air compressor

-
moparstud440

moparstud440

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
Messages
1,048
Reaction score
598
Location
Keymar, MD
Looking at upgrading my current air compressor (its a 2hp 30 gallon Dewalt 110 volt). It does everything I need 99% of the time, but when I had my car painted in my garage it struggled to keep up. It did okay with the paint portion but when it came to the clear coat it struggled and thus caused some orange peel. Wet sanding took car of that, but it obviously could have been avoided with a larger air compressor. I have 2 cars that I would like to paint in the future at my house so I'd like to get something that can handle. I was thinking of a 60 gallon one but what hp or is that still to small? I do see Jegs has a 3 hp 60 gallon 110v, but not sure if that would be that much better? Can upgrade to 220v if needed, just not sure how large I need to go as painting a car will be the biggest demand needed. What would you guys recommend?
 
220 two stage. I have a Dayton and it can handle everything in the shop , big sand blasters and run other tools at the same time. In there since 2002.

My son bought a E-max E450 for the new shop. Its a piece of ****
 
I had a 5 horse, rattle around in the floor 20 gallon compressor for years. I was ok to prime a panel or two at a time, but wouldn't keep up to do base/clear on more than a golf cart body. I upgraded to a Quincy 5 HP, 60 gallon 2 stage. It works great for painting with no worries. I added an after cooler between the pump and tank. That made a huge difference in the temperature of the air entering the tank. Get the highest CFM @ 90 PSI that you can find if you buy a new compressor.
 
CFM@90 is king of compressor ratings.

HP is second fiddle.

Gallon capacity means almost nothing if CFM isn't up to snuff.
 
Always get more then you need so you can buy tools without worrying if the compressor can handle them. CFM is critical as stated above. I know so many people that bought a 5 horse and they sold them very quick to get a larger compressor Dayton , Ingersoll Rand, or other industrial types You are not going to get a good shop compressor that is 110v.
 
I have a 4 cyl 2 stage 5hp 80 gallon Emglo that I bought used over 20 years ago. Does everything I need except it's starting to struggle when I run the sandblaster cabinet for more than a 1/2 hour continuous like I have been lately. Even then, it never used to struggle. It normally pumps up to 175 and shuts off but when I blast it pumps it's azz off and stays at 90 if I don't let up. And to touch the side of the air tank while I'm in the middle of blasting and the tank is hot... Almost can't hold my hand on it kind of hit.
Been thinking about getting a different one or else maybe a 2nd one just for its air tank and let this one fill them both.... I know I need another water filter right at the blast cabinet... Or a big air drier... I've been looking for one of those off n on.
I also have a 1972ish Binks gas powered one that even though it says binks on it it actually has a huge Quincy compressor unit.... For the size of the engine and compressor unit the tank seems tiny. This thing was meant as a "painting compressor".
I'm gonna take it with me tomorrow when I paint my truck frame out at my kids house. I'm doing it outside, he has a single stage 5hp 60 gallon Sanborn that was my dad's/ but it hasn't had much use since new. Between us we should have enough hose to reach into his side yard where I'm gonna spray this thing... Yes outside.
I went today and bought a cheap HF HVLP gun just for the job. Ive never run HVLP before. So that part oughta be an adventure.
At least it's the frame which will be hidden by the body....
 
Last edited:
I followed the guy in the video Below's procedure on installing an aftercooler on my compressor and it works GREAT. The copper pipe temp on the one going from the compressor to the top inlet of the aftercooler is 128 degrees. The temp of the copper pipe right where it comes out of the aftercooler to go to the tank is 71 degrees! I've yet to get a drop of water out of the water trap at my blast cabinet 50' away, or in my paint room 75' away. He links all of the parts in his video description and that's what I bought. The fan for the aftercooler is wired to only run when the compressor kicks on. I made my brackets out of scrap steel tubing I had laying around and painted it the same blue as the compressor.


70cbr4ml.png
 
Last edited:
I agree with having more compressor than you need. I bought a Ingersol Rand dual stage compressor/ 7.5 HP which is over 18 CFM as one needs at least 15 CFM for sand blasting as well. My I.R. will even cycle when I am blasting with my 100 LB blasting pot and will maintain 40 to 45 PSI open blast nozzle...... I also have many, many air tools and related equipment for all my trailers & equipment I own. The buy bigger than you need thing helps and is necessary if you plan on blasting as you need at Least 14 consistence CFM to run a blast pot.
Just like OldMan Mopar....... I have had my compressor in place since 2005 with having to have a Dip n Bake job done to my drive motor several years ago. Just some more food for thought. Texas Red
 
Body/paint work. A guy needs to have enough air to run a DA and straight line file constantly.
Being able to drop that air temp is also a great thing!
Remember, too big is always just barely adequate!
 
