Oiled ones generally run quieter and last longer. Oil less ones are noisier and less expensive.

 

Oiled with a cast iron sleeve at least, low RPM, oil-less are noisy and will not last as long.

 

Oil-less compressors are light in weight and can be set on an angle without thought to being properly oiled. These are your two primary pros.
Oil type compressors will typically outlast an oil-less but are not as light in weight or portable.
The size of the tank has a direct relationship with the CFM. You must have sufficient CFM for spray painting or using pneumatic tools.
Small tanked compressors can still reach high PSI but cannot maintain a constant flow (CFM) like the larger tanks.
Some me compressors are mounted on wheels which can be handy.
Ideally, you need two gauges on a compressor. One for tank pressure and one for line pressure. If you don’t regulate your line pressure you could blow-up your spray gun.

 

I bought an oil-less compressor once and threw it away because I couldn't stand the noise. Then not all oiled compressors are quiet either. For quiet you need one that has the motor and pump separate. Other than that having the CFM to fit your needs is all that matters.

 

I have both, oil less is portable and only typically runs nail guns, very loud.

Oiled is the shop compressor, massive compressor head, slow RPM, very quiet.

What is your anticipated usage?

 

can't add to what was already said, except DON'T BUY OIL-LESS you will be disappointed VERY LOUD

 

Oiled all the way, unless you need something to haul to a job site, and even then oiled would still be better unless you needed to run it upside down. As mentioned oiled compressors are world's quieter, and more efficient if memory serves. Plus, oiled pumps are generally also belt-driven, so you aren't completely SOL if something happens to the motor down the road.

Tank size determines how long you can go between the compressor actually cycling on, as well as smooths out the pressure being supplied. If you have your eyes on spraying finishes, I wouldn't look for anything less than a 30 gallon tank, larger if possible. You don't want to run the risk of running out of air in the tank and finding out that your pump isn't capable of putting out enough air to keep up while painting

 

Anyone heard of any tanks exploding due to tank rust damage?

Thanks everyone for posting. I had no idea. I have an oil-less compressor that I purchased in 2002. I purchased it specifically in 2002 to be able to fill my motorcycle tires at home. I have used it to install wood flooring, clean out carburetors and occasionally in the wood shop when I use my nail guns.

Yes, it is very, very, very noisy! Even with hearing protection, it is noisy! It is the noisiest piece of equipment in my shop.

I drain it after every use. The only repairs that I have had to complete was replacing the drain cock when it finally rusted. Getting the old drain cock out was a nightmare! I finally drilled it out and ran a 1/4" tap through to clean out the threads. The new drain cock is a 1/4 turn one, which makes it much easier to turn. The old one was a screw type with the "wings" to turn it.

Anyways, has anyone heard of any tanks exploding due to tank rust damage?

Here are the specifications:
Coleman Powermate Premium Air Compressor
Model: cl0551109
S/N: A24010575
11 gallons
6.0 cfm@ 40psi
4.0 cfm@ 90psi
19E 072-0001 Petcock

Thanks,
Eric

 

Thanks everyone for posting. I had no idea. I have an oil-less compressor that I purchased in 2002. I purchased it specifically in 2002 to be able to fill my motorcycle tires at home. I have used it to install wood flooring, clean out carburetors and occasionally in the wood shop when I use my nail guns.

Yes, it is very, very, very noisy! Even with hearing protection, it is noisy! It is the noisiest piece of equipment in my shop.

I drain it after every use. The only repairs that I have had to complete was replacing the drain cock when it finally rusted. Getting the old drain cock out was a nightmare! I finally drilled it out and ran a 1/4" tap through to clean out the threads. The new drain cock is a 1/4 turn one, which makes it much easier to turn. The old one was a screw type with the "wings" to turn it.

Anyways, has anyone heard of any tanks exploding due to tank rust damage?

Here are the specifications:
Coleman Powermate Premium Air Compressor
Model: cl0551109
S/N: A24010575
11 gallons
6.0 cfm@ 40psi
4.0 cfm@ 90psi
19E 072-0001 Petcock

Thanks,
Eric

I watched a TV show....it may have been Myth Busters, where they dropped a fully charged pancake type compressor off a 3 story building to see if would explode. It did not explode. I would think that a rusted compressor tank would just start leaking when the pressure became too much for the rusted metal.

