Oil-free - To be or not to be...
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Oil-free - To be or not to be... Hi there.
I'm thinking of purchasing a Campbell Hausfeld compressor.
Here are the specs:
- 5HP 13 Gallon Oil-free Compressor
- Air-delivery; 6.5/5.1 SCFM @ 40/90 PSI
- 125 PSI Maximum Pressure
- 120 Volts
- Built in storage helps organize the garage
- Built-in accessory storage-bin for couplers, plugs, and teflon tape
- Easy to operate controls with descriptive icons
- Oversized gauges for easy references
- Maintenance free oilless pump
- Hot/Moving parts are covered by durable shroud
Here's the question...i've heard from both sides that oil-free compressors are great and not so great.
This compressor would be used for light residential use (changing tires, spray applications, etc..)
What does everyone think? Your opinions would be appreciated.
Thank you.
I'm thinking of purchasing a Campbell Hausfeld compressor.
Here are the specs:
- 5HP 13 Gallon Oil-free Compressor
- Air-delivery; 6.5/5.1 SCFM @ 40/90 PSI
- 125 PSI Maximum Pressure
- 120 Volts
- Built in storage helps organize the garage
- Built-in accessory storage-bin for couplers, plugs, and teflon tape
- Easy to operate controls with descriptive icons
- Oversized gauges for easy references
- Maintenance free oilless pump
- Hot/Moving parts are covered by durable shroud
Here's the question...i've heard from both sides that oil-free compressors are great and not so great.
This compressor would be used for light residential use (changing tires, spray applications, etc..)
What does everyone think? Your opinions would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Man, I hope they're good. I bought the same compressor you described and it's already about 6 months old. I haven't had any problems with it yet. I've used it to inflate my tires, during a cam swap, and other small stuff. Haven't used any air tools with it yet though.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,780
Likes: 7
From: Mi./Al.
Oil free-compressors make alot of noise, I'd have to say thats the biggest draw back to owning one. I own two oil compressors, a 12 gal. Sears I bought over 25 years ago and a 60 gal. I bought at Sams over 10 years ago. Both compressors have served me well with no problems.
Al
Al
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
From: Marysville, OH
I have a single stage oil free craftsman and yes it is loud. I think for everyday use it should last me a long time. I have several spare air tanks that are continuously filled so I never worry about rust in those like I do the craftsman. That is the only draw back to a large tank, you have to let the air out to remove the moisture so the next time you have to wait for the big @ss tank to fill up.
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I drain the tank only until air starts coming out;
full blow-down is only going to have you pump
new humidity into it. Unless you've been saving
up water for a long time it should only be a small
amount to purge.
My oilless monster Craftsman upright hasn't seen
enough hard use to qualify anything but it has given
me no trouble so far. However those CFM*PSI specs
for the C-H look kinda girly-man to me.
A "real" compressor of course would be a two stage,
intercooled, big-n-little cylinder job with a good oiling
system and a separate motor. But then you'd have to
do "real" maintenance on it occasionally.
full blow-down is only going to have you pump
new humidity into it. Unless you've been saving
up water for a long time it should only be a small
amount to purge.
My oilless monster Craftsman upright hasn't seen
enough hard use to qualify anything but it has given
me no trouble so far. However those CFM*PSI specs
for the C-H look kinda girly-man to me.
A "real" compressor of course would be a two stage,
intercooled, big-n-little cylinder job with a good oiling
system and a separate motor. But then you'd have to
do "real" maintenance on it occasionally.
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TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,055
Likes: 1
From: Hartsdale, NY
I bought two air compressors in the last month.
1. 4.5 HP Harbor Freight (Central Neumatic) unit with a 21 gallon tank ($165 delivered); It worked great for three days and then it blew up.
2. 5HP Sears oil-less with a 30 galllon tank ($310 at store - I picked it up at store to avoid $110 delivery charge for a two mile trip); It works great so far.
The Craftsman is LESS noisy than the oil compressor from Central Neumatic which requires compressor oil.
I also looked at Husky. The Depo guy sells both oil-less and oil compressors. He claims the oil-less machines are reliable.
Question: Why are oil-less units less pricey; do they have ceramic coatings that do not need oil?
1. 4.5 HP Harbor Freight (Central Neumatic) unit with a 21 gallon tank ($165 delivered); It worked great for three days and then it blew up.
2. 5HP Sears oil-less with a 30 galllon tank ($310 at store - I picked it up at store to avoid $110 delivery charge for a two mile trip); It works great so far.
The Craftsman is LESS noisy than the oil compressor from Central Neumatic which requires compressor oil.
I also looked at Husky. The Depo guy sells both oil-less and oil compressors. He claims the oil-less machines are reliable.
Question: Why are oil-less units less pricey; do they have ceramic coatings that do not need oil?
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (7)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,378
Likes: 1
From: From the Bowels of Hell!!! You want some of me bitch?!?!?!
The oil-less compressors have a POS plastic type piston that after time wears down being unreliable. People bring us the oil-free compressors to work on and I tell them to just throw them in the garbage. More expensive to fix than they are worth. And yeah, they are NOISY as ****. Get a dual stage oil compressor and get a oil filter/water trap.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 4,055
Likes: 1
From: Hartsdale, NY
I saw a oil compressor from Husky at the Depo; it had a 5 HP motor and 30 gallon tank. It was priced at $385 so I bought the oil-less compressor with the same specs from Sear for $300.
The Sears oil-less is LESS noisy than the Central Numatic oil compressor!
The Sears oil-less is LESS noisy than the Central Numatic oil compressor!
