[Supras] Air compressor

[Don Might]

This is great advice if you will be using the compressor every day or
for very demanding tasks.

However, for occasional use, like my compressor sees, this is extreme
overkill.  I have a small Campbell-Haufield probably nearly identical to
the one the original poster mentioned.  It has served me well for all my
automotive and home projects.  I've painted my entire car with it (just
to try it).  It has shot tens of thousands of nails.  It has driven
ratchets and impact wrenches on hundreds of bolts.

I've been very happy with the value of nearly everything I've bought
from Harbor Freight.  Most of their stuff has held up very well for the
occasional use I put it to.  If I am going to use the tool everyday, I
would buy better.  As an aside, my neighbor and I both put hardiboard
(cement fiberboard) lap siding on our houses a couple of years ago.  My
Harbor Freight compound miter saw survived the project, his Dewault did
not.  I could have purchased three or four from Harbor Freight for the
price of his 1 Dewault.

Not a fair comparison, as he is a contractor, and his saw had seen more
use than mine had (although his was relatively new), but still, it
illustrates the value for the occasional user.

My same saw is still working just fine.  I've used it also to install
crown molding through the house, baseboards, frame a couple of
additional rooms, build a shed, workbenches and cabinets in the garage
and a myriad of other projects.  Certainly not as nice as a Dewault or
Ryobi, but for less than $200, a great value for me.

If you want the top end, though, there is nothing wrong with overkill.
I've certainly overkilled more than I haven't. :)  There is something to
be said, however, for having an easily portable compressor.

Don

-----Original Message-----
From: supras-bounces at supras.com [mailto:supras-bounces at supras.com] On
Behalf Of berniek at technicaldevelop.com
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 11:55 PM
To: darnsuprat at hotmail.com; Supras at supras.com
Subject: Re: [Supras] Air compressor

Whatever you do, do not get a compressor with a single unit
motor-compressor.  The motor runs at 3450 RPM, and the noise from the
reed valves and vibration in the compressor will drive you nuts.  A belt
driven two cylinder compressor is much better.  A dual stage unit is not
a necessity, but it will keep the flow up at high pressures.  

The compressor itself should be cast iron if possible.  Some of the
cheaper units are die cast aluminum (probably OK, but look for iron
cylinder liners) or "pot metal" (weak stuff).  

The one I have here is based on a large truck air brake compressor, with
an internal oil pump and cooing fins rather than a water jacket (both
are rarities, but it came out of a junk yard for $5 about 25 years ago).
At that time Grainger sold receivers (tanks), pressure switches, safety
valves pretty cheaply, but I'm afraid that has changed.  A good source
of decent motors is also a general type junk yard, if you get friendly
with the owner and can walk in with a toolbox at lunchtime, and take
what you need from equipment scrapped for reasons other than the motor.
I got a pile of motors, oil burner parts, good hot water heating
circulator pumps from scrapped boilers and other stuff really cheaply at
a local yard here in Dover, NJ.  

I got a needle scaler, pneumatic shears, and a portapower style
hydraulic pump from Harbor Freight (was Harbor Freight and Salvage
before they changed the name).  The stuff is usable, but quality is far
from the best.  If you buy a compressor from them, make sure the motor
is thermally protected, has ball bearings and has a temperature rise
rating of no more than 40C (if published).  The compressor should also
have ball bearings.  Radial loading from the belt drive will wear a
front sleeve bearing pretty fast if splash lubricated.  

Good luck.  

    BernieK
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