I know this has been covered a lot, but I need a new large compressor. Two features I like are 1) belt drive, and 2) wheelbarrow style.
I looked at the following models on Amazon:
Thomas T-200, Thomas TG-550H, and the Hitatchi EC2510E. I’m also looking at the Ridgid gas model at HD. I’m staying away from Emglo/DeWalt unless I hear differently from you guys.
I can’t decide on whether to go gas or electric; I like the extra CFM of gas, but they’re heavier and I’ll have to carry around a jerry can.
This will be used for production framing & roofing, and should be able to supply 4 framing or roofing guns.
Thanks.
Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
Replies
Hi Jason, I've not owned the wheel barrel types, but too bad the Dewalt/Emglo hand change has has had some problems. "In the day" Emglo was ALWAYS the choice, BUT.... The Thomas's seem like the next buy for me. Check their site, http://www.thomasairpac.com/, if you haven't yet.
The ST-200: 7 Gal., 20 sec. recovery, 4.6CFM@100PSI, 75dB sound, 90 lb., 1750RPM, handles 5-6 finishguns, 3-4 framers.
The ST-2820st: 4 Gal., 9 sec. recovery, 5CFM@100PSI, 74dB sound, 66 lb., 1700RPM, handles 5+ finishers, 3+ framer
Luck with your decision, with others input included.
Edited 1/29/2006 12:31 pm ET by zorrosdens
Is there any way you could hear the Rigid gas compressor run. The other draw back to a gas compressor is having the noise from it running all the time. Ive got an old Emglo/Briggs & Stratton, that really starts to get to you noise wise at the end of the day ( of course this thing is old and could probably use a better muffler system).
Im sure the newer ones are much quieter, but you might want to compare the noise levels of a couple different makes. Of course, it would be nice to have a gas model when you dont have access to power yet.
What about instead of getting one big wheel barrow getting a couple of smaller 4-5 gal ones ( can then be used for other things when done with framing). I thought that some of the Thomas' where designed for continous run, but cant find that info anywhere now.
-m2akita
He might check and see if HD rents that one and ask to see it in action or even rent it for a short period.
I've got a 4 gallon twin-stack PC that I carry around in my truck...it's the "backup" & just me working compressor. It handles small jobs (and even two production roofers) well, but nailing off plywood it just can't handle.
I'll see if HD has the Ridgid for rent...I know it has a 5.5 horse Honda motor.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
Rol-Air makes the best compressors on the market, hands down. I own a single stage pump, with a 2hp motor, it runs great. I can be running 3 guns nailing shear or sub-floor at the same time, with no lag, the 2 hp requires 220v ,30a service though, which if you don't run temp power , it can be tough. It is an upright unit with a 30 gallon tank, they offer a 20 or 30 gallon in a wheel barrel type also, the larger tank really helps. I just bought a 1.5 hp with 9 gallon tank, it runs great, but without the larger tank, it can lag nailing off ply with 2 or more guns, but a great choice, since it's very portable. Rol-Air makes dual stage pumps also, which put out an incredible ammount of air, I run a 6 man crew, and have never needed bigger than a single stage, but if you have a larger crew, the dual stage is a good choice, try to get a 20 or 30 gallon tank, if not try a pup tank. Also, if you have good power available, gas is not necessary, but if have only 110v or run on a generator, gas is a good choice. If you live in cold wheather, make sure you get an unloading valve on the pump, so you can get the engine started, Honda and Robin are the most popular small engines.
Edited 1/29/2006 11:15 pm ET by tandttravis
Jason,
Do yourself a favor and get the Rol-Air compressor. It is by far the best one out there. Mine in 13 years old already framing with 4 guns at a time with the same engine. The difference between this one and all the other ones is the pump. None of the other ones can compare. It's also the same price as all of the other decent ones.
This is an investment and will keep your guns running. Go for it. This is the one I have.
http://www.mytoolstore.com/rolair/gb4.html
Jason, the only other brand I would recc. looking at is Rollaire.
all the rental shops have them and I hear tell they are tough as nails.
Just like Emglo USED to be!!!
Mr. T.
There's a steering-wheel in me pants and it's driving me nuts!!!
Jason,
I've got to vote for Rol-Air as well. I've got the 20 gallon gasser with 5.5hp Honda and it's a warrior. We've run four framing guns and two roofing guns off it at the same time and never lost pressure. It hurts a bit, but I can lift it up onto the tailgate myself if I have to. Nice big pair of rubber tires on it too so it rolls around much easier than the single wheel wheelbarrow ones.
Here's a pic of it in the back of my trailer.
View Image
Come on Brian. I heard that you can press that bad boy over your head 20 times on a bad day.........;-)Joe Carola
Thanks guys...I forgot about the Rolly...my local Hitatchi dealer stocks them, and their good-priced, so I'll do myself the favor and just get one of those. Thanks again!Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
Actually, I usually keep in my belt, but didn't want to brag. ;)View Image
View ImageLike
Like ya said ,... if we ever meet ya can mess my tool box up with nails but Im not introducin ya to my wife . Ill talk to ya if shes not present , but you aint messin me up with yer house keepin.
Tim
Tidy huh?
Look like a pro, act like a pro, and get paid like a pro. ;)View Image
When I was production framing on large commercial sites we would run a 150' 3/8" hose to an old 20 gallon tank rigged as a bladder tank done this way we could run a standard wheelbarrow 110v with 8 guns and still the compressor would catch up alot. Saw one of my framers with one of these bladders by rolair last week ours were always old sears that some homeowner had kicked to the curb and we stripped the motor and pump off of and done some creative plumbing on.
