That's because Campbell Hausfled lies about compressor performance. I have serious doubts about that compressor producing those numbers.

Vince

 

how about craftsman or morgan? the have a pro series for about double the money, but still the same hp rating. I guess it is the HP that is hanging me up mostly. I assumed it needed more HP for higher SCFM, apparently that is not the case. Will a 3HP keep up on DA sanders and HVLP paint guns for continuous use?

 

The HP seems low for such high SCFM, what am I missing here? Price seems really good, so that is what is making me scratch my head.

The HP numbers seem low because they lied about them for so long, 35 years ago 3 HP sounded like a lot. That is the same compressor that is sold under a bunch of different brand names from a bunch of different stores and it was for years sold with different HP numbers for the SAME motor! That same 15 AMP motor (the AMP rating is the important thing to look for not the HP because the AMPs determine the true output) has been sold with ratings as high as 7 HP although the actual power output never changed! The bottom line is by the time a law suit a couple of years ago forced them to be more truthful about the real power ratings we had been exposed to so much nonsense and outright lies about HP that when we see the real HP numbers they seem weak when in fact they are not. Don't worry about the power rating, there are thousands and thousands of those compressors out there and I guess for the price they do a decent job and they seem to hold up OK. If you have a buddy who has, or just know of, an otherwise identical but older compressor with a 6 1/2 HP motor (that's what most of them had) be assured that their 6 1/2 "PEAK" HP motor is not making even a tiny bit more power than your "3" HP and the ONLY difference is the label on the tank, yours is closer to the truth while theirs is 100% USDA certified BS! Look at the motor data plate and you will find those 6 1/2 "peak" HP motors and your 3 HP motor both pull the same 15 AMPs at 220 volts, proof that they both make the SAME power and don't let a salesman or anybody else tell you any different!

 

thanks for the calrification on the HP and the AMPs (oldred). So now for brands, are there junk brands to stay away from, or what other stats can I use to make an intelligent decision on an air compressor that will keep up with my "shade tree" work. Basically running a DA sander for auto work, HVLP to paint a car, and then smaller stuff under that... I don;t want to buy the "to good to be true" priced one, but don't want to spend gobs more for a different sticker on the front...

 

That compressor you are looking at is very common and will work for what you are describing but it will be marginal at best. I don't know what your budget would allow but you would be much better off with a two stage 5 HP if you can afford one but if not that one has done the job for a lot of people, CH sure has sold a bunch of them under their own name and several others. There are a lot of compressors out there but misinformation and outright nonsense from the manufacturers has made it all but impossible to make an informed choice if you have to rely on the sales info and even the specs on the machine itself.

I see you are new here, welcome aboard! If you go to the search function and search "compressor" in the garage-tools section you will find a lot of info on what to look for and what to avoid, unfortunately like 302 said you will also find that the manufacturers all too often simply lie so you will need to know what's fact and what's not. Do that search and if there is anything else you need to ask about the compressor itself or setting up a complete air system then someone will always be willing to provide an answer.

 

I've got about 600 to spend, but didn;t find any in that range, that spec wise was any different the CH...yet getting a compressor that is "marginal at best" to do my work doesn;t leave me warm and fuzzy. I want one that will keep up with painting a whole car and using a DA sander on car projects without having to stop all the time to wait for psi to rise again. The one I have is a craftsmen 1.6HP, 33gal with 5.4SCFM @ 90psi and I can paint a panel at a time and wait. I can DA for about 5 minutes and then the sander is just slow...it turns and sands...but not a 10th of its potential.

 

DA sanders are one of the biggest air hogs. Any compressor smaller than a 5hp two stage will run continuously using a DA for an extended time.

Vince

 

No doubt about that, the compressor being discussed here will run out of air even with the best DA available and waiting for the compressor to catch up will still be a problem on large jobs. A good 2 stage compressor with at least 5 HP (21 AMPs or more) is about the smallest that will continuously keep up with a DA.

 

all of u have been very helpful in responses to my thread. I think I have located my air compressor... a 7HP Husky 2 stage, 80Gal, 15.1 SCFM @ 90psi, 175psi. Surely this will do it...

 

one more question

Alright...one more question... got a neighbor and we were talking about this stuff. He has a 10yr old "charge air" made by devbliss (sp?) it is a single stage, 60 gallon, 15Amp, 6.5HP compressor. puts out 10.2SCFM @90psi and he siad he ran his DA sander just fine on his car projects without issue. The one thing he said it keeps up with, but barely is his high dollar HVLP gun. So...the amps on the $400-500 compressors are the same, 14-15 amps, and the SCFM is about the same, and they are single stage, but the HP of what I've been looking at is half of what his is. I can't find any that are in his HP realm that aren;t 2 stage and almost 1000 bucks?

 

. So...the amps on the $400-500 compressors are the same, 14-15 amps, and the SCFM is about the same, and they are single stage, but the HP of what I've been looking at is half of what his is. I can't find any that are in his HP realm that aren;t 2 stage and almost 1000 bucks?

Go back and read what we told you about HP! :spank:

His 6 1/2 HP is PURE BULL$#%%!

He has a 3 HP motor on that thing no matter what it says it is on the tank. That is the same compressor you were looking at before, maybe a few cosmetic changes over the years but still the same 15 AMP THREE HP motor as the one you were considering. A real 6 1/2 HP motor running on 220 volts would be rated at least 30 AMPs.

