Air compressor for the home mechanic.

[SeatownSlackey]

Had this guy for 5 years now and still happy with it

[warthog]

How many gallons is that? Voltage?
That might work for me. Does it ever shut off if using a grinder wheel or wrench?

[GeezerSteve]

Does it ever shut off if using a grinder wheel or wrench?

Yup cuz it's a two-stage compressor.

Voltage?

208/230 single phase

[exsparky]

How many CFM do you need?

I like to run 2 compressors;
-a QUIET small portable one for nailers, tires, blowing air for whatever, a paint gun, a bike lift.
-a monster fixed one (as many hp as you can power 7.5hp +) for the sprinklers (I think you need at least 5 hp if you have a big yard) and media blasters they can use over 300 cfm. Using my small compressor for my lawn sprinkler sucks, really really bad. IF you have $6k a screw compressor is awesome.

Having run air lines in my old garage I don't think it's worth doing in my new house. Current garage (4 attached) is 5,000 square feet and 20' tall and I just use 2 hoses max.

I have no idea why anybody would use air for ratchets or impact guns anymore.

I've wanted to try a California air tool compressor but haven't seen one in person.

[XXX-er]

we used to rent a large 250cfm construction type on wheels for blowing sprinklers, we would charge 1/2 a doz friends enough to cover the rental, the guys doing the work don't pay, we got a beer at each house and if you lose a sprinkler head its not our problem

[bodywhomper]

Slight drift, how about recs for portable compressors that plug into the 12v on car? Looking to inflate tires and possibly boat.

[DasBlunt]

air compressor with power washer? Possible?

[basinbeater]

Slight drift, how about recs for portable compressors that plug into the 12v on car? Looking to inflate tires and possibly boat.

I have a chinzy one that I keep in the car. Does an ok job with tires after wheelin. It takes a bit of time to get all 4 pumped up, but that's cool, I'll stand around and drink a beer. I think it was like $30 or so. Plugs into the cigarette lighter.

[ncskier]

Some of you must know about air compressors. My ghetto harbor freight one has finally given up the ghost after 6 years, which was about 5 years longer than I expected it to last. I mainly used it to inflate car and bike tires, run a couple light air tools, (which it never really put out enough air to do). But now that it has kicked the bucket and I am a full grown adult with a decent income, I would like to buy a good value air compressor with some room to grow. Do I want to learn to paint? Run a decent air impact? Inflate tires without recharging and waking the baby above the garage?
Help me figure out what to get. I am budget oriented as the bmw and Porsche both need new tires (major first world problem).
Was just at home depot poking around while there for something else and they had a decent size looking husky (probably cheap) for $299.

I would go with a cheapo bostitch or something like that for inflating tires and other crap.Then just get a cordless impact from Milwaukee or Dewalt. I have cordless impacts in 3/8 and 1/2. The are both way more powerful then any air wrench could ever be and I dont have the compressor howling along with the wrench. My buddy owns a 10 bay independent mechanic shop and I would say 1/2-3/4' so their work is done with cordless electric tools now.

[basinbeater]

I have a good cordless top of the line Dewalt impact. Pretty good piece.

[El Chupacabra]

Slight drift, how about recs for portable compressors that plug into the 12v on car? Looking to inflate tires and possibly boat.

I have two of these, originally bought for off-roading usage (air down tires to low PSI offroad, air back up for highway travel):
http://www.amazon.com/Industries-MV5...ARKXJEFF0NY3JW

Both are still holding up great. They used to come on sale a lot at auto chain stores, for $30-ish.

Much faster than the cig lighter type. ARB, Viair, and other companies make more expensive versions of the same thing.

[bodywhomper]

Thanks for the recs. I had been hoping for to hear about the miracle one that plugs into the cig lighter that was as good as that ^^^^. My tlc totally has room under the hood for one of those.

[shafty85]

Any update on this? What did you wind up going with? In the market for one. In Canada, though, so without the plethora of options available to you American gluttons.

[bigdude2468]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-20...201H/206189626

I bought this about five years ago and it has been more than adequate. I can remove four tires with my impact wrench and have enough air not to wait for the compressor to catch up. It is noisy, I just moved it to the basement and piped it to the garage. I have an unfinished basement (man cave) with plenty of room so the compressor is out of the way. I have a small portable compressor that I can carry around the house if I am using a stapler or finish nailer.

