After yet another CH compressor from HD failing to work today, I went shopping for a new one. I ended up with a Rol-Air electric compressor with a oil bath pump. I don’t now the model #, but it has two tanks, one wheel, two handles and it is orange. I know they make good stuff, but figured you guys might know more about them than I do. I’m tired of oiless compressors, loud and not really that dependable. This thing is quieter, and the pump runs about 1/3 as much as the POS CH oiless compressors we’ve been using. We usually run 2 framers, or 1 framer and a coil sider on the compressors. Any input. It was about $ 630.00 OTD.
Cole
BTW, I am forever done buying tools at HD except for tapes and chalk and crap, I’ve gone through 3 compressors in 2 years, and the other CH oiless has numbered days from the sounds of it.
Thanks in advance
Cole Dean
Dean Contracting
Replies
Are you sure you got a Rol Air and not a Ridgid? I've never seen an orange Rol Air model, they have always been green. Maybe it's a regional thing.
If you did get a Rol Air you will love it. The 5 horse gas model is bullet proof and I imagine the el. model is just as good. The only problem of the model I'm familiar with is changing the oil in the gas engine.
Jon Blakemore
Jon,
You know it might be green, I'm as colorblind as the day is long, but I'm sure it's a Rol-Air, if it was Rigid, it would have come from Hell ( as I put it anyway ).
Thanks for the input
Cole
BTW,
Orange and Green are pretty close in color ( aren't they?)Cole Dean
Dean Contracting
Then I believe you made a great choice.
Jon Blakemore
The R-A does have some winter issues. They can be handled by attention to startup procedures, such as opening the bypass and putting some antifreeze in the system on startup.Les Barrett Quality Construction
You done good.
Rol-Air don't make junk.
Cole, I've ran that style rol air for about 7 years now. I'm quite sure no one has tried more compressors than me.
Those electric compressors are nice, but here's what I've learned (I've bought at least 5 of them that I can remember).
Buy the gizmo that allows continuous run. That eliminates the compresso cycling.
Don't use an extension cord.
Don't use any residential plugs unless you know they are 20 amp and close to the source.
Most important....blow out the electrical windings once a day (or at least once a month like me). I had two of these units in for repair and the honest guy told me that the brushes were corroded and all they needed was a blow.
A general note about using electric compressors:
They don't have the same capacity as the big gas hogs. I found that altering my nailing/framing techniques were called for to prevent air shortages. For instance, I was taught to tack all the sheet stock and then drop back and nail it all at once. That puts a tremendous strain on the air resources. We switched to: lay a sheet, then nail it. This works because while I am chasing the sheet and positioning it, the air tank recovers.
You bought a good product.
blue
PS I am now trying out a Rigid (individual one man unit). I like it, it is heavy though, but it had a longer warranty and was $50 cheaper.
pps I don't buy oiless units any more. But...I have framed very large houses using thoe cute pancakes...
Blue,
Thanks for the reply. Hung about 80 sheets of Fir t-111 today over my head running two NR-83a's on it and although it did cycle more than the 15 recommended times per hour it drove those two nailers just fine. The continuous run deal sounds key though. We nailed it off as we hung it because we were moving sawhorses with walkboards so no going back with those.
BTW, next time I hang fir T-111 over my head, I'm either wetting down or vacuuming it off before hand. I have at least 24 full grooves full of Doug Fir in my eyes and shorts right now. I think I know why it is usually installed vertically : )
ColeCole Dean
Dean Contracting
amsoil and red line oil both make synthetic compressor oil when it's broken in and ready for a change
Don't let them kid ya...
RA makes orange ones....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Glad to see you weigh in.
Is the orange a different grade or what?
Jon Blakemore
No Idea on the color...
My green one (1.5HP) was stolen and it was replaced by a green one (2HP)...
No diference that you tell between the new one and old one other than a half of a horsepower... It will handle my SN4 framer..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
mine went for 26 plus years before it was replaced 'cause of theft...
Put 10 weight oil in it for the winter... Good to go...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I have always used Emglo compressors with great success. I have one real gem that is over 20 years old and still works well. That being said, my good friend Mayo who has done my fascia board and sheeting for over 20 years has always used Rol-Air compressors. In his heyday he was buying 80 to 100 boxes of nails a month and nailing down endless sheets of plywood with his boys. He always bought the 8 hp gas models with either Kohler or Honda engines. These compressors could handle three Hitachi nailers going full tilt, and believe me, his boys could nail at high speed. They pretty much ran 10 hours a day six days a week. He told me that it took a year to tear one up and then it got a rebuild and went another year before replacement. Eight years ago, he gave all of that up and went to work for me as a framer and has never looked back. These days when we sheet a roof or do shear panel he drags out his remaining Rol-Air and we have at it. Rol-Air is a great product.
Emglo is a great product too. I've used them. I actually thought rol air and emglo were the same.
blueIf you want to read a fancy personal signature... go read someone else's post.
Just picked up a new Rol-Air myself today....
Did quite a bit of research, including asking other framers, and thought this one would serve us well....
You've bought yourself a very dependable piece of equipment Diesel!
Don't leave it unattended when the Mexican painters that work for Tadian are around!
lol...they got one (actually it was a generator) from us.....it was burning it's first tank of gas!
blueIf you want to read a fancy personal signature... go read someone else's post.