Who Makes a Good Portable Compressor

[EddieWalker]

My main air compressor is an Emglow wheel barrow style electric model that is at least 20 years old. It's a beast that has never failed me. It's on the heavy side for getting in the back of my truck, but easy enough to move around on the ground with the front wheel. I have it under my workbench, and use it several times a week.

As a contractor, I wanted a smaller, easier to carry air compressor for everything from framing guns to brad nailers. I wanted it to be easy to carry into a house, and not pull so much power that I was throughing breakers. There are quite a few brands out there, and I tried most of them. I went from the cheapy, disposable models that wouldn't even work in freezing temps until they warmed up, to models rated for 15 amps that where tripping 20 amp breakers in old houses.

I bought three different DeWalts because of the Emblow name on them. All where junk. I tried two Hitachi's that died on me. Craftsman, Porter Cable and Senco where junk.

I've been using an Ingersol Rand that I bought at Tractor Supply for a couple years now. It's rated for 14 amps and I have yet to trip a breaker in a house that I'm working on. It starts easily in winter, and so far, hasn't given me any trouble at all.

Good luck, there are so man choices out there, and so many misleading labels that you really need to buy from a place that you can return it to easily when you buy one. If your luck is like mine, you will return quite a few of them before you find one that you like.

Eddie

 

[2458n]

Emglow small compressor with Honda engine. Not the large wheeled one ,but the one with a handle. Can run most air tools fine. Just a great trouble free product for 10 plus years.

 

[two_bit_score]

My main air compressor is an Emglow wheel barrow style electric model that is at least 20 years old. It's a beast that has never failed me. It's on the heavy side for getting in the back of my truck, but easy enough to move around on the ground with the front wheel. I have it under my workbench, and use it several times a week......

Good luck, there are so man choices out there, and so many misleading labels that you really need to buy from a place that you can return it to easily when you buy one. If your luck is like mine, you will return quite a few of them before you find one that you like.

Eddie

The old Emglos were bullet proof. Then they were bought by Dewalt, psinted yellow and turned to crap.

 

[ultrarunner]

The old Emglos were bullet proof. Then they were bought by Dewalt, painted yellow and turned to crap.

OK... that explains it.

There are so many of the old units around... some have rolled off roof tops and other backed-over by trucks... and yet they still work.

As a side note... back in High School, I worked one summer for an office equipment company... spent most of the time going to schools and government offices servicing IBM typewriters... always had a small Speed-Air compressor with us.

Last month, the widow of my Boss from 30+ years ago called me saying she was moving to a retirement community and had a few things in the garage she wanted to give me...

One of the items is the old Speed-Air compressor from so many years ago... still working, I might add... didn't look too good from years of rolling around the back of the service truck...

 

[two_bit_score]

OK... that explains it.

There are so many of the old units around... some have rolled off roof tops and other backed-over by trucks... and yet they still work.
..................
Last month, the widow of my Boss from 30+ years ago called me saying she was moving to a retirement community and had a few things in the garage she wanted to give me...

One of the items is the old Speed-Air compressor from so many years ago... still working, I might add... didn't look too good from years of rolling around the back of the service truck...

Same with Porter-Cable. Used to be great American brand used by pros. Got bought out and now all made in china, I think. Not at all like the professional grade tools they once were, just a step above a pos.

 

[Bird]

OK... that explains it.

There are so many of the old units around... some have rolled off roof tops and other backed-over by trucks... and yet they still work.

As a side note... back in High School, I worked one summer for an office equipment company... spent most of the time going to schools and government offices servicing IBM typewriters... always had a small Speed-Air compressor with us.

Last month, the widow of my Boss from 30+ years ago called me saying she was moving to a retirement community and had a few things in the garage she wanted to give me...

One of the items is the old Speed-Air compressor from so many years ago... still working, I might add... didn't look too good from years of rolling around the back of the service truck...

When you look at what Speedaire compressors cost at Graingers, you would expect them to be very good.

 

[deereman75]

When you look at what Speedaire compressors cost at Graingers, you would expect them to be very good.

based on the prices on Graingers website, you would expect everything to be.

 

[Spindifferent]

The Makita MAC700 Big Bore 2.0 HP Air Compressor got great reviews on Amazon.

I just purchased one, and it has worked well with limited use so far.

