air compressors

Oilless is okay for occassional use. Pumping tires up, blowing things off and some light air tool use. Home/hobby use.

If the compressor will be used to run impact wrenches or inflate large tires alot, get the one with seperate motor and compressor. Plan to get the biggest one you can afford. Then mount the thing in its own room with sound insulation to cut down on the noise in the work area.

I have an oilless in a unattached garage and during the winter I can here the compressor run in the master bedroom.
 

I hired a contractor to install new windows in our house. He had one of those oilless air compressors. It quit pumping air about 1/2 way through the job, and the contractor told me it was less than one year old. We ran a hose from my shop compressor to finish up.
 
A lubricated compressor is always better.

Beware of anything labeled "oil-less," as it will be loud, perform poorly, and die an early death.
 
How are you going to use it? If you are going to use it for a brad nailer, oilless should do fine. If you are going to run an impact wrench for any length of time they wont work.
 
(quoted from post at 06:39:10 10/31/14) How are you going to use it? If you are going to use it for a brad nailer, oilless should do fine. If you are going to run an impact wrench for any length of time they wont work.

The contractor I hired WAS using his for a brad nailer.
 
I had never really heard of the oilless until I read about it on here. Guys sure did not like them . They seem to be talking about Sears . Talking to my friend the other day { I noticed last time I was over he had one] he metioned spending 400 hundred bucks for a used compressor [not oilless] cause his died. He used it as a hobby compressor but we had sandblasted with it once. Does not really make sense to me having moving parts and no oil.It's an oxymoron compressor.
 
I have both. Both are over 10 years old. The oil bath compressor is low rpm, quiet, powerful, and other than changing the oil I've never had a problem with it. It maintains good consistent performance. I use this one a lot.

My oil less compressor is high rpm, so loud I wear hearing protection when I use it and the older it gets the longer it takes to pressure up. It uses reed type system for a check valve that I've replaced several times over the years, only because it was cheap and easy. The piston rings and cylinder walls are getting worn. When they go bad I'll scrap it. This is my portable compressor that I don't use much.

Buy the oil type, you'll be much happier with it.
 
I was looking for a small compressor for use in my unheated garage and was leaning towards oiless as they seem to be more tolerant of sub-freezing temperatures. It would be primarily for airing up tires and blow gun.
 
I like to have both. A small oil less is great for painting and easy to move around and they work great to supply air for a sand blasting helmet. I keep a 3 hp single stage belt drive piston type in the basement and my shop has an 8 hp 2 stage floor mount that gets used for most everything.
 
(quoted from post at 10:24:58 10/31/14) I was looking for a small compressor for use in my unheated garage and was leaning towards oiless as they seem to be more tolerant of sub-freezing temperatures. It would be primarily for airing up tires and blow gun.

I have a vertical, 60 gallon compressor in my unheated shop. The compressor is ready to go any time I need it.
 
Good oil-free compressors do exist. They are prohibitively expensive... So unless you're running a medical or dental office, it makes sense to stick with the good old oiled piston pump.
 
Take two of the little 12 volt plug into your lighter tire pump units and strap them to your head plugged in for an hour.
If this does not bother you then go and buy an oilless compressor.
 
I've owned both. I will never spend a dime on an oiless again. Take one apart and you will see why I said that. Like others say noisy.

I own 5 air compressors. The oldest is a 1949, the year I was born. My newest is 20 years old. All are oil type. There is a good chance I may not out live my oldest 1 ½ hp 2 stage compressor.
 
I had an oil-less air compressor that sounded like a two cycle GMC Detroit Diesel engine (a "Screaming Jimmy"). I preferred to leave the room when it was running.

Re-sale prices are pretty low on oil-less compressors. Conventional belt driven compressors hold their value much better.

If you only need a compressor for occasional use and can tolerate the noise (around 90 decibels?) you can often find your choice of good used oil-less units for much less money than a new one or a used belt driven compressor.
 

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