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Where Did You Buy Your 60 Gallon Compressor?

Where Did You Buy Your Big Compressor?

  • Home Depot Aviation Supply

    Votes: 31 33.3%

  • Lowes Aeroplane Supply

    Votes: 16 17.2%

  • Tractor Supply (Aviation department)

    Votes: 3 3.2%

  • Sears Aviation Wholesale

    Votes: 9 9.7%

  • Harbour Freight Seaplane Division

    Votes: 7 7.5%

  • Custom made by Swiss Watch Makers with help from German engineers

    Votes: 3 3.2%

  • Other - post good deals!

    Votes: 24 25.8%
  • Total voters
    93
Ironflight

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
Now that Louise and I are settling into the new, permanent home in Nevada, it's time to discard the sorely-worn portable compressor and install something permanent. I am thinking 60 Gallon vertical tank - we hate running out of air when both of us are using die grinders.

Of course, all of the usual suspects sell big machines - Home Depot, Lowes, Harbour Frieght...just curious where folks have bought their big compressors - and of course, how happy you are with the choice. Poll choices reflect what is available in the Reno/Carson area (sort of ;) )

(I must say that I only go to HF for things I am going to use once, modify, or plan to destroy quickly - but who knows...maybe they do OK with big chunks of iron?)

Paul
 
Not quite Swiss or German, but it's 80 gallons and?...

A local compressor shop here is Dallas built it up for me in 1989.

It is used every day and hasn't missed a beat. Drain daily and change oil annually.
 
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I've had my HD Aerosupply compressor for 13 years now and going strong. You just can't have too much volume..
 
Tractor Supply had a nice sale on compressors after Xmas. Not sure if it's still going but they had a good price on a stand up IR.
 
My wife bought a Craftsman Industrial unit for me. It's a 135psi parallel twin job. The pump failed part way through the build, despite annual oil changes and general good care. I replaced the pump and the motor and tank have been fine.

A websearch indicated that I was not alone with this problem. Nobody ever reports good news, so it's impossible to quantify whether or not there is a real quality problem. I may have just had bad luck, but it soured me on the compressor somewhat.
 
Whatever you do, don't buy an IR model SS5. They have a defective head gasket that leaks between the cylinders.
 
I had a large one from Lowes and it crapped out in less than a year. I got one from HD, and it has lasted about 2 years so far and looking good. I use it for woodworking too, so it gets work.

I wouldn't rule out HF. I bought (3) 3" trash pumps and have used them daily for the past 3 summers pumping sprinklers 6 hours a day without missing a beat. I had a Honda pump - cost double what the 3 others cost total and it died after 1/2 season.
 
Hey Paul, I went straight to the source and bought a factory zero-timed 60 gallon upright unit from Campbell Hausfeld. It says "Husky" on the label, which is the Home Depot store brand, but it was a lot cheaper than Home Depot's asking price!

I may have to check out the Swiss horologist / German engineer idea next time around though...

mcb
 
scard said:
Whatever you do, don't buy an IR model SS5. They have a defective head gasket that leaks between the cylinders.
Click to expand...

Interesting! I wonder if they make the Craftsman I have. Same failure mode I had and the pump appears to be identical.

Guy
 
The poll didn't allow multiple choices.

My first compressor was a large Husky (Campbell Hausfeld) 80gal, 240v that I had in the garage for the first years of my build.

When I moved to the airport, I couldn't get 240v in the hangar, so I went cheap thinking I didn't have much riveting work left. I bought a 30 gal, 120v Harbor Freight special. It lasted about six months, so it wasn't covered by warranty.

I then purchased a more expensive Husky, 120v unit. It too died within a few months. Fortunately, it was covered under warranty. It took the local repair shop about three weeks to fix.

During this down time, I discovered that there was a common known failure of the HF compressors. Basically the gasket failed. At this point, what did I have to lose. I can build an airplane, I should be able to fix the compressor. I bought some gasket material from the local auto store and replaced the gasket.

So now I have three working compressors, but only using one at the moment. I moved during this process and don't have a 240v source for the good compressor at the moment. But in time, I can solve that problem. I'm having more fun flying and completing Phase I than to do projects at home. :)
 
Garage Sale

A REAL garage sale - a local service station was closing down and I bought their 80 gallon upright two stage compressor. Old but works really well. Previously had a 60 gallon single stage from a Homey Depot type place and though it was "rated" for 12 cfm at 90 psi, it wouldn't keep up with my Bluepoint die grinder that was only supposed to take 5 cfm.

Happy with the two stage - runs slower and produces more air. Won't go back to a single stage.
 
Had a compressor from Sears, noisy as could be, couldn't keep up with work I was doing and it finally died one day.

