Air Compressor Suggestions?

[scottw]

I am about to purchase this. I have many uses for a decent air compressor. This one seems to suit my needs well and the price is affordable.

What gear will I need, based on the description? I know I will need a good hose, but how do you know what is good and what is not? What sort of air gun heads do you guys use for simple blow-off stuff? Are there many different type of hose connectors for air tools, or is it basically one type of connection for this sort of rig?

Do you really need to use the ball valve water drain after every use or is that more of a drain-it-when-it-starts-spitting deal?

I have so much to learn. But I am stoked about finally getting this guy. I have been researching for about six months now.

This looks like a good one, Wade.
It is oiless, so maintenance is not a big issue and oil overspray won't mess up your work. It is big enough to supply a steady volume of air, so spraying should be pretty even, too. It is rated at 74 db, which isn't bad, but I would try to isolate it a bit to make it easier on your ears: in another room, surrounded by insulation panels, etc should do the trick, just so long as to let it breathe freely. Probably uses a standard 1/4", but make sure whatever you get, it is the same nipple/coupling size and style, as there are several and all Lots of Teflon tape, too. Congratulations!
Scottw

[tbn.al]

I have had one not nearly as nice or ambitious as this for 10 years and I have never had a problem with having enough air. I use it for sand blasting, painting, air nailer, etc. I have the auto water valve in the line and it keeps the accumulated water in the tank out of my spray nozzle. I am pretty lazy about draining the tank.

[Tom]

I am not an air compressor expert but will tell you what I know...

I have a small air compressor (it's a Makita Mac 700). It is oil-lubricated vs. oilless (such as the one you're looking at). I found that oil lubricated compressors generally run quieter and smoother than the oilless compressors. Granted that I was looking at small compressors, but I would assume that the problem would simply be "scaled up" on larger compressors.

I do drain my compressor after I'm finished with it for the day. The tank on mine is small so draining it is not such a waste of compressed air and only takes a minute to do. You'll be surprised at the amount of moisture in a even a small compressor's tank.

For a hose, I bought a Goodyear hose through Amazon. It's as high quality as any that I've seen. They're available in many different lengths and some even come mounted on reels.

Buy Milton brand fittings if you can. There is a noticeable difference in quality between the Milton brand fittings (not to be confused with Milton type fittings) and most of the other fittings which are made in China. Check carefully to avoid pot metal fittings and attachments.

Teflon tape, as mentioned, will be your friend. Use it to seal up all of the connections on the hoses and tools you're going to use.

I have an el-cheapo blow gun at the moment. It's a "Forney" brand that came in an assortment pack. It works fine and doesn't leak. Forney is supposed to be an American brand, but the card it came on said "made in China." Oh well...it works. You can get far fancier than the one that I have, but for what I do it gets the job done.

The CFM rating @ ________ PSI reveals what the compressor can really do. I can run typical "homeowner" type air tools on a small compressor such as nail guns. What I have couldn't be used to run a blasting cabinet or paint sprayer, for example, because the CFM (aka "flow") isn't high enough to do so. However, a small compressor can occasionally do things like that so long as you know that the compressor will run continuously rather than cycle on and off.

There are all kinds of moisture removing devices and air driers that can be purchased to used with your compressor, too. My needs don't really call for anything like that, so I speak to any of that other than to say the point is to (obviously) remove moisture from the air you're using.

[ghmerrill]

From my point of view, that's a pretty big compressor for "average" use. You really need something that big? The real question is "What do you need it for?".

I've had a Porter Cable CPF4515 for over 20 years and it does everything I want. It's 135 PSI, 15 gallon tank, oil free. The bigger tank means longer cycle time, but it also means you have to haul it around on its wheels. I think it's very much like that DeWalt you're looking at.

Just last week my wife got a Porter Cable 135 PSI, 3.5 gallon "pancake" compressor. (This was after ordering what turned out to be a POS Chinese compressor from Home Depot and taking it back.) It's great for what she wants -- which is some spray painting, blowing stuff around the countryside, and a light nail gun or staple gun. Our #2 son has a similar Porter Cable pancake compressor that he's been using aggressively in home remodeling.

If you want to do "light" stuff with it, don't get that big a compressor. Get a decent "pancake" style that will take up less room and will be easier to move around. If you really want to run some serious tools off it (grinders, torque wrenches, etc.) or you plan to use it mostly for things like tractor repair and maintenance, then get a larger one.

In terms of "accessories", I strongly recommend Harbor Freight -- at least until you know what you're doing and can make informed decisions. But overall, HF can take you a long way. And it's cheap as dirt.

In terms of the connectors, etc., there is some odd and frustrating variation there. You'll have to figure it out as you go . The primary reason we took back the $60 Chinese compressor was that, although I was pretty sure I could "fix" it by replacing some connecting parts, it clearly was going to be too frustrating. It leaked SOMEWHERE with every fixture and connector I put on it . But HF really is pretty good for all the connectors, hoses, attachments, etc.

[ghmerrill]

Okay ... If you want a big compressor (like a machine shop would have), I suggest you keep an eye on auctions in the area. Over the past few years around here I've seen several compressors of that size go for a song at auction. One of these was at the auction where my son got his milling machine (and all the tooling) for $700 and we saw a nice (though a bit old) commercial fork lift go for $100 because nobody wanted to take a chance on it. However (it had a gasoline engine), I'm pretty sure that the only problem with it was that the carb was all gunked up from sitting idle since the owner of the little machine shop it was in had died five years earlier and his family was finally getting around to auctioning off the shop. Auctions of shops like this, or small factories, can yield some really good equipment at very low cost.

[alfredr]

No one seems to have mentioned this: The reason for draining the tank on a regular basis, daily, or weekly if it gets little use, is to remove moisture that can lead to the tank rusting out. Don't ask if I practice what I preach.

alfredr