I have that Binks gas powered compressor I brought to my sons house just in case his compressor couldn't keep up. I have the bare rolling frame for my 83 D250 on sawhorses, just painted it today with an HVLP type gun (first time ever using one of those) and though I was 150' of hose away from my dad's old Sanborn (it's in the garage and I was in the middle of the 1 acre side yard) I was out of earshot of it but I never ran out of air .. it's a "cheap" single stage, cuts out at 115psi in the tank...
When that compressor was still at mom and dads my impact struggled after about 4 lug nuts off of it....
My Emglo has been so good to me for many years, still is when I do anything with it short of sandblasting... Haven't used my 120lb pressure pot off of it in a few years.... I blasted the whole underside of my volare with it 20 years ago and it didn't break a sweat back then... I know, pressure pot vs siphon feed, that in itself makes a difference.
I occasionally use that pressure pot still, just not lately.
About 5-6 years ago I put new rings and valves in it, it was making alot of that slimy bird **** looking crap when id drain the tank .. the rings and valves solved that for several years... And when I measured the bore then it had no taper or out of round.... I bought a dingle ball hone exactly for that bore size...
About a year ago I almost bought a replacement compressor unit for it from MP but when I started asking questions (it was missing the flywheel/ belt pulley) the guy realized what he had and decided to keep it...
 
Find a Champion dealer if you want top of the line for paint and stuff
 
Last edited:

My 60 gallon compressor threw a rod. I removed the pump and motor, but kept the tank and plumbed it into a Harbor Freight 60 gallon replacement.

More importantly, I ran about 60 feet of galvanized 1 inch pipe mounted on the wall that slowly slopes in a zigzag up and away from the compressor to a water trap mounted on my wall. At each end of that pipe, I ran a vertical pipe down with a ball valve on the end. I've haven't had any water make it to my water trap yet.
 
YY1 said:
CFM@90 is king of compressor ratings.

HP is second fiddle.

Gallon capacity means almost nothing if CFM isn't up to snuff.
Click to expand...
THIS. THIS!!! THIS RIGHT HERE. Has NOTHING to do with "gallons." Nowadays, it doesn't have much to do with rated HP either, because some motors are now rated by amps draw instead of shaft output HP

Add up your largest tool that you are worried for continuous use, such as a body grinder/ sander, paint gun, etc, and add some headroom

If your old compressor is in decent shape, you can also buy a much smaller one and run THEM BOTH TOGETHER
 
Decades ago, I sold auto parts for a couple of parts stores, one of them, we obtained a conversion charge from a major compressor outfit, probably then, Campbell Hausfeld. IT showed the ACTUAL rated airflow at 90psi versus 40psi used by some and SCFM (SUCTION air) used by others.

The last two ratings were used by some outfits to make their compressors "sound like" they were bigger
 
barbee6043 said:
When in doubt, try to check out a small ish body shop and see what they use.
Just remember, too big is never really too big!! But too small is worthless.
Click to expand...
My Emglo was a backup compressor out of a body shop, the guy closed up and sold this one because he didn't need 2 at home... It's been good, I've had it for 25 years now ..
 
I'm using a Bel-Aire from the mid 1980's.

Kind of pricey new, but I got it off craigslist.

At some point it got converted from a 3 phase motor to a real big "true" 5HP 240v.
 
I forgot to mention that I changed the factory oil that came in my new compressor before running it with a good quality compressor oil, ran it for 20 minutes and changed it again before putting it in service.

I was surprised at how much metal came out of both changes. I've been running that conventional petroleum based oil for over a year now to break it in.

Now, I've got a couple quarts of Amsoil compressor oil that I'm going to swap in there before winter. I figure that should be in there for the rest of my life.
 
Amsoil came with mine and that's what's still in it.
 
I have Eaton 5 hp with Honda engine on service truck, Eaton 7.5 hp in my equipment shop and Ingersoll Rand T-30 in shop at house. All have been good compressors with plenty of air, Joe
 
I've been comparing compressors for the last few days. How does max PSI affect a compressor? Say for a 5 hp 60 gallon single stage compressor I've seen ones with 135 psi to 175 psi depending on the manufacturer. Also when AMP draw is listed is higher better since that means the motor will actually be putting out more?
 
Max pressure likely does not mean much. You are not going to be operating tools at that pressure. The important thing is the airflow rating and rated at 90psi. If it is given at 40 or SCFM (suction) you need to find a chart to justify the difference.

Amp draw is only better if the motor is actually putting out more power. Many modern motors are rated in amp draw and HP but the HP may be calculated from the amp draw, meaning, you can't figure the efficiency. True motor HP is rated by actual shaft HP. That means the amp draw, if higher, means less efficiency and more heat.

Read my earlier post. This scam works the same way as dancing around air flow figures.

BE CAREFUL if you consider ANY used compressor. Tanks can rust out, and just last summer there was a serious explosion in someone's garage.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Similar threads

clementine
hand held air compressor
Replies
7
Views
730
MV8
MV8
badlilred79
A new air compressor
Replies
22
Views
2K
JDMopar
JDMopar
dibbons
Air Compressor: Sprays more H2O than O2
Replies
9
Views
976
Oldmanmopar
Oldmanmopar
Chuter
Quincy Air Compressor Help needed
Replies
15
Views
1K
6PakBee
6
abdywgn
  • Locked
[SOLD] vintage air compressor $25
Replies
0
Views
483
abdywgn
abdywgn
Back
Top Bottom