 

If your spraying anything for any length of time, that would be the smallest you could use. You need something in the 6cfm @40 to spray fluids. I have a 2hp speedair that does that. But usually for a compressor for spraying, that's a rarity, 3 horse is normally where that cfm starts. That being said, I have a rolair jc10+ that is super quiet, and I can spray drywall texture patches with it.

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Rusted is busted ...

That's settled, now about the question oilless or oiled. These are oilless but QUIET! Waht? Check them out:

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-A...ressors-Tools-Accessories-Air-Compressors/California-Air-Tools/N-5yc1vZc27pZ8te

 

That's settled, now about the question oilless or oiled. These are oilless but QUIET! Waht? Check them out:

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-A...ressors-Tools-Accessories-Air-Compressors/California-Air-Tools/N-5yc1vZc27pZ8te

I have an earlier version of the vertical California Air shown in the HD link. Yes, it is quiet as compared to a standard oiless compressor. It does make noise but you can have a conversation while standing next to it.

 

My dad has a 5 hp speedair that has had a metal roof screw plugging a pinhole leak for the last 4 years. Don't worry too much about it. California air tools has a pretty low satisfaction rate. I've never had one, but it seems 50/50. If you want to get a good idea of the quality, look at the duty cycle rating. It's the ratio of work to rest that a compressor is supposed to have. The higher the duty cycle, the better. And if it's worth having, the manufacturer will list it as an asset.

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My dad has a 5 hp speedair that has had a metal roof screw plugging a pinhole leak for the last 4 years. Don't worry too much about it.

Please ignore this, very bad advice, if it's rusted through, replace the tank.

Plenty of videos on youtube showing explsions, or the aftermath.

Here is one, skip to around 1:30'ish.

 

And right there should be the end of this text string...

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My Dad also made a lot of questionable repairs, and had some dangerous practices. I think it comes up from growing up on a farm in remote Canada during the depression and being very poor. So I get it..

His best one was he used to heat spray can paint on top of the gas heater in the garage, got a much better finish out of it. All great until the day he put a can on the heater and went inside and forgot about it. Pretty amazing what an exploding paint can in a tightly sealed 2 car garage can do. Blew the overhead door out of it's tracks.

 

And I apologize to everyone listening for sharing the pin hole thing. It wasn't my intention to suggest support for an unsafe practice!

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Here are a few air compressors I own or owned:

* NOT RECOMMENDED: Harbor Freight 8 gallon portable air compressor, similar to one of these:
https://www.harborfreight.com/8-gal-2-hp-125-psi-oil-lube-air-compressor-68740.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/8-gal-2-hp-125-psi-oil-lube-air-compressor-69667.html

Something went wrong, and the oil leaked all over the floor. The air compressor was sitting there, turned off, with an empty, unpressurized tank, and the air relief valve was open. One morning, there was a huge puddle of oil on and under it. What a mess! Besides, it was loud, and I hated it. I could have easily fixed it, but I hated it so much I gave it to a friend. I must not like him very much.

When I look at Harbor Freight air compressors, I wonder whether they produce only one actual compressor mechanism. They just bolt it to whichever tank they want. Sure, it may be horizontal or vertical, or come with different size tanks, but if you look at the motor/compressor mechanisms, they all look identical. As I said, "not recommended."

* Ingersoll-Rand P15IU-A9
It was an unused floor model that I bought from Sears for $175 a few years ago, soon after the Harbor Freight compressor gave out. I drove a long way to get it at that price. It gets general use, mostly in the garage, but I will wheel it around on occasion for nail gun work in the house. Even though it has a 20 gallon tank, it will not deliver the continuous CFM needed for some tools. It is very quiet; a joy to use.

https://www.ingersollrandcompressedair.com/P15IU-A9-Single-Stage-Air-Compressor_p_9.html


Waaay off topic:

* Thomas - 215ADC38-12.
This is a tiny 12v air compressor that I carry on my motorcycle for long trips. They are commonly used to level motor homes. Highly recommended. They may be out of production, but you can find them on eBay. They just work, and are clearly built to last. Sure, you can buy some awful cheap $10 air compressors for cars and motorcycles. The $10 motorcycle air compressors sell for $30-$100, but it comes in a fancy thin case for a motorcycle that is still too bulky for me. Many of my friends buy a $10 air compressor from Walmart or local auto parts store, then cut out the mechanism to save weight and space. You just have to watch the exposed small spinning plastic gear to make sure it doesn't snag on anything when you use it.

 

Here's the parameters ...

Cost
What's the budget?

