D

Dancer

Member
I've searched the various threads regarding air compressors and have learned a lot. One thing I'm not sure of is what the minimum specs are that I should look for in an air compressor. I'll probably only use one air tool at a time and will building an RV7.
Thanks,
Lance
 
If you plan on painting the airplane yourself (priming internal parts doesn't count), then think big (e.g. high CFMs, 240V, 60Gals, etc.). If not, then IMHO you can get away with a more reasonable sized/priced mid-range compressor (see below).

You will get opinions on this that are all over the place, but all I can do is to point out two compressors that have served many builder's well. One is from Sears (or OSH in CA), the other is available at Home Depot. I have the Home Depot one, and I have no complaints whatsoever. Both of these are similar in tank size, both are oil-lubed and both are convertible between 120V and 240V. I like the vertical format of the Home Depot one better, but the CFMs on the Craftsman are rated higher.

Just my $.02... YMMV. Good luck!

EDIT: The Home Depot link won't work. But I am sure you can find it.... it is the Husky 5Hp 26 Gal Vertical Compressor, Model VT6315, $377.
 
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Check Home Depot

I just bought a compressor from Home Depot to replace an old oil less one.. In my search I looked at Lowe's, Sears, and just about every were else and decided on the 60 gal oiled comp. by husky.. The 30 Gal vertical that looked like the same motor and pump was 389.00 and the 60 Gal monster was only 10.00 more at 399.00.. I did lose two things one was it will only run on 220 volts and its portability.. But I did feel like it was a great deal
 
I have the same compressor as Paul, and I can honestly say that I hate it. The regulator that came with it was junk and gave out on me. Also, the thing will rattle your fillings out when it kicks on. I feel bad working with my garage door open when it runs. I wish I would have spent $50-$100 more and got an oil-lubed compressor -- even a smaller size would be fine with me. I would sell the thing in a hearbeat if some poor soul with poor hearing that lived out in the stix next to no other human being was looking for a compressor.
 
Sears Compressors

I went to the Sears web page and looked at the Craftsman Comp. and most of them have very poor ratings on the page by people who own them.. I own alot of craftsman tools and have never been unhappy..
 
Hi Guys,

Ditto on what most said, here is where I put mine, under the bence, I installed U brackets under the bench as well later to hold the rolled up pipe. It is out of the way.

If you can try an insullate or put your compressor outside your shop, I constantly wear ear protection, if it is switched on .
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I am very happy with mine for home building use!
1) Volume: 100 liters (26 Gallons US) is good for average Joe that will paint as well, i.e. home use. Means it can feed the airdril/paint gun good before starting again.
2) Oiled units is suppose to run quiter
3) Belt Driven units are also suppose to be quiter, since the piston runs 1/2 the rpm the motor does which suppose to means less noise.
4) Wheels make it easy to move around, Especially if I do bigger paint jobs outside.

Kind Regards
Rudi
 
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Noisy Compressor

I agree with Rob Johnson, the Sears compressor is a piece of junk. Very loud and I've had it in twice to fix an ailing/leaking pressure switch. Anyone out there want another compressor for the South 40 with no human habitation?
Roger Robertson
Looking for an RV9
N2800X TB 20
(Van's study for the RV10)
 
It's loud, but not as loud as most air tools themselves (grinder, rivet gun) so I leave with it.
I had bought it before I started on the airplane. If I had to do it again I'd want to hear the noise difference between the two before buying. I don't remember other compressors being that much quieter.

It's loud to the point that I won't run it at night due to the neighbor. However it's not loud to the point that I wear hear protection devices.

I've never had any trouble with it for except the drain valve. I close it by hand and still could hear a little bit of air leaking. Drove me insane, so I tighened it and broke it. $4 later it had a better one on.
I've taken the plier (hands full of oil, couldn't turn it) to the regulator once and I think it will have to be changed too because ever since it's harder to turn.
 
I have the same one as Rob and Paul. I've never had a problem with it (as I am currently knocking on wood...), but it is LOUD :eek: ! I built a sound insulated box around it, and although it's not well engineered, it does cut down on the noise considerably. If I had to do it again, I would go with an oiled-belted 26 gallon of some sort.

