Any tips on a quiet, small air compressor for hand tools?

[robroy]

Good afternoon!

Now that I've moved #50 to my own garage, I can no longer enjoy the huge, USA made air compressor at my father's place.

I'm looking for a small compressor that's QUIET, so I can actually use it without the neighbors thinking an auto shop just opened up next door. The compressor probably doesn't have to be too large--just large enough to power light impact wrench and die grinder usage. The compressor I was spoiled with up until now was a big, 5 or 6HP, 80-gallon stand up model made in the USA by DeVillbis. I never ran short of air with that, so I'm out of touch with how much air these tools really need.

I don't plan on running any sandblaster or HVLP off of this thing.

Has anybody had good experiences lately with small, quiet compressors?

Thanks very much!
Robroy

[robroy]

I see this 3/4 HP compressor on Harbor Freight for $129.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=66974


It supplies 1.3 SCFM @ 90 PSI. Do ya'll think that's enough for casual air tool usage? Or not even close?

Thanks!!!
Robroy

[robroy]

A quick survey of impact wrenches shows that they consume between 4 and 6 CFM.

If this compressor can make 1 CFM, does that mean I could run the wrench for about 10 seconds out of every minute?

Thanks!
Robroy

[TNIceWolf]

I know that my old twenty gallon tank with 4 cfm and 125 psi strained at times with my air tools. My new 35 gallon with 6 cfm and 150 psi does much better and is still portable.

[robroy]

Hi TNIceWolf, thanks for replying!

Got it. So this 1 CFM deal probably won't cut it!

Now I'm looking at this 5 CFM compressor. It's kind of expensive but is USA made, so it's probably worth it.


http://www.thomasairpac.com/products/ai ... 2820st.jsp

Amazon has this in stock for $623.75.

Robroy

[robroy]

I went ahead with the Thomas, 2HP, 5CFM compressor shown above. It's rated for a continuous duty cycle and is made in USA, so it probably won't let me down!

I'll post here again in a few weeks when I've had a chance to fully review it.

Thanks!
Robroy

[cmoore]

Hi Robroy....got a question for you...

What brand of airtools do you recommend? I have a 2HP Porter-Cable AC that maxes @ 120psi. It's used for finish wood work around the house mostly, but I've been wanting some airtools for some truck work. I know HF has loads of stuff, but I'm unsure as to which brands are reliable.

Thanks for the help,

Chris

[robroy]

Hi Chris! Thanks for replying!

I'm not experienced with lots of different types of air tools, but I've been using the same few tools for 5-10 years with absolutely no issues. They're all made by Ingersoll-Rand. My 1/2" impact wrench that I use most often is a model 2131 (I think it's the original 2131, not any of the 2131-thisAndThats on the market now).

That's about all I can say! But if you start a new, separate thread asking about air tool brands specifically, you might come up with some responses from more experienced forum members.

Robroy

[cmoore]

Thanks for the reply Robroy...Ingersoll-Rand makes good kit...I'll see what I can find out there...

[robroy]

The compressor arrived and is fantastic. What a beauty. All USA made.




It's fairly quiet, meaning that I could tolerate to work around it without ear plugs in. But I wouldn't call it quiet. It's just not too loud!

I haven't actually got it hooked up to my air stuff yet, so I'm not sure how it performs. But one thing's for sure--it fills up those "hot dog" air tanks to 125 PSI in *NO* time at all! I'll actually time it next time, but it seemed like twenty seconds or less!

Robroy

[kaptnkaos]

Good luck with it Robroy...

I didn't haven't had very good luck with HF compressors... I had to return two of them.
Now what has me concerned is air volume... yeah it will pump up to 125 psi quick, but when your tool is using 90-100 psi, there is nearly no pressure in the tank.
I ended up getting a Craftsman 6hp / 30 gallon one that can do everything I need... it had only been used for one restoration project, so it was nearly brand new. I found it on Craigslist for $85.

click on pic to enlarge...

This was taken inside my bus "Olde Skool"

KaptnKA S

[Dave H]

Just my opinion, but a quiet compressor means a slow running compressor...I remember as a kid we had a small 1/4 hp one cylinder compressor that was very quite...it took a while to fill the small 5 or 7 gallon tank, and was used mainly for pumping up tires, I think it was too small for air-tools.

Today, most air compressors utilize high speed (3650) rpm electric motors, that are quite noisy just in themselves, and then they are coupled to a twin cylinder compressor...with the main goal of recharging the tank quickly as possible.

If I were to try and come up with a quiet compressor, I would piece together my own..it would be a 1 hp 1725 rpm (or maybe even a 1200 rpm) motor coupled to a twin cylinder pump, and a 80 gallon tank, but sizing the pump would be the critical part.

The pump would be moderately oversized for the HP but run at 50-75% of the rated rpm, an unloader and maybe even an extra capacitor on the motor would be needed as the motor will be really struggling to start under pressure. So basically you get a large but slow running compressor with a large reserve tank, that I believe would your best bet at having the quietest air compressor.

Here is a list of American made compressors..I'm not sure if any manufacturers design a compressor specifically for quiet applications..maybe a doctor or dentists compressor?

http://usamadeproducts.biz/air-compressors.html

[robroy]

Good day Dave, thanks for replying!

I see what you mean about fast-working compressors generally being loud. In retrospect, the quietness or loudness of the compressor didn't turn out to matter very much, since I always wear hearing protection while I'm working nearby it anyways. Even though the Thomas compressor's quieter than many I've heard, it's still too loud to be comfortable when it's nearby in an enclosed area (my garage).

Four years later, the Thomas compressor's still functioning flawlessly, and has been sized just about right for all the air tools I've used. I can't remember having had to wait for it much.

Thanks so much Dave,
Robroy

[averagef250]

Quincy QR-25 series are a good example of compressors capable of quiet operation. They can be run between 400 and 900 RPM and at 400 RPM you just hear the valves going "tink- tink-tink-tink".

The downside to the QR-25 is size and weight. The smallest model 310 pump weighs around 150 lbs and is meant for 1-2 HP. The biggest 2 cylinder is the 390 and weighs around 600 lbs. That's just the pump, no tank, motor, etc.