Found a local seller of Quincy air compressor, gave them a small stack of franklins, 60gallon I think, 220v, 2 stage, has not missed a beat in the last 10+ years. Works like a champ.

I have found if you go cheap you end up buying multiple times with some items. Never regretted the purchase and never worry about air supply anymore.
 
Tractor Supply.
If I mention the price it will make people sick with envy because it was unusually good sale when I bought it 10 years ago.

Coleman Vertical 6.5hp two cylinder single stage
Rated 9.6 CFM at 90psi
I run it at 120 psi to reduce the cycling.

Still going strong. Runs an air eating DA just fine.
 
A friend found me a decent Husky on Craigslist. The price was right. Most days, there's a selection available, including older, larger ones.

I brought it home in my truck, on its side. Mistake - the oil drained out. Home Depot sells AC oil, though, so that was okay.

It was just a bit too heavy for me to set in position by myself, but a cute neighbor, "I'm stronger than I look," helped me get it out of the truck and into position.

Gotta love Boulder.

Incidentally, the downside of a large tank is that when it does kick on, it runs for a while. If I had the room I'd try to locate it out of the shop somewhere. Still - I wouldn't get a smaller one. And check the reviews if possible, too.

Dave
 
Stockmanreef said:
I bought online from:
http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/delivered to house. Much easier when you don't have a truck. This is the specific model.
http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Campbell-Hausfeld-VT6275-Air-Compressor/p89.html
I can't compare it to anything, since this is the first large compressor I have ever used. I large volume compressor is nice so it is not running all the time when using air tools, especially when deburring with a die grinder.
Click to expand...

A tank rated at 135 psi max would scare the bejeebers out of me!
 
Mine appears to be that one, differently painted. It stores 192,301 foot-pounds of energy when filled (it's almost always full). I try not to think about it.

Dave
 
Sanborne . . . . .

. . . . . . is the brand. Bought it at Sams Club (you know - Wally World's alter ego). Twin cylinder, single stage. Hasn't missed a beat in over 15 years.
 
Stockmanreef said:
I bought online from:

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/

delivered to house. Much easier when you don't have a truck. This is the specific model.

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Campbell-Hausfeld-VT6275-Air-Compressor/p89.html

I can't compare it to anything, since this is the first large compressor I have ever used. I large volume compressor is nice so it is not running all the time when using air tools, especially when deburring with a die grinder.
Click to expand...

I like this quincy. http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Quincy-2V41C60VC-Air-Compressor/p855.html

Two stage with inter cooling finned pipe, 175pis standard pressure, 19.8 SFM at 125pis, 60 gal and made (or backed) by a real compressor company.

I have a similarly speced IR but they don't seem to make the Vee anymore. One caution, the 5hp motors (w/o starters) are only made for 5-6 starts per hour and then will cook the starting windings. I had to replace mine and it was cheaper to get a reversible 7.5 hp from Graingers rather than an IR replacement. I could get an identical emerson motor, but it rotated the opposite direction and the correct IR replacement was $500 more!! Apparently IR buys the emerson and will not allow them to sell the correct rotation.

Happy hunting!
 
You probably already know this, but be sure you compare the CFM at 90 PSI ratings----------more is better.
 
My first Sears was a 20 gal. single stage that I flogged for 30 years, never changed the oil, rarely drained the tank - I know, I know. It finally rusted out. Figure it cost me about $3 a year. Currently have a 60 gal. upright, 2 stage Sears that is about 8 years old. Got the HF auto drain valve, since I already proved that I am too lazy to manual drain it. It kept up with everything while I was building my -10, and sees heavy use in my woodworking shop. It is noisy enough that it sits outside my shop, but not so noisy that it bothers my neighbors.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
Bought my IR from Northern Tools online. Best price I could find at the time and it included free shipping to my house.
 
Over the years I acquired 2 Charge Air Pro 5HP compressors. I think they are an older Ingersol Rand product line. One is a 60 gallon single stage and the older is an 80 gallon 2 stage.
I bought them both from private individuals. Actually I traded for the first :p
The second was a Craigslist ad from a downsizing mechanic.
15 years on the first, 2 years on the second.
Keep an eye open, one will eventually come your way, and you don't have to settle for second best either.
I keep one at home, the other at the hangar.
 
20+years on my Home Depot (Campbell H) 60 gal upright 208volts help keep the amps in check. I don't use it everyday, but works great when called upon.
 
Problems with mine at first

It's been 13 years since I bought mine from Home Depot. I had a problem within the first couple of months with the start capacitors, I think it was, and called Ingersol-Rand. They told me that they were not happy with Home Depot, as the Depot would buy some components, like tank and motors, from them, and then assemble them with cheaper electronics. I don't know if this is still true. I ended up replacing some of the electronics, but don't remember the details. I generally don't buy high end tools from places like Home Depot anymore.
 
