help! compressor died, need new fast.
Ok, so my 15 month old Emglo/Dealt compressor is dying a painful death, and it’s leaving me high and dry. I’ll get it repaired, but I know it will be gone a week or more. My client has no interest in a weeks delay so what do I do?
Rent? I’ll have to check into pricing, but I wonder if after a week I will have nearly paid full price!
Borrow? I wish!
Buy something new? I guess I have to. So………
I use it for framing, shingling and trim, never with more than one gun. It sees use about 50 percent of the week. I’m not thrilled with Dewalt, so I think I’ll venture out into something else. I need portability, quietness, reliability, the ability to operate in the cold, and, unfortunately, availability. Lowes or the Depot…yeccch!
So……what do you all suggest??
Thanks in this time of need! LOL!
Replies
same thing happened to mea few yrs. ago..had to go to of all places Wal/Mart and get a Campbell Hausfeld..damn thing was 149.00 for 5 Gal 2hp....still going strong..go figgure.
My Rol-Aire has been very good to me.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
I'll second the Rol - Air compressors. My 2.5 vertical pancake is quiet and reliable; but a bit expensive.
regards
It's a you get your monies worth. Mine has been at 22 years.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Replaced the drain cock last summer. Got tired of that wing nut sticking so replaced it with the thumb screw type - much easier. As much as compressors need to be drained of condensation, it should be made an easy task.
By the way, how's the snowpack? Got a bro in Lafayette who won't even go to work these days as the snow, he reports, is bithchin.
regards
Edited 2/1/2004 8:17:27 AM ET by dustmonkey
I put on a mini ball valve. That worked well too...
Been snowing since yestermorn. Got lots of it. Tell your bro to get off his duff... He's at 5,000 ft lower elevation and in the middle of town....ROAR!!!
Where are you???
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
My bro has a one clause in life: if it snows, he goes skiing. He just got back from Jackson, where we met last August to hike the Tetons - what a trip! Me, I'm stuck in the flats of Michigan. Used to live in Golden, back in '76 (free samples of Coors), then Bend, OR., now I'm at sea level with nary a peak in sight.
regards
Speaking of compressors, I ran into somebody using a MasterFastener brand (I think) small twin tank compressor here in Vermont a couple of months ago. I'm not sure but I think this may have been the brand Woodworker's Warehouse sold before they disappeared. Anyone seen these units before, or still? I was impressed with the little thing, it was powerfull enough to run two framing guns, was incredibley quiet, and I think had been marketed at a low-end price range. I've considered it myself as a back up. Would like to know if anyone has any experience, or knows where they're being sold?
Scott
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...[Message truncated]
Well that didn't work, try harbor freight.com, that's who had that MF compressor you
were talking about. They don't have it now but they have something comparable to
it
"MF" compressor... I don't know what that stands for, but I'm all grown up now and only buy good quailty tools and cheap beer... ;-) since I'm just gonna pi$$ the beer away anyway... The tools though, will still be there when they throw dirt on me. Matt
I'm not quite sure the intent here, if it's to convince me to buy only good tools, I agree whole-heartedly. I try to always buy what will last, what's made in USA, brands I trust, from locals first, then local big box, then mail-order if need be. My point about the MF was more that it was a brand I'd never considered buying myself, however, after working somewhere that someone had one, I was impressed with how quiet it was, and was considering buying one for that reason, not because it was cheap. As for the beer, I agree with you completely.
OK - here's my excuse: I've never heard of a MF, but could think of only one thing it could stand for. Now look at the time/day I wrote it. ;-)Matt
Well, at 9:39 on a Saturday night, I'd think DIRISHINyou, would have you unable to type. No harm done, it's good to have imagination. Cheers to ya'.
home rained out today in norcal, just took back my new roll-air and got the dewalt instead because the roll-air had a breaker tripping problem. it kept tripping and making a errr errr errrr noise when it was trying to start up.
the dewalt was more money, 280 vs 220 dollars for the rollair. i hope the dewalt lasts longer than 15 months. it replaces and older campbell hausfeld that is way heavier, but still running strong despite much abuse.
i had to say something cause i had heard nothing but good things about the rollair, untill i had this problem, then i heard from the counter guys that it had happened to a few others. it seems easy enough to put a larger breaker on it but i didn't want to mess with a new tool.
agreed about the rol-air.
have a small one and a big one.
no problems in 4 years.
Well, you could definitely get a Campbell Hausfeld for the price of a rental...
I've been looking at Rol-Air. http://www.rolair.net/ Definitely more pricey, but not as much as Thomas. There is a contractors supply place in my city that does a very high volume business in nails for air nailers and that's what they sell along with Senco and Hitachi Guns. And, I've seen been seeing a lot of the Rol-air around construction sites too.
I don't believe I have ever heard a complaint about Rol-air. I have heard some good stories about the el-cheapo HF one that would make it a pretty good value, especially for a spare after other is fixed. I have the Hitachi twin stack and noise level wise their line compares, at least spec wise to the Rol-airs. The Hitachi pancake at Lowes looked like a pretty good one.
