Quiet Air Compressor

[Jill J.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

An added item we use with our bead blaster is connecting a Bullard Air Line Filter between the compressor and bead blaster. It sure helps with any moisture getting into your line and clogging your media at the bead blaster gun. It also works great when painting - connect the Bullard Air Line Filter between your compressor and paint gun - works the same way keeping the moisture down. The Bullard units are generally used as a dryer for breathing air when using a sandblasting hood.

I even used it when soda blasting my car. It worked great.


Jill, 59140

[Gary R.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

I want to thank Jim Durham for going above and beyond by checking into compressors for me this week at SEMA. Jim I do appreciate your time and effort on my behalf. I spoke with the IR salesman Jim met at SEMA and he was very helpful. He pretty much sized up what I was expecting, a 5hp 60 gallon machine but single stage. They were offering good pricing but I am still stuck on the noise deal. At first he said it was quiet but then said it was rated at 90Db, which is not quiet and where the recips seems to run. It is also the OSHA limit for 8hr exposure, while I would not be running it 8 hr straight I think it's safe to say it will be loud. After some debate I held off and have asked some more questions on the Eastwood scroll machine. That almost fits the bill, the cfm is 12 where as it would be nice to see one up higher. Since these are new we don't know how they will be in the real world, will they be a '68 or 84 vette with all the first year issues?
Champion claims their 5hp 2 stage is quiet but no Db ratings I can find? I decided not to put it outside for several reasons so it has to be an inside machine.

Has anyone thought about that Eastwood scroll? $1400 shipped is the cost where as the IR ss5l5 is under $1000 shipped, and the Champion is on sale for $1799 shipped. Of course if I just stop building boxes and diff's I can just use my sears noisy oiless for blowing chips off my bench parts.

[David H.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

... I can just use my sears noisy oiless for blowing chips off my bench parts.

Also looking at the Eastwood compressor - my old Sears unit can wake the dead.

Dave

[Carnell M.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

Whatever type you get you can get a muffler/silencer for the intake. It doesn't completely silence it, but it does help quite a bit. I put one on my 80 gallon 2 cycle and it helped.

[Gary R.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

update
I decided today on going with the Eastwood Scroll compressor. I like the noise level and portability it offers. It comes with a $200 store credit card which I will use since I use their paints and lift gate service. The lift gate service is about $75 from many places so there flat $200 fee includes it but given the weight it was a fair cost.

I don't expect to see it till January and I will be in the middle of moving & setting up my shop so it is one more piece of the puzzle in place. Once I get the rotary phase converter setup I will wire in my Bridgeport, lathe, and surface grinder.

Once I get to using it I will post back some info for those who may be considering one. I know it might be a gamble but what in life isn't! It shouldn't take me more then 20 minutes to blast a steering box anyway.

Anyone else considering or place an order for one?

[Greg W.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

Gary, May be a smart idea to keep it inside. A good friend of mine and a very smart guy put a big compressor on the rear of his shop under cover as to keep the noise down. Last week he was showing it to me and I said what about cold weather. Last Saturday morning here in MD it was in the low 20s and he turned it on and it sounded like a dead battery at first then fired up and smoked both belts. The oil in the compressor was so thick it would not spin at correct rpm. Now he will put heat in the place outside . I wil deal with the noise.
Greg

[Gary R.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

Hi Greg,
Yes this will setup in my garage. One reason I like it is the smaller size and wheels to move it around. space will be tight once I get everything so I might end up moving things around. I never used a scroll compressor, had recip's and screws.

[Greg W.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

Gary, Let me know how it works out when you get it set up. I need one for my bigger shop and size is not an issue.

[Gary R.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

I will post back once I get it going but that won't be until mid Jan or later. I have an oil furnace in the garage with a couple of 330 gallon tanks to feed it but it will be cold in Jan here. If I had more room or a back room I probably would have gone with the 5 hp Champion or Emax. I have a couple of 240 30 amp outlets on the exterior walls of the garage so I can roll this out in the warm weather and use it.

[Michael L.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

I was at SEMA last week as well and thinking of this post I spoke to several of the compressor companies. Kaiser had a rotary compressor that was running on the floor at the time and was whisper quiet. It was made with an enclosure which the salesman explained helps a lot with the noise. I also spoke to the rep at Chicago Pneumatic (see attached pic) who said the same thing. Another good thing about the rotary vs the piston units is that the rotary units have a 100% duty cycle, which means it can run continuously if necessary. This lets you cheat a little in size with regard to cfm. The only (big) issue is price. The Kaiser units were 7k, but the CP unit was only $3,200. Def pricier than a piston unit but if noise is a big enough priority it may be worth it.

Mike

[Dick W.]

[Gary R.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

I was at SEMA last week as well and thinking of this post I spoke to several of the compressor companies. Kaiser had a rotary compressor that was running on the floor at the time and was whisper quiet. It was made with an enclosure which the salesman explained helps a lot with the noise. I also spoke to the rep at Chicago Pneumatic (see attached pic) who said the same thing. Another good thing about the rotary vs the piston units is that the rotary units have a 100% duty cycle, which means it can run continuously if necessary. This lets you cheat a little in size with regard to cfm. The only (big) issue is price. The Kaiser units were 7k, but the CP unit was only $3,200. Def pricier than a piston unit but if noise is a big enough priority it may be worth it.

Mike

Nice looking machine, but for me too much buy-in for what I plan on doing. I don't plan on increasing my work load but rather staying steady for my liking.

[Gary R.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

Dick, that would be like Tonto putting his ear to RR tracks to listen for a coming train. I think most here will know who Tonto was! not so other places.

[Robert K.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

I have the Eaton 5 hp, 27 cfms. It is not load, but it does make noise. I too have seen intake mufflers (looked like automotive mufflers) and the intake exiting the building. It seemed very quiet and not very noisy outside. Mine is also still on the shipping pallet, but when I figure out it's permanent home it will have mufflers and exit the building, just like Elvis!

[Gary R.]

Re: Quiet Air Compressor

I figured I should update this thread in case anyone else is looking. I mentioned earlier- Nov 2017- I decided on the new Eastwoods scroll compressor. I was able to get in on the first preorder sale and received in the compressor on Tuesday. I have it uncrated and on the floor but that's it. No shipping damage seen, Eastwoods fires up everyone that comes in so it's full of oil. I just have to add it to the list of machines I have to wire in my spare time.

This is rated at 12 cfm @90psi, has a 30 gallon tank, moves very easy, appears to be solid construction and is expected to be about 60db. My biggest test for it will be my blast cabinet but I can change the nozzle size to help if the CFM isn't enough.

I have been on GJ as well to look into a ceiling hoist setup to pick up differentials and large crates.