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Thread: Let's talk garage air compressors

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    Default Let's talk garage air compressors

    Looking for a new air compressor for the garage, were about to move in the new year and upgrading from a double to triple car garage! Soooo excite!

    Looking for something that will do basic automotive needs. Polishing the car, tires, impact once and a while, Maybe sand down a car one day.

    I will also be throwing the compressor in a far corner, running a line to the ceiling in the middle of the garage, and then to a 50ft retractable unit.

    So what's good out there? I hear oil less are quiet but wont stand the test of time?

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    Quote Originally Posted by sikid111 View Post
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    Looking for a new air compressor for the garage, were about to move in the new year and upgrading from a double to triple car garage! Soooo excite!

    Looking for something that will do basic automotive needs. Polishing the car, tires, impact once and a while, Maybe sand down a car one day.

    I will also be throwing the compressor in a far corner, running a line to the ceiling in the middle of the garage, and then to a 50ft retractable unit.

    So what's good out there? I hear oil less are quiet but wont stand the test of time?
    I've had an oil-less California Air Tools compressor for over 4 years now (my work compressor) and have not had a single problem with it. Certainly not the cheapest brand out there but very quiet and capable, bought it at KMS Tools - go visit them as they have a great variety of brands, sizes and types in stock. In my garage I've got a larger but much noisier oil lubricated Stanley Bostitch compressor in my garage, been just as reliable but if I were to replace it, the replacement would be a much quieter compressor and most likely another oil-less California Air Tools compressor.
    Will fuck off, again.

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    Yea I'm not running a shop and have a quiet compressor would be nice. My current 30g oiled sounds like a fucking helicopter

    I'll check out kms.

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    Quote Originally Posted by speedog View Post
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    I've had an oil-less California Air Tools compressor for over 4 years now (my work compressor) and have not had a single problem with it. Certainly not the cheapest brand out there but very quiet and capable, bought it at KMS Tools - go visit them as they have a great variety of brands, sizes and types in stock. In my garage I've got a larger but much noisier oil lubricated Stanley Bostitch compressor in my garage, been just as reliable but if I were to replace it, the replacement would be a much quieter compressor and most likely another oil-less California Air Tools compressor.
    Me too - been great for auto and running nailers and even blowing out irrigation (small runs)

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    California air tools is awesome. If you don't want to get that, any princess auto stuff should be fine. Spring for larger tank.
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    CFM, time to recover and tank size are all factors to consider. OP's current 30 gallon sounds like a beast, would you really need a 30 gallon compressor?
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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    California air tools is awesome. If you don't want to get that, any princess auto stuff should be fine. Spring for larger tank.
    The only problem with Princess Auto stuff is once they discontinue a model then getting parts specific to that model becomes an issue very quickly, I ran into this recently and ended up just scrapping the PA compressor because I would've had to have the particular broken piece custom made. Cheaper for a reason.
    Will fuck off, again.

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    Get oiled and belt drive low rpm unit. The biggest pumper that fits your budget and run it 240v. I just have some 20 gallon Husky from Home Depot I bought 15 years ago and it just chugs along with no fuss and not much noise. Change the oil every year (at least) and clean the air filter / separator and it will last a long time as long as the tank is stored either empty, or you have a timer to purge the water out of it.

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    oilless = loud... if you dont like the sound of your oiled one, dont get oileless, there are plenty of options for decent sized quiet compressors at a reasonable price, doesn't seem like your're gonna be too hard on it so it really is gonna depend what you want for form factor for what you need.

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    Quote Originally Posted by speedog View Post
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    The only problem with Princess Auto stuff is once they discontinue a model then getting parts specific to that model becomes an issue very quickly, I ran into this recently and ended up just scrapping the PA compressor because I would've had to have the particular broken piece custom made. Cheaper for a reason.
    tthey still take it back, return the current one and buy a new model.
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    Quote Originally Posted by rage2 View Post
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    It's not the size that matters, it's the taste it leaves in your mouth.

    Quote Originally Posted by JRSC00LUDE
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    I say stupid shit all the time.
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    ^This.
    They're all freakishly loud, regardless. "Quieter" is still a long long way from quiet. Give up on that dream. The most quiet I've heard was an old belt driven unit powered by a gasoline engine. And no - still not quiet.

    Do you have 240V available?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThePenIsMightier View Post
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    ^This.
    They're all freakishly loud, regardless. "Quieter" is still a long long way from quiet. Give up on that dream. The most quiet I've heard was an old belt driven unit powered by a gasoline engine. And no - still not quiet.

    Do you have 240V available?
    or put it outside in a shed and run airhose inside, that's the only way you may potentially not hear it.
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    Quote Originally Posted by rage2 View Post
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    It's not the size that matters, it's the taste it leaves in your mouth.

