RE: LRO: Air Compressors

From: Peter Ogilvie (konacoffee2@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Apr 19 2001 - 17:09:03 EDT

  • Next message: Jean-Leon Morin: "Re: LRO: Air Compressors"

    There are comparable belt driven (oil type) compressors to the oil less,
    direct drive type. Haven't compared them side by side but would reason that
    belt driven types are going to be a little more expensive
    BUT NOT A GREAT DEAL more expensive. You can get cheap belt driven and
    cheap direct drive. For me, it was a choice, have a compressor or have my
    wife, the neighbors and our cat all pissed off at me. The belt driven type
    are so much more quieter than the direct drive that there wasn't a choice to
    be made.

    As I said, my Coleman belt drive with a 60 gallon tank only cost $419
    including the 'paradise tax'. Sure you can get the same model or similar
    model from other suppliers back in the 'real world' for even less. Have
    seen a whole bunch of 20-30 gallon tank belt drive models for around $300.
    There is no reason to go direct drive unless someone gives it to you. That
    was the only reason that I used to have one. If your buying new, don't even
    look at a direct drive, you will HEAR about it. FWIW When I was shopping
    for the compressor last year, checked out Sears only to find out they had
    dropped all the belt drive compressors. Anyone that knows Sears, knows
    there was only one reason for this and it wasn't quality. Wandered into a
    Sears a couple of weeks ago and lo and behold, what did I see but a couple
    of belt drive compressors. Apparently the word got through to Sear's
    buyers.

    BTW, I interviewed the Quincy Portable and found it to be very quiet in
    operation. If the only supplier in Hawaii hadn't been so greedy, would have
    bought one. I don't want to have to exit the garage every time the
    compressor kicks in. The Coleman isn't bad but is not as quiet as the
    Quincy. Possibly the difference is a cast iron pump on the Quincy vice
    Aluminum on the Coleman. My neighbors still complain, by the way, but now
    its about the noise of the air wratchet not the compressor.

    My old IR oil less 2hp was hooked up to a 15 amp circuit without a problem
    with it blowing a circuit breaker. The house lights would go very dim when
    it kicked in, however. I'd go for a 20 amp 110 circuit, if you can swing
    it.

    More on air toys:
    1. Was having a very hard time installing the RN supplied pop rivets. Just
    didn't have the strength, despite working out with a rubber ball, to set the
    rivets and I'd develop riveter elbow if I had to set more than a couple.
    Also had a tendency not to set them straight as I's cock the tool as I
    strained to compress the rivet tool. Finally swung for a cheap rivet gun,
    less than $50. What a revelation, the first time I used it, popped the
    trigger three or four times thinking that nothing had happened only to
    discover a perfectly set rivet. It only takes a blink of the eye. Have air
    chizeled off all the old loose rivets on my trucks and reset them with the
    heavy duty RN supplied rivets. Only took a little time and virtually no
    effort. If you've counted the rivets on your truck, you know that's a lot
    of rivets.

    2. Bought a cut off tool, think its a three inch disk variety that takes a
    thin disk. Normally used in muffler shops, I think. Anyway, cut up the
    frame on my parts truck in an hour and about 10 of the disks. Finally able
    to get the engine out of the truck where it had been held captive for 10
    years.

    3. Not to mention the joy of having air to blow the crap out of bolt holes
    and all the other nooks and crannies. Amazing what will crawl into a long
    neglected project.

    4. Remember how much fun it was disassemblying the very rusty parts truck
    without an air wratchet or impact wrench. Not a problem now. Just press
    the trigger and fastener either comes loose or breaks. In either case,
    production is about a hundred as fast. No fighting the nuts to the very
    thread on a bolt. Also great for recycling fasteners. Douse the fastener
    with lubricant, run the nut on and off and they are good as new. Remember
    remember what a pain and time waster it was doing it with a hand wratchet.

    Ah, the joys of a compressor and air tools. I can wax poetic, forever.

    Aloha
    Peter Ogilvie
    Kona Coffee Rover
    1970 88 soft top, 'huli' Mine since '84 but recovering
         from exposure of the dark side.
    1966 109 pickup 'slime' In my garage since '90, finally up and running
    12/00.
    1965 88 parts car, slowly sinking into the lava.
    196? 88 hard top, possibly 'phoenix' if it rises, it will
         certainly be from ashes or at least a pile of rust

    Lots of people have been making a fuss about how bad oilless compressors
    >are. Now look, they ARE loud, but they also cost a hell of a lot less. I
    >got a Craftsman 80Gal "6.5HP" compressor a couple of years ago. Yes, I
    >tend to exit the garage when it's operating, but with 80Gals of air,
    >unless I'm using the thing constantly I leave the garage more frequently
    >than that anyway.
    I drain it every once in a while and there's seldom more than an ounce or so
    of water in it (reasonably dry climate around here). It cost about 1/3 of
    what a comparable oil based compressor would have. You can always build a
    box around the thing and put in some fiberglass
    insulation, and it'll end up at least as quiet as an oilless version (if I
    ever remodel the garage, I'm going to do this).
    Short of it is, oilless isn't that bad. Yes there are better ways to go,
    but don't feel you need to drop $800 to have compressed air. It's a really
    useful addition to the shop, and it can be done on a reasonable budget.
    >-Ben

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