craftsman compressor.....t/s question

[runningman]

Any of you guys had a problem with a craftsman "maint free" compressor?  I have a 26 gallon or so and sounds like crap, won't build up more than 60lbs of pressure or so.....anything I can look for?  Is it worth trying to fix??  I only need it for a couple more weeks than my car will be ready to get sent out for final body and paint

[Silver R/T]

so let me guess, its oilless huh? I would just get rid of it, its not worth keeping

[runningman]

yeah it's oilless, I don't have 220 in my garage right now and really didn't want to fool with it since we are hoping to move within a year or so.  I am going to try and tear into it tomorrow and see what I can find.

[resq302]

Be careful with that.  My dad and I used to have an "oil free' compressor with our 30 gal tank from Craftsman and it started making a loud noise one day when I was using it.  I was only about 5 feet away from it when it started making the noise so I went over to shut it off and the motor/piston area grenaded on me.  Luckily I was not hurt and the plastic shroud contained most of the shrapnel but the electric direct drive motor kept spinning with the connecting rod still flailing around.  We brought the pieces back to Sears and showed them and told them the horror story.  Our compressor was only 2 years old and this was prior to us getting involved in our antique cars.  Actually before I even had my charger.  We basically only used the compressor for a couple hours maybe 2 days a week if that.  In exchange for the defective parts I brought in, they were willing to give me a $25 gift certificate for my troubles.  (Gee, I guess my life is only worth $25 to Sears).  Needless to say, that left me with a bad taste in my mouth and we promptly ended up replacing our compressor with a belt drive, oiled system, with a 33 gal tank made by Husky that we bought at Home Depot.  The motor runs quieter than the Sears direct drive and this time if it should grenade or seize, it is on a belt so it wont damage the motor.  Since then, I refuse to buy any Sears or Craftsman power equipment.  Hand tools are a different story cause of the lifetime warranty.

[runningman]

Be careful with that.  My dad and I used to have an "oil free' compressor with our 30 gal tank from Craftsman and it started making a loud noise one day when I was using it.  I was only about 5 feet away from it when it started making the noise so I went over to shut it off and the motor/piston area grenaded on me.  Luckily I was not hurt and the plastic shroud contained most of the shrapnel but the electric direct drive motor kept spinning with the connecting rod still flailing around.  We brought the pieces back to Sears and showed them and told them the horror story.  Our compressor was only 2 years old and this was prior to us getting involve in our antique cars.  Actually before I even had my charger.  We basically only used the compressor for a couple hours maybe 2 days a week if that.  In exchange for the defective parts I brought in, they were willing to give me a $25 gift certificate for my troubles.  (Gee, I guess my life is only worth $25 to Sears).  Needless to say, that left me with a bad taste in my mouth and we promptly ended up replacing our compressor with a belt drive, oiled system, with a 33 gal tank made by Husky that we bought at Home Depot.  The motor runs quieter than the Sears direct drive and this time if it should grenade or seize, it is on a belt so it wont damage the motor.  Since then, I refuse to buy any Sears or Craftsman power equipment.  Hand tools are a different story cause of the lifetime warranty.

Wow, never heard of a compressor doing that.  I am definitely going to get a nice belt drive compressor.....just was hoping it wouldn't have to be so soon

[resq302]

My best friends dad actually had a tank blow up on him.  I was up to their house when I was 17 or 18 and his pressure cut off switch failed and the compressor kept running.  Needless to say, when the tank burst, it launched both wheels (horizontal wheeled unit) outward about 50 feet and the other at least 75 feet.  The compressor, motor, and tank got launched into the air about 30 feet and left about a 8" hole in the dirt where it had been prior to be coming a poorly designed rocket.  If memory serves me correctly, I think that was a craftsman too.

[Badbob]

I rebuilt my craftsman compressor, a piston and rod kit was available and it was an easy fix, I made sure the crank nut stayed tight with locktite. With a model number a parts list is availalable as well as a parts diagram on the sears website, you can choose and order parts from the site.

Bob

[Silver R/T]

ya better buy good compressor first time. It'll pay for itself. Costco got some good compressor on sale right now

[bill440rt]

I had a 5hp/30gal oiled Craftsman compressor when I was living at my parents' house. The thing has to be 15 years old, & it's well used. Changed the oil at regular intervals, & it works just fine.

