Air compressors

[LangdonsLawns]

I am currently looking into purchasing an air compressor in the nest day or so. I would like to know if a 2hp oil lubricated electric air copressor is just as good as an air compressor with the belt style both are electric. The main things I am purchasing one for is blowing off the decks of my 2 commercial mowers and putting on and taking off blades and any other minor repairs. Both are roughly the same tank size and the one without the belt is 115 psi and cfpm are plenty on specs to run a 1/2 inch impact gun.

Any thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated because there is quite a bit of price difference between the two machines.

Thank you all
Dennis:usflag:

[BILLSMOWERS]

i would go for the belt drive if the pump brakes on a direct drive it will cost more to repair then the price diferance in going for the belt drive i have had both types and would not even look at a direct drive any more

this is my opinion

bill

[topsites]

My experience has been thus...

Don't worry about the pump on the less expensive compressors, they use a 1-stage
motor and it is this which overheats and burns, even with careful use it is only
a matter of time before the motor fries.

Now I am not saying the pump can't go bad on these, it's just that it's usually the motor.

The next problem is, a compressor motor costs at least $100 too, if yours isn't
a proprietary unit to begin with, which is another problem with less expensive
compressors is you can't find the right motor for it and if you do find it all of a sudden
we find it can not be replaced without major modification, so then by the time we
figure the hassle of replacing that it is cheaper to just buy another whole unit.

So...
Either pay the few hundred and get one of the better but less expensive units and
plan on replacing this unit every few (2-3) years.
Or spend a thousand and get the big unit which should last 15-20 years.
It's not just a bigger tank, it's that the expensive units (usually close to a thousand) use a 2-stage motor.
The motor's first stage fills up the bulk, from 0 psi to around 80 psi or so, which is when the
2nd stage kicks in to help out with the hardest part which is 81-120 psi, and this helps
keep the motor from burning out.

Keep in mind these 2-stage units likely also require a 240v connection.

But either way it comes out to about the same in ways of money, other than a few trips to the store.

That's what I do, I get the cheaper units and just replace them whole every so often.
They sure have went up in price thou...
I've had this one for just over a season and I only paid I think 130-160 for it with ext.wty and all...
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94667

Now I use mine a bit more than "just blowing off the deck a little teensie wheensie bit" :p

[BILLSMOWERS]

This is the comppressor i use probably to big for what you want
it is 30cfm 280 ltr air tank and has 3 x 3hp motors wich run indepently depending on the amount of air used

[turf&snow98]

i just have a cheap craftsman 30ish gal compressor, i have had it for years, runs 1/2 impact guns, painted cars with it, blow stuff off, nail guns, never had a problem with it, never did anything to it ( never even unplugged it yet )

[all ferris]

i just have a cheap craftsman 30ish gal compressor, i have had it for years, runs 1/2 impact guns, painted cars with it, blow stuff off, nail guns, never had a problem with it, never did anything to it ( never even unplugged it yet )

same here. However, I would like to get a bigger one some day, with more cfm. Also, I find it easier to use a backpack blower to blow mower decks off (faster).