Air Compressors

[packerguy®]

Thanks guys, great input. 

A little back story I guess is needed. 

I have an old 8 gallon (not sure its 8 or 11) that I believe an old wards unit. It leaks. Its leaked for a long time. Its always frustrating cause when I want a little air, I have to plug it in, let it run for 3-4 minutes to get air compressed, and then within 45 minutes its empty. Its not an oilless unit so I understand the noise issue cause mine is super quiet, but I didnt have much luck finding an upright that wasnt anything but an oilless unit....that isnt $$$ so thats why I narrowed it down to these three. I bet a 20-26 gallon tank with a regulator would only need to be run once a week for a minute or so with how little air I use.  

One thing that stood out in the comments was how the oilless unit took forever to get up to PSI. I never knew that....I know about the noise but never considered that. Like I said I am use to the old unit I have that is quick. 

After reflecting on it this morning, I decided to try to finally get the leak stopped. After using the leak fluid you use on a gas pipe, I found it pretty quick. It was a tiny pinhole in one of the nuts that connects the pipe from the cylinder to the tank. Instead of tearing it all apart and hoping I could find the part....since it was in the middle of the flat, I put a little JB weld on there. While I was at it I changed the oil (with some synthetic, that surprisingly was clear....never seen that) and picked up an inline regulator and installed that. 

Let the JB weld to cure for 3-4 hours and fired it up. About 3-4 minutes it was to 120 PSI. Messed around with the regulator and blew some air out till it was to 100 psi. Its been there for about 3-1/2 hours 
  I must have fixed the leak....or at least the JB is holding for now. 

So I guess I am good now. Im sure I am way ahead too. I wasn't thrilled with any of the three. The husky seemed the best of the three, but wasnt impressed with it in person. 

Glad I spent a few hours to get it up to speed.

[Stwood_]

 
Let the air on out, and let that JB cure on out till you need the compressor again.

[giradman]

Well, seems like there are two threads here, i.e. one for larger oil compressors w/ high SCFM and huge tanks, of course needed for multi-purpose uses - but another that I started about much smaller portable air compressors (typically oil-less) used mainly for air tools and other purposes not requiring high volumes of air.  

So, to continue my part of this thread, my nearly 20 year-old Makita has served my limited needs well except for being LOUD! The decibel rating is probably near 90 - now looking on Amazon, California Air Tools (first pic) has a unit similar in weight and tank size to my current compressor but w/ a decibel rating of only 60 (see 2nd pic - and remember this scale is logarithmic) - looks like a great replacement for me relative to SOUND, but bothered by the many 1* comments on Amazon (link above) - does anyone own this compressor?  Dave

[shifty]

I have a compressor from California air similar to that, but a little larger. Very quiet compressor! I've been very happy with it. You're not going to run out heavy air tools with it, but just blowing things off and running trim nailers, you'll be fine. It's a wonderful compressor for.small areas where you can't get away from the noise.

[TDKPE]

The Puma 20gal or the Ingersol Rand Garage mate 20gal are both great small compressors.

The Puma (maybe), Garage Mate, Porter-Cable, DeWalt, and Husky (and others) appear to be essentially the same machine, with the same pump unit right down to the cosmetic features of the castings, but the Puma and Garage Mate have TEFC motors, and a continuous duty rating.  Great for a dirty place like a wood shop.  Don't know about the duty-cycle of the others.  

   

   

   

   

   

[Robert Adams]

Well, seems like there are two threads here, i.e. one for larger oil compressors w/ high SCFM and huge tanks, of course needed for multi-purpose uses - but another that I started about much smaller portable air compressors (typically oil-less) used mainly for air tools and other purposes not requiring high volumes of air.  

