Air compressor for home/shop

v8stang289

v8stang289

Twelve Pointer
Do you guys have any experience or recommendations for an air compressor for my backyard shop?
Uses will be occasional impact, air ratchet, DA sander, die grinder and I'll probably spray a few cars/trucks.
Mainly looking at 230v 3-5hp 60 gallon and I'd like to stay under 1k if possible.

Definitely want something that will last and work well, but don't to shell out for pro quality that will only be used once or twice a month if I don't have to.
Looking at Dewalt 3.7/60gal and Ingersoll Rand 5/60gal at the moment. They're both available locally and have good reviews. I just wanted to check the collective knowledge and experience of this board.
Thanks.
 
nccatfisher

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
pattersonj11 said:
Not a lot of fun working with something then having to wait for air to build up.

Whatever you get....utilize the tank drain at least monthly. I know some people never ever do it. I have a buddy that drains every day. Amazing how much condensate is in the air.
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I gave up on that crap, seemed no matter how often I drained mine which was often it always had a pint in it. Put an auto drain in it.
 
beard&bow

beard&bow

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
If you can wait for a holiday sale, especially father's day, you can probably walk out with your choice of compressor and a few new tools, for the price of just the compressor today.
 

jenkinsnb

Ten Pointer
dc bigdaddy said:
The boys I used to work with said that the Habor Freight compressor was good if you filled the maintenance and breakend
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That’s what I use 60+ hours a week for going on 4 years now. Make sure your pulley speed is correct and keep up with maintenance. On a 100 gallon tank, I can run a DA or cut off wheel constant and gain air when the compressor kicks in. And put an auto drain on the tank and forget about it.
 
Banjo

Banjo

Old Mossy Horns
5 hp with 60 gallon tank is plenty for what you are looking to do.

If you are going to spray vehicles, do yourself a favor and put in a water filter.


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v8stang289

v8stang289

Twelve Pointer
bigten said:
So much depends on your individual needs. Hard to make any recommendations with limited info.
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I'm really just a hobbyist. I work on my own vehicles and restore/modify mustangs.
I want at least 60gal tank, and will use it maybe 1-2 weekends a month to run the air tools I mentioned in the first post.
Maybe running a Die Grinder to port cylinder heads or remove material, etc, DA to do body work, or that sort of thing.
I may also paint a car/truck every year or two.
It will probably sit most of the time. But I want something that will hold up long term, and keep up with a DA, Die Grinder, or spray gun when I need it.
 
v8stang289

v8stang289

Twelve Pointer
I'm leaning towards the Ingersoll Rand twin cylinder 5hp/60gal that the local Tractor Supply has for $800. They also have a Dewalt 3.7hp/60gal on sale for $530. But I know Dewalt buys/relabels theirs and I don't know how they'll last long term.

I wanted to check with you guys to see if I could do better for the money.

I currently have a small 20gallon Campbell Hausfeld for little jobs, but any type of air tool outruns it badly.

I was looking at the Harbor Freight compressors, but for some reason none of the larger compressors are coming up anymore?
 

Wanchese

Twelve Pointer
Get as high SCFM as you can in your price range.

I’ll be buying a new one shortly and plan to buy a Ingersoll Rand.
 
JBGrizzley

JBGrizzley

Eight Pointer
Industrial Air is gonna be the best quality & warranty you can find. Leaves IR in the dust imo. I have 2, an 80 gallon 2 stage electric and a 30 gallon 2 stage with a honda gx 390. Both have been monkey'd with to produce 200 psi since new with no issues. Very reliable & in the case of the 30 gallon gas compressor was the cheapest one i could get brand new
 

SharpShooter

Ten Pointer
My little harbor freight special is 9yrs old and was flooded during mathew but I did the break in per the instructions and change oil yearly(and after being flooded) and it’s still going strong.
 
DBCooper

DBCooper

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I’ve had this one for the same uses you’re looking for......for 10 years. No issues. Less than $400

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QBD2

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
You need volume, more than pressure. Auxiliary tank(s) will help you far more than HP.

You also need a drier and a filter if you want to spray, along with a good regulator. Gun mounted regulators suck, to put it mildly.

If you’re going to plumb the shop, 3/4” loop with 1/2” drops. High flow fittings on everything, especially paint guns.2AB29FF9-4291-49BD-A10B-45D8DA4CE245.jpeg
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
Have a old oxygen tank that use to use with torch. Was thinking about plumbing it into existing air compressor and tank already have for more volume . Problem I see is how get moisture out of it unless it is somehow mounted upside down. Anybody ever tried it
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
timber said:
Have a old oxygen tank that use to use with torch. Was thinking about plumbing it into existing air compressor and tank already have for more volume . Problem I see is how get moisture out of it unless it is somehow mounted upside down. Anybody ever tried it
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Not with an 02 tank, but have done it with a 100lb propane cylinder. We ran it upright and welded a bung for a drain in the bottom. We had moisture issues until we installed an aftercooler between the compressor head and the main tank. After that, the auxiliary tank was dry when drained...fww
 
nccatfisher

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
timber said:
Have a old oxygen tank that use to use with torch. Was thinking about plumbing it into existing air compressor and tank already have for more volume . Problem I see is how get moisture out of it unless it is somehow mounted upside down. Anybody ever tried it
Click to expand...
Weld a fitting in the bottom.
 
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