Best portable compressor???

[JUSTIN CREDIBLE]

Hi,
Looking for a portable compressor.

My requirements:

Made in USA
Relatively quiet.
Of good quality.
Perhaps with an automatic tank drain? (My last one had a tank failure, read: exploded)

Need it for running impact wrench, filling up tires, occasionally paint spraying.

Any advice on what brands/models?

Thank you

 

[billr]

What power source? 120/240VAC, 12VDC, gasoline?

By "portable" do you mean one-man carry (about 100# maximum) or can be rolled on wheels?

 

[JUSTIN CREDIBLE]

Thank you for the reply, looking for something that can run on a standard household outlet. On wheels, NOT a pancake compressor, but something that looks more along the lines of a torpedo.

 

[grcauto]

You will only be able to run most high volume air tools with a larger tank unless you are willing to run them at less than 10% run time.

 

[billr]

Yes, flow rate (SCFM) is going to be a key factor. Some uses, like tire filling are "negotiable". I only feel limited with a relatively small compressor when filling the large (16.5 x 10) tires on my Bobcat; and that is infrequent. Other uses, like spraying paint or wallboard mud, just won't work without enough air flow. Same with tools. An impact wrench or nailer/stapler uses relatively little air compared to any kind of drill/grinder/sander.

 

[nickb2]

(My last one had a tank failure, read: exploded)

WOW

exploded, I like this guy already.

 

[nickb2]

Since this is something I learned a while ago, a torpedoed tank is good for small reserve to push for a stint,

Put if your using a half inch or bigger reserve goes down quick.

What are you looking for in a compressor is more the pertinent question here.

What jobs do you wish to accomplish with compressed air seems a good one to ask. So, I ask, what do you NEED to do with this.

 

[JUSTIN CREDIBLE]

WOW

exploded, I like this guy already.

Gee thanks, I appreciate that.

Luckily no one got hurt, the compressor jumped four feet, narrowly missing my head. Scared the neighbors, " I thought your house exploded"

So now, I'm minus one compressor and one pair of boxers. Lol

Now back to the show, my old unit was 1hp with a 12 gallon tank.

Use it for filling up a tire, removing a wheel, light air tool use, occasional paint spraying of a small area.

Looking for one that is made in USA, reliable, fairly quiet, prefer with automatic tank drain...(to avoid tank failure, again)

Thanks

 

[nickb2]

looking for made in usa compressor is not cheap, but take a gander at this site. https://usamadeproducts.biz/tools-power-tools-air-compressors.html

They link to e bay and amazone pricing.

This one looks good. 800$ 2hp belt driven 115v with 20 gallon tank. I think 20 gallon is a must for small usage. You dont hear the comp setting off all the time. I once had a 10gallon canadian tire job. It was not belt driven, and that thing was noisy as heck, drove my neighbors nuts till I sold it.

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But not sure if it has an automatic drain, for that option gonna have to go higher than a grand I think.

The site says the compressors are made in south carolina but use GLOBAL parts, and we all know what that means. So finding a true north american tool or accessory now days is almost next to impossible.

 

[nickb2]

Here is a link to my old POS comp. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-10-gallon-shop-air-compressor-0581390p.html#srp

I paid 300$ about in sale, and was a total waste of money. Right now this POS is going for 439$. And unit didnt have a petcock for water.

So I think the belaire unit is very interesting if you are on a budget but want reliability and most of all a belt drive which is way more subtle noise wise and way more robust than those noisy (maintenance free) jobs.

 

[nickb2]

As usual I ramble on cuz I love talking about this trade and sharing info and stories, but if I would have bought the belaire unit or similar, I probably would still have it cus when I sold that canadian tire job, I sold it for 50$ cuz I could actually hear the chinsy piston wonking around in there and I knew it was on its last legs after only 1 yr of abuse, I say abuse, cuz that is exactly what I did with it. It was not the right comp for what I was using it for. Which was mainly what you described above.

I would paint small areas, water on paint, buy filters etc, ended up with me being frustrated I even considered buying this. Swore never again.

Losing money is always an afterthought. Old adage, buy cheap, buy twice comes to mind here.

It is hard to go wrong with a belt driven unit that you can actually maintain.

 

[Mobile Dan]

My first Big Boy compressor was a Campbell Hausfeld. I went to Sears and bought the biggest one that I could lift up high enough to load into a pickup truck. 2 hp, belt driven single stage, 20 gallon horizontal tank, 135 psi, about 6 cfm. Worked great for about 20 years but I sold it because I needed higher pressure to bust loose crankshaft pulley bolts. Bought a Craftsman "Oil-less" 30 gal vertical with 150 psi. It is much quieter. I can't pick it up. Probably not made in USA, even though I bought it over 10 years ago. The drain design was horrible so I modified it and now it is super easy.
I don't have an auto-drain but I found this for you... https://www.campbellhausfeld.com/auto-drain-commercial-units-mp367800aj.html?category_id=333

 

[JUSTIN CREDIBLE]

Thanks for the replies. I now know I want to go for a belt drive unit.
That makes it even more challenging.

As an aside, in a pinch, is a pancake compressor good for small jobs, like changing wheels, runnning a impaçt wrench to remove bolts, etc.etc?

Again, would want made in USA, and relatively quiet.

But still hesitant about what to buy with my experience of tank failure (explosion)
Although it was from 1984 and was never ever drained.

 

[nickb2]

if you hate your neighbors, pancake it is

 

[Mobile Dan]

I also have a Bostich pancake compressor. Somebody in my neighborhood "put it to the curb" and I took it home. The cord looked bad, but it still worked. When it got almost to full pressure, the safety valve blew open and I nearly sh*t my pants. That's probably why they put it to the curb. I replaced the valve for about $8. When I took the cover apart to put on a new (and longer) cord, I was surprised to see that there is actually a small belt between the motor and pump. Bostich is an old US manufacturer, but I don't know where their new compressors are made.
This compressor is pretty quiet and I put it in my service van if I need compressed air at a location that has 110v available. I have a tankless 12v compressor in my van at all times for tires.
I also have a Harbor Freight pancake that is a little larger (and a whole lot noisier) that tops out at 150 psi. Cost $99 with a coupon and it is the compressor I use the most. I have had it for about 10 years with no issues. Hard to drain only because I have it tucked on a shelf in my garage and I can't just open the valve and "let it fly" because that "water" is nasty and you have to reposition the compressor and then lean it at an angle to get all the water out. Can't just take it outside to drain it because the power cord goes behind a mini-fridge on the same shelf. That shelf is a good place for it because it is behind a row of toolboxes and cabinets which muffle the sound when my garage door is open.