110V Air compressors

[hemi68charger]

Hey gang..
I'm really not looking to wire up 220 in my garage for an air compressor. Are there good 110v air compressors out there for the weekend-warrior garage guy like me? I'm looking for impact tool performance and such, but not constant..

Thanks..

[elacruze]

Same here, I'm keeping an eye out for older used horizontal units on craigslist and ebay. I like the slower large-cylinder dual stage compressors-the new oilless ones are so noisy I want to shoot them, or myself if I have to listen too long.

[Todd Wilson]

I bought a campbell hausfeld  piston setup from the farm store 12 years ago and its been great.  I'd personally stay away from the rotary (oiless) pumps if you can. Make sure the piston pump is cast iron and you should be good to go.  30 gallon tank is good.   My CH unit would run a DA sander but it was working very hard to do it and sometimes you would have to pause while it caught up.   It will not run a paint gun and I imagine is would struggle pretty good on a bead blast cabinet.


Todd

[69Charger_440]

I've been looking at this Ingersoll Rand for $474.00 at Sears.  Anyone have one?  If so, any feedback? 

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00989225000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

[elacruze]

I think anything less than 3 horsepower is inadequate for constant service, even with hand tools like sanders and blasting cabinets. Of course, compressors that actually perform bring a price consistent with their superiority.

[bill440rt]

I have a Craftsman compressor (Devilbiss based, I believe) in my garage. It was the biggest one before going to a vertical unit. It'll run a spray gun, grinders, mechanics air tools, etc with no problem. It'll run a DA as well, but it will eventually need to catch up (during sandpaper disc changes for example).
It's "oil-less", and noisy as heck. That's the only thing I don't like about it. Otherwise, it works fine for home-use.

[Todd Wilson]

I've also got a Craftsman upright oiless unit as well as my CH compressor. When starting my 71 project I found out real fast I didnt have enough air.  Picked up a damaged freight unit at Sears and brought it home. PLumbed it in with the CH  and got the regulators adjusted  and they both work well together. I end up with 50gallons of air and 2 pumps.  Both running together put out enough to run a DA or paint gun with no problems at all.


Todd

[gtx6970]

Bigger is usually better.
buy the biggest compressor you can afford

I have a 60 gal upright 5hp and it runs full time when the glass bead cabinet is going

I plan to will have to buy a 2 stage sooner than later

[Silver R/T]

The way i look at it is you better spend more money today so you won't have to spend anymore tomorrow. I've got 60Gal Kobalt from Lowe's and it's not quite perfect. http://www.mastertoolrepair.com/kobalt-k7060hfv-or-134819-p-2942.html
It was like $550 or so but HF has a nice one that will run ANY tool you hook up to it (including sandblaster) for $800. I might sell mine one day and get HF one.
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-hp-60-gallon-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html
Granted these compressors are not 120V but if you want a serious compressor you're going have to get electrician to wire you a 220V in your garage/shop.

[Silver R/T]

I've been looking at this Ingersoll Rand for $474.00 at Sears.  Anyone have one?  If so, any feedback? 

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00989225000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

I would not bother with that one, for another $100 or so you can pick up twice as powerful/bigger compressor or just get one from HF
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-hp-60-gallon-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html

[A383Wing]

I've been looking at this Ingersoll Rand for $474.00 at Sears.  Anyone have one?  If so, any feedback? 

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00989225000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

I would not bother with that one, for another $100 or so you can pick up twice as powerful/bigger compressor or just get one from HF
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-hp-60-gallon-165-psi-two-stage-air-compressor-93274.html

that one is 220v....I don't think he has 220v at the garage....I got one like that back in the 90's..it's 220v...and it's still working

Bryan

[Silver R/T]

There's no 110V one that will keep up with air tools (besides a nail gun and maybe to air up your tires)

[BrianShaughnessy]

I've still got an old Sears 110 20 gal deal.   I've toyed with the idea of getting a bigger / better one but eh...   life gets in the way.

It would kick the garage breaker doing hot restarts unless I plugged it into an outlet close to the main circuit panel. 

