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After a 6 month struggle with my township, the pole barn is finally out of the ground. Footer inspection at 3:00 on Thursday afternoon. 2 young Amish guys started at 7 AM and had the entire 40x44 garage framed with roof trusses by 4 PM on Friday. Soffit and fascia are done on the back too. Roofing and siding tomorrow. I can see how they can raise a barn in a day.
I started thinking about air for the garage. My little compressor could drown out a 747 at takeoff so I want to upgrade my compressor. I was thinking of installing Maxline Air Hose while I was at it just for convenience and to keep things “cleaner.” My compressor will be used for basic shop stuff. One user without sustained continuous usage.
What should I be looking at in terms of tank size, hp, cfm, oil less or oil pump etc? You can drop a lot a money on air but I don’t think my needs warrant that.
I bought at vertical 60 gallon 220VAC two stage Campbell Hausefield compressor from Lowes.....and it serves all the air needs I need to do body off restoration on a Corvette. It runs my air tools well enough....although you sometimes have to let it catch up,....which is really not an issue. It certainly will be capable of spraying paint. Its loud, like they all are. If you want quiiet, you need to put it outside, or build a sound proof box around it.....I just let it roar. In general.....I think you should get the biggest compressor you can afford. A two stage compressor is better if you need lots of air with multiple tools....but I work alone.
depends on whether or not you are going to be shooting paint. or air die grinder for porting heads. those are the main ones that need lotsa CFM. otherwise a 5 hp harbor freight unit should be plenty.
Sand blasting takes a ton of CFM as well. The cutoff for 110vac is about 5hp rated motor. If you want more cfm than it can generate you'll need 220vac.
for longevity and a bit quieter stay a way from the oilless compressors.
on mine I have it in a room that is separate from where I usually use it and have air lines installed going to various places with quick disconnects. Also a self retracting hose reel.
If you plan on doing high cfm stuff you'll need larger than the standard size hose and connectors in some way. Air tools use a lot of cfm if it involves sanding/grinding as pointed out. I do die grinding on mine and it sometimes needs time to catch up.
I just have a 5hp horizontal coleman oil compressor.
Not to be contrary, but have you considered getting a small inexpensive compressor for things like tires & blow guns. Then take the money not spent on 220v 2 stage compressor, lines, fittings, etc. and getting a few Milwaukee M12 or M18 tools and batteries?
I have a Kobalt quiet compressor that is use for filling tires, blowing things off, running the locks on my lift and my rolling bridge jack. All my other tools that would normally run on air are now Milwaukee M12 - 1/2 impact, 3/8 impact, 1/4 angle grinder, 3/8 ratchet……its nice not having to drag an air line around with me as I work on the car.
I went 30 gal horizontal Cmpbl. Hsfld. Very reliable, but loud. Its used daily, 6 days a week.
Its in a closet lined with sound deadening ceiling tiles.
I highly recommend cast iron lung.
220V belt drive motor.
Change crankcase oil every 6 months or sooner and use only compressor oil.
Drain tank condensation every 30 days.
If you can access it..put the noisy compressor in the roof area and a drain line for ease of draining.
leave on and turn breaker on and off as needed.
freind did this works very well and quiet.
also if only small air needed consider the harbor freight oiless ..amazingly quiet.. unreal..
139 a few months ago …amazingly quiet..
if buying big..i would go oil and belt drive USA made
Last edited by interpon; Oct 23, 2022 at 09:51 PM.
About 20 years ago I bought a DeVibiss 2 stage 80 gallon air compressor. Zero issues. The biggest air suck is my 40 LB sand blaster and it will keep up. All air tools no issues.
The only thing I changed was the air switch to on at 125 PSI instead of 175 PSI.
If I was going to do it again I would build a insulated "closet" around it to reduce the noise and vented into the ceiling for air flow.
