Compressors

[GregWeld]

The Quincy compressor specs are FAR better than the original version you asked about -- and Quincy is a good brand name.

It's still "not enough" compressor -- but will work... and the price is certainly cheap. I will stick by my guns though and say -- for large items like this -- it pays (in the long run) to buy a REAL version you can grow with. But I also understand people have budgets to live with too.

I bought a lift from EAGLE -- that I thought "was good enough".... and was about 1/3rd less than the Rotary Lift I really wanted. 6 years later I gave the Eagle lift away for less than half what it cost... and bought the Rotary. Saved a bunch of dough on that deal....

[Fluid Power]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

The Quincy compressor specs are FAR better than the original version you asked about -- and Quincy is a good brand name.

It's still "not enough" compressor -- but will work... and the price is certainly cheap. I will stick by my guns though and say -- for large items like this -- it pays (in the long run) to buy a REAL version you can grow with. But I also understand people have budgets to live with too.

I bought a lift from EAGLE -- that I thought "was good enough".... and was about 1/3rd less than the Rotary Lift I really wanted. 6 years later I gave the Eagle lift away for less than half what it cost... and bought the Rotary. Saved a bunch of dough on that deal....

EXACTLY. Nothing short of an industrial compressor is satisfactory. Nothing from the big box DIY stores or northern tool etc. Call somebody that deals in compressors.

Here is who we use:

http://www.aircompressors.com/produc...tlas-copco/kt/

Buy a KT5V80. Shouldn't be more than $1500.00. Whisper quite. Last the rest of your life. I went thru 2 Craftsman compressors before this.

Buy it once.

Darren

[GregWeld]

Okay -- this is going to be a bit risky to post... and I'm sure it will also be controversial... but here goes nothing.


A buddy of mine does everything on a budget... he has a two car garage and didn't want to take up a bunch of foot print for a compressor.

He used several 10 foot lengths of schedule 80 thick wall 6" PVC pipe plumbed together in a series as his "tank" -- he stuck these up in the attic crawl space.... and his "compressor" was a real good commercial motor and pump that produced plenty of air. His regulator controlled the "tank" psi to 125.

Schedule 80 pipe is good enough to hold 125 lbs (our working pressures)... but Google the ratings because this varies depending on the diameter of the piping and it's rating goes DOWN with diameter!

My guess is -- he spent as much on all the pipe and fittings and pump etc as he could have just gone out and bought a good compressor!

[bdahlg68]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Okay -- this is going to be a bit risky to post... and I'm sure it will also be controversial... but here goes nothing.


A buddy of mine does everything on a budget... he has a two car garage and didn't want to take up a bunch of foot print for a compressor.

He used several 10 foot lengths of schedule 80 thick wall 6" PVC pipe plumbed together in a series as his "tank" -- he stuck these up in the attic crawl space.... and his "compressor" was a real good commercial motor and pump that produced plenty of air. His regulator controlled the "tank" psi to 125.

Schedule 80 pipe is good enough to hold 125 lbs (our working pressures)... but Google the ratings because this varies depending on the diameter of the piping and it's rating goes DOWN with diameter!

My guess is -- he spent as much on all the pipe and fittings and pump etc as he could have just gone out and bought a good compressor!

I thought about piecing a system together but figured sort of the same... at the end it'd cost just about as much but take a lot more of my precious time. Maybe I'll win Powerball tonight and this is all moot. Alternatively I can do nothing and maybe outsource more work rather than spend the money on equipment.

Greetings from smoggy Shanghai.... the land of not quite right.

[clill]

Food for thought. My big deal for a compressor has always been for impact wrenches,air drills etc.Now i find I use a cordless impact, drill etc all the time. I don't do body work so I don't need a compressor for that. In my clean barn I have a 5 hp compressor and in the wall I ran about 150' of 2" schedule 80 PVC . PVC is pretty cheap but if it bursts it makes shrapnel that can't be spotted with X-ray. It's either old age or the advent of all the cool rechargeable cordless tools but I find my biggest use these days for the air compressor is to air up tires and to blow out the shop.

[GregWeld]

Good post Charley!


I just got my new DeWalt 1/2" drive impact wrench today from Amazon... it came with two batteries and a charger and they tossed in a 3rd battery on the special deal. (stole your idea from when we were at the track and needed an impact wrench!)


However..... Unlike Charley - I use the hell out of my compressor and far prefer air tools over electrics. I use air drills -- air saws -- grinders... blower tools for cleaning stuff etc -- not to mention my blast cabinet - which seems to be used non stop by everyone but me.... So to me -- the compressor is really an important part of the "shed". Since it doesn't leak -- it's left on and ready to use unless I'm going out of town for a week or so....

[rustbucket69]

I bought the "cheapest" Quincy Compressor from Northern Tool and absolutely LOVE it. As previously stated about another brand, Quincy used Baldor motors, and it is HUGE. Also, being made in the USA was a nice selling point for me. I have a small table top blast cabinet and all the standard air tools, and this thing doesn't skip a beat. Quick fill time and long time between regeneration with basic air tool usage. I looked at IR and some of the others, but was turned off by the use of Emerson motors made in Mexico, cheap switching mechanisms (Quincy uses Square D), and the overall lack of build quality.

I agree with the others' statements that the compressor was an investment tool. I had to really convince myself that $1200 for a compressor was better than a $600 compressor and $600 in parts or something else, but after buying and using it, I have no regrets. Another nice thing about the Quincy is that it is relatively quiet (compared to other units I've heard) which is nice since I only have a 2 car garage with small bump out for my "shop" and cannot remotely locate it.

Stick to your guns and budget, but if you choose to "invest," I'd highly recommend Quincy.

[clill]

I forgot about my blast cabinet. I have a 10 hp rotary in that shop and my cabinet is a full pressure type. The compressor keeps up fine but more for a commercial type Shop. I still think that these days you can do most stuff with cordless stuff and not have to deal with cords and hoses.

[bdahlg68]

I also have lots of cordless or electric tools. Prefer air for certain applications also and also just want the flexibility. We'll see. Don't want to be unhappy / unsatisfied, but at a certain point the money is better spend elsewhere right now.Thanks for tips and pointers everyone.

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by clill

In my clean barn I have a 5 hp compressor and in the wall I ran about 150' of 2" schedule 80 PVC . PVC is pretty cheap but if it bursts it makes shrapnel that can't be spotted with X-ray

The good news is the BURST rating of 1" schedule 80 PVC is 2000 PSI.... yep you read it right -- TWO THOUSAND PSI.... and it's rated for a maximum working pressure of 500 PSI... so your 125 or 150 psi should keep you out of the XRay room!



It really is good cheap "air storage" AND it doesn't rust!!