what does everyone run for air compressors in thier shops?
i have a horizontal 33 gal craftsman mobile tank. i used itfor light duty (rotating tires and general wrenching).
now i have an old truck and will be doing lots of sanding and body work and stuff. is this tank good enough? the sander i just got said 60 gal is recommended for consistant use but 20 for occasional use.
will bemoving into a new garage soon ansd thinking if the compressor will need to be replaced soon with a vertical tank.

 

There are several more posts here on air compressors and air tools if you need some quick info.

 

it says 9 posts, i cant find the other info

 

my 2 cents: CFM rating and horsepower are more important than tank size. Although if you've got a small compressor, a big tank can provide enough reserve to handle brief high-demand jobs (at the expense of running longer to get the tank back up to pressure).

For sandblasting, or running sanders or airboards, think 10 to 20 cfm, or 5 to 7 Hp. And, ideally, the compressor should be rated for continuous duty.

 

I just searched the Garage forum alone and there are 51 topics with shop AND compressor in them. Quite a little pile of information to start reading :-)

Have Fun!

You can refine your search if you want.

 

Hello, I am new to this site and everyone seems very helpful. I have owned a lot of compressors, but the one that stands out for me is a two stage kellogg american 80 gallon vertical. I bought and sold this before I knew how good it was until I started my 60 gal single stage campbell hausfeld. The Kellogg was ten times as quiet and pumped up in a matter of minutes. The campbell is very loud and has about one tenth of the pumping capacity. I really think that campbell hausfeld is a german word for slightly better than made in china.IMHO.

 

I thought it did mean "Made in China"... hehe

-Actually it probably is made in China. I have seen a lot of products with a big made in USA sticker where it was only the "sticker" that was made in USA...

 

I had heard that there is an area or city in Taiwan that is called USA. They get away with saying made in USA. The difference would have to be made in U.S.A.. The periods are supposed to make the difference. Pretty tricky those Chinese.,bobby

 

If your going to get right into sand blasting, that requires a steady continuous 90 psi pressure or more at the nozzle go for more horsepower and a larger tank. I had several small 4 hp compressors one of which was a Craftsman that lasted about 10 years. I used it continuously all summer long for sand blasting and it finally wore out. It was fine for spray painting but not for sand blasting. The big disadvantage regarding the smaller compressors is amount of air coming out at the nozzle. There is always a lag in air pressure at the nozzle because the air compressor cannot keep up with the high volume of air needed to sand blast. It can be very frustrating and wastes a lot of time, believe me.

Your best bet is a PORTER CABLE 7 hp. Single stage (Upright) 60-gallon stationary tank. The price is around $400.00 at Lowe’s Home Improvement. Another good chose is the 7.5 hp. Single stage (Upright) 60 gallon Campbell Hausfeld for under$400.00. I use the PORTER CABLE myself and it works great. There is no pressure drop at the nozzle. If you regulate it at 90 psi for sand blasting, that is what you are going to get. Moreover, these compressors are made to last.

Another thing that I might add is make sure you setup a good air system. Only use Black Gas Pipe. Stay away from Galvanized pipe because this pipe corrodes inside the pipe and will clog up filters. DO NOT use PVC pipe for a compressed air system if you value your life.

A good air system makes a BIG DIFFENCE.

Old Diver