5HP air compressor electric motor ?

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rustytoolss

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Well my 26 year old air compressor motor died. Any ideas of what Brand of electric motor to buy? and what to run from ?
My old motor was made in the USA at a time when quality still "may have meant something" 1990 , probably not though. But it did last 26 years.
It was a Magtek/ Century ,230v, 5hp, single phase, 5/8" shaft. Like most of us I'm on a tight budget.
 
Leeson is usually pretty good.
 
Last one I got was from Tractor Supply. Every time I painted a car with my 60 gallon unit I went trough a motor so I bought the warranty the second time and they sent me a check to buy a new motor when I painted the Dart. Now I run a $99 gas engine on a v twin pump mounted to a 500 gallon propane tank..... No more issues.
 
I got mine from Harbor Frieght somewhere around '99 because my compressor was a 3-phase. It's still going, but it's getting a habit of overheating and popping thje safety if I run it too hard. A 2phase 5hp has to work if the compresor head is any decent size. the more modern ones have to turna lot faster. Mine's an old thumper...
 
A lot of motors measure the HP based on the amount of wattage that the motor draws, which says nothing of the efficiency of the motor output. So for each 745 watts the motors claims to be a 1 HP.
 
we got our wire spool winder motor rebuilt every 2 years. That was a big F'n motor, weighed like 80 lbs. but would be bank to replace. Motors usually only need $3 bearings, like an alternator.
[ame]https://youtu.be/dBuTxbUS8q0[/ame]
 
That motor has no brushes. It is a induction motor. If the windings were on the armature, brushes. If windings in the housing no brushes.
 
My mistake. not having seen that vid in its entirety.
 
I have a "true" 5 HP motor on my 32 CFM compressor.

That motor is nearly the size of a 318 short block!

I shudder to think how much that would be to replace or rebuild.
 
My mistake. not having seen that vid in its entirety.
No problems! :cheers: Yes a 5HP AC motor is BIG and heavy. Air compressor motors are rated different. MOST of the 5 hp motors are really 3 HP. Hence the "fake 5"
 
I saved my 5hp 220v motor off my old compressor.
PM me if interested I can get you pictures of it tomorrow evening.
 
the largest they sell is listed as a 3HP. Not sure it would hold up. I guess that HF use to sell a 5HP, but no longer lists them.
This is what we have been saying. the motor he has now more than likely is a 3 HP motor. They call it a 5HP but it is not. It is a Fake five!. Compressor duty. I am pretty sure this is a direct swap. A real 5 HP motor is real heavy, might have a lift hook on the top. This is a real 5 HP motor it weighs 115 lbs.
2335.jpg
 
Right. They measured the current spikes on initial startup and used that to calculate the HP. They got busted and the HP rating had to be changed.
 
Right. They measured the current spikes on initial startup and used that to calculate the HP. They got busted and the HP rating had to be changed.
Correct! That is why the motor I listed from HF is the right one for OP air compressor.
And why they don't list a 5HP anymore.
 
This is what we have been saying. the motor he has now more than likely is a 3 HP motor. They call it a 5HP but it is not. It is a Fake five!. Compressor duty. I am pretty sure this is a direct swap. A real 5 HP motor is real heavy, might have a lift hook on the top. This is a real 5 HP motor it weighs 115 lbs.
2335.jpg
On the tag of my old motor it has Hp( SPL), Hz (60), Amps (15.0), rpm (3450), time (CONT), peak KW (3.73), volts (230), compressor duty motor.
There is another tag bellow the pump that say 5HP, it is a two cylinder thumper type compressor.
The owners manual calls it a 5HP.
You may be right about being a fake 5 motor. I may go to HF and look at there compressors, and look at the tags on the motors, to see what they are.
 
This is what we have been saying. the motor he has now more than likely is a 3 HP motor. They call it a 5HP but it is not. It is a Fake five!. Compressor duty. I am pretty sure this is a direct swap. A real 5 HP motor is real heavy, might have a lift hook on the top. This is a real 5 HP motor it weighs 115 lbs.
2335.jpg

Oh what's that? Leeson right on the side. I am so used to being ignored around here.
 
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