Quincy QT-54 Air Compressor Arrives
There are a lot of opinions on VAF regarding air compressors. Some have had success with small, portable pancake models, while others recommend getting the biggest compressor you can afford. You can also buy new, or find used compressors on Craigslist. I used available space, airflow requirements, reliability and budget as my primary criteria, and I'm going to summarize some of what I learned to help others.
Air pressure is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) and airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). You need to know what your tools require (e.g. 6.2 CFM @ 40 PSI) and that will give you your minimum requirements. I'm considering doing my own painting, and some paint guns consume a lot of air. Die grinders are also air hogs, though rivet guns and drills don't require too much. So, determine what tools you will use and their air requirements (I was told to assume a little higher than what the manufacturers state), and that will tell you what CFM and PSI you need from your compressor.
Then it's a matter of tank size and how often the motor needs to run. The bigger the tank, the less the motor will run. 80 Gallons seemed about right, until I visited my local Northern Tool and saw how big an 80 gallon tank is compared to the 60 gallon. There's also a requirement that the compressor be a certain distance from the wall, usually 12-24 inches, so it can draw the air it needs. 80 Gallons is too big for my space, not to mention very heavy and therefore difficult to move. 60 Gallons it was.
Most stationary air compressors need to be wired directly to the breaker box and require 230 volts. The largest I found that run on 115-120 volts were the
BelAire 2061V and
Schrader SA1560 at 2HP with 60 gallon tanks, but their output is considerably less and would limit if not eliminate my ability to use high quality paint sprayers. If you're just going to use compressed air for rivet guns and drills, these, and even smaller could work. I found nothing greater than 2HP or 60 gallons that didn't need 230v. And, you can't just buy a dryer plug from Lowe's and use your dryer receptacle, which I was hoping. It should be wired to your breaker box with the right breakers.
I thought about buying a Lowe's Kobalt or Home Depot Husky brand compressor, but found the reviews to be mixed. Some people had no problems and loved them, but too many people did have problems and experienced a lot of downtime. Once you have a 60 or 80 gallon air compressor installed, it's not trivial to remove it, get it back to the store, and then the reverse to get the new one installed. Similar with used models. No guarantees, and I just didn't want to have to worry about the downtime and hassle. Quincy and Ingersoll Rand seemed to be among the top brands with many examples of their being installed and running for decades. They also hold their value and would be easy to sell if need be.
Finally, budget/cost. Even if the size of the 80 gallon compressors hadn't been an issue, weight, and therefore shipping and ease of installation was. They tend to be about 100lbs-200lbs heavier, and the increase in shipping cost can be dramatic. Unless you've got a team of very strong people available, you'll want to purchase gate service, which means the shipper will lower the compressor to street level. But then you'll need some sort of lift to get it into position. An engine lift could work, but once it's in place, unless the lift is available that compressor isn't going to be easy to move, even a few inches. Some may have a forklift, pallet jack or engine hoist readily available, but for those that don't, you'll pay for the added shipping weight, more expensive gate service, and a hoist to lift and move the compressor. When my compressor arrived the driver had a pallet jack, so he lowered it to the street and we pushed/pulled it into my garage.
I paid about $1,600 total for a 5HP 60 gallon compressor rated for 30,000 hours with a three year warranty, gate service, and maintenance kit (oil and filters) that puts out 15.2 CFM @ 175 PSI and 16 CFM @ 90 PSI. The 80 gallon model would have been well over $2,000.
Noise is also something to consider. You'll see on VAF that everyone agrees that oil-less compressors are very loud. Many compressor spec's include a dB rating, so that may also be something to consider.
I am not an expert. This is just my experience, research results, and personal considerations. But I thought putting it all in one post might be helpful. I'll add more as I get it installed and gain experience with its use.