Looking for a air compressor for the garage. Nothing massive but enough to run air tools. I have heard that you need to buy more than you think you will need so I was looking for at least a 30 gallon. I only have 120V in the garage but may have 240 installed in the future.

What are the better brands to buy (how are Campbell Hausfeilds, Porter Cable, etc.)?
Pros an cons of Oil and Oil-less. (heard oil-less are louder)
Pros and Cons of aluminum vs. cast iron. (heard aluminum are hotter/louder).

Thanks!

you should search. theres a bunch of threads about this. or you could go to your local lowes and ask the same question since you know nothig about CFM.

the only thing i can add is dont get the oilless setup. those are to damn loud.

get the 240V installed and pick up one of the 60 gallon units from Lowes/Home Depot. Both are almost identical just different brand names. I used a cheap 33 gallon 120V oilless for the longest until I knew what I was missing. My 60 gallon Kobalt unit runs every tool I need without any trouble (including air/hydro bender and my plasma cutter, as well as cutoff wheels for quite some time) and makes about 1/2 the noise my oilless compressor did.

The use you stated run air tools is pretty broad.

Do you mean the use of a 1/2" impact and 3/8" ratchet once in a while.

Maybe you want to use a dual action sander.

More demand yet a sand blaster. Plasma cutter at 6 cfm

It is better to know what your needs are then to buy a unit to small .

it sucks to have to stop and wait for the air compressor to catch up.

Lowe's has the 240v 60 gal kobalt for $399. I think it's rated at 11cfm at 90psi, maybe more.

get the 240V installed and pick up one of the 60 gallon units from Lowes/Home Depot. Both are almost identical just different brand names. I used a cheap 33 gallon 120V oilless for the longest until I knew what I was missing. My 60 gallon Kobalt unit runs every tool I need without any trouble (including air/hydro bender and my plasma cutter, as well as cutoff wheels for quite some time) and makes about 1/2 the noise my oilless compressor did.

X2. i have the home depot one and have no complaints.

I started out with a compressor that did 6.4 CFM @ 90 and 8.6@ 40 and it worked ok when I started out like you. I grew to a larger garage, moved from working on Jeeps (I know I know, we all make mistakes) to 3/4 and 1 ton and 2.5 ton trucks and parts, went to a 1" impact and that was all she wrote. The compressor struggled to keep up. I had the chance to go to a super duty compressor that does 25.25 ACFM @ 100 and 22.23 ACFM @ 175. It's a huge difference. I can work in my garage plasma cutting while my buddy uses a DA and not strain the compressor, I can't tell you how nice it is.

I will give you this advise. Buy once, buy good and buy big. Spend a grand and be done with it.

I have a Belaire compressor and love it, we're also a dealer for them so I'm a bit biased.

I pieced mine together. I bought a used 3 phase 2-stage compressor for $200.00. It had very little time on it due to the compressor was not large enough for the shop (but plenty big enough for me). I bought a rebuilt 10hp single phase electric motor for $450.00. With installation and wiring, I've got around $900.00 in my compressor. And I'll have all the air I'll ever need.

i have had a 60gal Kobalt compressor for a month now. the 155psi is NICE. turns on at 125-135psi, that pressure is the max of most other compressors.

My compressor is single phase 7.5 hp producing 24 cfm @ 175psi. Sounds like alot of air but I need all of it when I get my 1" impact out.

Buy as big as you can afford, and supply power too.
You will always want bigger some day.

My compressor is single phase 7.5 hp producing 24 cfm @ 175psi. Sounds like alot of air but I need all of it when I get my 1" impact out.


Model, brand, etc?

List what you have with these specs... I am also looking for a bigger compressor and would like ot know what is working for everyone else.

Just like welders, buy the biggest baddest best compressor you can afford....if you cheap out, you'll find yourself wishing you hadn't.

