New Air Compressor

So I will be parting ways with my various Kobalt / Kobalt queittech compressors and tomorrow I will be picking up the new addition to the shop. This 80 gallon Porter Cable Compressor. Lowes is supposed to beat the competition by 10%. HD has it on sale for $1040 which means you can get this from Lowes for $936 right now so I sold a few things to cover most of it, and once I sell my 29gallon and 4.3gallon quiet tech it should be a zero sum game.

This will let me run tools I could not before. Especially this new pneumatic spade/scraper/chisel in the house to remove glued down floor and in the back yard to cut through some stumps.

I think you'll be really happy with that compressor.  I looked at it before I bought the one I have.  It sure looked good, and going with a single-stage unit is the right way to go.

Gary Lewis wrote

I think you'll be really happy with that compressor.  I looked at it before I bought the one I have.  It sure looked good, and going with a single-stage unit is the right way to go.

It is an up grade to what he had but the two stage compressor is the way to go.

What I don't get is the 3 piston but single stage?
They must use the 3 pistons to get the 14 SCFM @ 90 PSI
So what tool do you have that uses the most SCFM @ what PSI?
This is what you base what compressor you need so it will not be running 100% of the time and still lose PSI.

Do you plan to plumb the shop or just run a hose off the compressor?
Have you thought of a air drier / cooler? It is easy to make one.
I can put you on to a plumbing kit & DIY drier.
Both will make your compressor more enjoyable.
Dave ----

I disagree on the single vs two-stage compressor.  I don't need anything above 90 psi.  All of my tools are rated at that.

When I was shopping I called tech support at Eagle Compressor they explained that a single-stage compressor puts out more CFM than a two-stage if they both have the same motor.  So they strongly encouraged me to go single.

The goal is to run less than 50% of the time so the compressor and the air can cool and the moisture can be removed.

FuzzFace2 wrote

Gary Lewis wrote

I think you'll be really happy with that compressor.  I looked at it before I bought the one I have.  It sure looked good, and going with a single-stage unit is the right way to go.

It is an up grade to what he had but the two stage compressor is the way to go.

What I don't get is the 3 piston but single stage?
They must use the 3 pistons to get the 14 SCFM @ 90 PSI
So what tool do you have that uses the most SCFM @ what PSI?
This is what you base what compressor you need so it will not be running 100% of the time and still lose PSI.

Do you plan to plumb the shop or just run a hose off the compressor?
Have you thought of a air drier / cooler? It is easy to make one.
I can put you on to a plumbing kit & DIY drier.
Both will make your compressor more enjoyable.
Dave ----

 
Going to plumb it up in the garage and run plumbing to the 12x16 shed/shop im building. Behind the garage. Definitely have a lot of moisture to deal with here. I have a filter dryer regulator combo on the wall with just a hose to it. Most of the moisture backflows into the tank and I have to drain it. I need to get a good set up for dry clean air. Going to be running HVLP, sand blasters and other tools off of the unit. It was supposed to be here today but I didn't get a call and was at appointments all day anyway. I'll be going by in the AM to sell my old welder and check up on the order.

Basically it's going on the back wall of the garage for now. But I think in the future I would like it in the shed/shop outside due to noise and just plumbed into the garage.

The Ingersoll Rand 80g single stage puts out 15.8 cfm @90 for about the same price as the Porter Cable. But I got the Porter Cable discounted. I need to go back in and get my other 10% which will drop it another $104.

I'm running this Harbor Freight air drier.  I fought with desiccant driers for a few years and discovered I'd already spent more than $400 on them and needed to spend more.  Bought that thing and have had no problems.  Love it.

Looks like they don't make those anymore.

I have one of these on the wall currently I think I need a pre regulator. A lot of units like this I have found have a max PSI but also list a working PSI where it functions best.

It sucks they pulled it from the website...


There is a coupon making it $299

That would have been a very good buy.  I love mine.  Just sits there and works.

The plan right now unless my local HF has one of these is to plumb up enough pipe to control moisture. If I am correct Eastwood's did a thing on this and found that 50ft of line will help with air temp and moisture.

The current plan then is copper pipe run in vertical runs with a water trap at the bottom of each run.

I think I have room to run about 9 feet on each vertical.

I will say dessicant dryers do require more work but they are cheap. And Dessicant is really a one time buy. Just toss it in the microwave on a paper towel and pop it back in.

Yes, 50' of copper tubing will "help".  But it isn't going to remove all of the moisture.

As for desiccant being cheap, it isn't expensive by itself.  But if you don't get the moisture out quickly you won't believe the corrosion that will happen.  I had to replace several components, including the housing itself, in my drier.

And the instructions on my drier said to put the desiccant in an oven at 300 degrees for at least two hours.  No mention of a microwave.

So, to me a desiccant drier is for one-off use.  Like on my plasma cutter that I use very infrequently.  But for a shop air system that I used frequently I don't like them.

TheScatch wrote

The plan right now unless my local HF has one of these is to plumb up enough pipe to control moisture. If I am correct Eastwood's did a thing on this and found that 50ft of line will help with air temp and moisture.

The current plan then is copper pipe run in vertical runs with a water trap at the bottom of each run.

I think I have room to run about 9 feet on each vertical.

Little picture of my compressor and my air cooler / dryer. It is base board fin tube and some fittings with drip legs to catch and drain water.

The blue line makes a loop all the way around the garage so the air does not follow just 1 path.