    Quote Originally Posted by JRSC00LUDE
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    I say stupid shit all the time.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Misterman View Post
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thaco View Post
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    or put it outside in a shed and run airhose inside, that's the only way you may potentially not hear it.
    True, but then you might be that cunt neighbour who doesn't turn it off so it kicks in at 02:34 Tuesday to "refill the surge vessel" when no one has used it in a week.
    No one wants to be that guy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thaco View Post
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    oilless = loud... if you dont like the sound of your oiled one, dont get oileless, there are plenty of options for decent sized quiet compressors at a reasonable price, doesn't seem like your're gonna be too hard on it so it really is gonna depend what you want for form factor for what you need.

    - - - Updated - - -



    tthey still take it back, return the current one and buy a new model.
    Is 60dB loud because that's what my oil-less CAT compressor runs at?
    Will fuck off, again.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThePenIsMightier View Post
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    True, but then you might be that cunt neighbour who doesn't turn it off so it kicks in at 02:34 Tuesday to "refill the surge vessel" when no one has used it in a week.
    No one wants to be that guy.
    could put it on a smart plug with programmable times.... that actually gives me an idea, i have a small compressor in my basement, its called silent, but i should still put it on a smart plug to turn off/on at specific times, no leaks though so it doesn't kick in unless i am using it so it's not really a problem.
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    Quote Originally Posted by rage2 View Post
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    It's not the size that matters, it's the taste it leaves in your mouth.

    Quote Originally Posted by JRSC00LUDE
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thaco View Post
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    could put it on a smart plug with programmable times.... that actually gives me an idea, i have a small compressor in my basement, its called silent, but i should still put it on a smart plug to turn off/on at specific times, no leaks though so it doesn't kick in unless i am using it so it's not really a problem.
    I think there are always tiny leaks and temperature fluctuations can also give the lower reading that'll make it kick in.
    ...
    At 02:34 on a Tuesday!
    Last edited by ThePenIsMightier; 12-10-2019 at 08:19 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thaco View Post
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    i have a small compressor in my basement, its called silent, but i should still put it on a smart plug to turn off/on at specific times, no leaks though so it doesn't kick in unless i am using it so it's not really a problem.
    I thought this thread was about garage compressors...
    What is a basement compressor good for? Do I need one?

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    Quote Originally Posted by jwslam View Post
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    I thought this thread was about garage compressors...
    What is a basement compressor good for? Do I need one?
    haha, its a bsement compressor because i dont have a garage, basically i use it for blowing out computers, airbrushing, to run my pneumatic can crusher, fill car tires.,. mostly got it for portability so i can toss it in my truck and plug it in to the inverter to winterize the trailer...... nothing crazy, its a little 4 gal "maximum" unit,
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    Quote Originally Posted by rage2 View Post
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    It's not the size that matters, it's the taste it leaves in your mouth.

    Quote Originally Posted by JRSC00LUDE
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    I have an old Emglo model D running with a 5hp 1725 rpm single phase motor (240vac). Its basically a V4 single stage.



    It chugs quietly at 700 rpm. I have a fan powered after cooler on the pump discharge with a large seperator and automatic drain valve before the air hits my 60 gallon tank, all tucked under my garage shelving. I drain my tank once and a while and have yet to see any water. Its all captured by the after cooler seperator. I think it is around 20 cfm. Runs my Trinco bead blast cabinet great

    California Air Tools compressors look like dental compressor or diaphragm compressors. Very quiet with limited cfm per hp
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    Quote Originally Posted by legendboy View Post
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    I drain my tank once and a while and have yet to see any water. Its all captured by the after cooler seperator.
    Is your separator after the tank, or between pump and tank? I've got an after-tank separator and it does a great job, but I still get a fair amount of water in my 60gal tank, especially when media blasting at 100% duty cycle.


    Quote Originally Posted by sikid111 View Post
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    Yea I'm not running a shop and have a quiet compressor would be nice. My current 30g oiled sounds like a fucking helicopter

    I'll check out kms.
    If you're not running a shop, a 30g 120V oiled compressor sounds pretty much like what you'd need. If it's just the noise that's bothersome, there's not much improvement to be had until you get to the 60-80gal low-RPM 240V units, or a rotary-vane compressor of some kind ($$$, poorer performance than piston units for a given price point).

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    Quote Originally Posted by BerserkerCatSplat View Post
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    Is your separator after the tank, or between pump and tank? I've got an after-tank separator and it does a great job, but I still get a fair amount of water in my 60gal tank, especially when media blasting at 100% duty cycle.
    Before the tank. There is a heat exchanger with a fan that cools and condenses the hot air coming out of the pump. I can't really touch the pump discharge fitting as it gets really hot, the discharge of the aftercooler is cold to the touch. The separator looks like a small vertical air tank with some stuff inside and drain at the bottom side mounted on the aftercooler discharge. Try and post a pic

    I bought a 60g tank brand new from CFM and don't want it to rot. The setup is doing exactly what I want. All the plumbing is hydraulic hose from princess auto.

    I have additional desiccant dryers, drains and oilers on the discharge of the tank for different air locations in my garage.
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