@69XR7 I hadn’t considered that but since I don’t sand blast or do extensive grinding, investing in some battery tools may be the way to go. I can always put in a compressor later and there’s never anything wrong with having more battery tools that can leave the garage to do other things.
For basic shop stuff, one user without sustained continuous usage you can get away with anything Lowes, Home Depot and Northern Tool has to offer.
For me I'm in the camp of buy once cry once for air, this would be a 230V, 5HP, 2 Stage, 80 gal tank, 17 CFM @ 175 psi, 942 pump RPM. An example would be a Quincy QT-5 or some cheaper brands like EMAX, PUMA or Belaire.
The two key components to a good home garage air compressor that will last you a lifetime is a cast iron 5hp 2-stage splash lubricated pump and a 5hp 1800 RPM electric motor. Don't discount buying used as these top end air compressors are built like tanks. I have been running a used cast iron 5hp 2-stage pump with a 5hp 1800 RPM electric motor for over 30 years trouble free.
Consider looking at your local Craigslist for a good used unit. A well maintained 2 stage inter cooled 220v with a 60 or 80 gallon tank is miles ahead of the cheap crap that is sold today.
Not to scare you off PSU1985,
But those big air tanks could be bombs waiting to go off. I saw the devastation of a shop wall when those tanks decide holding 100+ pounds of air is enough.
They don't blow at the welded seams. They don't blow at the drain valves. They blow at the weakest & thinnest metal. And that is where rust has formed.
Why all the rust inside? Condensation withdrawn daily from the atmosphere then collects at the same spot on the bottom of the tank.
If you live in a humid area, drain the tank frequently.
My compressor runs a lot. I bet I drain off 3-4 ounces of water every month on a 30 gal tank.
I have a DeVilbiss from the 40s(?) and it is sweet. Good for 185 psi. Quiet enough to have a phone conversation right next to it, and I have het to run the air intake outside which would probably quiet it up more. I actually ENJOY listening to it lope away. I mounted a newer tank off of a busted compressor outside to save space.
I have an Ingersoll-Rand 5hp 80gal upright I got at Costco maybe 25+ years ago. Built an insulated compressor room off the back of my shop. I do a lot of bead blasting so need a lot of air. I like MrD's advise to buy big as you can now and never have to deal with it again.
I would recommend anyone with a compressor to hook up an automatic drain. Mine is set to go off every hour for 5 seconds, when the compressor is turned on.
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I don't do bodywork. I am a big fan of Dewalt 20v tools. I think their full size and mini impact wrench are awesome. I actually gave away my upright 220 air compressor. Now I have more room, less noise and no hoses.
I went used with a 7hp 2 stage 80 gallon 220v. I had to 33 gallon oil less compressor in the past and it was so loud compared to the one I have now. Plus you cant get any good cfm out of the cheaper ones.
@69XR7 I hadn’t considered that but since I don’t sand blast or do extensive grinding, investing in some battery tools may be the way to go. I can always put in a compressor later and there’s never anything wrong with having more battery tools that can leave the garage to do other things.
Other folks beat me to it. I got rid of my air tools a few years ago. Even my tire inflator is a DeWalt 20V, which has bailed me out on travel, and can pump up air mattresses when camping.
Unless you are painting, at the hobbyist level, battery is the way to go.
Other folks beat me to it. I got rid of my air tools a few years ago. Even my tire inflator is a DeWalt 20V, which has bailed me out on travel, and can pump up air mattresses when camping.
Unless you are painting, at the hobbyist level, battery is the way to go.
I like a vacuum cleaner in reverse to fill mattresses for camping. This below is for tires, blowing stuff off or pressurized applications. I have rebuilt the regulator once and refill the nitrogen once every few years but MUCH less cost, noise, maintenance as compared to a compressor. Just something to consider.
I have an older (circa 2005) Craftsman 30 gal horizontal. Still works great for everything I need. I went with an oil lubed compressor and it is not that loud. The oil-less ones seem to be much louder to me.
Air compressor recommendation
