i run quincy in my van, 8 to 10 hours a day...american made tanks..good compressors

My set up it costs me about 500.00 used.

Fixx
 

That's the s h i t rite their,,i got my quincy 11 yrs ago,,35 cfm @ 90 psi..120 gallon tank 2 stage 8 hp...all i can say is it rocks..

And all this time I thought all the polished parts were done by hand. LOL

You will not go wrong with either the Quincy or the Ingersol Rand and 60 gallon tank is fine.

Unless (there's always a catch) you spend a lot of time running high volume tools such as bead blasters or sand blasters, perhaps some large grinders. For normal shop tools either will last a lifetime.

If you have the room, a vertical tank will drain water better and keep the air a little dryer, but my 20 year old Ingersol Rand horizontal tank has been fine. Never even had to change a belt.

Dan

Champion is another "old school" brand that is American made and been around forever, but it might be tough to find one for a good price. A friend bought an old one recently - 2 stage, 80 gal tank, and it is MUCH quieter than his big old Quincy with the 120 gal horizontal tank. That being said, most any 2-stage compressor with a cast iron pump will serve you well - the main thing to look for is a beefy motor. This is where the corners often get cut - they will boast about a 5 hp rating, which is actually a peak rating and not continuous.

Make sure you spend some time setting up the air lines and plumbing, regulators, and dryers properly. Also, before you install it, if it doesn't have an automatic drain, get rid of the little draincock and install an elbow and ball valve for easy tank draining. This alone will go a long way to ensuring it will last. Keep the air filter clean and the oil changed frequently.

I bought a big Snap On..paid a bit for it but I run 1/2" hose with a 1" drive impact changing semi tires for the last 7 yrs and have done nothing but change the oil. I wouldnt hesitate to spend the money on another if this one ever quits

I just bought an ingersol to repaint my boat with, literally hours of running 2 orbital sanders at a time, worked great. I wasn't happy with the fit and finish of the castings but everything works well. I had a similar size unit to what you have, I think that when you jump up to something 2 staged with a 60 or larger tank just about any brand is gonna be night and day difference from your old one

like budman said look at motor, lot have small motors that burn up. run large pipe up, put drip leg in it and run the 1/2in across with slope, take air off top with u-turn down to service port. helps cut down on moisture in line. large system i ran i allowed air to fill other receivers, somewhat of a shock absorber for when alot of airtools were in service. i would look for american made IR is made in india last i looked. quincey has always been good for me, rotary is best if price is right.

When I got this it was Husky from Home Depot, 220v built my whole racecar with it, no problems. You can run two air tools at the same time no prob, Ive never had to wait for it. I dont know if I would run it steady 8hrs a day every day like at a Body Shop , but then again maybe I would! If youve been getting by with the one in the pic this will be plenty. $500 on sale IIRC but that was like 4yrs ago. Its loud but they all are. Keep your eye out, they go on sale all the time Rob