[Luke Peterson]

Has anybody bought the 60 gal. 7 hp. one from Lowes? I was there Sat. and saw that the CH Iron Force 60 gal. 7 hp. one was reduced to 379.00. I am thinking about getting the CH one. Does anyone have thoughts on the Iron Force one? It looks the same as the one from Home Depot and the new one from Kobalt.

Luke

[ChevelleSS_LS6]

I do know that one company (I think ingersoll rand) makes compressors for a number of companies, devilbiss might too.

welcome to the forums!

[oldred]

Luke-there has been a lot of discussion about compressors here lately and we have been trying to expose the myths and misconceptions about air compressors. Number one rule DO NOT fall for the common sales gimmicks such as "peak" or "maximum developed" HP ratings as these mean NOTHING! Look at the AMP rating on the motor data plate as this tells the real story and I will bet that the compressors you mention are no more than 15 AMPS@230 volts.(a real 7 HP motor would be rated at over 30 AMPS@230 volts). Also don't be swayed by the size of the tank since the CFM is what runs your tools and tank size, which determines the on/off cycle rate, WILL NOT(contrary to popular belief!) help the compressor keep up with air hungry tools if the CFM rating is low. A lot of the manufacturers today simply mount a small pump with a low power motor on a big tank and then give ridiculously inflated power and performance numbers so that the buyer thinks he is getting a BIG compressor when in reality he is getting a machine that he will spend a lot of time waiting on for it to catch up! Campbell Hausfeld is one of the worst offenders out there for this shady type of marketing but unfortunately there are many others also so it is sometimes confusing trying to sort out the good from the bad. In my opinion, and building and installing air systems is part of what I have been doing for over 30 years, if the manufacturer uses dishonest sales methods such as inflated "peak" power ratings then I would strongly suggest looking to the more reputable companies like Ingersoll Rand, Eaton or Quincy for example. These will cost a little more but the performance difference is amazing! As a rule of thumb you will need at least 12 cfm@90psi and be prepared to spend some time waiting on it to catch up even with that when using a tool such as a DA sander, 18 CFM@90 PSI is much better and 24 CFM@90 PSI is better still! Remember there is just no such thing as a 60 or 80 or any "GALLON" compressor since when all else is said and done if the CFM is not there then nothing else means a thing as you will run out of air no matter what the tank size and HP numbers!

[302 Z28]

Above information is good advice. Only thing I could add is stay away from direct drive units. Get a belt driven two stage compressor that tells you what CFM it makes, and gives you an honest HP rating. I saw a CH compressor in Sundays paper in a Lowes ad. It said it was 7HP and 115 volts, what a crock. You cannot run an honest 7hp motor on a standard residential 115 volt citcuit.

Vince

[Toyman]

I agree with the above, and with the "shady" advertising...but, if anyone has looked closely at compressors in the stores, the will have seen that most, if not all, are listing in large numbers the "Peak" hp and smaller on the tank, the "Continuous" hp. I saw it at Lowes on the CH Workforce compressors, I saw it at the Tractor Store on Ingersoll Rand Compressors, and I've seen it at Home Depot on the Husky compressors. I don't believe any of the companies are above selling in this manner. Don't impulse buy, do some research, and get the most for your money. I think you will find that for any of the major brands (CH, IR, Husky, Kobalt, Craftsman) you will find similar specs at similar price points. Basically, if you only have $400 to spend, find the best for $400. Compare the amps, which is located on the motor tag, and the cfm, which most compressor list somewhere. And, it can't be said enough, stay away from the direct drives!!!

[oldred]

302--"7 HP on 115 volts"! I really like that one because maybe they are getting so ridiculous now that most people will finally see them for the crooks they are. It don't surprise me that it is coming from CH as they are about the worst of the bunch but the sad part is they sell a LOT of that junk(and I do mean JUNK)! It is easy to see how people are taken by these tricks since a big tank and power labels can be seen but the things that really mean something like true air delivery and durability cannot. Also just in case it has not been said enough, stay away from DIRECT DRIVES!

[Luke Peterson]

Thanks for the reply oldred. Does IR make a quality compressor? Tractor Supply has them. It sounds like CH is not as good as people think.

Luke

[ChevelleSS_LS6]

Originally Posted by oldred

stay away from DIRECT DRIVES!

1. my ancent homeade air compressor (made by a friend of the family, he gave it to me when he moved away) has 1.75HP at 115v. Ancient westinghouse motor. Is this a realistic rating?

2. at my grandma's house there is a Coleman air compressor, oil-free, direct drive, loudest frigger on the earth. (oil-free is almost always loud). But why stay away from direct drive? Does belt-drive run cooler (this is my theory on it)?

[oldred]

Luke-Ingersoll Rand builds excellent compressors and even the low end models found at tractor supply are far better than the CH outfits. Sometimes you will find "peak" HP ratings on even the Ingersolls on the smaller models but they do give the real HP rating also and the CFM ratings, which is what really matters anyway, are far more reliable on them than on the "bargain" brands. Ingersoll is a major builder of commercial duty compressors for heavy industry and has been for many years so they have a reputation to protect and they build a quality product and they stand behind it.

Chevelle-1.75@115 is definitely realistic but since this is a homemade outfit you would need to measure the output with a flow meter to know how much air it produces. The direct drives are not only loud but the real problem is that they generally have a very low CFM output, run really hot and are not very durable, they just simply wear out in a hurry.

[ChevelleSS_LS6]

Originally Posted by oldred

Chevelle-1.75@115 is definitely realistic but since this is a homemade outfit you would need to measure the output with a flow meter to know how much air it produces. The direct drives are not only loud but the real problem is that they generally have a very low CFM output, run really hot and are not very durable, they just simply wear out in a hurry.

/\My ancient air compressor may max at 80psi, but I think it's going to outlast that loud pos at my grandma's house. I thought Grandpa knew better than to buy a crappy air compressor. But I know grandma has a deathgrip on their spending habits.

details about my air compressor: it's belt driven, has a big (2.5/3 feet long, 14 inch diam) speedaire tank, as I said before ancient Westinghouse motor, ancient refridgeration unit from a store freezer. It weighs a ton but is pretty quiet, and seems to go from 0psi in the tank to 80 pretty darn quick. It's quiet and has a neat "put-put-put" sound to it.

I'll post pics sometime when I dig it out of my dad's garage, he has one that I use since it's kinda stupid to have 2 air compressors hooked up in one garage just to do "normal" things (fill tires, occasional impact wrench, not much else).

[Fatmetal97]

Don,t get them 60 gallon you won't be happy with it.I bought the same one and had to take it back.Get the 80 gallon with 3 cylinders .I have that one and it paints and drives power tools great and it's 699.00 now last year it was 599.00 get it while it still cheap

[old fords]

I have a powertrain compressor 6hp 60gallon and 12cfm. twin cylinder. I paid $440 for it. It works ok. When sandlasting we hook it to an 80 gallon auxillary air tank. It takes forever to fill up but works better. It is a pretty good compressor but nothing to brag about.

[mike6845]

Like anything else, you get what you pay for. You may want to wait and see if you can score on a good compressor via Craig's List of evil-bay and I'd be on the look out for a Quincy, Ingersoll-Rand or Champion compressor, all of these are very high quality long lasting units as long as they are 2 stage, 5hp and have either a 60 or 80 gallon tank. Besides, these used ones hold their value very well.

Good Luck

[oldred]

Hey guys this thread is over 3 years old, for some reason fatmetal dug it up and replied to it. I think after three years he has already made up his mind by now.