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Prepare to be scared...

I told myself I would use my existing compressor until it died. I'm halfway through the wings and it hasn't died yet. I got it at Big Lots for $79.99, it's a 6Gal oil lubricated compressor, and I plumbed in my portable 10Gal tank ($39.99) with about 10 bucks in hardware. That gives me 16Gal for $130...I wouldn't paint a plane with it, but the drill, die grinder, and rivet gun run great and it's pretty quiet. If you already have a small compressor like I did, don't be afraid to get to work.

-Anonymous
(afraid to admit that I am compressor challenged!!)
 
The Craftsman PROFESSIONAL 25 Gal horizontal OIL LUBE is the only way to go if your looking at craftsman. I used one for quite awhile and loved it. I wish sears would get their act together an make that oil pump on one of their 33gal tanks, that would ROCK! I don't have 220v in the hanger I build in, so that isn't an option. You might want to consider that once you move to the airport you might not have 220V.
 
1. Look at the cfm rating of the tools you will use & size the compressor for that. The die grinder is a real air hog, so unless you plan to paint your plane yourself, it may be the one to size your compressor for.

2. Noise! As several have said, noise is an issue. And the bigger the compressor, the louder, but there are differences from brand to brand. One of our chapter members has a real quiet one, about 30 gal.; I'll ask him what make/model & cfm rating it is & get back.

If you end up with a noisey one & want to insulate it, check the heat in your cabinet; see Dan Checkoway's site to see how he handled heat.

I have a 5 hp Eagle (made in Canada) & it delivers 12 cfm at 90 psi. Good unit, but it is loud.
 
I talked with my friend with the quiet compressor. It's a Craftsman Professional, 6 hp, 150 psi, 25 gal. tank. May not be as quiet as I remembered, but it's quiet compared to mine.
 
Both the oil lube and oil free craftsman professonal are very quiet, and are rated quite well on the CFM for their size and HP. What i'm not sure about is their duty cycle rating. I know the expensive ones like Ingersol Rand are rated at 100% duty life, which means they are rated to run 60 minutes out of every hour.
 
I bought the auto-drain valve from harbor freight. Don't do it. IT IS JUNK. The plastic hose is only rated at 100#. IT WILL blow at exactly 100#, I KNOW. I replaced it with al. tubing. Then, the valve gave out and started continuously blowing down my compressor. Stop work on the RV, remove all of the drain valve stuff, put it back the way it was, experiment over with.
 
I like my oiless

I got a Sears 33 gallon horizontal oiless...Fully expecting it to die part way thru the project and to replace it under warranty. (it was the so called 5.5 HP on 115volts...Do the math and there is no way it runs at 5.5 HP on a 20 amp circuit).

To my surprise its been superb, and I did all the spraying with it afterwards. Never gave me a hint of trouble...still works great.

Of course the big benefit of the oil free is you can use it to drive your own homemade breathing air system and be sure of no oil in your paint (or your lungs) which is critical.

The thing is noisy but my location on 5 acres allowed me to put it in a back room with a door open to the outside.

Frank
N484H.....flying 2.8 hours...hey these things are pretty fast...:)
 
Harbor Freight Auto Drain Valve

Alton is right! The plastic tubing provided with the Harbor Freight Automatic Drain Valve fails at 100 psi. I replaced mine with copper tubing (and new fittings). The copper tubing and fittings are probably worth more than what I paid for my valve. However, the valve I installed has worked well for over two years. If you get any contaminant to the innards of the valve, like dirt, grit, etc., the valve won't seal. I'm not sure I would buy another H-F unit, but it does keep the water drained from my tank. YMMV.
Don
P.S. Another contaminant which is often overlooked is Teflon pipe tape. You should NOT use Teflon tape on piping or fittings which are connected in a pneumatic system with any kind of valves installed. (Isn't that all of them?) Use pipe dope or liquid pipe thread sealant instead.
 
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