Now when I moved, I bought a new Craftsman oil-less compressor, in the similar size (that seems to be all they sell these days). It sure makes a racket, my old one was so quiet compared to this one. It takes a longer time to fill, but once filled it does not come on as much. So far, except for the noise, it's been OK.

BTW, the Craftsman compressors were made by Devilbiss, a very reputable company. I'm not sure if they still are, though.

[resq302]

Bill,  when mine went, that is who made it.  Granted, it seems that stuff that Craftsman makes air tool wise is cheap.  My air gun (impact gun) cant break a lug nut loose to save its life.  Got an Ingersol Rand and breaks em free everytime.

[bill440rt]

Bill,  when mine went, that is who made it.  Granted, it seems that stuff that Craftsman makes air tool wise is cheap.  My air gun (impact gun) cant break a lug nut loose to save its life.  Got an Ingersol Rand and breaks em free everytime.

Me too.
I.R. impact gun, reversible, variable torque settings. Great tool.
I believe the Crapsman air tools are made by Chicago Pneumatic, similar to the ones sold in a Harbor Freight catalog. Their hand & electric tools are very good, most of the Crapsman electric tools are either B & D or DeWalt based.
So far, my Crapsman oil-less air compressor is doing the job & holding up well. If it ever needed replacement though, I would probably not buy another oil-less one. It's just noisy.

[resq302]

Bill,

My new compressor is a belt drive, far superior and a lot quieter as far as I am concerned.  The nice thing about the separate pump and motor is if  the motor or the pump craps out, you can get a replacement easily emough.  The Craftsman motor/pump is all one unit, at least the oilless ones are.

[runningman]

Thanks for the info guys, a buddy at work let me borrow his belt drive 25 gallon compressor.  Should get me through the last bit of stuff I need to do.  Then I take that other one apart and see if it is worth saving.  I am definitely going to get a bigger 220 unit when we move though

[resq302]

My belt drive is a 110 set up.  Unless you expect a lot of power to be going on all the time, you can get by with a 110.

[dodgeboy67]

 ....I HAVE A 60 GALLON OILLESS CRAFTSMAN AIR COMPRESSOR......NOW IM SCARED TO USE IT, FOR THE FEAR IT MIGHT BLOW UP ON ME......JEEZ..... ......

GOOD THING I ONLY PAID 200 BUCKS FOR IT......FIRST THING I WAS TOLD AFTER I BOUGHT IT WAS.....YOU DIDNT BUY AN OILLESS  DID YOU......

[MorePwr]

check out this compressor.. I've had one of these for about 12 years it'll run a DA sander wide open, all day and not drop below 90 psi. it's had heavy home use, sanded five cars and a canoe that had four layers of paint + normal airtool use and the wife's upholstery business for about five years and the darn thing runs like the day I bought it




http://greenvalleycompressor.com/miva_apps/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PT&Product_Code=PK+6060&Category_Code=ACP

[Lord Warlock]

Wow, yall are really against oil less compressors.  I've had a craftsman 3.5 hp 25 gallon tank since 1984, and it still runs great, can still maintain pressure up to around 125psi and has sat outside, stored in the garage, left in the yard, etc for months at a time without complaining.  I'll admit it is kind of noisy, but it isn't much louder than my 5 gallon pancake compressor i use for my airbrush work and filling up tires with.  If mine was going to have grenaded it should have done it in the last two years when I used it extensively almost every day on a different car project (usually at 60psi).  I wish mine would die so I can go get a newer 60 gallon upright model that will hold enough air to use sanders. 

Maybe it was because i got it back when sears and craftsman products had a great reputation, now i'd prefer to buy elsewhere.  I still use craftsman tools though. 

[MorePwr]

Lord Warlock I am surprised. I didn't know that they were making the oil less/fish pump compressors back then, thought they were something in the last ten years or so.. Maybe that's why yours has held up so well, less plastic!

[Chryco Psycho]

oiless are crap

[Lord Warlock]

Not sure what a fish pump compressor is, but mine is oil free, I don't ever oil anything in it, just plug it in and turn it on.  Just pulled it back to the new garage to get ready to spray some primer this weekend.  Not a bad buy for 300 bucks.