Opinions Wanted Air Compressor

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J

jonweinerphotography

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
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Roswell, GA
My Thomas t-30a air compressor died......looking to replace. Any cost effective suggestions. Anyone use Sears Craftsman 6 gallon 150 psi compressor......I was considering trying this....only $159.

Thoughts ??
 
Don't know what you're using the compressor for but if it's got a good warranty it's probably OK. It's most likely going to be noisy when it runs, but if that's not an issue, no problem. Depending on what you are using it for I would install a filter to filter out water and oil to the air line.
I use a quiet, expensive compressor in the fitting area and a noisy inexpensive compressor in the shop area, so it depends on your personal needs.
 
I have 2 craftsman compressors. They are 25 and 30 gallon units. I keep one as a back up. My underpinner, saw and staplers all work off them. They are inexpensive, around 300.00 each. They are loud, but they are closed units and the only service you need to do is drain the built up water.
 
Mine's also a Craftsman 30 gallon...no maintenance except draining the tank. Noisy, but its been a great one.

A six gallon would run pretty constantly....and wouldn't have as long of a life as one with a bigger tank.
 
I'm not familiar with the quiet compressor that Verdaccio recommends. I did notice that it has a 3 month commercial warranty. I have used a cheap noisy compressor to run the vnailer and CTD saw for 15 years without a repair needed. I used a Junn Air compressor which is very expensive but almost silent in the fitting area to run the fitting tools, also for 15 years without a repair.
The noisy compressor was probably about $150 and the Junn Air silent compressor was about $1300.
These units were already in the shop when I came to work at the business.
I guess warranty versus price versus noise versus need is the key.
Craftsman was always good in the past but I think now they may all be made in China. It's hard to find anything that's not made there.
 
The linked compressor from Gentron is the way to go. The Sears unit may have trouble staying ahead of the equipment. The Gentron is very quiet and no problems with pressure or capacity.
 
Yea, I agree. My old compressor was a 6-gallon unit and I ran my CMC, vnailer, and nailgun from it, plus an extra spray hose. On average, it came on three-four times a day for about 1.5 minutes each time just to top the tank off...and that was with me doing fairly brisk work. This new unit, at 4.6 came on three times yesterday and I framed consistently from 9:30 to 5:00 - again for about 1.5 minutes just to top the tanks off.
 
Jeff Rodier said:
The linked compressor from Gentron is the way to go. The Sears unit may have trouble staying ahead of the equipment. The Gentron is very quiet and no problems with pressure or capacity.
Click to expand...

I, too, bought the linked compressor. I, too, am very happy with it :)

I had a large Husky Compressor, very loud but through a posting here I fashioned a "muffler" out of apiece of threaded pipe, an adapter and a little motorcycle carb air filter. Fitted the pipe into the opening that the "little plastic plug" (air inlet) threaded into the piston under the plastic cowling. Did it a few years back and my neighbor that inherited the compressor has been using it since. Loud, but not nearly as loud as his littler units.

I'd go with the Gentron if I were debating between the 2 today.
 
I too am in need of a new compressor and would like a quiet one. I have large noisy craftsman. Can 4.6 tank run a v-nailer,wizard and a hand stapler? Or do I need more than one?
 
It can keep up with all the equipment unless all three are be used simultaneously non-stop all day.
 
I have been using a Craftsman compressor to run both my V-nailer and my wizard for years. In the 15 years I have been framing I have only replaced each machine once. Now I purchased from Sears strictly for convenience, since my shop is in a mall Sears is right next door. If something did go wrong I could replace it within the hour. So far they have been good, wish I could say the same for my Craftsman lawn mower!
 
Our old Bambi died - we wheeled it between two rooms as needed. Replaced it with TWO of the small compressors from Generator Depot. They aren't totally quiet, but not bad at all. We're very pleased with them. They don't take long to reach pressure, easily moved when necessary.
 
I have 3 gentron compressors and love them. I've had them for 8 months now. One for each piece of equipment, my saw is in one room, the wizard at one end of my work room and the underpinner at the other end, I didn't want to have to run pvc pipe like I did when I had one huge compressor. Very quiet and very affordable
 
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