[DougW]

I find the AC I bought to put in some hardwood flooring, 2.5cfm, fine for nail gun, brad nailer that sort of thing . Tried it on a sand blaster I got for cheap and while it woks fine it only works for 20 seconds and then needs a couple of minutes to get back up to pressure. So can only use it on areas can't get to with angle grinder.

[highangle]

https://www.costco.com/Greenworks-24...100301083.html

[GeezerSteve]

2.5cfm. . . Tried it on a sand blaster I got for cheap and while it woks fine it only works for 20 seconds and then needs a couple of minutes to get back up to pressure.

Yeah, all but the teensiest tiniest sandblasters need more oomph than that

Question to the guys with the Puma 2-stage compressors: How are they holding up?

[basinbeater]

So figured I would update with what I picked up. Just stumbled across this thread (which I started). I got a 60 gal 2 stage Mac. It is badass. Keeps up with everything! I think it is 15scfm at 90psi. It was $600 used and delivered.
Used is the way to go (with pretty much everything except for skis)

[Game Over]

Any reason not to get a midsize harbor freight type for blowing up tires and the occasional air tool job?

[Alaskan Rover]

Check craigslist for somebody who bought a nice one and never used it.

This^^^

I use an 8 gallon portable air compressor on wheels. But to do it over again, I would get no less than a 20 gallon unit...still portable on wheels. The good thing about the portable unit is if you are building a deck for the back of your house, you can wheel it around there. Or say you wanna re-roof a shed or whatever. Same deal. If you had a shop unit, you would forever be messing around messing around with finding long enough air hoses...unless you plumbed both sides of your house with PVC pipe for air.

The most important number for your compressor, though is the CFM at whatever psi of pressure. For most applications, 4 to 5 CFM at 80 or 90 psi will be fine.. .I'm talking about Brad nailers, staplers, even framing nailers. Now if you are roofing a house and don't want to wait for the canister to recharge, THAT is where the capacity comes into play. Like maybe 40 gallons capacity.

My 8 gal unit is around 4 or 5 CFM at approx 80 psi....it has a 125 maximum psi. It runs just fine, the following: Brad nailer, coil roofing nailer, finish nailer, and my strip framing nailer and my coil framing nailer...it also runs my impact wrench just fine.

I wouldnt expect this unit to have capacity to run a jack hammer without over heating.

Also...you will see ads for oil-less compressors. Forget about them...they're crap! Get one that requires compressor oil and check the fluid level faithfully!!

[shafty85]

Had this guy for 5 years now and still happy with it

How many gallons is that? Voltage?
That might work for me. Does it ever shut off if using a grinder wheel or wrench?

Yup cuz it's a two-stage compressor.208/230 single phase

Pretty sure it’s a single stage, v cylinder, 20gal 115/230V?

I’m looking at getting the same one from Omega, a Canadian company - slightly higher outputs, but otherwise the same.

How do you find 20gal to be for working on automotive tasks (impacts wrenches, grinders, etc)?

[SeatownSlackey]

You are correct mine is def Rinning 115 not 230v.

Honestly I haven’t used my air rachet/sander/grinder in some time for favor my 18v cordless tools. Volume wise it can keep up just fine with a horribly inefficient cut off tool from harbor freight but that the only air tool seeing much use

[GeezerSteve]

Pretty sure it’s a single stage, v cylinder, 20gal 115/230V?

I confused it with this one: https://www.aircompressorsdirect.com...or/p13940.html

[shafty85]

You are correct mine is def Rinning 115 not 230v.

Honestly I haven’t used my air rachet/sander/grinder in some time for favor my 18v cordless tools. Volume wise it can keep up just fine with a horribly inefficient cut off tool from harbor freight but that the only air tool seeing much use

Good to know. I think it can be converted to 230V but good to know the 115 is adequate.

I’ve looked at cordless, but decent impact wrenches are in the neighbourhood of $600 up here - nearing the price of a decent compressor, and then the air tools are way cheaper.

[GeezerSteve]

There's no non-pneumatic option for much of what I use, e.g., Dynafile, sandblaster, 20,000 RPM die grinder and bore polisher

Yeah, compressors that size can be wired 110V or 220V. I wired mine 220V for years but now have it in 110V cuz I sometimes wheel it around. It's 25 y.o., hanging in there, although it's a matter of time before it'll shit the bed.