Anyone recommend a good air compressor

[twopu]

I'm looking for a small air compressor mainly to inflate tires and blow out seams. I would like a compact one that I can use a nailing gun for occasional crown molding. It does not have to be anything fancy. Can anyone recommend one? I was looking at the small Husky @ Home Depot but I'm not sure it can handle a nailing gun. Does anyone have this?

 

[MorBid]

The purchasing of an air compressor is almost always based on the tools you plan to use with it.



Air tools and compressors are rated in CFM's and PSI's. So if you had a sander less say that needed 10 PSI @ 90 CFM's then you would need a air compressor that could put that out.



All that being said however nail guns and other tools like rachets are termed "intermittent use" and don't need alot of reserver air (a big tank) cause they only run for less than a minute or so at a time.



Dewalt makes one of those small ones. Check over at lowes.com and compare spec's

 

[rollman]

That Husky is nice for light jobs but not enough to run tools or a nail gun . You could probably run a small brad nailer with it . Check out the Porter Cable double tank 4 or 6 gallon at HD it's a nice unitl and small in size.

 

[jchetty]

I'm looking for a small air compressor mainly to inflate tires and blow out seams. I would like a compact one that I can use a nailing gun for occasional crown molding. It does not have to be anything fancy. Can anyone recommend one? I was looking at the small Husky @ Home Depot but I'm not sure it can handle a nailing gun. Does anyone have this?

if you want to use a nail gun..get a compresser that can give you 2scfm at 90psi and you pretty much good. as for an actual compressor, i love craftsman so i vote craftsman. go to sears and pick up a catalog (free) toward the end they give you a chart of which tools operate with compressors giving you some valuable data. Becareful with craftsman as now, they no longer give you a replacement, but now do turnaround service...hey its still free :bigups :bigups...thats kmart for you....here are my top pics for the hobbyist/car enthusiant..this can be had for 120...sometimes they even include free tools with it oh and make sure that you **do not** use an extension cord ****ever**** with a compressor....its says that in the instruction but who reads them anyways..reason is it draws more power and actually will damage the motor...its actually never a good idea to use extension with items that draw alot of current, get long air hoses instead, they arent to expensive :wavey



edit**..if you do alot a nailing....maybe look into nail guns with rechargeable batteries

 

[joerockt]

I have that exact model. I think it goes up to 130 psi. Pretty much perfect for around the house use. Perfect for impact tools too. I have a brad nail gun that works fine with it. But like another poster said, probably not the best for full size nail guns. But unless your doing roofing or framing, who needs that?

 

[twopu]

Thanks for the help guys!!! 99% of the time I would just like to use it for inflating my tires and blowing the seams out. After manually nailing the baseboards in my tiny bathroom my thumb would like a break. I don't plan on doing a lot of installing baseboards or crown molding, but would like to know that I have the option to use a nail gun. I'll check out the PC, Dewalt, and Sears. I like the good reviews about the Dewalt, but I'm not sure I want to spend $220 on it.

Thanks

 

[Ed Fisher]

Cheap and effective... Go Sears ! : grinno

 

[twopu]

I think I've narrowed it down to 3:

Craftsman 3 gal. Air Compressor, 1.5 hp, Horizontal Tank

Sears item #00915310000 Mfr. model #15310

Oil-lubricated compressor provides homeowners with a lightweight, portable source of air power for many do-it-yourself projects. Direct-drive, horizontal tank compressor delivers 2.4 SCFM at 90 psi.

$125

Makita MAC700 2 HP Air Compressor "The Hot Dog"

Roll bar handle for portability and added protection against harsh jobsite environments

High rated 3.3 CFM @ 90 PSI

The low 1720 rpm is half that of most competitive units, resulting in greater motor and pump life, and the substantially lower noise level makes it the quietest compressor in its class

Large cast iron pump with automotive style cylinder and piston deliver maximum performance

Oil lubricated for cooler running pump and an automotive style air filter for easy, low-cost maintenance

$153

Porter-Cable CPFAC2600P 2 HP, 6-Gallon Pancake Compressor

One-year warranty

2-horsepower motor provides 3.7 scfm at 90 psi and 2.7 scfm at 45 psi

High-pressure design keeps tank pressure between 120 and 150 psi

Higher tank pressure provides more usable air per tank re-charge

Six-gallon tank provides excellent reserve capacity

$160



What's the difference between scfm and CFM?

Should I go with a larger tank or are the hot dog style good enough for inflating tires and blowing out seams?



Thanks!!!

 

[rollman]

What's the difference between scfm and CFM?

Should I go with a larger tank or are the hot dog style good enough for inflating tires and blowing out seams?



Thanks!!!

Both CFM & SCFM are measurements of air delivery rates at a given perssure.



CFM = Cubic Feet per Minute

SCFM= Standard Cubic Feet per Mintue which is relative to temperature and humidty.



Go with the CFM number . You'll notice air tools need a certain CFM to run them . you'll see a rating that looks like this : tool requires 3 CFM at 90 psi. So you want your compressor's CFM's to be over 3 cfm's to run the tool right.



Tank size is important if your running tools for long periods. The bigger the tank the less your recovery time is . For what your doing any of those tanks will be fine .

 

[MorBid]

^^^ what he said. Tools are rarely rated @ SCFM's while Compressors are.



I'm leaning towards the Craftsman one, oil lubricated motors last longer. You also want to make sure whatever you get has a ASME certified tank and safety valve.



I noticed Sears has a 7 gallon tank as well