Air Compressor Recommendations

tomw

tomw

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I am in the process of creating a new shop space(s). I need recommendations for an air compressor (Ac).

My ideal would be to have the Ac installed on the outside of the garage+shop (two buildings, abutting each other) and then piped to provide air wherever.

I am not running a paint booth, so I figure a 15-30 gallon compressor will be fine. I am mostly going to be blowing chips or dust. Periodically I will be running an impact wrench or air grinder.

My main concern is noise. I live in a suburban-ish area, and would like to keep my neighbors happy.

So do any of you nice folks have a good recommendation for an air compressor that meets these requirements?

Cheers,

Tom
 
Check youtube videos of California Air compressors, they are made in China but are very quiet and would probably meet your needs without having to store it outside. My cordless drill battery charger makes more noise than the air compressor on the left.

 
I just got a compressor from Northern Tools. The have both a vertical and horizontal configuration. It is relatively quiet as compared to the HD and Lows buzzers. I have used it to run a sand blaster, nail guns of all sorts, and a spray gun. I am very happy with it

I looked at the California Air compressors and it seems to be a real hit or miss. Some guys get a great one and some guys get a piece of junk. I did not want to deal with the hassle and I am glad I got the Northern Tools compressor. There is a great YouTube video review that is very accurate.
 
Review - Rolair 20 Gallon Compressor
Rolair makes one of the most reliable, bullet, small air pump on the market. When I had my shop servicing contractors equipment I never saw...
Post by: fixit, Oct 14, 2015 in forum: TOOL JUNKIES - TOOLS & TOOLING
 
Have a Dewalt 15 Gallon 200 PSI 120V upright which is oiless. Use to have a Curtis 2 stage 5Hp, but sold it years ago (too many moves). The Dewalt works OK, but it is loud an annoying, when running, if I had to do it again I would get the California Air 15 Gal 2.0Hp. The Dewalt and most smaller compressors are just too noisy. Otherwise you park it outside and you are looking at a 2 stage 3 or 5 Hp model. Did that in the past, but no longer have the space, nor want to spend 1-2K on an industrial compressor. If you are spraying or sandblasting , you need more CFM, at 115V 15A socket you max out at 5-6CFM on their quoted 2Hp. Buy it on a credit card that extends the warranty. So you have 2 years to replace it if it dies.
 
I recently bought an 'assembled in USA' Rollair, its loud as hell at 95 decibels and arrived with a leak. I had to replace the drain valve.
 
Tractor supply sells campbel Hausfeild vertical with a 40 gal tank for 5 or 6 hundred . You can put it a small insulated little shed in between your buildings. It will keep the noise down and you will have enough air.
 
Tom, I would suggest that you start by determining the cfm that you will need to support your tools. Air die grinders consume a LOT of air, as does using an air blow gun for several minutes. Air impact wrenches can draw down a tank if you are using them for extended periods of time. Based on your stated uses, I think that your minimum cfm needs to be at least 15+ if you are going to keep up with a die grinder. That's going to put you in the 5 hp 240vac arena. A large tank (60 gallons) will help to make up the shortfall if the compressor cannot keep up with your needs.

In general, oil less compressors are louder than oil type (but the California air products are an exception due to their lower rpm).

Noise levels are usually related to rpm, with 3450 rpm (motor speed) compressors being louder than 1750 rpm ones. The only drawback is that low rpm models tend to coast more than 3,450 rpm ones.

You can build an enclosure for an outside compressor that can drastically reduce the noise for your neighbors while allowing you to have the best sized equipment for your needs.


Scott
 
It all depends on the total Cubic Feet per Minute you require. If you will be the sole user than figure the CFM for the highest use tool you have and buy a compressor that can deliver the CFM at the required pressure. If you'll run more than one tool at a time or you think you will be getting some bigger air tools in the future, you might want to add to the equation. Although, you can always add a 2nd or more compressors into your system to get the air you need.

As noise is the concern, getting a larger compressor can help reduce the run time. Also low speed, belt driven compressors are much quieter. Other things you can do, add a muffler on the intake and even a better intake air filter will help (McMaster has e'm) Proper installation also important; mount the compressor on vibration dampening pads on a concrete floor and use a flexible length of hose between the compressor and any hard pipe. You can also build an insulated closet to house the compressor, just be sure to allow for enough ventilation so the compressor doesn't over heat.

Personally, I am not a big fan of Oilless Compressors, at least not the ones that are ubiquitous in the BigBox Stores thees days , in my experience they just don't last very long. While there are high quality OCs out there, for medical an lab applications, they are quite expensive and usually don't deliver the CFM for shop work. However, for the light user, one might might get an acceptable lifespan out of on of them.
 
scsmith42 said:
Tom, I would suggest that you start by determining the cfm that you will need to support your tools. Air die grinders consume a LOT of air, as does using an air blow gun for several minutes. Air impact wrenches can draw down a tank if you are using them for extended periods of time. Based on your stated uses, I think that your minimum cfm needs to be at least 15+ if you are going to keep up with a die grinder. That's going to put you in the 5 hp 240vac arena. A large tank (60 gallons) will help to make up the shortfall if the compressor cannot keep up with your needs.

In general, oil less compressors are louder than oil type (but the California air products are an exception due to their lower rpm).

Noise levels are usually related to rpm, with 3450 rpm (motor speed) compressors being louder than 1750 rpm ones. The only drawback is that low rpm models tend to coast more than 3,450 rpm ones.

You can build an enclosure for an outside compressor that can drastically reduce the noise for your neighbors while allowing you to have the best sized equipment for your needs.


Scott
Click to expand...

A large portion of compressor noise is from the intake port. An oil bath intake filter can significantly reduce compressor noise. I have a 2 HP 220 unit that is exceptionally quiet with such a filter.
 
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