- Spindifferent

 

[Chilly807]

The old Emglos were bullet proof. Then they were bought by Dewalt, psinted yellow and turned to crap.

That's pretty much what the sales guy told me when I bought the Eagle. He had both Emglo and Eagle in stock and recommended I stay away from the Emglo. The Eagle was a bit cheaper as I recall, which was an added bonus.

Sean

 

[ultrarunner]

based on the prices on Graingers website, you would expect everything to be.

All depends...

I use Grainger almost daily and as part of a Nationwide buying group... some of the Grainger prices cannot be beat... over the years, I've had many vendors try and Grainger has always been lower on contract items...

I do agree, tools tend to be on the high side and I don't buy much because the category is outside my contract.

A couple of big pluses that I find...

I can order cases of GE lighting products noon today and have them here almost 100% of the time the next day... and with no freight charges.

Another good thing is there is zero problem with returns...

Lastly, when I have a specific purchase coming up outside my contract prices, I send my account rep an e-mail and ask for pricing...

The last item I did this with is a large vertical commercial air-compressor... it has an oil filter and excellent intake air filter...

 

[EddieWalker]

Grainger is famous for listing stuff for one price, but selling it for a whole lot cheaper. You have to ask for a lower price, and the more you buy, the better the price.

Eddie

 

[grsthegreat]

Also with Grainger...the more you buy regularly the better your base price will be. Same is true for my wholesale houses. When building is going gangbusters, i can get my electrical items for 30-40% below home depot/lowes prices. As work dries up, my margin decreases and the prices start to level out. I miss the good old days...before gready wall street hosed us all

 

[ultrarunner]

We use to joke it cost more to properly dispose of 4' fluorescent lamps than to buy them...

 

[two_bit_score]

When you look at what Speedaire compressors cost at Graingers, you would expect them to be very good.

I can't afford to buy anything at Graingers.

 

[two_bit_score]

Also with Grainger...the more you buy regularly the better your base price will be. Same is true for my wholesale houses. When building is going gangbusters, i can get my electrical items for 30-40% below home depot/lowes prices. As work dries up, my margin decreases and the prices start to level out. I miss the good old days...before gready wall street hosed us all

I buy from two different supply houses in Corpus Christi and they both know it. One or the other sometimes makes a comment that if I came in more often I could maybe get better pricing and I usually just say give me the best price or I won't come in as often and they usually do drop a little, after some 'discussion'.

 

[grsthegreat]

I buy from two different supply houses in Corpus Christi and they both know it. One or the other sometimes makes a comment that if I came in more often I could maybe get better pricing and I usually just say give me the best price or I won't come in as often and they usually do drop a little, after some 'discussion'.

ya, i get the same thing. But now days (past 2 years) im not buying much from anyone. 4-5 years ago i had $500,000 in business thru them. I dont know if ill ever see that kind of business again.

 

[ultrarunner]

Daily I receive calls from account reps asking if there are any projects in the pipeline...

For the last 3 years I have told them no... business is down and we are cutting back where ever we can...

 

[two_bit_score]

ya, i get the same thing. But now days (past 2 years) im not buying much from anyone. 4-5 years ago i had $500,000 in business thru them. I dont know if ill ever see that kind of business again.

If I was running 500k thru a supply house I'd probably open one. But that's just me. I'm cheap. I got wholesale car dealers license so I could save sales tax.

 

[two_bit_score]

Daily I receive calls from account reps asking if there are any projects in the pipeline...

For the last 3 years I have told them no... business is down and we are cutting back where ever we can...

Things will probably be booming around January 2013.

 

[KubotainNH]

Back to the air compressor question....IMO, it's best to have 2 compressors. An oil-lubed portable one for nail guns and the smaller tools and a bigger one that lives in the garage/basement plumbed to both ends of the house.

I have this one for around the house, it's not super quiet but also not really loud: Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more. I've had it for 7 or 8 years and it's done all I ask it within reason. Works great for nail guns. Like someone else mentioned, it doesn't like to run well in the cold weather so I keep that in mind.

My bigger compressor is also a Craftsman but is really made by someone else. I've had it for 12 or 13 years and before that it was used where I worked running constantly for years. It's a twin with a true 1HP motor and 30 gallon tank if I remember correctly. It will run my high power impact gun with no complaints. The only time it runs allot is with stuff like air grinders and sand blasters but it isn't a huge unit so you can only expect so much.