Any good sales on air compressors? (2025)

My 18 year old Sears 5HP(?) compressor died today. The pump is shot. I'm looking for a 5 horse 2-stage vertical tank job. I've read the old posts suggesting a Quincy or a I-R T30 among others. Right now I'm kind of leaning towards an Eaton, mostly because it comes with all the odds and ends I'd otherwise have to add to another brand. Does anyone here actually own one?

Has anyone heard of good sales going on lately? Of course shipping is going to figure into it but I've noticed some online vendors offer free shipping.

Thanks,
Roger

Roger --

My vote for "belle of the ball" would be the Quincy 325, with "first princess" title going to Saylor-Beall. Both are well worth their prices if you're planning on using them all day, most days of the week, for years on end.

If you're looking for a "home shop" compressor with a "home shop" price tag, the Campbell-Hausfeld compressors with a 3-year guarantee are good machines for the price. (The shorter-guarantee CH machines are, in statistician speak, in the "same population" as the other economy machines; I don't think they're what you want.)

I can't pick up much about your level of awareness of compressors arcana from your post so forgive me if I insult your intelligence. Do your homework. There's lots of compressors out there some very deceptively labeled.

I assume you're looking for a compressor featuring an induction motor, belt drive, oil lubrication, cast iron pump, and 50 to 80 gallon tank.

If you want a two stage compressor you've made a good choice. You'll get about 20% more air for the energy input.

The HP ratings on the tanks are generally the most eggregious of marketing frauds; disregard them. Look first at the motor. Few of the motors have HP ratings on them but the Law and the UL are on your side. The motor's electrcial ratngs have to be honestly represented on the motor's label plate. Forget 746 Watts per HP. AC motors are not perfect machines and their rated full load Amps are considerably in excess of that derived from the theoretical formula. Here's a rough list of single phase Amps Vs HP from the Baldor catalog:
1 HP = 13 Amps @ 120 V and 6.5 Amps @ 230 V.
1 1/2 HP = 9 Amps @ 230 V.
2 HP = 12 Amps @ 230 V
3 HP = 16 Amps @ 230 V
5 HP = 22 Amps @ 230 V
7 1/2 HP = 33 Amps @ 230 V

Quincy is a good brand name. I don't know if they've followed IR and a number of others who are selling imported consumer grade conpressors under their name. Are you looking for an industrial grade built for endurance compressor for heavy ducty commercial use like a small factory or a body shop? Or will a better consumer grade compressor suit your requirements?

The big question is sizing and whether the compressor you settle on is adequate to run at a 50% duty cycle while feeding your largest single air consumer (generally the blast booth). A good many fraudulently rated consumer grade compressor packages are durable and reliable when run within realistic expectations as opposed to the lies perpetrated by the marketers who advertize them.

Shop wisely. Sharks lurk in the deep waters around compressors.

[ 04-18-2006, 07:59 PM: Message edited by: Forrest Addy ]

I have several Devilbiss pumps that I have been very happy with. Currently at my home shop I have a vertical 80Gal 5hp 2stage .... It replaced an extremely lousy IR / Taiwan high rpm POS...... I would recomend whatever brand, aim to spend enough that you get a decent low-rpm cast iron pump..... The over exhuberant ratings on cheapie pumps are typicaly the fast turning aluminum jobs, and they simply dont last very long, and, as has been noted, they are really tough to take the noise. I worked on one a while back for a buddy, and it did not even have a wrist pin, but had the con-rod and piston cast as a single piece, with about a 1/4" between the cyl wall and piston, it was sealed with a wide floppy gasket, that sealed (sort of) the gap.... I figure they thought that if you spin it fast enough, anything will pump air.

Do as Mr Addy suggests, figure what you need in air, and go from there. Depending of how much you use the unit, you can push the duty cycle for a recip to about 80%, but would not suggest this if you plan on 5 days week for years, if you use your home shop for a hobby, you can overwork it a bit more for shorter durations.

m2cw

tim

Roger,

If you want to save money by getting a used system, you can check on www.craiglist.org under the for sale category, with keyword compressor:

http://www.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/search?areaID=1&subAreaID=&query=compressor&catAbbreviation=sss

This doesn't answer your original question, but maybe it will have useful info...

I bought a 80-gal Ingersol Rand dual stage 8 years ago and it has been trouble free, just normal maintenance. I think I paid $1,600 for it.

Contrast the 80-gal dual stage Home Depot unit I bought two-years ago for about $600. It doesn't get used as much but it's on its third motor (stock, a direct replacement out of warranty, now a heavy GE). Today the transfer tube between the hi-low cylinder let go on it and made me poop my pants a little. So now I have about $600 in motors on it plus my time & labor fixing the darn thing, now its down again, and I have a line from one shop to the other running it all on the IR.

What have I learned from this? That $1K I save by not buyin another IR never actually got to spend any time in my pocket.

Thanks to all for the info. I could probably get by with one of the better consumer grade compressors. The all aluminum Sears pump lasted 18 years but I cringed every time it turned on. I'm thinking the extra $ to get a cast iron, slow speed pump will be worth it in the long run. My largest current air demand is a small sand blast cabinet. Given an adequate air supply I'll probably start looking for pneumatic grinders & sanders. The old compressor was so loud I avoided high demand tools in the past.

