[phantomworks]

Any opinions or do's/dont's when it comes to buying a new air compressor for a home hobby/garage shop? I would like to find one that is QUIET!!! I can't put the air compressor outside. I will be working next to it. I need to be able to supply air to a 1994 Fadal VMC40 HT that requires 80 PSI Min. (Momentary) 15 SCFM. I have been looking at a Chicago Pneumatic QRS Series belt drive rotary screw air compressor 5 HP $3,860.00 They say it is 62 dBa sound level. I want to make the best decision for the least amount of money with the noise being a very important factor. Is there something better out there?

[Geof]

I couldn't find anything and bought the 3hp version. The 62dB sound level sounds about right; you can stand right beside it when it is running and easily hear someone talking.

[phantomworks]

So you bought the Chicago Pneumatic QRS Series 3 HP belt drive rotary screw air compressor. Did you buy the dryer with it? What machine(s) do you run off this 3 HP compressor? Do you run a machining center off this compressor? On a scale from 1 - 10 how do you rate this compressor? Noise is not an issue at all?

[Geof]

Good grief, all the questions, I feel like the guy in the spotlight?

No I did not get the dryer because my airline runs 80 feet outside from compressor to machines which acts much like a dryer; I have a moisture trap tank at the machine.

I run a Haas Super MiniMill and a TL2 and this compressor only cycles on about 30 to 40% of the time.

How do I rate it? For how well it works and how quiet it is I would give it a 10, for how easy it is to get in and change oil and filters maybe a 1. I haven't changed oil of filters yet because my hours of use are not high and I would need to study the manual and find out just how to get into it.

Noise is no problem to me.

[ThatguyDave]

Not necessarily pertinent to this discussion but certainly worth mentioning with compressors its important to consider how your energy bill is calculated prior to making a purchase. Many utilities calculate you entire bill based largely on your peak usage over the month. For me it made sense not to even bother hooking up my high end, efficient 10hp two stage industrial compressor and instead to go with a comparitively ****ty single phase, single stage model from Loes. Until I have sufficient work to run too cncs, I'm planning to stagger the running of my Fadal and Daewoo lathe.

All this to satisfy a power company that still things its acceptable to supply two phase industrial power.