[blay127]

With all the negative things we've been hearing about craftsman quality, would it be in my best interest to stay away from their air compressors as well? Are their "professional" series stuff even worth a damn? I have about 200 bucks worth of sears gift cards and i'm just wondering if I should put it towards a compressor or something else. thanks for the help.

 

[yota_kid]

ANY of them from what i've seen are JUNK! We had 2 in our powdercoating shop (pancake compressor {oilless [oil+powdercoating gun=bad]}, and they both detonated, put the "connecting rod" through the "cylinder." All they are is a cheep aluminum cylinder, the piston is a steel plate with a leather ring around it, and the connecting rod/crankshaft are cheap, and have cheap bearings in them. ANY amount of daily use/extended periods of use, they detonate. My uncle had one running his PlasmaCam, it did really good, except it did the exact SAME thing, and his was a big vertical tank (40 gal tank or so) and it had the SAME pump as the pancake compressors we had.

 

[krugford]

Big and 40 gal don't go in the same sentence when talking about compressors.

I have a 80 gal Craftman Pro compressor. Stay away from the oil free compressors. A belt driven, twin stage, oiled compressor will last a hell of a lot longer. I've had mine for almost six years now with regular usage. It still runs like it's new.

Whatever you get, keep up on the maintenance. Check the air filter, change the oil, drain the water from the tank, etc. Maybe even give it a coat of wax sometime. Whatever you get, keep it running. Machinery doesn't maintain itself.

 

[bigdaddylee82]

My Oiless Craftsman took a dump on me just last week. I got almost 3 years out of it but for the price and the Craftsman name I expected at least 2 to 3 times the life I got. My pump is still in good shape but the motor gave up the ghost. Sears wants a mint to repalce it, so much that you might as well just buy a whole new compressor. I found a heck of a deal on a motor at Grainger and am waiting on a new to me twin cylinder oiled pump I bought off eBay to show up so I can have air again. I really think if I had it to do again I would have saved for an oiled pump. I always heard everyone say that but I never listen. That's my 2 cents.

- Lee

 

[dimichele]

My oiless compressor is too loud. I'm kinda hoping it blows up so I have an excuse to buy an oiled pump.

 

[THachiya]

I'd probably avoid Sears completely, but the oil lubed compressors "Craftsman Professional" are re-branded DeVebliss units that are pretty good. (M-u-c-h quieter than the oil-free stuff.)

Good luck.

 

[Pt_Ranger_V8]

spend the giftcards a portaband instead (at sears)

I'm pretty impressed with my 60 gallon unit from Home cheapo

 

[wank]

i got an older one in our shop. we got lucky this one is approx 10 yrs old and used daily with basicly no maintanace but the occasional draining of the tank and it had no issues.

 

[eschoendorff]

I'd probably avoid Sears completely, but the oil lubed compressors "Craftsman Professional" are re-branded DeVebliss units that are pretty good. (M-u-c-h quieter than the oil-free stuff.)

Good luck.

I've had good luck with my 25 gal Cman Pro... I got it because I don't have 220vac in the garage. I would recommend it.

 

[85f150dsel]

With all the negative things we've been hearing about craftsman quality, would it be in my best interest to stay away from their air compressors as well?

All negatives aside like HF, I've had a Cambell Hasufield 5Hp one for about 6yrs now with no issues. Granted it runs out of breath on the big impacts or alot of cutting with a die grinder, but other than that it works great for the price of it at a Cummins tool sale :flipoff2:

I have a bigger pump but I need at least a 5hp e motor for it, at the time the CH complete setup was as much as a 5hp motor, couldn't pass it up.

Some people get lucky and others don't.

 

[fastg60]

i've been using my craftsman professional, 25 gal, 2 stage, oil free for almost 6 years with zero troubles... just drain the condensation weekly

 

[am4x4]

So far so good with mine, oilless 30-40 gal. It sits outside in the rain and gets the water drained out of the tank about once a year. I have had it for about 7 years and for the last 4 years it has had a second 40-50 gal tank hooked up so when it runs it runs for a long time. It is REALLY loud but that is just how it is with an oilless.

 

[1wook]

I've had a 35 gallon oilless for 9 years, still running LOUD as hell.

Regardless of brand don't get an oilless compressor for shop/home use, unless it'll be occasional usage. I picked up a 60 gallon upright from Lowes for $299 right before Christmass last year.

 

[uglyscout]

I'm on my second oilless Craftsman compressor -- the first one lasted about a month and poured out smoke and stopped working -- Sears replaced it for free -- I have been using the replacement for about 4 years. Works fine -- just very loud!!

 

[krugford]

As a comment on the loudness of the oilles compressors, I don't think that mine is quieter than the oilless, it seems to be a lower frequency, which can be ignored a little more easily.

 

[VEX]

I've had my 60 gal. Craftsman oilless for about 12 years now. It was used a lot the first few years without incident, but the last few have been weekends mostly.
I guess I either got lucky or it's gonna blow soon. Like said before clean the filter and drain (like any) at least once a week.

There is no doubt it is hellaciously LOUD. Can't hardly stand it in the garage while working. The other effect of the noise is the neighbor could hear when I had it going and would come over to air up his and the wifes tires. Kind of annoying at the worst times, but he always brought beer so it evened out.

When this one dies I will not get another oilless.

 

[eschoendorff]

i've been using my craftsman professional, 25 gal, 2 stage, oil free for almost 6 years with zero troubles... just drain the condensation weekly

That's the one I have and, for what it is, I love it. How often do you change the oil in yours?

 

[jpoore]

I've had a 5hp/30 gallon oiless for about 10 years. First few months the bolt holding the piston to the rod broke. Sears replaced the part for free, but I had to install it. I haven't used it much in the late 6-8 years as it's at the parent's house.

There really isn't anything to those compressors. If they were built using quality materials, then they should last nearly forever. I suspect the trouble is they took the cost factor too far.

They are hella loud. Really sucked when I forgot to turn off the switch and had to get out of bed at 3:00 AM to turn off the compressor, waking up the whole house in the process. :mad3:

JP

 

[72hiboy4x4]

my big Craftsman oil-less compressor ran for about 9 years with almost no maintenance. when it finally 'died', it just got to the point that it would no longer air up the 25 gallon main tank to full pressure (much less the 60 gallon aux tank that was hooked to it for the last 4 years).
X2 on not buying an oil-less unit for home use (or anywhere you want to be able to hear anything while its running). I learned my lesson.

 

[dopeassjackson]

i was thinking about buying a craftsman as well but after reading the reviews i decied that i would buy a harbor freight before one of those. i picked out a decent priced 60gal 3hp IR model that will suit my needs just well, it is actualy less than i would pay for the craftsman one.

look at the compressors that tractor supply has.
my father had a oilless compressor that lasted only a month blowing chips in his machine shop. he has had a 25gal 2.5hp IR t-10 for the past 7-9yrs. it runs about every 1/2hr all day and when i use air tools with it it will run longer. no one has touched this compressor, i just checked the oil for the first time in its life. it also has almost never had the water drained from it. so i say go for a quality compressor and not have to worry about it. alot of people have had good luck with IR, they have an online parts store also.