Try to beat this bang for buck 60 gal. air compressor

[MOGXJ44]

Lowes 60 gallon 13.3 cfm. Kobalt is supposed to be a branch of Snap-on. Harbor freight is the only other source that has the same or better specs for this price or less, but I don't trust their ratings. This is going to be used for everything else you yahoos use one for, and I think the sand blast cabinet is going to be it's largest demand. I'll use a 1/4" tip and it should draw about 15 cfm. Other tools like die grinders should be no problem for a 60 gallon compressor putting 13.3 cfm out at 90 psi. Anybody have any better suggestions? As usual, price is always a consideration. Yeah, I can get an 18 cfm compressor for $800, but that extra 5 cfm comes at a price of $300.
Travis

[paulhead]

I'm seeing $547

[MOGXJ44]

Yes, it is $547. Maybe I didn't make myself quite clear. If anyone knows of a comparable compressor that I might have overlooked (besides Harbor Freight) please let me know before I purchase. There are others in the $420-480 range that have about 10.2 cfm. Above the Kobalt model is a pretty large jump to the $700-900 range that carry cfm ratings around 15-20.
Travis

[MOGXJ44]

Well here's something interesting. I just found a Porter Cable that has the same part number (7060V) as one of the Lowe's Kobalt compressors. This is the compressor just under the one I want.

Porter Cable 7060V

Lowe's Kobalt 7060V

I think the Kobalt compressor gets a little bit more cfm because of a better design. Cast iron pump rather than aluminum with an iron sleeve. So my question is, who actually makes these compressors and then resells them with a different badge to others? I'd love to hear that they are just toned down Champion or Quincy compressors.
Travis

[MOGXJ44]

BTW, this is not just a coincidence. While at Lowe's today I saw an old product catalog that I was using to compare models, only to find out that few of the models on there were still out on the showroom floor. Many of them had model numbers that match the Porter Cable model numbers I see on their website.
Travis

[BurntOrange]

The Kobalt compressors are probably just re-branded Porter Cable units.

For $564.99 you can get an Ingersoll Rand SS3L3 (11.3cfm@90psi) *shipped* from Northern Tool. $799.99 for an IR SS5L5 (18.1cfm@90psi) shipped from Northern Tool.

Model Peak HP HP Voltage Tank ACFM @ 40 PSI
SS3L3 7.9 3 230-1-60 60-gal vert 11.3
SS5L5 11.8 5 230-1-60 60-gal vert 18.1

[Aces'n'8s]

Burnt Orange,

I assume each Lowe's store sets its price to reflect the economy of its area, but in Memphis, TN, that Kobalt air compressor (pn# 7060V) is listed as $427.00 for store in zip code 38139.

[ToddRH]

Intresting...the Kobalt 7060V here in Oceanside, Cali (zip 92056) is $447.95. $20 bucks more cause where I live is crap

[jasonmt]

In these class of machines if the rated flow @ 90-100psi is greater than 3.5-3.8 SCFM per RUNNING/REAL HP the rated flow is a lie. A 3HP compressor should flow around 11.4 SCFM @ 90 psi max, I suspect the 13.3 cfm is the free air displacement.

[MOGXJ44]

While at Lowe's I looked the compressor over very carefully. The pump on the $447 unit ($427 in some areas, apperently) looked exactly like the $547 unit, except it had a different air intake. Even the parts lists in the blown up breakdown of the manual had the same part numbers for most of the pump. The belt and pulley were also a different part number, so I think they are just over running the pump a little to get more cfm with more rpms. The tank on the $547 unit said 13.3@90 and 15.?@40, 135 max psi.
Travis

[Todd W]

I have a similiar porter cable but got it for less than half the price (used but like new) and I couldn't live with it if I had to use it more than a couple times a week it takes way to long to fill the tank back up! If you are just going to use it for air tools then it kicks ass but for a lot of plasma work it's to slow for me. If you are going to drop $500-600 on a compressor save up anohter hundred or two and get a nice IR rated similiar or better the compressor will be better and will most likely output what it says.