I have never had water make it to any of my 5 hose drops that also have drip legs.

When I painted my truck I did set up a box fan on low to blow across the drier. I forgot to add a filter at the my HVLP spray gun or any other type of filters or drier and had no issues.

I don't remember the specs on my compressor but I can tell you it shuts off at 175 psi as that is the spec on it. Snap-On Big Red
Dave ----

Fuzz, do you like the Max line stuff? I have been toying with getting the 3/4 kit to run to the other side of my shop, instead of dragging hoses all the way across. What size kit did you get? Thanks

Bruce moose4x4 wrote

Fuzz, do you like the Max line stuff? I have been toying with getting the 3/4 kit to run to the other side of my shop, instead of dragging hoses all the way across. What size kit did you get? Thanks

I like it, was easy to install just need to make sure you have wrenches big enough to fit the fittings is all, think over 1".

I got 2 kits, M7500 3/4" master kit, and some extra fittings as I ran a loop around the top of the walls so I needed extra blue line and some fittings to make the loop and 5 drops  so was cheaper to get the 2nd kit.
The extra fitting on top of the 2 kits was for the 4 corners, I did not want to bend the blue line and the corner fittings make it look cleaner. I also needed a Tee for the compressor line tie in and fittings for a regulator. The regulator failed so I removed it and run the compressor's 175 PSI straight into the loop.

One of the reasons for the 5 drops so I did not need to run hoses across the shop.
Because I use 1 bay out of 2 I have, I use 2 drops most of the time. One is at the back of the bay and the other is at the doors between them. Both have a 25' hose hooked to then all the time and if I need more I have 1 or 2 100' hoses I can reach the house garage with if I don't want to fill the portable air tank. My other drops are on each side wall, 1 has a work bench, and the rear of the other bay by the compressor. I forget this drop is even there.


In the 5 years I have had it working I only had 1 fitting fail and that was at the Tee into the main loop.
I think the line was to short and I did not tighten the fitting enough.
Other wise I am happy with the system and would do it again if I had to.
Dave ----

I saw that Horrid Fate refrigerated dryer yesterday when I went to pick up my new engine hoist.
That type is definitely the WTG if you are using a lot of air, like you will with a sandblaster or flooring scraper.

A couple of suggestions
1) Attach a street elbow and nipple to the tank drain. Then put a ball valve where you can open it with your toe.
From there run a hose to wherever you want the blow-off.
No futzing around trying to reach the draincock and you're not being blasted with the result.  
Also, being easy to use it's likely to be used more often.  

2) Use a 'snubber' hose to connect the compressor itself to your wall mounted regulator.
You probably want a downward pointing elbow on the regulator so the hose hangs in a natural loop.
This not only eliminates vibration transmitted but it absorbs pulsing from the pump.
That helps the regulator last.

While on the vibration subject, I installed isolating mounts to the feet of my compressor.
Whether you decide to bolt it to a concrete floor -and especially if you don't- that one thing quieted my compressor down more than a better inlet muffler or anything else.
While good mounts (rated for the weight of the unit) are not cheap, I will never own a stationary compressor without them.

Congratulations on your new purchase.   p
Having a good compressor makes a huge difference!

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I saw that Horrid Fate refrigerated dryer yesterday when I went to pick up my new engine hoist.
That type is definitely the WTG if you are using a lot of air, like you will with a sandblaster or flooring scraper.

A couple of suggestions
1) Attach a street elbow and nipple to the tank drain. Then put a ball valve where you can open it with your toe.
From there run a hose to wherever you want the blow-off.
No futzing around trying to reach the draincock and you're not being blasted with the result.  
Also, being easy to use it's likely to be used more often.  

2) Use a 'snubber' hose to connect the compressor itself to your wall mounted regulator.
You probably want a downward pointing elbow on the regulator so the hose hangs in a natural loop.
This not only eliminates vibration transmitted but it absorbs pulsing from the pump.
That helps the regulator last.

While on the vibration subject, I installed isolating mounts to the feet of my compressor.
Whether you decide to bolt it to a concrete floor -and especially if you don't- that one thing quieted my compressor down more than a better inlet muffler or anything else.
While good mounts (rated for the weight of the unit) are not cheap, I will never own a stationary compressor without them.

Congratulations on your new purchase.   p
Having a good compressor makes a huge difference!

Well said.
I bought an install kit after I got the compressor (used off ebay) and the kit came with a braided flex line from tank to ? I got it to my air dryer.
It also came with rubber pads. At first I was going to use old rubber truck tires you find on the side of the high way. They are free and I like free
The pads did make it a lot quieter and I don't have it bolted down, has not moved.

I don't get much noise for the air intake even being at the other side of the garage with me.
Then again I also have the radio speakers going and they are closer to me when working.

I did put a ball valve on the bottom of my tank but did not get it out from under the tank, BIG MISTAKE!
I do have to reach under fish a little to find it and because the line out of the valve leaks gets on the hand
I do drain it before each use along with the drip legs on the drier.
Dave ----

Thanks for the info Fuzz.

That's a cool setup Dave!

I've always used copper plumbing.  No rust, no problems with it being brittle, My fitting configuration you can imagine.
I don't run drops.
I just run at the height I want (with some pitch) add tees, street 90's and 1/4 NPT  bushings at every outlet.
The Tee faces up and gets secured with a two hole strap.
Copper is a good conductor so it sheds heat, and any condensation rolls right on past to the drip leg & ball drain at the end.