Garage Compressor - What size?

[TylerG]

Hey Folks,

the time has come to get a decent sized garage air compressor, currently I have a little portable 2 gallon Mastercraft one, that seems to have sprung a leak. I want to get something that's better for running impacts and the like as obviously it does not take long for a little 2 gallon to need to recharge itself when spinning lug nuts off of a 1 tonne, or any such thing.

Mostly used for tire inflation, and air impact/ratchets when working on truck/quads/sleds, but air nailers from time to time, as well as air chisels.

What size do you recommend and what features do you find are must haves?

 

[Clode]

A 2 gallon won't run air tools very well or at all. I have a 60 gallon princess auto unit nut this would do the job also. This a 30 gallon with enough CFM for air tools.

 

[TylerG]

A 2 gallon won't run air tools very well or at all. I have a 60 gallon princess auto unit nut this would do the job also. This a 30 gallon with enough CFM for air tools.

View attachment 285669

The 2 gallon has done okay for several years, but now that I have a house with a garage I want to get something larger for sure.

 

[ABMax24]

I've got this 200 psi Ridgid air compressor with a 4.5 gallon tank. It's works decent for the air hammer and filling tires or blowing dust out of the garage. But I just run cordless tools for impacts and such, just way more convenient. And the higher pressure stores more air than a standard compressor.

200 psi 4.5 Gal. Electric Quiet Compressor | RIDGID Tools

RIDGID continues its innovation with the new 200 psi 4.5 Gal. Quiet Compressor. Coming in at 77 dB. this unit is up to 75% quieter than leading competitor units, making it awesome for jobsites and keeping the crew working all day.

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Another option would be to get a storage tank like this and plumb your smaller compressor into it.

General PDP Template

www.canadiantire.ca

 

[SHREK1]

I put in a 5hp screw and runs everything and is quiet.

 

[sirkdev]

JMO opinion but my usage is similar to yours, I have an Omega compressor from Greggs off a welder plug, plumbed up the garage with 3 different runs of tubing and am quite happy. I also added a few volume tanks from older dead compressors that give me more volume if needed.

Omega Compressors 5HP 20GAL VERT. COMPRESS

Omega Compressors 5HP 20GAL VERT. COMPRESS Quiet Operation, Durable belt driven cast iron pumps., Stainless steel valves for longer life, Ball Bearing crankshaft., Splash lubrication, flywheels designed for excellent pump cooling., Manual reset for overload protection., Portable outfits equipped...

greggdistributors.ca

I have the 6060. If I could have found a a good 5020 type for reasonable money I would have preferred that but then again.. this one runs a fair bit to so its a toss up for sure.

In retrospect I would be looking for a 15A 110V wheeled unit that I could move around if I wanted, oil lubricated belt drive is a must for longevity . It really depends on your budget though.

Probably something like this. There are better options depending on your budget, Quincy comes to mind and there are bargains as everyone is moving to batteries.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/30-gallon-portable-air-compressor/product/PA0008438103

 

[turbo392]

I’d say any size of belt drive oiled compressor would be good for garage use. (and quiet)

 

[mclean]

With the quality of cordless tools nowadays, are massive compressors necessary?

I have a 26 gallon one and I only use it to do brad nails for trim in the house. The occasional tire if needed.

I'd switch to a smaller portable one if I could for when I'm doing a few wood working projects just to free up space

 

[sirkdev]

With the quality of cordless tools nowadays, are massive compressors necessary?

I have a 26 gallon one and I only use it to do brad nails for trim in the house. The occasional tire if needed.

I'd switch to a smaller portable one if I could for when I'm doing a few wood working projects just to free up space

For most no... I need air for polishing blowing out pads etc. There is a lot of cheap air tools out there for a thrifty fella but they are limiting compared to a cordless no doubt.

 

[Mike270412]

JMO opinion but my usage is similar to yours, I have an Omega compressor from Greggs off a welder plug, plumbed up the garage with 3 different runs of tubing and am quite happy. I also added a few volume tanks from older dead compressors that give me more volume if needed.

Omega Compressors 5HP 20GAL VERT. COMPRESS

Omega Compressors 5HP 20GAL VERT. COMPRESS Quiet Operation, Durable belt driven cast iron pumps., Stainless steel valves for longer life, Ball Bearing crankshaft., Splash lubrication, flywheels designed for excellent pump cooling., Manual reset for overload protection., Portable outfits equipped...

greggdistributors.ca

I have the 6060. If I could have found a a good 5020 type for reasonable money I would have preferred that but then again.. this one runs a fair bit to so its a toss up for sure.

In retrospect I would be looking for a 15A 110V wheeled unit that I could move around if I wanted, oil lubricated belt drive is a must for longevity . It really depends on your budget though.

Probably something like this. There are better options depending on your budget, Quincy comes to mind and there are bargains as everyone is moving to batteries.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/30-gallon-portable-air-compressor/product/PA0008438103

My shop is also plumbed for air and I realized that all that tubing actually adds to the volume. I also have some cordless tools so don't need to run an impact etc. Mostly just air up tires and blow dust around, so my little Motomaster 8 gallon is sufficient for now. Have option to go much bigger if I ever need to though.

 

[TylerG]

My shop is also plumbed for air and I realized that all that tubing actually adds to the volume. I also have some cordless tools so don't need to run an impact etc. Mostly just air up tires and blow dust around, so my little Motomaster 8 gallon is sufficient for now. Have option to go much bigger if I ever need to though.

that's the "newer" version of the compressor I have not Mikey, I need to figure out where the leak is from, I've got a pile of air tools and for my purposes it's not worth the $$$$ yet to move to battery operated everything, so I want to make sure I'm setup well.

 

[maxwell]

Might be a bit overkill but i picked up a nice dewalt 30 gallon at an auction. Put it up on brackets out of the way and plumbed in all copper lines with drains, accessory ports and hose reel. Took a bit of time but it sure is nice just plugging in whatever you want, always having the capacity and not tripping over air lines all the time. Copper is the best material but not the cheapest. You can use other materials but do your research as some can explode overtime left under pressure. You can get nice plastic kits on amazon aswell that click together and dont require soldering etc. But thats my tip. Plumb it in permanently, best thing you will do to your shop

 

[MOUNTAIN MICKEY]

CFM is the secret to having a nice compressor. Air tools can gobble up lots of air in a short time. A bigger main line in a shop will out perform the smaller 1/2 inch stuff big time. Air dryers or spitters are a nice option. My setup at home is 60 gallons----14.5 cfm at 40 and 11.5 at 90 and I would not want smaller. 4.5 to 5 cfm gets me by with the old "portable" that will run off my 2500 watt generator but its slow going. Its all a matter of what your needs and wants are. A sheet of plywood in front of a compressor makes a fairly good noise blocker in some cases.