So when I had the electrician in doing upgrades for new stove to a single 50 amp 220 circuit,  he reused the 2 old split 30 amp circuits... one to a subpanel under the basement stairs where the compressor is now running off and the other to a 220 outlet in the garage.

The garage circuit is where I now feed back my backup generator through....  or I could actually use it to run something 220... if I actually had anything that used it 


If you find an used compressor on CL maybe you would save enough to call the electrician 

[bakerhillpins]

The garage circuit is where I now feed back my backup generator through....  or I could actually use it to run something 220... if I actually had anything that used it  

Be careful feeding back thorough a circuit, you could end up killing someone if you feed your generator back through the transformer on the pole.


I have a 5hp, 20 gal, oil single stage from CH. It works fine for all the home renovations and furniture work but the hardest work it does is painting. It works fine for small paint jobs but runs almost constantly.

[Chatt69chgr]

I've got a 20 gal 2 HP sears I bought 35 years ago with cast iron compressor.  It's been my most used tool in the shop besides an electric drill.  It is great for cleaning parts, airing up tires, and will run things like little air drills and air rachets.  But anything that takes any amount of air will pull it down in probably 10 to 15 seconds.  Then it starts pumping and won't keep up---gorget using rotary air sanders.  I have a old IR impact and it won't break loose lug nuts with this unit.  It's 110 Volt at something like 20 amps.  I rewired the motor for 220 to cut the current drain in half.  You need a 220 VAC unit to do much of anything.  You really need a two stage.  Unless you spend the money for a nice rig, about the best you can get by with is a 5HP, two stage, with 60 to 80 gal tank.  For less than a thousand, you are going to probably end up with a 3450 rpm, two stage, with cheap motor that has no motor starter---will only have a thermostat.  What you really want is go spend a little extra and get a 1725 rpm with good motor with motor starter, two stage, 80 gal ASME tank and V-type cast iron compressor.  Min would be 5 HP.  Preferred is 7.5 HP.  Ingersoll Rand makes good industrial stuff but the cheap crap with their name on it at places like Home Depot is not any good.  And you need a iron pipe air distribution system to get the water out.  O/W, your nice air tools will rust on the inside and be no good.  See TP Tools for air layout diagram.

[BrianShaughnessy]

The garage circuit is where I now feed back my backup generator through....  or I could actually use it to run something 220... if I actually had anything that used it  

Be careful feeding back thorough a circuit, you could end up killing someone if you feed your generator back through the transformer on the pole.

Yup...   I shut off the main breaker.     Only used it once so far but getting the heat on and getting the wimmin shut up was priceless 

[vancamp]

I have a 220 60 gal. 5 hp bought at sams 5 years ago had a 110 before that, the 220 is considerably cheaper on electricity.

[stripedelete]

The above mentioned older Craftsman (Cambell Huasfeld) 1-3 hp are a pretty good bang for your buck ($75-150 in very good condition).  I think most of the motors can be set up to run 220 or 110.

A buddy made an auxiller tank by looping large diameter Schedule 40 pvc pipe around his garage ceiling.   Tank capacity can't overcome lack of compressor size, but it helped, and didn't rob any space.

[resq302]

After the 33 gal Craftsman (DeVilbis made) compressor had the pump grenade on me when I was in the shed, (yes it was an oil-less direct drive model) I changed over to a belt drive 30 gal Husky air compressor belt drive.  The motor on the Husky (home depot) unit (don't know who makes it for Husky) is able to be converted from 110 to 220 easily and is super quiet with the belt drive.  The old direct drive was noisy as hell.  Plus the whole fact that if the pump seizes and grenades, I know that the belt will at least slip instead of causing more damage.  Getting hit with flying shrapnel is not fun.

[bill440rt]

There's no 110V one that will keep up with air tools (besides a nail gun and maybe to air up your tires)

My Craftsman compressor is a 33 gal 6hp model and it is 110v. With the exception of a sandblast cabinet (I don't have one at the house), it's handled all my air tools fine including a spray gun. It'll operate a 6" DA for quite a while, at least until it needs a sandpaper change. I can change paper & just keep going.
It won't handle an entire shop, but for at-home use it suits my needs fine. It's just plain loud.