[MOGXJ44]

Cost is not quite that big a deal. I was looking at Eaton's compressors, 20 cfm@90psi, and for $50 more a two stage unit but I think it flows less cfm. For MOST of what I do a 10-15 cfm unit would suffice.

Todd,
I am curious about the plasma cfm requirement. How much would you say a typical plasma machine would use? Damn it, now I'm reconsidering what I need AGAIN. Better to get more than what you need, I guess. No one has ever claimed to have bought too much airflow.
Travis

[91blaze]

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00918419000

I ended up with this one for ~ #$#$@#$ on sale, and some other smooth talkin discounts. I think, if interested I may be able to produce a reciept for a price match

EDITED cause I'm an idiot and not such a smooth talker
$429 and still have reciept if interested

[MOGXJ44]

That is certainly a hard deal to pass up. I'll take you up on that receipt. Is it a common thing for Sears to match receipts, even old ones? Thanks Blaze.
Travis

[RADDONKEY]

I bought one of those Kolbalt for my shop in Vegas for $399. Then two weeks later I saw them at a different Lowes for $199 on clearance, so I bought them both and took the first one back. Cant beat them for the money. RD

[MOGXJ44]

Donkey,
Was that for the 13.3cfm model or the 10 cfm model. Got a receipt? This just keeps getting better and better.


I was figuring for those prices I could buy two and plumb them together in parallel for 20+ cfm. Anyone see any problem with this?
Travis

[Brandon]

I dunno if it is true but I've heard the rebadged lowes/HD stuff has cheap components. Either I didn't risk it, got mine for about $700 locally on sale from an air compressor store

BTW what is that CFM rated at pressure wise, mine is 13 something at 175, CFM

http://www.maxtool.com/cgi-bin/dbsea...1,DB_ITEM=218V

[MOGXJ44]

Brandon,
Your compressor is rated at 18.59 cfm displacement. That means that at 0 psi it begins to flow 18.59. It will never be above that. I would suspect that at 90 psi you would be around 14.5-15 cfm.
Travis

[Brandon]

simple enough, yet it was never explained to me like that - thanks

[91blaze]

Sorry, my wife just showed me the reciept and it was for $429. I got messed up with warrantying out my old one and paying the difference. I'm an idiot and admit it!

[MOGXJ44]

[subliminal message]
Blaze,
You shall go out to your garage and find your favorite rotary sander, cut off wheel, or die grinder. One by one give each finger a manicure.
[/subliminal message]


Nah. Nevermind about the receipt. That price is close to the full retail, so it's not quite the deal I thought it was. Thanks for trying, though. Looks like I'm back to the $547 Lowe's compressor. I'm gonna toss on some shoes and go get it right now and be done with all this.
Travis

[Silverbullet555]

MogXJ44,

did you get the compressor and if so how do you like it?

[Kartracer55]

Kobalt is not reallya branch of snap on. When the line was first introduced, they were being made by JH Williams, a company owned by snap on that has its own line of tools. Then, about 2-3 years after the line was introduced, DANAHER (matco, craftsman, Armstrong, Allen, KD) was and currently is producing thier stuff. Thier ratchet guts are interchangeable with Craftsman ratchet guts, and thier wrenches are nearly identical to Allen.

Id bet that compressor is made by campbel hausfeld, as CH makes them for HUSKY, and Also some for craftsman.

Look for a CH at HF. A guy I know got a HUGE CH compressor for under $500.

And trust me, the more air, the better. for a sand balster you want aroudn 20 cfm, if not more. Our compressor puts out 20, and we can run basically anyhing off of it. The more air the better.

Jim

[dumass]

2-stage should be mandatory imho because of recovery time on high consumption tools. IR is a good way to go.

[Kartracer55]

Originally Posted by dumass

2-stage should be mandatory imho because of recovery time on high consumption tools. IR is a good way to go.

If you go with eaton, order thier unit with the 7.5 hp pump and th 5 hp motor. It turns really slow, and puts out a ton of air. It doesnt go up to 175 psi, but as pumps go up in pressure they become less efficient, and the pumping slows down, so in turn the motor and pump are working more, and it means more 'lectricity.

Plus, because it is a 2 stage, it takes longer to pump up and recover.

Jim