I need a new air compressor

alaskansteve · 03-15-2007, 12:23 AM

I need a new air compressor so whats better the oil filled cast iron type or the oil less. I'm thinking about a 25-30 gallon upright type. I'll be using it in the cold around here, at least it will be cold in the barn till i get the woodstove stoked up. Gimme some advise guys !

canyondiver · 03-15-2007, 12:56 AM

Oiled ones are quieter and will last longer.
That said, my plumber has an oilless Campbell Hausfeld and beat the crap out of it for many years, including it falling off a golf cart at speed a few times. It's still going strong and I have had the same model for 5 years with no problems and it sees quite a bit of use. It is a bit loud though, but since I am spraying finishes as well as using pneumatic tools, I figured I did not want oil in the hoses.

dogboy · 03-15-2007, 07:21 AM

As mentioned, oiled ones are more durable

DarkSkies · 03-15-2007, 11:24 PM

Steve - some of the oilless ones have a reed type system that can crap out with extended use or use that causes them to heat up without rest.

I have both types. I use the oil compressor (20 yrs old 220v. 30 gal tank) for car painting and mechanic work (air gun ratchet, etc). Anything that requires extended use.

I use the smaller CH oilless for construction work, mainly for nail guns, short work spurts. Where you're at, I don't think heating up should be too much of a problem. It should really depend on what you're using it for, but most guys around here use oilless. The oilless ones they sell around here are usually lighter and more portable. Hope this helps - Dark

Canyon diver, for the oil compressors, you can get an inline water/moisture separator which ensures your usable air is dry. I have a separator with 2 separate filters/bleeders in series, but I get mine for free from a machine shop misc. pile. Been painting cars for years with that compressor, but it's huge. I could see where a smaller oilless would be advantageous to use as well.

alaskansteve · 03-16-2007, 03:06 AM

Dark & CD,
Thanks for the info. I think i might go with a oiless model, i don't need it for long term use, just to run my air cutter, clip & hog ring guns for the building of my shrimp pots. Yeah heat aint a problem around here it was 0 in the barn today when i started work & might have got it up to 40 after burning a ----load of wood in the stove, its just to hard to get everything warmed up in the barn in this cold, i've got to insulate part of it so it will hold some heat. I guess the wind gusting up to 50 might have sucked a lot of the heat out also

DMacLeod · 03-16-2007, 06:28 AM

Steve, I'd go oil less in your situation. I've had both and while the oil bath is quieter it didn't like extremely cold temps. (like you get up there). The oil less is louder but that can be muffled by building a plywood box to cover the compressor. That and the oil less version is usually cheaper pricewise.

Highlander1 · 03-16-2007, 03:03 PM

I've got a Campbell Hausfeld unit that went bad after 9 months and with very little use, lets say maybe 6 hours. The best they would do is offer for me to bring it to one of their authorized dealers and offer me whatever parts free of charge. Didn't sound bad till they told me the labor would be around $125, the unit was only a little over $200. Needless to say, I cut my losses and sold it for $50.

I'd buy a Craftsman only because Sears will back their stuff up, its probably junk like most of them but at least they would replace the unit, or maybe they wouldn't and I just expect too much!!

fiddler · 03-16-2007, 05:50 PM

You want to go oiless. Oiled compressors do not work in the cold.

NIB · 03-16-2007, 07:06 PM

I've had a 2 hp 3 gallon craftsman for 26 yrs.Used it everyday for quite a while.it's retired to the garage for my air brush an filling flat tires..
It outlasted 2 Emglo 5 gal with 5 hp honda's but we beat em to death.
like Mac said urs is bout the only situation I would reccomend a oil less..

canyondiver · 03-17-2007, 12:20 AM

NIB,
That's amazing you killed the Emglo's.
When you say you beat em up, what did you do?

I always thought they were good compressors.
BTW, what's your take on the new Craftsman tools?
I thought the old ones were nice and chunky, but now they seem light weight and more consumer that pro.

EricW · 03-17-2007, 11:41 PM

I have an oil one by speedair I got from a cabinet maker. Best thing I ever purchased. Quiet as far as compressors go and fills up fast.
I had a craftsman oil free and it was the biggest piece of junk I have ever seen. The connecting rod (pump) assy, totally blew apart after about 1/2 hour of run time. Unfortunately I couldn't use it when I first got it and this happened about 1.5 years after I got it. Sears was absolutely of no help after warranty. Anyway, I got it fixed, and it did it again, I fixed it myself the 3rd time and Guess what, It blew while I was up on my roof with a nail gun. The connecting rod assy is made out of cheap aluminum that feels like you could snap it in half with your hands. The top of the rod assy is held together by 1 little screw just waiting to come apart and blow out your pump. I'll never buy one again. I do have a little oil less CH model for airbrushing I got for about 25.00. But I wouldn't ever go more than that on one. I have used some of the parts from the sears one on other stuff The air regulator is nice on my CF model. I may use the 3.5 hp motor from it to make a dust collector someday.
My father in law has several oiled compressors in use daily in his shop that have to be 40+ years old. They last forever.
That is my .02.

jspadea · 10-14-2007, 11:21 AM

I had a Craftsman 60 gal 6.5hp Oilless for 5 years. Never had a problem with it except that it was loud. Used it with nail guns, ratchets, impact wrenches, pool closing (almost continuous for several hours) grinders, drills, etc. The tool that retired it was a cutoff saw. My son had the thing running continously for about an hour and the motor overheated. He may have kept running it after it "sounded funny". I dropped it off at the local motor-rebuild shop and they said I needed a new motor. The catch is that because it is "integrated" they could not get me a new motor. Sears wanted $350 for the motor. I'm going out today to buy the 60 gal oiled one for $500 (which is $300 less than what I paid 6 years ago) - that way if the motor burns out in 5 years I can replace it for $75.

shbeachbum · 10-14-2007, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alaskansteve

Yeah heat aint a problem around here it was 0 in the barn today when i started work & might have got it up to 40 after burning a ----load of wood in the stove, its just to hard to get everything warmed up in the barn in this cold, i've got to insulate part of it so it will hold some heat. I guess the wind gusting up to 50 might have sucked a lot of the heat out also

A big change from the 8th ave & Belmar days ! I could not endure that cold.
If it is 0 now,what is it like in Feb/Mar?

dogboy · 10-14-2007, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alaskansteve

I need a new air compressor so whats better the oil filled cast iron type or the oil less. I'm thinking about a 25-30 gallon upright type. I'll be using it in the cold around here, at least it will be cold in the barn till i get the woodstove stoked up. Gimme some advise guys !

the oil-less do not last as long, according to a review i read last year or so

that said, i used to work with a guy who was in the air force and stationed in greenland.....when it gets really cold, you do not grease or oil anything because it gums them up

so i have to think you would be better off with an oil-less compressor