I've read a few comments about the less expensive I-R compressors that makes me leery. It's not entirely clear to me at what point the product line crosses over from the import to the real industrial stuff. I'd classify myself as a serious weekend warrior but I've worked in industry for the last 25 years and have low tolerance for "value engineered" products when it comes to my tools. The pressure lubed Quincy does look fantastic but the $2K+ price tag is a bit out of the budget.

Decisions, decisions.....

Roger

Roger,

In case you hadn't already seen this thread in the "Greatest Hits and Links" section, this has excellent information:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/8/39.html

I have an eaton, its about a year old, no problems so far.

Its the second one in on the single phase page.

7.5hp pump slowed down on a 5hp motor (so its pretty quiet) and it pumps 20cfm@90 psi. It might not be the best compressor in the world but for the cost it was hard to beat. If you cant justify some $3,000 unit then look at the eaton. I believe it was likw 1300 or so delivered with oil drain extension and auto belt tensioner.

I also had them build it with a 60 gallon tank instead of an 80 because of space restrictions where it would have to go, but it keeps up no problem with die grinders, my IR thunder gun, ratchets, etc.

Jim

I personally own an older Leroi Dressor. When looking for an "industrial compressor" it's all about pump RPM. The small consumer grade compressors run high RPM ergo high motor RPM. An industrial compressor should have low pump RPM, below 1000 RPM and relatively high CFM. My "home" unit is 17 CFM @ 175 PSI, not for the feint of heart. I can run my blast cabinet and she'll just run up and shut off while I work the tank back down to the pressure switch set point.

I chose the two stage unit and regulate the shop down to 125 PSI not so much for personal safety, but for the preservation of my air tools. I mostly work alone, but I could just see someone cranking the pressure all the way up and destroying one of my air tools.

I also do automotive painting so if you need some tips on keeping your supply dry and clean, post back.

Ryan

The best small affordable turn-key air compressors were built in the USA by Emglo. For the money the 'K' series pumps were impossibly well made with big genuine Timken roller bearings on the crank, high quality steel disc valves (all the Sears and CH use junky reeds) and a built-in head unloader mechanism. They will run for thousands of hours without stopping. I ran one on a vacuum ejector for 24 hour a day for TWO WEEKS indoors at just about 100% duty (it cycled briefly about once an hour) making 90 psi. Don't try this with your Sears Burned most of the paint off of the head and that's the extent of the damage. Ran fine for years afterward. Still runs fine for the friend I sold it to. Did I mention how quiet these things are?

But alas, all good thing must end. Emglo sold to DeWalt, who subsequently moved the plant to Mexico. QC has suffered tremendously, and parts have become hit and miss. The antics of DeWalt have pissed off many dealers, so that many have dropped the line. This leaves only the home centers with their famous 'parts and service' departments

One option might be to find a good used Emglo (a legitimate blue one, NOT a yellow and black one labeled 'DeWalt) or even a rebuildable one and rebuild the pump. It will be in your estate, still working.

The best bang for buck right now is Champion. Still US made and better built than I-R and every bit as good as Quincy, just less costly.

Jimbo

(on my umpteenth air compressor)

Anvil,

I see the same thing all the time and it's widespread. What I believe we will see is a decline in the current noted name brands and the rise of new ones. IR, CH, Emglo, Starrett, and other noted US manufacturers going offshore will start to loose market share to someone who steps in and fills the gap in their market.

Word is already getting around pretty fast (thanks internet) when a manufactuer goes off shore for their product line or introduces a rebadged product line.

All of us that deal with machinery regularly and understand a few things about Horsepower, Torque, and Rigidity know a cheap off shore 5HP compressor can't run on 115V service, a mill-drill is not a production capable machine, a mini-lathe will not turn rifle barrels, etc. etc.

The question is ... with the improving quality of off shore manufacturing (you've got to admit it gets slowly better), will the brands we buy in the future be American made? Or will an off shore higher quality brand be the consumer value?

It's an interesting discussion, especially if you look at models like Harbor Freight and ENCO. Home owners do not typically stress tools to their design limits on a day in day out basis for years on end. A homeowner who needs to put a few holes in a concrete slab can buy a cheapy harbor freight 1" hammer drill for the price of renting a Hilti. I know I just did. Bought the 2 year warranty too. Drilled 16 1" holes and have a drill on the shelf should I need it again.

The advent of reatively inexpensive "good enough" tools places a whole new factor into the equation.

Just my .02

Ryan

I bought an IR SS3L3 for about $600. a T-30 single stage cast iron 60 gal upright. I have been pleased.

it says "expect a 5,000 hour life from this compressor" that should do fine for me for a long while.

here is a graingers cataloge link.

http://niles4.ebiz.grainger.com/images/catalog/396/1392.pdf

Would adding another 80 gallon tank (not a complete compressor) help by giving the compressor some time to rest?

Click to expand...

No, you'd just have more air to use before the compressor turned on the first time. Then it would run just as hard and just as long to make up the lost pressure on a tank with twice the storage capacity. You probably have enough storage capacity, your problem is one of not developing enough CFM. You need a compressor that flows more CFM.