I bought a ingersoll 5hp/80gal when I bought my house 2 years ago, and for 2 years I've never caught myself waiting for the compressor to fill up. I've run a sandblast cabinet for hours on end, a DA sander for 8 hours straight, and done plenty of porting work with die grinders and it's amazing how much you can get done when you don't have to sit and wait for the fawking POS compressor to catch up with you.

in the past, everytime I needed a bigger a compressor I bought the next size up from what I had, and after a week I was kicking myself for not getting a bigger one. 5hp/80 gallon is enough to run a lotta shit.

Model, brand, etc?

List what you have with these specs... I am also looking for a bigger compressor and would like ot know what is working for everyone else.

This is what I picked of for 1,000 USD brand new from the belaire dealer. It came with the 2 year Honda warranty and Belaire warranty.


I went this route as I've only got 200 amp service at my house, to pull another lead was expensive and I'd have to add a sub panel. I'm tapped out of power right now (even ran load test to make sure). I'd have to run the compressor or plasma cutter but not both.

I put this on a 4x12 concrete slab behind the garage. I then built a 3 sided cover for it (i'd have had to do this for the 240 compressor too). I have a simple tarp I move when I want to run it. It's key start w/ pull start over ride. With the rubber pads I used and the good concrete I used in the slab there is no vibration from the compressor and little noise. My neighbor don't even hear it in their houses at night.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k297/montecarlo31/Picture731.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k297/montecarlo31/Picture733.jpg

The use you stated run air tools is pretty broad.

Do you mean the use of a 1/2" impact and 3/8" ratchet once in a while.

Maybe you want to use a dual action sander.

More demand yet a sand blaster. Plasma cutter at 6 cfm

It is better to know what your needs are then to buy a unit to small .

it sucks to have to stop and wait for the air compressor to catch up.'


I offered my insight and my recommendations based on the limited amount of information he gave us. It's not my job to list the specs of every decent compressor on the market today, I gave him a lead and he can research it himself. If he wants more info on the tools I run to aid in his research, he can ask me.

Look around for deals

I picked up this one for $50 . The shop thought it was scrap and I wanted the tank. They had not checked the oil and the low oil shutoff had clicked over. I changed the oil and it runs like a top :grinpimp:

http://www.tptools.com/eccStoreImages/product_images/Images/75HP-HD-CENTURION_L.jpg

This thing is big with a 220 single phase 7.5 hp motor on it. Also has the magnetic starter.

SPECIFICATIONS: 7.5 HP, 2-stage, 33 amps/230 volts, 1-phase, maximum pressure is 175 psi. Cylinders: (2) 4-5/8'' and 2-1/2'' bore x 3'' stroke, 80 gal vertical tank, 1035 pump rpm, 29.9 piston displacement, 24.0 cfm @ 125 psi, 22.9 cfm @ 175 psi.



Kind of like my Miller 251, I found a shop shutting down that had the 251 and a mm300. I bought both for $1200 then sold the MM300 for $1300 so I got my Miller 251 for Free.

I managed to land a good deal on a Belaire 318VL yesterday. 7.5 HP with 25.3 cfm at 100 psi and 32.5 displacement cfm. It's a big sucker, but I took the advice here and got more than I think I will ever need. I should never have to replace this bad boy. My little Husky oil less just couldn't keep up. I was all set to pick up a IR compressor until I saw all the problems people were having with them here, then I went and searched more and found it was pretty widespread.

I was surprised it lasted as long as it did on craigslist, but probably because the guy had it listed as a Bel Fire, and I just happened to come across it.

Model, brand, etc?

List what you have with these specs... I am also looking for a bigger compressor and would like ot know what is working for everyone else.

Its a Gardner Denver compressor. I would have gone bigger but I do not have three phase power. I like the fact that the cylinder and head are a one piece unit. Some compressors on the market now have cast iron jugs with aluminum heads. The head gaskets on these usually dont last long. My compressor has a one piece aluminum jug/head with a cast liner for the pistons. It also has the pocket valves instead of the reed valves

http://www.gardnerdenverproducts.com/LubricatedCompressors/RewardSeries.aspx?n=192