As far as keeping up with the DA I seriously doubt he can run for more than just a very few minutes before having to wait on a recharge. Certainly it will run it OK and thousands of people do BUT they still have to give the thing time to catch up regularly and even more important than that, time to cool down.

 

DA sanders are one of the biggest air hogs. Any compressor smaller than a 5hp two stage will run continuously using a DA for an extended time.

Vince

Very true... :thumbup:

 

Alright...one more question... got a neighbor and we were talking about this stuff. He has a 10yr old "charge air" made by devbliss (sp?) it is a single stage, 60 gallon, 15Amp, 6.5HP compressor. puts out 10.2SCFM @90psi and he siad he ran his DA sander just fine on his car projects without issue. The one thing he said it keeps up with, but barely is his high dollar HVLP gun. So...the amps on the $400-500 compressors are the same, 14-15 amps, and the SCFM is about the same, and they are single stage, but the HP of what I've been looking at is half of what his is. I can't find any that are in his HP realm that aren;t 2 stage and almost 1000 bucks?

I have that same Compressor.. Mine is 15 yrs old.. A DA Sander will give it he** !!! Believe me.. If you try to use it a lot it ''WILL'' start to pump water.. :sweat:

 

Alright...one more question... got a neighbor and we were talking about this stuff. He has a 10yr old "charge air" made by devbliss (sp?) it is a single stage, 60 gallon, 15Amp, 6.5HP compressor.

No way, not possible, a 6.5hp motor is rated at 15 amps .

A 5 hp motor on 230v single phase pulls 28 amps
A 7.5hp motor on 230v single phase pulls 40 amps

This is prime example of the lies compressor manufactures try to pull on us.

Vince

 

Just walked to my shop in mine say's 15 amps..

 

I'm such a noob and sorry for upsetting the hotrodders gang and not doing as I was told... (my bad oldred)
I will continue my research and find a properly powered air compressor. how do you figure the HP to Amp ratio to find out what the true HP is

 

Just walked to my shop in mine say's 15 amps..

so what is the HP stated and actual?

 

so what is the HP stated and actual?

Mine say's 6hp..

 

That is probably 6 hp rated peak, which is a totally bogus rating.

Vince

 

how do you figure the HP to Amp ratio to find out what the true HP is

I just use my handy dandy Square D motor data slide calculator. The actual calculations are based on the National Electrical Code 430-6.

Vince

 

Just walked to my shop in mine say's 15 amps..

If your running off 230v that works out to be about 1.5hp.

Vince

 

how do you figure the HP to Amp ratio to find out what the true HP is

Volts X Amps = Watts


746 Watts = 1 HP


But there's a lot of things to consider so it will never be an exact conversion when looking at motor ratings. Basically when you are looking at these single stage compressors with a 60 gallon tank most, if not all, will be 15 Amps or about 3 HP. A real 5 HP motor will be rated at least 21 Amps and can be more and any thing above a 21 Amp rating will have a believable HP rating anyway because then you are talking industrial types. Also the better companies are honest about the power ratings, for example Quincy numbers are believable as are Eaton's but IMHO Eaton has other issues that would cause me to avoid them totally. Ingersoll Rand is a very large company but even their 5 HP and smaller compressors have some very suspicious numbers so I would approach them with caution also. Of all places to find a good compressor the US General 2 stage at Harbor Freight is on sale quite often in your price range. These things are NOT made in China, the pump is from Italy and most of the rest of it is made right here in the USA where it is assembled. I have no first hand experience with these HF compressors but the US General I looked at last year had a USA made motor and electrics and later I discovered that even the tank is US made, it actually looks like a really decent outfit and when on sale they can be bought right! Use one of the weekly E-mail 20% coupons along with the sale price and these things can be bought dirt cheap!


www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93274


I have not used one of them, in fact I have never even heard one run but they look like a decently built unit and the parts quality looks to be a lot better than the McHome store types.

Those 20% off coupons can be found in a lot of sports and gun magazines also and with one of them that compressor is less than $700! I had not even realized those things could be such a deal until I looked them up just a bit ago, use that coupon when they are on sale in the store and we are talking a 22 Amp (5 true HP) 2 stage 60 gallon outfit for only a very few dollars more than those 3 HP units.


[EDIT] My mistake, it is the 7 1/2 HP compressor that has the Baldor USA made motor on it. Not sure where the 22 AMP 5 HP motor is made but it is an AO Smith brand.

 

If your running off 230v that works out to be about 1.5hp.

Vince

I'm running 220. I guess you learn something everyday.. :drunk: No wonder it can't keep up with me !!!! ain: I guess it did pretty good... 15yrs and not sure how many cars I did with it.. :drunk: :sweat:

 

That harbor freight compressor has some pretty decent specs. I saw a gas powered compressor there the other day that was the us general brand (or whatever brand it was, it was the harbor freight brand) that had a saylor beal 705 pump on it. That or a clone. Also had a kohler engine. Sounds like a pretty good compressor to me.

 

When picking a compressor, Ignore the HP claims and look for one with the most CFM @90 seeing as how 99% of all tools are rated at 90psi. CFM is all that matters with an air compressor, NOT HP.