The biggest problem with most is a cut-in pressure that is below the normal setting for some framing guns. Most of the lower budget ones are this way, it is a way for the manufacturer to make a cheaper product because this lowers the duty cycle in a way. One of the reasons I went to the Hitachi was cut-in setting. If you are up to it you can usually adjust that in the pressure switch.
Where are you in CT? I have a spare pancake 2HP noname that I don't use that you can borrow. Black Rock on the western edge? I can meet you half way, I live near New London. Let me know, it's sitting in the shop collecting dust. I was given a smaller (read, lighter) compressor that stays in the truck. Up to you.
If you happen to be cruising the north shore of LI I have one you can borrow for as long as you want.
Be fulla air
andy
My life is my practice!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
rol-air lots of models to choose from. my second choice, a thomas.
hey jake.... rol-aire in stock in Ct ....check out website for coastaltool.com located in west hartford ct ***might not be on the website, but call them, it's there.....
saw it this past week ......they have..... $209.00 a 2hp model, single tank (equal to twin tanks) mounted on small "hand-truck" frame with 2 tires, not a sealed bearing type, can change oil...very portable, looking at one myself, figure set up a carrier or bungee couple air gun cases and airline on it, eliminate trips
handle medium height, unobtrusive, looks to fit in vehicle compactly......time to replace my senco, going this route, always heard good things about rol-aire
....compressor oil....find amsoil dealer for synthetic compressor oil, runs smoother,quieter, about $8.qt......beeen using it 4 years, only 1/2 cup per change
Well the guys are gojng to be laughing and talking about this during the super bowl tomorrow but since its only for a week and if you dont want to spend alot of cash on a name brand go get a cheap harbor freight one it should last a week till your emglo gets outta the shop. I think there just about 80-90 bucks.. ya cant go wrong..
Thrifty Ron...hehehehe
Darkworksite4:
Estamos ganando detrás el estado de Calif. Derrotando a un #### a la vez. DESEA VIVO LA REVOLUCIÓN
Times like this I take advantage and buy a cheap version of my ideal "second tool" ...
Get yourself a back up ...
Me ... I have a Thomas st2820 ... it's a dual piston deal ... plenty strong for a dual hotdog ... portable ... and can run 2 guys sheathing if it has to ... which is not very often.
My ideal back up would be something much lighter ... I'd head to Woodcrafters and pick up that tiny dewalt I just saw for $100 ... or maybe that small PC I saw for about that same price.
Hundred bucks spent for no loss of production .... plus a decent back up ...win/win!
I once got a $25 replacement no name pancake from the used tool store ...
Ran great for about a year .... then blew up. Only used it about 4 or 5 times after the first job it had to get me thru ... each other time was a bonus.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Well, guys, thanks for all the great advice, and the exceptional offers.
It turns out that Nick (Nuke'em) and I are a little over an hour apart, and I will take him up on his gracious offer.
I like the idea of a back up, but I'm thinking that the Emglo may end up being my backup. At the homebuilders show, Hitachi had their new framing nailers out for trial. I couldn't believe when I saw a 3" common nail shoot out of it, as it's the size of a small sheathing coil unit, and weighs about 3 or 4 pounds. Tiny! But the secret is the compressor, which I didn't get a good look at, but puts out 300 PSI thru a thin super flexible hose. It also has a lower pressure stage for normal guns. So....I think I'll hold off on getting a 'cheapo backup', and see if the Hitachi set up pans out.
Looking forward to actually meting one of the "names" from the site.
What a great bunch of guys on this forum!Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
yea high pressure nailers are coming. MAX has had one for a a while. I have yet to see them in action.
You know isnt this great Nicknukum is going to let you borrow his air compressor. This is such a great thing we have here . Ive got a few friends here in our homotown and I have tools they can borrow and visa versa but I never dreamed id see this kind of helpfullness on the internet. The info , the support and guidence and now too help somone out in need of a tool to keep working is very powerful. A nobel cause and a nobel effort. I dub thee Sir Nicknukum
Dogboy
Jake,
As much as you use it you should buy a oil filled compressor. They last years if you change the oil every so often. Then keep the Dewalt as a backup.
Mike
Maybe I'm confused, but I check the oil with a dipstick, and Dewalt recomends Mobil 1............Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
I guess you already have one, LOL. I believe most of the Emglos are oiless, so I assumed.....
That really sucked that it failed so soon. I would expect a lot more than that. My dad is a roofer and runs 2-3 guns of an oil filled all day every day. I think the one he has now is 2 years old. He also works on the coast where the salty air ruins tools fast.
Mike
I put some bar chain oil in my compressor crankcase. Along with the regular oil. About 4 or 5 oil, to one bar chain oil.
Helps to keep the lubrication up on the moving parts. Even when the compressor sits overnight, the bar chain oil will help the oil to stay in the bearings, etc.
Helps in the crankcase of the car as well. They make products called things like Motor Honey, and Power Punch... that you can add to your oil. Supposed to help with lubrication in exactly the way described.
As well as supposed to help somehow with compression. (???) And viscosity.
As far as I can tell, bar chain oil is the very same stuff, but with red dye in it.
The bar chain oil is about a quarter the cost of the Power Punch, and an eighth of the cost of Motor Honey.
Posting at Breaktime should not be a full contact sport.
quittintime