Air Compressors

[kweaver]

Dudley - It only took 7 phone calls from me and 3 from them to me to FINALLY find a place to come out and check it. Sometime next week ...

The pump is toast. It started squealing then it filled the front of the shop with smoke out of the crankcase before I got it shut off. I turned it back on later and it's knocking. I'd just about bet I could name the country of origin ...

I got one footrest blasted and probably 1/4 of the other one blasted. Not a very good ratio huh.

 

[kweaver]

I had money in hand
I scoured the land
I bought an off brand
I now sand by hand
I should have bought a Rand

 

[bbrigham]

OMG...KENtucks writin poetry, we need an intervention.....fast. Maybe an exorcism !

 

[kweaver]

I bought a 3 cylinder pump from EATON for my old tank. My old motor turns the wrong direction and isn't reverseable !
I'm going to have to set the pump backwards off the tank. My old 3 horse motor is 1/2" smaller diameter than the pulley on the new pump

My old Curtis compressor lasted 54 years ... now that was QUALITY !!!!

 

[kweaver]

Ok here's the scoop on my compressors.

I bought a KOLBALT compressor from Lowes for just under $900+tax.
It crapped out in under 10 hours.
Seven phone calls to Coleman (the manufacture) and I still haven't got a serviceman out here or a replacement pump from them.
I talked to the store manager of Lowes on the phone yesterday and he was to call me back after talking with Coleman ... no return call.

I bought a new 5 horse motor from Northern Hydraulics and a new pump from Eaton Compressors to re-do my old 80 gallon compressor. I now have $899.37 in my old 1954 compressor.

Moral of the story - Don't buy anything with the Coleman name on it or manufactured by Coleman. Don't buy anything from Lowes. Keep what you've got and rebuild it.

If you don't already have an old compressor to rebuild , either buy a new Ingersoll Rand or buy one from Eaton Compressors.

 

[junderwood]

Ken,
Sorry to hear Lowes is being so nice. I am sure you will like the Eaton though. When my old one craps out or I get some extra money I am buying a nice BIG Eaton for the shop.

Good luck with your rebuild and be sure to get us some pictures once it's running.

John

 

[bbranstetter]

I bought mine from Lowes but it was a few years ago and it wasn't made by Coleman. I ended up with a Campbell Hausfield with an all cast iron pump, hope it lasts. Put the compressor in the basement of the house so it stays clean and dry. So far so good, need to change to oil for the year though.

 

[kweaver]

John - You say BIG ... are ya gonna get the 25 horse 3 phase 240 gallon 89 CFM

Brian - According to Eaton oil should be changed every 3 months and use only air compressor oil , NOT automotive oil.
On my old compressor that I've had 18 years I changed oil once and put in 30w ... now it's wore out but hey @ 54 years old it's ready to retire

I can't decide if I should keep the 3 banger 18CFM pump I've already got from Eaton OR trade it up to their 22CFM 2 stage. I first got the 18CFM to run on my 3HP motor BUT! my motor turns the wrong direction and is non-reversible so ... I bought a 5HP Leeson to get a reversible motor. Now I've got the option to go with a bigger CFM.
Then there's the decision of should I ship this one back (UPS) and have it damaged <u>again</u> and then truck freight the other one down here OR just drive up and make the exchange and save about a hundred bucks and wait about an extra week ...

... but if I drive up then see one of those air dryers then I've spent another $650

 

[bbranstetter]

Kentucky,

My book said that I could use Mobil One in the cranck case, I'd never heard of that before though. Went and looked at there oil on the shelf and they sold a dino and synthetic oil in Campbell brand. I was kind of suprised that they would have even mentioned another brands name in there manuals.

 

[junderwood]

Ken, I was thinking this one would be nice.
http://tinyurl.com/5v2pyx
but will probably settle for this one.
http://tinyurl.com/2ly6rq
Or this one if I decide against the 2 stage
http://tinyurl.com/6p5b7a
I kind of figure if I really need more than 20 cfm at 100psi, its time to buy a BIG compressor on a trailer. Heck, maybe I can talk my friend out of his screw compressor with a 6 cylinder continental engine on the front or it. That would be BIG.

