Needing A New Air Compressor

I am needing a bigger air compressor. Started looking at Curtis as well as Eaton Polar Air, in addition to Ingersoll Rand. I am wanting 7.5 hp 220 volt single phase. I would like to have about 24cfm at 150-175 psi. Does anyone have personal experience with the Curtis or Eaton? I know the newer Ingersoll Rand has a cheaper pump than older models, but that is probably an industry standard now. I would even consider a good used one if it was close to home.

If You want to make it the last one You ever buy,
Get a Saylor-Beall.
Pricey, but You get what You pay for!

Steve A W

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Curtis are pro grade.

I don't know anything about Curtis or Eaton. I have a Ingersoll Rand T30 I bought in 1992. I use it every day and has delivered all the air I ever needed.

Curtis, Quincy, Ingersol are all commercial grade compressors. Expensive but worth it in the long run. A used one would be OK if the price was right and you could get some history on it. The older compressors were designed to be rebuildable, turned slower, and were quiet.

We have a 10HP Ingersol at work. Been in service about 8 years now. Only problems were the electrical enclosure vibrated so bad it broke the mounts, and the IEC starter contacts burned out, replaced it with a real size 2 starter. But it is fast and LOUD!

Get a Quincy.

AMEN!!

Glenn F.

We had several different brands in the tire shop. The only one that ever lasted was Ingersol Rand type 30. We bought it used, it ran 7 days a week for years, kept the oil changed, used Ingersol Rand compressor oil. Had 4 or 5 air guns running almost all the time, along with air operated oil pumps, air operated hoist, etc.

I just saw some in Shoppers, Puma brand, looked good to me, 220V mostly american made.

If I were you I would check into industrial vs homeowner/box store specs. I would think at 7.5 hp all would be continuous duty industrial grade pumps/motors. That being the case I would go IR , Saylor Beale or Quincy. I bought my IR T-30 5hp 80 gal tank back in 1981 and ran my body shop with it for many yrs and still sand blast and paint today with it. Just bought a new motor last year and have done NOTHING to the rest of it accept change oil. I run the air intake into two auto air filters glued together. Just blasted with it yesterday and it will still pump up and shut off WHILE BLASTING with an 80# pressure blaster.

Randy
I would like a little more information about the sand blasting. What brand blaster? What nozzle size do you use, and what air pressure? What media are you using? I have a 1965 Mustang convertible I am starting restoration and a 1650 Oliver to do also. I heard a 5 hp Ingersoll would not keep up doing the car and definitely not large enough for doing a tractor. The tractor has a lot of cast iron so can be more aggressive without worry of warping from heat. But continuous running the compressor would heat the air, causing more condensation and moisture in the air. Am I correct in my thinking?

After considerable research about 4/5 years ago, I bought an Eaton (Polar Air) 80 gal, 7 1/2 HP, 220V, single phase, two stage, V4 unit. Before buying, I visited the plant in Dayton and spoke with one of their engineers.

The cast iron pump is made in China, the motor and electricals are WEG (Brasil), the tank is US and the units are assembled in Dayton.

I do no commercial work and, frankly, have not used it much yet except to blow off my equipment before putting things away. I bought a 7 1/2 HP unit to operate a sand blast cabinet which I have not yet gotten.

After a year or so, I noticed that the pump was seeping a bit of oil from the crankcase inspection covers. I called my contact at Eaton and he sent me a set of new copper washers for the cover bolts which I installed when I changed the compressor oil. It has not leaked since.

About a year or so ago, I noticed that it is leaking a bit of air. If I do not use it, the pressure will drop 15 - 20 lbs. per week. I've checked for obvious things but have not looked closely at it yet. I suspect that it may be the automatic drain valve.

The timer on the drain valve can be set no longer than once each 24 hours (too frequent for me) so I leave it unplugged and simply plug it in every week of so when I walk by to drain it. I will probably remove it and install a manual shut off valve.

One can spend more for an air compressor and one can, no doubt, buy a better one but my research led me to believe that the Polar Air unit was the most cost effective unit for my purposes.

Dean

Had a Curtiss/Toledo at work we got as a replacement for one we wore out and it went about 20,000 hours until we spun a bearing on a rod. Did bearings and rings in house and you could still see the crosshatch on cylinder. Still as a backup to our Saylor Beal and has another 10,000 hours and runs great. Do not ask me about newer IR.
steve

The blaster is a Waterloo pressure pot type that holds an 80 lb bag. I use the small ceramic tips that when new have 1/8-3/16 hole as it don't take long until they are a good 1/4". I set the operating pressure about 10-15 psi below the safety pop-off valve opening pressure on blaster. Probably around 75-80 psi at pot. I use silica on carbs but just plain fine sand from TSC the rest of time. I recover it 3-4 times and re-screen it. You won't warp tractor tin with that pressure. I use a disposable supplied air respirator hood with a disposable charcoal paint respirator under it. Use about 15-20' of air hose coiled up coming out of compressor to water trap/regulator. Any water vapor will condense in that coil and be removed in trap. I don't blast for a living so I don't have a clock on me and don't need a 1" opening and enough volume to blow a complete tractor in a couple hours. I do sections and/or parts that I can then repair and prep for paint before re-rust. I wouldn't use sand on the Mustang as you will warp open flat parts of it. With a little care with duct tape you aren't going to blow any sand into trans/engine/bearings with a blaster like this at that pressure. Again, they are probably talking from a professional , doing it every day for a living , point of view. If you are quite young and are going to make a living with this and blast every week or have two or three guys running air sanders/tools at same time then by all means go with the 7.5 hp. My opinion is it is overkill otherwise. You will see an appreciable price difference from 5 - 7.5 also. Just don't get the 5 hp IR from TSC as they are NOT the industrial model.

I bought a new Curtis in about 2004 to replace a worn out 1960's Curtis and have been happy with it. It runs 5 days a week in my cabinet shop. Johnny

Or Sullair----at work had Curtis-good but didn't hold up long term..Running a Sullair 100 hp now with 48,000 hours on it--it keeps on ticking..Running a 150 hp Quincy vacuum pump with at least 50,000 hrs on it and it keeps on keeping on..Running a Gardner Denver at another location.....Can't beat Quincy and Sullair..