After the 33 gal Craftsman (DeVilbis made) compressor had the pump grenade on me when I was in the shed, (yes it was an oil-less direct drive model) I changed over to a belt drive 30 gal Husky air compressor belt drive.  The motor on the Husky (home depot) unit (don't know who makes it for Husky) is able to be converted from 110 to 220 easily and is super quiet with the belt drive.  The old direct drive was noisy as hell.  Plus the whole fact that if the pump seizes and grenades, I know that the belt will at least slip instead of causing more damage.  Getting hit with flying shrapnel is not fun.

Brian, I think I have the same one! Made by DeVilbiss. Mine is mounted tucked under one side of my tool bench, and in the corner. With a wall shelf in front of it. If the day ever comes when it decides to grenade itself (let's hope not!), hopefully there's enough around it to protect from any flying debris! 
I'm happy with the size/performance of it, but the noise just sucks. If I had known about the noise, I would have gotten a belt drive. We have an older Craftsman belt drive at my parents' house, about the same size but 220v, which is much quieter & still going strong after several decades of use.

[resq302]

Bill,  mine was an upright one vs. the horizontal tank model.  Ours had minimal use and was only about 2 years or so old.  Maybe a year and a half tops with using it only once or twice a week when I was working on the charger.  If it had 3 hrs use per day we used it, it was a lot.  Sears tried to play it off as a lack of maintenance till they heard it was the oil free, maintenance free direct drive pumps.  Then they were all concerned especially when they saw my bandaged hand and arm.  I guess the moral of the story is to kill the breaker and not the power switch on the compressor when you hear the pump start making noise.  Sad thing is we are religious about draining any condensation in the tank and whenever we shut off the compressor, we bleed the tank down by opening up the drain valve and leave it open till the next time we use it, when we close off the drain valve.  Prevents any kind of moisture build up inside the tank for fear of tank failure.  Cause when that goes..... look out!  

My best friends dad had a horizontal tank model (unknown brand) let loose due to a malfunction in the pressure cut off switch and ended up blowing the tank about 25 feet up into the air   and launching the plastic wheels across the street into the neighbors yard and the other wheel about 75 feet to his property line.  Needless to say, I have the utmost respect for compressed air!

[69 OUR/TEA]

In 95 I bought a Craftsman 5hp 60 gal 220v upright oiless.So freaking loud !!!! After not even a year it sounded like it was going to grenade,so I brought it to the Sears serveice center with my warranty,they took it apart and did say it was ready to blow,and what did I do to this thing ?
It was in the area I work,sanding/painting and that is what caused the short life as the sanding/paint dust made it way into the exposed crank/rod assembly.
They fixed 100%,like new again,sold it as fast as I could !Then got a regular oil filled crank case 220v 6.5hp 80 gal two stage that I've had since then,and done probably thousands of hours on so far.Runs 2 da's at the same time,nonstop glass bead,etc.Think the specs were somewhere in the range of 17 scfm @ 90psi.
When this one goes,will replace it with something very similar.Anyway,HD has a Professional series 110v oil filled crank case for I think $439.00,if my memory serves me,that would be the one I'd get for a minimal use compressor.

[resq302]

One thing I have noticed with Craftman products since I started really working on cars over the past 10 years is that their quality has gone down the tubes.  Everything from their hand tools to the electric power tools.  Maybe it is just me but it seems like their standards have gotten really low lately.

[MoparManJim]

Yea, the air Compressor my friend Mark bought down for me to use, the same one that had the piston go flying into afew pieces right next to me was also a Craftsman one. There piston's are junk really. The Bufflo ones are the same way too.

[A383Wing]

Remember Eagle Hardware??

That's where I got mine back in '92...5hp upright, never have had to do anything to it except oil changes

Compressor is just to left of furnace

Bryan