> Tidy huh?
Much better than most ....
My wife says I'm the Adrian Monk of building. ;-) With that in mind, the one thing I'd suggest is over/under coiling for the power cords and hoses. It makes them lie flat on the floor, and coil up perfectly flat, not trying to warp like a potato chip.
-- J.S.
I buy rubber (not plastic) sheathed cords and flex-eel hoses, so everything lays flat anyway. But thanks for the tip. To be honest though... not sure what you mean by 'over/under coiling'. Doesn't sound like something that's easily explained on the internet though. But if you're up for it, I'm listening.View Image
Just playin.
I was lookin at the site that was given here .
Quincy compressor that is popular with body shops and this one is a wheel bar 1.5 .
Looks the same as the old Emglo.
111C8PN3
1.5-HP Twin Tank
$677.00
So how many cfms would it take to constantly run four sheating staplers or framing guns putting on sheating @ 100 psi? [getting it ] Just for kicks.
Tim
Edited 1/30/2006 8:45 pm by Mooney
Edited 1/30/2006 8:47 pm by Mooney
Yes, the over/under thing is difficult to put into words. It's even difficult to put into pictures. You pretty much have to get it by feel. I learned it from a motion picture sound guy almost 40 years ago. They use shielded cable for sound, and twisting it would break the shields.
The thing with any kind of cord or hose is that coiling puts a twist into it. Some are flexible, and will accept a lot of twisting. Others are more like automotive spedometer cable, they want to resist the twist and transmit it from one end to the other. Both kinds benefit from over/under, but the stiff ones benefit more.
Start with a piece of cord shaken out straight and lying flat on the floor. Pick up one end with your left hand, which you'll be using to hold the coils. Grasp the cord about a coil's worth away from the end with your right hand, and hold tight with both hands to prevent any rotation. If you bring your hands together without allowing any twisting to happen, a stiff cord or hose will try to form a figure "8".
If you twist with your right hand so that the top rotates towards you 180°, you get a neat loop instead. If you keep on coiling that way, always twisting the top of the line towards you, you'll get a nice neat coil, but with a lot of twist built into it. Hold one end and toss it out onto the floor, and it'll have loops sticking up all over the place to catch your feet.
Now if you shake it out straight again and make that first loop with the 180° twist towards you followed by a second loop, only twisting the line 180° away from you, the two twists will cancel each other out when you uncoil it. Your right hand stays over the line on the twist towards you, but goes under it when you twist away from yourself. Hence, the name "over/under".
Just keep on coiling by making pairs of loops with opposite 180° twists, over/under, clockwise/counterclockwise, and the line will be coiled neat and flat when you hang it up, and lie neat and flat when you toss it out on the floor. It'll also last longer because all that twisting stresses them, even the flexible ones.
Lines that have been twisted the same way for a long time get a kind of memory, and can take a while to relax and shake out straight. Converting them to over/under can take a while, but then they "re-learn" the new way.
Another way to see the twisting geometry in action is to try it with a brand new perfectly straight and flat piece of zip cord. It might also work on a grand scale with pristine Romex, but I haven't tried that.
Like I said, this is difficult to put into words....
-- J.S.
will be used for production framing & roofing, and should be able to supply 4 framing or roofing guns.
The only thing that will keep up with that is a 5hp gas or bigger and Hondas are nice.
Ive got a 5.5 Honda , 1.5 Emglo, 1.5 Dewalt/Emglo and a 4 hp Cambell hausfield professional in the shop. The Honda blows away the rest of um. It would take 2 of the others to run 4 roofing guns, staplers or framing guns shooting down decking. Been there and seen it done several times inspecting. I saw two guys with constrction stapers pull down a 2 hp Emglo and wait on it and there wasnt any thing wrong with it .
I love the Emglos for quiteness . Ive never seen a Rollaire so I dont know but I trust these guys . I bought my D/E for 500 though and the best of my memory the others are higher. Got a deal on it . I cant tell any difference in the blue and yellow. But,.. the first ones which Ive got were painted over yellow. Its stamped Emglo. They might be different now.
Tim
This will run four guns in electric and this is the smallest you can buy in a Roll air wheel bar compressor.
Two Stage:
Free CFM@100psi
3230K24CS
3 H.P., Twin Tank Two Stage constant speed 220v only
12.1
$935.50
5230K30CS
5 H.P., Twin Tank Twin Tank Two Stage constant run 220v
17.9
$1048.75
220 only too.
See what I mean? You can nearly have two 1.5 Dewalt Emglos for that money and be runnin on 110.
Tim
Yeah I hear ya...while in Lowe's today, I saw the Honda-powered gas Hitatchi wheelbarrow. Next time I'm in there I might just check it out since I've got a $200 gift card and a bunch of store credits from 'em.
However, the Rol-Air's are pretty nice.
BTW 220V ain't an option...we either have a 15 amp 110 circuit or a 15 amp 110 circuit.
Lemme get done with this "career" job first LOL.
Also gotta pay out my WC deposit :-(.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing & Exterior Remodeling
I knew 220 wasnt an option. Thats old school any more . We used to be dumb jason and run 220 table saw , radial , and compressor.
Tim