Portabilty vs stationary
Will you roll it around or will it stay put?

CFM "delivered" at 40 PSI and 90 PSI
Air tools need way more volume of deliver air than most other ECEPT spray guns which vary all over the place. New guns can be had with low volume requirements aroun 5 or 6 CFM.

Power supply 240 V vs 120 V.
A 5 HP stationary will require hardwire and a magnetic supply switch.
Anything less than 2 HP will run on 120 V.

Noise
The reciprocating piston types "oiled" are the most quiet.
The "oil less" reed valve types are like a 2 stroke cycle without a muffler.

Potential plasma cutting
This application may require substantial volumes of air, I don't know?

FWIW, I have several of each type because they perform differently and where they are located. Upstairs in the wood shop there's a 2 HP HF oil less for occasional light spraying, air nailing and dust blowing. Down stairs in the big shop where metal and mechanical work and larger spraying projects are done, there's a 5 HP oil less that delivers a lot of air but it's very noisy. It's been reliable for 20 some years of sporadic use, but sometimes heavy enough to cycle the unit 8 or 10 or so times
for sand blasting outdoors.

:vs_cool:

 

Cost

Potential plasma cutting
This application may require substantial volumes of air, I don't know?



:vs_cool:

My little Hobart Plasma cutter has it's own air on board, won't cut thick plate, but dose well for thinner materials.

 

This is off the subject, and will get a lot of "we've been doing it for year with no problems" but you should never plumb an air system with PVC pipe, it gets brittle with age and when it blows there are a bunch of very sharp shards to stab anyone in the area

 

Not to be confused with HDPE, a thermoplastic that is considered to be safe.

 

I think the only ones OSHA will hang you on is PVC, ABS is okay as well as a lot more. PVC gets real brittle with age


Our water line to the house is 2 inch PVC, I wanted to go with poly pipe, but everywhere I went in N Texas didn't carry it, the main reason I wanted it was it comes in 500 feet rolls and our house is about 3/4 mile from the main water line, PVC has joints every 20 feet. So I bought one of the Rigid plastic pipe cutters that acts kind of like a bolt cutter except the knife is super sharp. Over the years we have had pipe leaks, and they prove the point about fragile PVC, when it is new the cutter cuts it like soft butter, in 3-4 years it shatters the pipe, so it is back to Sawsall time

 

That was a smart move to using 2-inch. Shows you know how water works. Too bad about all the joints though.

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When we filled it to check for leaks it took a long time, then I penciled out the volume and I think it was over 800 gallons to fill just the pipe

 

I just watched the video on this one ...

I have the noisy red pancake type, a Porter Cable, BUT the California Air is 10X quieter! I couldn't believe it.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Califor...0-Hp-4-0-Gal-Aluminum-Twin-Tank-Electric-Portable-Air-Compress-4620AC/207147418


The Kobalt gets good review for being quiet also and is $80.00 cheaper so ... it's your call.

 

if spraying, you would appreciate oil-less as your air will be cleaner. if you get an oiled pump, you may want to place an in-line filter to remove the oil particles.


if unit will operate in an un-heated shop, you may experience trouble with an oiled unit. the oil will get thick depending on how cold it is, and not lubricate well. a lower viscosity oil may void the warranty. ????


just some thoughts... conclusion - you need both!

 

Now I'm terrified to use my old compressor!

My current compressor was given to me 30 years ago and I don't know how old it was then. It has no leaks and I drain it after each use. Of course, I have no idea if it's rusty inside. Is it an explosion risk?!?

 

My current compressor was given to me 30 years ago and I don't know how old it was then. It has no leaks and I drain it after each use. Of course, I have no idea if it's rusty inside. Is it an explosion risk?!?

Even a new compressor is an explosion risk. Youre taking a metal tank and pumping a crap-ton of pressure into it, one thing goes wrong and youve build a bomb. That said, the risk in miniscule. Older tanks do present more of a risk than newer tanks, but so long as yours is relatively well taken care of, the risk is still minimal.

Complete catastrophic failure of tanks is relatively rare anyways. Usually they develop small leaks before anything else if they rust through, if you ever find one, scrap the tank. Structural integrity is compromised and even if you do fix that small leak, the entire tank is now a lot less safe to use. Again, youre dealing with something that may as well be a bomb

 

If your pressure switch is rated for the compressor, ie: the proper psi. And your pop off valve is functioning properly, that's afout all you have, and you should be as safe as the next guy.

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