Kobalt (Lowes) Air Compressors

[sigtauenus]

Anybody try these? After an exhaustive search of this forum, I was able to conclude that Kobalt is the Lowes brand and that it may or may not be made by Campbell Hausfeld, but nothing regarding quality or satisfaction with the brand. The one I'm looking at is the 60 gal, 7 hp, 13.3 CFM at 90 PSI, sells for $547. This is not the same one mentioned in several posts for $427, that one only puts out 10.8 CFM at 90 PSI. I'm going to be using this thing for all common air tools, automotive painting, media blasting (TP cabinet and a pressure blaster), etc, so I need some pretty good air flow. Two part question, 1) does anybody have any comments on Kobalt performance, and 2) is the extra 2.5 CFM worth 120 bucks over the other model? I've shopped around fairly well, and don't seen anything else near 13 CFM for $550, and the next big step up would cost me $700+. FYI, I'm upgrading from a Craftsman 30 gal 5 HP (pre-lawsuit HP, more accurately 1.5-2 HP), and it does not put out near enough air for my blasting cabinet, and I would rather buy all the air I need now rather than have to upgrade again...hence I'm leaning towards the 13.3 CFM.

[tomrooster-1]

I don't know about that brand but 13.3 cfm for bead blasting would be kinda small. My AC puts out about 17 cfm and it runs steady when I bead blast with a 80 gal tank

[sigtauenus]

Really? Holy Cow.

I was basing what I was looking for off the TP Tools 780-TL Cabinet. They say "It Requires 7-20 cfm @ 80 psi. (3 HP minimum - 5 HP is better.) 125 psi max."

I was shooting for the middle (of CFM required) as a compromise between performance and price.

Doesn't it also make a difference which size nozzle you are using?

[Crash687]

depending on the size of the medium and nossel will affect how much air you will consume. if you do a lot of media blasting on a regular basis, you may want to consider a 5 hp 2 stage air compressor. (60 or 80 gallon) With a 2 stage you will also need a good regulator that will handle the volume required at the pressure/ pressure drop you will be running. Also look for one with a 100% duty cycle. Duty cycle(run time) is important on any compressor. Moving up to this sze of compressor will also double the price from what you were looking at. The compressor from Lowes seems a bit light on capacity (13 cfm) for a 7 hp compressor, my IR does 16 cfm @135 psi and is only 5 hp(single stage).

[sigtauenus]

Ah yes, the HP thing. It is 7HP peak, 3.5 HP running. I will have to check on the duty cycle, as I will probably want it to be able to run continuously.

Are the 2 stage compressors the ones that put out 175 psi?

[fefarms]

Yes, the two stage compressors typically have a max pressure in the 175 PSI range. The two-stage comes in handy for painting, because the air produced is cooler than with a single stage. And a smaller tank holds more air if you charge it to a high PSI. Neither of these factors matters for media blasting.

If you want to run a pressure pot, you really need 5 continuous horsepower. 15 CFM at 90 PSI is a good minimum goal. My IR two stage 5HP ($900 at Home Depot 5 years ago) runs continuously driving a pressure pot with a 1/8 inch nozzle, and I feel like it is a little undersized for the application.

For small parts you can use a smaller nozzle and the CFM required drops way down. That's why TP says you can get by with 7 CFM. The problem is, it will take forever to blast any parts larger than a few inches on a side with a nozzle sized for 7 CFM. A 1/8th inch nozzle takes long enough as it is, with parts the size of (say) a brake drum.

[lcampbell]

I've tried a number of compressors in my own shop as well as the diesel shop I worked in for five years. For light work and small paint jobs I like my DeVilbiss 5hp single stage with 30 gallon tank and 12 cfm. For heavy jobs I use a 15 hp 2 stage and 80 gallon tank that produces 20 cfm at 130 psi with a peak of 200 psi and 15 cfm. I've had the DeVilbiss for close to 10 years and the only problem I've had with it was when the regulator went south about five years ago. The big one gets real hot real fast and I've replaced the copper feed tube on it a couple times. For blasting, industrial painting or other continuous duty work you'll need a 2 stage. And rather than buying one from Lowes or Home Depot, I suggest you go to a shop that specializes in air tools, tell the dealer what you'll be doing with it and go with his best recommendation.

[Rancha9]

I have a smaller (about a 20 gallon, I think) Kobalt compressor I got from Lowes. Very well built, is pretty quiet, and have had no problems whatsoever so far. The supplied regulators were even of a decent quality and maintain perfect accuracy.

[KaiserM715]

My advice is to always buy the biggest air compressor that you can afford. That will save you the expense of upgrading later.

[etech2000]

I have one and have used it only 10 times. The very first day I turned it on the check lead tube that reuns from the discharge pipe which gets very hot blew open. Silly as it may sound Kobalt uses a black Nylon tube which is flimsy. I replaced the tube with an automotive 1/2" heater pipe. Well that lasted a few times while shot blasting and that blew open. same reason, the discharge tube runs so hot the heat goes into the check line and poof. Now I'm using a peice of 3/8" airhose with pipe clamps between the discharge tube and the auto shut off check valve. Haven't run it yet so I can't say if this works.

[Ford_Six]

The cheaper CH compressors are problematic, I have a 24gallon oilles, and Iron Force. After about three months, the blowdown line, well, blew off. It was a plastic-plastic friction fit. After plugging the line to test run it, I checked the main air pipe off the compressor to the tank, and it was leaking badly. Turns out, they use a copper tube and compression fittings, but a rubber ring, instead of a brass ring, to it actually doesn't grip the tube at all. I'm in the process of devising a fix for this, I'll probably just replace the copper tube and real compression rings, but I'll have to come up with something for the blowdown line.

I would avoid the non-name brand compressors, and anything that sounds too good to be true probably is.

[etech2000]

True, but for the price and a little re-engineering it does do as advertised. I'm sandblasting most of the day when my last engineered cure blew. I'm sure if I were doing a paint job or mechanical repairs it would last and last. I just have to figure a better check valve to discharge pipe config. I'm thinking that if someone has had this problem they may want to share there resolve to the problem. For those that are thinking of buying. My message is a kind of warning of what to expect (at least during heavy load use over time). For someone else that has a better brand they may have a better resolve to my issue from a comparisson point of view.

[Ford_Six]

Are you talking about the main disharge line from the compressor head to the tank?

[etech2000]

I'm talking about the line that leads just off the discharge pipe as it is called just before the tank (T connection),that goes to the auto pressure switch residing just below the pressure gauge for when the tank reaches it's full pressure setting. For Kobalt it's 135psi. That same line just before the tank is connected to the Discharge pipe which is the one your asking about, that goes from the head to the tank. Anyway the Discharge Pipe (head to tank is not the issue) but does get very very hot.

[Torque1st]

The line to the head unloader or pressure release valve will get hot because of heat conducted from the compressor discharge line. I would use steel tubing or even copper refrigerant line. Usually the line is only 1/4" on home size compressors.