 

[kide]

Brian/KentucK:
I bought a Campbell-Hausfeld (80 gallon, 18 CFM at 175 PSI, Cast iron V-twin, true industrial 5 horse motor frame w/magnetic starter) back in about '92. The C-H repair depot recommended using hydraulic oil (this is the guy that was their warranty station in my area, but hated C-H). I passed on that and have used Mobile Rarus 425 since the beginning. Seems to be holding together OK. I still have a manual setup for tank drain, but keep thinking of one of the auto units that work after every pump cycle..

 

[kweaver]

Lowes delivers and Lowes undelivers too
I finally got something done ! I also found out what was going on with my "no repair" problem. Coleman Power Products filed bankruptcy in March.
At least Lowes stood behind me and EVEN gave me back the $65 delivery charge AND came and picked it up to return it.

Lowes has a nice looking CH with a twin cylinder on it but it has no CFM info on it. To bad I have a motor and pump aleady bought for the old tank ...

Oh and my propane place told me NEW unfilled 120 gallon tanks are $500.

 

[kweaver]

Well I've checked the Lowes and Campbell-Hausfeld websites and they don't show the compressor I looked at today. Guess I'd better quit looking at new compressors anyway ...

Had a thought this evening , I should go back to Lowes and see if they'd sell me that Kobalt back minus the motor and pump. I liked that black tank and my old tank has a lot of oil in it from years of worn rings.

 

[kide]

Well, look at it this way, all yer air tools will get "oiled daily" like is stamped on 'em.. What are propane tanks certified at, PSI wise? I thought they were fairly low pressure..

 

[kweaver]

The new tank I was asking about is certified @ 250psi.

I don't want oil in my Binks though when I paint my sexy TOY this summer

or in the blast cabinet either. I was thinking of calling up the guy that I use to steam clean for years ago and see if his equipment is at home now and wash it out. Or I may just pour some stuff in it and roll it up and down the drive a few times and hose it out.

I tried again yesterday to get the valve out of the 120 gallon propane tank I've had for 12 years. It still wont budge. I thought I'd left the valve open all these years but when I checked it , it was closed. Believe it or not when I opened it there was a vaccum in the tank. It sucked in alot of air

Before Art finds this page (he can't read anyway but someone may read it to him) ... yea I know ... BOOM! ... get over it , that's the way I swing !

<font size="-2">Public Disclaimer: Kids DON'T try this at home. Swinging can be hazardous and/or deadly to your health , just ask your father</font>

 

[kide]

I was thinking that a compressor tank is certified at a higher pressure than that - If I come across it, I'll let ya know.. I know you aren't supposed to weld on the outside of a tank.. On the other hand, the old tank has years of corrosion inside, thousands of pressure cycles and could be getting ready to split , too.... (I'm just full of optimism today..) ASME CODE

 

[kweaver]

Now Kendell if you don't weld on the outside of the tank how ya get the mirror brackets put on ?

plus the legs, pump/motor mount,fittings ...

The manager at Lowes just called to see if I was ready to bring the Kobalt back ... Since his store handed me back over $1k in cash tuesday he'd better keep up to speed !!

 

[kweaver]

oh and I need a 5 hp 240v contactor , I've got a few of the 3hp ones that say 30amp on them so why can't they run a 5hp 21amp motor ??

Anyway I came out to the shack and got into my secret secret stash and dug out a 5hp one

Here's what broke my heart. I had figured on using the 30amp Mercury Switch that I've had for 12 years BUT it's only rated at 3hp !!!

 

[kide]

Well, I've got an idea that the horses were bigger back in the day....you know that a lot of the "5 horsepower" compressors aren't, unless you count millisecond peak, maximum, ready to burn out, output as rated HP....
Really - if it's just a contactor (big relay) (not a magnetic starter), 30 amps is 30 amps, but I suspect that what you're dealing with is a magnetic starter, which does have to be matched to the size of the motor...
Gotta go load a race car to get the frame re-certified.....see ya later..

 

[kmcconaughey]

Kendell,

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

Gotta go load a race car to get the frame re-certified.....<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>