Air Compressors- show us what ya got.

[WagonCrazy]

Let's start a thread on what everyone has....
what's good about it
what's bad about it
What you use it for

The goal is show diversity, and to help out others looking for a compressor.

I'll start with my new Puma 60 gal, 220V single phase, single stage 2 cylinder, 3hp.
12.5 CFM's at 90psi - max pressure 175psi.
And very quiet for a compressor of this style.

Air Compresor_Puma.jpg

I replaced a 2.75hp 15 gallon Craftsman compressor which wouldn't keep up with anything but filling bike tires!

Now I can sandblast in my cabinet all day long (well...maybe not ALL day long but for extended periods).

$640 including liftgate service delivery from aircompressorsdirect.com (no tax, no shipping on this one)
+ $300 cash to the electrician to come over and wire in a new 220V circuit from the panel, and run it across the garage, and also spot an additional 50amp plug for future 220v welder.

[WagonCrazy]

What...nobody lurking on this site has an air compressor? C'mon guys...this aint a pizzing contest. Just wondered what others are using...

[Bakins]

I have a 60 g 2 stage Quincy. I can post pics when not on iPad.

Edit: picture - click for larger

[56-210Sedan]

I have a Husky 80 gallon 2 stage, i will get specs later and post them can not remember off hand

[markm]

I have two 5hp 80 gallon two stage Ingersol compressors one in garage and one in shop. I have hooked lines together for sandblasting.

[chevynut]

I was just blasting in my cabinet today, and I got to thinking about how to get more CFM. CFM is really the issue with most compressors. Seems to me a guy would be better off, if he had the room, to buy TWO cheaper compressors. That way you could run one of them most of the time for air tools, but when you really needed the air you could turn the other one on too.

I bought a Husky 14 CFM single stage compressor for $350 around 12 years ago and it lasted several years of heavy use. I now have a IR 2-stage compressor that cost over $1200 and it doesn't supply that much more air. The added benefit of two compressors is that you get two tanks. You could use the second auxiliary compressor for a moisture collector.

[chevynut]

You can't buy a 26 CFM compressor for what TWO of these would cost.

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardw...&storeId=10051

The added benefit of two compressors is that if one goes out, you still have a backup.

[Rick_L]

"I have a Husky 80 gallon 2 stage, i will get specs later and post them can not remember off hand "

I probably have the same one. It's a cast iron unit made by Campbell Hausfeld. I think it's around 11-12 cfm @90 psi, 17 cfm free displacement. It's served me well for 4-5 years now, doing sandblasting with a cheap pressure pot, and powering my air tools and spray guns as well as my blasting cabinet. No moisture issues, which is the important part to me. Much better than the discount club 60 gallon single stage that it replaced.

[chevynut]

RIck, what are you doing to get the moisture out? I have a IR 5-hp 2-stage compressor and if I didn't have my moisture condensation system set up like I do, I would get water out of it. In fact, I get a lot of water in my moisture trap, which is an auxiliary 25 gallon tank. And I think it's a lot drier here in Colorado that it is in south Texas where you are.

[Rick_L]

When I say I don't have a moisture problem, I don't mean that the moisture traps or tank are dry. Far from it.

What I don't have (that I did previously have) is moisture and clogging of the sand in the pressure pot sandblaster, or liquid spitting out of the air tools, espeicially the die grinder - which I occasionally had previously. The other thing is that the air temperature is down, you can tell just from touching the tank.

I still have moisture in the water trap, in the drop that's designed to trap water, and in the tank.

My moisture control is pretty simple. I run the compresor outlet pipe up to the ceiling. From there a lateral run to a down leg. The down leg has a tee at bench level - the horizontal branch goes to a water trap and regulator in series. The vertical branch drops toward the floor and has a ball valve to drain water. So I have 3 places to drain water - the tank, the down leg with the ball valve, and the water trap. The layout is pretty much the one shown in the TP Tools catalog, in fact I bought most of the componenets from them including the water trap and regulator. Since my shop is not all that big, I don't have the run of pipe they recommend. But it's that general concept. I think it works well and I'd do it again. The water trap is nothing fancy, just a trap with 3/8" NPT in and out. No fancy desiccant heated driers or anything like that. No homemade cooling coil in an ice chest either.

[Bakins]

For moisture control I have a few runs of black pipe close to the tank that go up a down vertically with drains on each then a water trap,etc. I really only have one drop (it's a normal 2 car garage, I can reach halfway down the driveway with my hose). In the summer in Georgia, I have moisture issues - right now its fine. We have close to 100% humidity everyday in the summer.

The two compressors idea is interesting. Wish I'd thought of that sooner :P use auxiliary tank, etc. Would have saved me some money... :P I wonder how often you'd have to replace those, though. Laszlo, didn't your husky lock up?

[chevynut]

Brian, my Husky compressor "locked up" but it was my fault. I ran it out of oil.

It actually was a pretty good compressor for the price. I had to replace the check valve once.