So, to continue my part of this thread, my nearly 20 year-old Makita has served my limited needs well except for being LOUD! The decibel rating is probably near 90 - now looking on Amazon, California Air Tools (first pic) has a unit similar in weight and tank size to my current compressor but w/ a decibel rating of only 60 (see 2nd pic - and remember this scale is logarithmic) - looks like a great replacement for me relative to SOUND, but bothered by the many 1* comments on Amazon (link above) - does anyone own this compressor?  Dave

        I have the bigger twin tank version that was sold at home depot under the husky name. They a were $100 on clearance for a few months when they had them. Any of the compressors that look like these are the same as there are several rebrand of them. Some were sold under the GMC brand as well. 

         I use it as a portable compressor and you can have it in the house stand over it and hold a m normal conversation. It will provide enough air for minor spray painting as well. It's the only type of small compressor that I will buy now. They do make larger units with two pumps and in europe they sell units with 3 and 4 pumps for higher cfm. 

        The only complaint is that they are not light. They have aluminum tanks because the pumps are quite heavy. It's nearly twice the weight of a typical pancake compressor. 

      Also Lowes sells a compressor with this pump for a fair price as well. 

 
        Now I am reminded that I am using my 20yo oilless 20 gallon compressor in the shop because my 60 gallon compressor threw a rod and I haven't found a pump I like for a replacement...

[giradman]

I have a compressor from California air similar to that, but a little larger. Very quiet compressor! I've been very happy with it. You're not going to run out heavy air tools with it, but just blowing things off and running trim nailers, you'll be fine. It's a wonderful compressor for.small areas where you can't get away from the noise.

        I have the bigger twin tank version that was sold at home depot under the husky name. They a were $100 on clearance for a few months when they had them. Any of the compressors that look like these are the same as there are several rebrand of them. Some were sold under the GMC brand as well. 

         I use it as a portable compressor and you can have it in the house stand over it and hold a m normal conversation........

Thanks Guys for the comments above about the California air compressors - noise is my main interest and that 60 decibel level is appealing - my current Makita compressor weighs just 29 pounds - the CA one pictured in my previous post is 35 pounds, so acceptable - it does have a larger footprint - appears that you've not had any durability issues (as in those 1* Amazon comments that I mentioned)?  Again, my use is only for air pinners, nailers, and staplers consuming minimal amounts of air - do not use other air tools nor have a need for paint/finish spraying - do the latter by hand.  Dave

[Robert Adams]

Thanks Guys for the comments above about the California air compressors - noise is my main interest and that 60 decibel level is appealing - my current Makita compressor weighs just 29 pounds - the CA one pictured in my previous post is 35 pounds, so acceptable - it does have a larger footprint - appears that you've not had any durability issues (as in those 1* Amazon comments that I mentioned)?  Again, my use is only for air pinners, nailers, and staplers consuming minimal amounts of air - do not use other air tools nor have a need for paint/finish spraying - do the latter by hand.  Dave

       This is the one I have but mine says Husky. https://www.amazon.com/California-Air-To...88&sr=8-13


           I rarely stain or clear coat by hand anymore. So much better results when you spray and immensely faster and I use much less material as well. 

          You may not use it for much now but there is one rule about air compressors. Never buy the size you need always buy bigger as you will always outgrow it. Even my 60 gallon is too small for me. Would love to have a trailer mounted compressor (for other projects not wood working).

To add here is the Lowe's one. Same pump different overall package. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Quiet-Te...1000125721

[Admiral]

When my Sears oiless in the garage finally dies, I will probably replace it with this...
HF 21 Gal Vertica1l Oil type Compressor


This one is not vertical, but I've built and roofed a couple of good sized additions and  with this one - very portable and still going strong.

HF 2HP, 8Gal Horizontal oil type Compressor

I read the most recent (last month) reviews on the 21 gallon one on the HF website, and I think they've got a quality problem.

[Robert Adams]

I read the most recent (last month) reviews on the 21 gallon one on the HF website, and I think they've got a quality problem.

       Yeah sears sells the same compressor. The head gaskets are prone to failure on them. That's one to stay away from but they do have a few good ones. Their big units are very good for the price and last I checked were still us made pumps.