What do you guys have?
Brand recommendations?
Looking to pick one up - Thinking ~60 gallon/5hp
Got an 80 gallon Kobalt couple months ago. Works well so far. Didn’t we just have a thread on this not long ago?
campbell hausfeld.
/thread.
What will you be using it for? Impact guns and other high demand tools? I would just get a decent 60 gal then craigslist another 60gal with a blown motor and hook them together. Volume>pressure most of the time.
Depending on where you live I would build a small shanty on the outside of your garage to keep them in, no noise or sq footage lost.
whatever you do don’t get a direct drive … they get to be so loud… I have a direct drive and hate it … I picked up an old belt drive and could not believe how quite it was… The belt drive i got was $50 at a garage sale … its only good for tires I kill it with my impact… so I say look for a stand up belt drive dual head if you can
Don’t get oil-less/oil free. Lowes, Depot, Sears, even harbor freight are ok.
Step up to a Quincy or Ingersoll Rand if you want to be a big boy though!
you’re looking for 120v I imagine?
Some compressors in that range are 240. Just make sure you check.
<3 Quincy… Made in USA. (so are IR)
HP ratings are just about worthless on compressors. That Quincy should be able to beat out anything from a box store, even though it’s rated lower HP.
doubling the volume for the pump isnt a very good idea. recovery time is much longer and you will be overworking the pump. a 60gallon for a personal garage is more than enough air.
If you run the pump continuously from high draw, wouldn’t that be overworking the pump then too? Same thing I think… Most compressors are rated 100% duty cycle iirc.
I wouldn’t give up the floor space for more volume… I would just spend more coin on a better compressor. If you’re already giving up the floor space for a 60gal vertical, then an 80 gal is hardly much more space and have way better pumps available for a price…
Yea, I suppose. my roommate has one of those small pancake compressors and I hooked it into a 20 gal, it’s unbelievable how much better it is.
I have a 30 gallon Kobalt oil pump compressor. I had a 25 Gal oil-less Craftsman and I hated how loud the damn thing was. I’m a mechanic so I bought this because it was the biggest 120v I could find at the time and I wanted something that would work my air tools if I needed to bring them home for any reason. It works well enough for how rarely I do home auto work but if you do a lot of work a 60+ gallon is the way to go.
Anybody been running the kobalt 60 gallon?
I am. Works Well, its actually a sanborn and has a 3 yr warranty. Only thing is it runs out of steam using a cut off tool or a DA for longer periods, but I like it.
i have a 5 hp 230V ingersoll-rand at the shop, runs but still maintains using cut-off wheels for extended periods of time. cant complain though. was like 550 from northern Tool 2 years ago.
I run an big older Campbell Hausfeld and although it’s been dead nuts reliable, it’s louder than hell. Thinking about getting rid of it for a nice belt drive.
How much CFM do you need/want?
Sears will have the 60 gal black professional 5HP pump on sale for $460 on black friday. Reviews are shakey but good price for what it is. Not enough CFM to run a grinder all day but should be able to handle most hobbyist garage tasks.
Tractor Supply has the single stage 5hp 60 gal IR on sale for $650. Nicer pump, more CFM. Not quiet but you could rig up an intake muffler.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/ingersoll-randreg%3B-5-hp-air-compressor-60-gal
If you want to step it up more Northern Tool has a 5HP 18CFM IR for $900 with free shipping. Not sure how they do free shipping on this… since its freight.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_211720_211720
I have the bigger motor (230V) 60G Kobalt. Works well. Does run pretty high duty cycle with a die-grinder running, but otherwise never had issues in the year + I’ve had it; no complaints.
I have the same one, I love it.
It’s perfect for most jobs I do.
How loud is the oil lubed Kobalt?
Quiet enough to have a normal conversation next it while it’s running.
Motocrosss’s kobalt is a nice ass compressor for sure.
but, on black friday the craftsman professional 60gal is going to be on sale for $459.