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I bought one for my other shop and it was a craftsman , it lasted 4 or 5 months , the engine blew apart , it was the one the uses o rings for piston rings and they rebuilt it under warranty , it was very ,very loud and would not purchase one again , in my shop were I work out we bought a ingersol rand t6 or t5 I believe about 16 years ago we paid good money for it but runs 12 hours a day 6 days a week and it runs a full repair shop with ease , we did have the electric motor rebuilt about 3 years ago , but that's it , keep them drained and you will. Have it for many years , they do make smaller ones for home use , the sears , or other brands are so loud you can't even think or talk to each other ,
Adam Simmons
 
Adam, it sounds like you had an oilless compressor. POS for our purposes, IMHO. Seems to me like they use more energy making noise than compressing air...
 
That is the max working pressure (MAWP)-the set pressure when it turns off. It is not the rupture vessel pressure. I don't know what that rupture pressure is, but I would assume that the rupture pressure would be in the 2000 psi range or more. Just guessing. It turns on in the 90-100 psi range and turns off at 135 psi.

There is no way that a company could sell a compressor with a rupture pressure of 135 psi.

If you looked closely at the site, then you would have seen that most of the 60 gallon tanks are rated to 135 psi. Again the MAWP not the vessel rupture pressure.

My guess is that the pressure relief valve is set for 150 psi or somewhere in that range.

I work with high pressure reactors all the time and the MAWP might be 1800 psi, while the vessel is rated for 5,000 to 6,000 psi.

Cheers
Ken
 
Eaton Compressor

Eaton Ohio. Check out www.eatoncompressor.com.

I have the 80 gallon, 2 stage, 5 HP, model EC5T80H1PH.

VERY quiet. about 20 CFM at 90 LBS.

We are very pleased with it. If only we had the skills to use it all!
 
MJarreau said:
Eaton Ohio. Check out www.eatoncompressor.com.

I have the 80 gallon, 2 stage, 5 HP, model EC5T80H1PH.

VERY quiet. about 20 CFM at 90 LBS.

We are very pleased with it. If only we had the skills to use it all!
Click to expand...

Now this is a real compressor!!! All of the specifications match my Champion compressor that I have had in my shop since 1973.

http://www.eatoncompressor.com/catalog/item/504747/206949.htm

Compare price here with Granger..... http://www.grainger.com/product/SPEEDAIRE-Electric-Air-Compressor-4XA63?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP

You will notice it only has a 5 hp motor....... There is a reason for that. Find out why before you purchase your compressor.

The motor runs at 1750 rpm and this makes the compressor quiet by running at between 700 and 800 rpm. Grainger also sells an INTAKE muffler that will reduce the noise even more.

Note..... Looking at the picture, it looks like the unit comes with an INTAKE muffler installed.

Pay the money and be happy ever after.
 
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Harbor freight 60 gal. Two stage, 240v,160psi, 16 cfm@ 90psi, vertical tank, cast iron twin cylinders.
Painted my rv8 with it. Wait for a coupon and get about 150$ off.

Bird
 
gasman said:
Now this is a real compressor!!! All of the specifications match my Champion / Speedair compressor that I have had in my shop since 1973.

You will notice it only has a 5 hp motor....... There is a reason for that. Find out why before you purchase your compressor.

The motor runs at 1750 rpm and this makes the compressor quiet by running at between 700 and 800 rpm. Grainger also sells an INTAKE muffler that will reduce the noise even more.

Pay the money and be happy ever after.
Click to expand...

The tag on the motor on my compressor (Webster - circa 1969) says it is a 3 hp, but is 3 or 4 times larger than the 6 hp one I had on my previous unit. Runs at 1725 rpm and the pulley ratios end up running the compressor at ~500 rpm. Have it in a separate room in the shop so never notice the noise when it is running.
 
MJarreau said:
Eaton Ohio. Check out www.eatoncompressor.com.

I have the 80 gallon, 2 stage, 5 HP, model EC5T80H1PH.

VERY quiet. about 20 CFM at 90 LBS.

We are very pleased with it. If only we had the skills to use it all!
Click to expand...

NICE! IT has a fully enclosed motor, and a proper industrial centrifugal pressure release too. And at a very good price. This should last 50 years! I might just sell my IR and get one.
 
New in 1992 - -

Campbell Hausfeld 5 HP, 60 vert., 240 single phase. Menards for I think $399. I put it in basement. Clean air, and stable temps. Still like new. Painted cars and airplane, and whatever. Don't know how people live without a compressor. I have it wired so I can turn on from attached garage. Have 50' hose on a reel under bench. Rarely a week goes by without my using it.
 
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