spazboz

iTrader: (2)

John, your absolutely right. I have a 1952 Quincy 210 and this is the BEST compressor I've ever had. Smooth, well balanced, and a real worker. Runs 25 pounds oil pressure at factory setting, and never misses a beat.

wjb21ndtown

I agree with you on the specs... I wouldn't want anything smaller than a 60 gallon, and I wouldn't want anything that puts out less than 13 cfm @ 90 psi (but 15-17 is an ideal minimum where you shouldn't have any loss of air). They have them at Home Despot for around $700-800 range. My friend Mike has one plumbed into his garage. I've used it a number of times for paint, grind, and to power impact drivers. I have never had a problem.

In Re brand name: IR's are nice, but WAY too much $$$ IMO, especially for home use. I think Mikes is a workforce or something like that (the relatively cheap brand that Home Depot primarily carries) and he's had his for 8 years without any problems whatsoever.

I've never had a problem with any tool that I have purchased from Harbor Freight. In fact, if anything, they last a lot longer than I expect them to for the price. I have an elec. grinder that I paid $10 for 5 years ago, it came with a rebuild kit and I figured it was going to be a POS. I only needed to grind a skag for a small repair. The thing still works like a champ and I never had to replace the brushes (use the rebuild kit). If you can find an air compressor from Harbor Freight that puts out the output you're looking for, and has any sort of warranty, I'd buy it if it is considerably cheaper than what they have at Home Depot.

Mr Gadgets

A smaller one will eventually run out of air and the psi will drop. Then the spray pattern will change and mess with your paint job. Nothing worse than waiting on a compressor to catch up as your paint dries in the middle of the side of the hull. You have to determine what paint gun you will use and how much air it uses. Then you can have an idea of what size compressor will keep up with it. If you are sanding or blasting.. you can just open another beer and wait for it.. but when you paint. Large jobs dont like delays.
We had a Sears at work in the shop. Used maybe once a week or two.. It was one of the oil less ones I believe. It tossed a rod and we got the new parts and when it went back together.. it tossed the new rod to. So parts available, isnt always the answer. Now we have a cheap 60 gallon, and for our use, it works ok. Just sounds like it is running at 10krpm.
Do your home work on the demand side and then go chase a decent compressor. If you can find a used, good one. You may be better off..
Good luck with it.. My theory is the grand kids will get my tools and they should last them a while.
Dick

c_deezy

iTrader: (1)

Craigslist is a good place to find big air compressors too. I bought a used 60 gallon Matco (rebadged Ingersol Rand) last year for $350. It looked hardly used, the guy said he got it on trade for some car work, already had an 80 gallon and didn't need two of them. He even talked himself down on the price for me

I'd like to find a decent 80 gallon two stage. The 60 works good but grinding/using air for awhile and it really heats up.

getrdunn

iTrader: (7)

I bought my pump 5 years or so back on the SE end of Grand Rapids. You many know the place I'm talking about. I can't think of the name of it right now however that pump is awesome. It weighs as much as a BBC I think however that thing is nice. The most important thing I think is that what ever one may buy at least buy a good name brand were parts are easily findable and replacable. 10 or 15 years ago you could find a bunch of them around due to the old service stations going by the wayside. Underground tanks and all. I'v got probably no more than 800.00 into mine and that was using an old compressor tank I had at the shop. Rebuilt Quincy pump, new 5 hp motor and a couple of cans of spray paint. Looks and works spectacular. I can run a DA or grinder all day long with no issues. I'll snap a pic of it tomorrow.

PatriYacht

Don't get an oiless unless all you do is use a nail gun. The bigger ones are as noisy as an unmuffled two stroke engine.