. I now have a 60 gal devilbiss and can use cutters and grinders and even paint with it. it will kick on after about a minute or two of grinding or cutting but it keeps the pressure constant once it does kick on. Also its not so noisy that it is annoying either.

mebuildit

A word of advise, buy the largest one you can afford. I've had a 60 gal, wore that one out bought a two stage 80 gal and then bought a used 80 gal tank for extra storage. that worked for a while, now I just bought a Kaeser rotary screw compressor, dryer and 120 gal tank.

SSZ

Heres a trick i did. I bought a 60 gallon air compressor. By luck i got a 20 gallon air tank for nothing. What i did was ran the 20 in line with the 60. Although the motor has to run longer and made a nice difference in how long between run time and works my car hoist better too. I am really happy with the added 20 gal capacity. My neighbour who also uses my shop alot says the same. I see used tanks in the classifieds all the time. Just an option.

Jimbo1367

anyone ever hear anything bad about Quincy compressors?

1320

iTrader: (6)

I ve run a few over the years. Upright as big as you can afford is the way to go. Now I run a twin cylinder bel -air upright.......with another 100 gallon tank that is outside the shop.

60 gallon upright 220 v .........if you can or larger.

I picked up my bel -air at auction and already had the exterior tank from auction too (the tank was 5$ ...)

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

My large-ish Husky just ate something between the
motor and the lung.

Have the biggest Craftsman upright in the back room,
it had developed some sort of problem with the
unloader and is waiting for me to cobble up a better
check valve & orifice setup so I can get it back on
the job (which is what the cheap Husky was bought
to do, 5+ years back). Not impressed with the
Craftsman construction, stuff like phenolic pistons
I think is just doomed (but, that's not what went out).
I have a big-*** twin lung out in the shed, for if the
original one quits (more cobbling someday).

Anything oil-less you can bet is a joke, unless you
want one dry oil-free stream for painting or something.

studderin

iTrader: (28)

I dont think so. I have a older QVS 45? or somthing like that. 4cly upright 80ga I think? done alot of with, few sets of heads but use ele now

studderin

iTrader: (28)

I dont think so. I have a older QVS 45? or somthing like that. V 2cly upright 80ga I think? done alot of with, few sets of heads but use ele now. no issues, just the head bolts came loose (other head was 1/2 3/4 turns loose?). blew out the gasket, made one from a ceral box like 3 years ago been working fine. haha. just change the oil every 2-4 years.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

I've got the 60 gallon husky. Its been fantastic. Most 60 gallons in the $450-750 price range are basically the same.

oscs

iTrader: (19)

Get an 80gallon 5HP, I wish I did.. My 60 gallon ingersol is ok but is on constantly when running air tools for long periods of time.

laurentj23

iTrader: (27)

Harbor freight tools if you're on a budget

oscs

iTrader: (19)

Do yourself a favor and don't

SSZ

Putting the extra 20 gallon tank made a bigger difference than i would have thought. May wanna try it if you come across a tank for next to nothing.

oscs

iTrader: (19)

Will do

Silverback

While if I was going to replace mine right now I'd do it with a big cast iron upright, I wouldn't go as far to as saying oil-less is a joke. I have one of the Craftsman professional series (I don't know what to call it size wise, they used to come with the same head on a vertical 60gallon tank and a horizontal 33gallon, they called it 7.5hp on the vertical and 6 or 6.5 on the horizontal, I have the one with the 33 gallon horizontal since I wanted something portable, and more importantly, I got it on their clearance pile for 1/3 of the original price plus I had a coupon). I bought it in 98 or 99, and it gets constant use, probably as much as it would in some businesses, but it's tucked into a corner of my basement at home. I have lines run across the basement to a standard inline filter, then a big vertical drier, and finally to a motorguard "toilet paper roll" filter, then it's split off to feed a real in the basement and in the garage. The basement one runs a blast cabinet, occasionally some HVLP guns ("spray booth" under the deck), grinders (do some porting...) and whatever else I need. The garage runs mostly air tools, the occasional HVLP gun and a 60A plasma cutter.

I've had problems with other stuff in the system, but the compressor has never given me any issues, even with HEAVY almost constant use some days. It has plenty of capacity running stuff that most people say you need a larger 60 or 80gallon compressor, seems to still be going strong...

It's no joke.

OTOH, if I was going to replace it or if I was going to buy another I'd go with a larger vertical cast iron compressor just because this thing is LOUD.

the larger HF stuff is really good quality for the $, if I was going to buy anything reasonable right now they would probably be at the top of my list. For a while (I'm not sure that's still the case) the compressor heads were made in the US or Italy, with decent motors...

oscs

iTrader: (19)

5 years ago harbor freight made a decent compressor. They now suck and are priced high. Don't buy a HF

HISS

iTrader: (52)

Just picked up a Quincey from lowes. 60 gal upright, fairly quiet. I had a oil less craftsman 30 prior. That thing was so loud I had to use ear protection while working in the garage. I'm sold on the Quincey.

TXsilverado

iTrader: (18)

it's big enough for my oversize 2 car garage lol. i didnt spend much more than a standard 60gal. watch tractor supply. they run specials. i am set on air!