What size air compressor??

[Josue]

Doesn't look like this section gets much use lol, but hopefully I can get some input from everyone.

What size air compressors are you guys running at home? And what brands? Gonna be starting the body work on my dad's '69 Firebird convertible this winter, possibly sooner, and I've been cruising craigslist for some deals on compressors. I can't afford $800+ for a new one right now...lol

As most of you may or may not know, there will be ALOT of grinding, cutting, sanding, spraying, etc...basically, running the compressor into the GROUND! hahaha I'm a collision tech as it is, and a few of the guys at the shop say that I'll need around 18 cfm @ 90PSI to be able to keep up with all the air tool usage, so a big guy. I just won't be able to STAND waiting for the tank to fill back up after 5 minutes of griding, and also, the houses in our neighborhood are semi-close together, so I don't want to be the jerk neighbor that has a loud compressor running until the wee hours of the night.....even though we DID get woken up at 4am by the next door neighbor's jam session, so payback would be nice...hehehe

[toxicz28]

I have an Ingersoll-Rand 60 gallon that runs 15.8 cfm@ 90 psi. Never a problem with it, it stays ahead of everything I've hooked up to it. I hope this helps.

[ssealeycpa]

Josh,

I have been doing paint and body work since my teens. I have had many of air compressors and I would recommend getting the biggest (in cfm's) that you can afford and would even suggest saving $ until you can afford one. If you run a smaller compressor that runs all of the time, it will run hot which will create a lot of condensation an mess up your air tools also, the newer HVLP paint guns (like my Sata 2000 HVLP) requires a minimum of 15 cfm @ 29 psi. I currently have the biggest I/R compressor on the market for single phase 230v. power which puts out ~24cfm @ 90 psi and I also have a Saylor-Beall that is rated at 18 cfm @ 90 psi, both of which have 80 gallon tanks. I have these plumbed together where I use only one pressure switch from one compressor to trigger the starters for each compressor (on two separate circuits). This is overkill what you are trying to achieve but maybe this setup with 2 smaller compressors may be something for you to consider. Good luck with this.

[Josue]

That's the most common answer I seem to be getting, to just save until I can get the "compressor of my dreams" so to speak. lol If properly maintained, it'll be around for a long LONG time, so a little investment now could really pay off in the long run. I have plenty of room on the credit cards to charge a new one, I'm just in the process of clearing most of my debt, so I didn't want to jump back into it...

How is the I/R for you? I've been told by a few, to steer clear of the I/R's they sell at Tractor Supply, because they're just cheap China compressors in I/R labels? Same thing with Craftsman, minus the China part...again, other people's opinions, not mine.

We have a company come out and service the compressor at work, so I was thinking about calling one of the guys there and seeing if they have any older ones laying around that they could hook me up with? Age shouldn't matter much as long as it was cared for.

[Taman]

Make sure the pumps have cast iron cylinders and not cast sleeved aluminum.

[Josue]

Gotcha, thanks!

[Satatic]

I have 120 gallon with 7.5 hp eaton compresor and 5hp baldor motor. puts out like 19 scfm. The nice thing about having such a large tank is the air never gets hot. I never have water problems with it.

[Josue]

Sounds like a big boy!!! I'd like to have at least an 80 gal tank...I don't know if the motors associated with 60 gal tanks will be enough for my needs.

[Josue]

Well, ALMOST pulled the trigger on a brand new compressor. The air compressor company we use at work, quoted me a brand new Curtis 5hp 80gal, 230V, Single phase, 2 stage, 175psi unit for $1566. There's also a tool place not too far from me that sells some good quality Quincy and Champion compressors for similar prices.

The compressor tech was in earlier this week, so I was asking him some questions about a quality brand to buy, and those 3 were the choices he recommended. A few days later, I was surfing craigslist, and came across a used unit that looked like it would work, but again, I didn't know anything about compressors and didn't want to buy a POS. Luckily, the same guy was in on thursday replacing the dryer, so I asked him about buying used. What's the worst that can happen? What to look for? Etc.

He told me to hold my hand over the air cleaner, and if it has good vaccume, then that's a good sign. Also, basically as long as it sounded good too, no rattles/grinding/etc., then that was also key. He told me to get the model number, call the manufacturer, and get the run up times to X psi, but I couldn't find anything online because it's a obsolete company now.

So, to cap all this off, wound up buying the compressor off craigslist for $450. I heard it run before I bought it, and it had everything I was looking for...5hp, 80gal, single phase, 2 stage, 18cfm@125/16@175. It's a 1993 Sanborn, which was bought out by Coleman, which too went under (their air compressors at least) so now some other company owns the name. There's still parts out there though, so I'm not worried. That tech gave me his card and said he'd cut me a deal to repair it if anything happened too, so that was cool of him.

Now I just need to get a regulator/dryer and all the other misc. junk...fittings, hoses, etc. and have 220 ran to my garage.

[Taman]

Even if parts become unavailable, you can replace the pump or complete pump and your still cheaper than new.

[Josue]

Exactly my thoughts! I just didn't want to spend $1500+ for a new one right now. BTW...did I mention I'm getting married in 6 weeks, and I have to pay for the wedding pretty much all by myself. LMAO!

I really don't even plan on having this thing all that long. I'm waiting to get hired by the FAA for Air Traffic Control, and when I do, we'll have to move to wherever they send me, and this would just be one more big ass thing we'd have to move...so hopefully I'll get some good use out of it until then, and when we get to where we're going, then I'll buy a new one that I can pass down to my kids. (when we have some)

[Taman]

Good luck on the marriage thing. 6 weeks is my 20th anniversary. Before he passed, my father =in-law was top in the FAA for St. Louis Kansas City area. Good career. Good luck!

[Josue]

Thanks! My mother has 24 years in here in the Cleveland area, it's provided us with a better life than where they were when I was born! I'm looking to do the same for my kids, when I have them. haha

[MonzaRacer]

If your going to do body work look into Water Guard products, they have a screw on desicant filter you can simply leave the used one on or find a simple oil filter with same seal/thread pattern for regualr use then screw a new dessicant one on for paint use or have it tied in with a by pass ball valve. The company is called WaterGuard and the neat thing is the filters look like oil filters and contain the desicant, and if you left the unit isolated with 2 ball valves when not painting thne the filters should last a while, otherthna that a regular water trap should do. I would use inline oilers at the air hose connections not in the pipe line, then swap out regular use hoses for painting hoses. Ha a buddy start doing this and had near zero failures in his paint after redoing everything.