Air Compressor for New Gauntlet III

[alan802]

This is mostly a rhetorical question in terms of my own personal feelings, but I'd love to hear some opinions on which type of air compressor you guys would choose to run your new press.  Rotary screw or piston.  I've found a few rotary units that will power both machines, a 10hp that puts out 35-38 CFM.  Then there is a 10hp piston with 35 CFM for under $3K that would also do the job.  The rotary 10hp is around $5,200. 

Let me hear some opinions, and maybe this thread will help make up some minds that may not know.  Anyone still prefer the piston compressors or is the extra cost of the rotary units really worth it?  I'd like to not hear a compressor going off every 15 minutes during a long run but the decibel level isn't that big of a deal to me personally.

I want to get a compressor that will power both autos, but I understand the argument for each press to have it's own air supply in case a compressor goes down.  I figure that if one does go down I can simply rent one from the equipment dealer down the road for a few hundred dollars/day and not worry about upkeep on 2 air compressors. 

If money was tight, would you still stick with a piston unit or would you do what it takes to buy the rotary one?  For what it's worth, I'm the one wanting to get the rotary screw and I'm in the minority with the others that have weighed in on the decision.  In the end, I don't really feel like arguing with anyone over a damn air compressor since I'm getting a new G3 to run the show with but I still would love to hear what others have to say about it. 

[screenprintguy]

Dude, i specs out alot higher than you would believe. We've accidentally  forgot to turn the power on to our compressor and printed over 100 shirts before I noticed something sounded a little odd lol. We bout a 20 hp BOGE screw compressor for it and our DB. The little DB eats way more of the air when it's on.

[ZooCity]

I went with a Chicago Pneumatic QRS 15hp ultimately.  Fit the budget, fills the need and has been 100% reliable for us although I went with the brand partially due to local service just in case.  47cfm @ 150psi. 

Done over I would have got a 20hp or higher but with a rotary screw you can run constant.  When we move I'll pair it up with a better air delivery system and maybe a secondary/reserve tank.   Old air presses really like to gulp air v. steady draw and that's hard for a constant running compressor to keep up with without a high capacity delivery and storage system in place. 

[Shanarchy]

Almost got a rotary screw and the compressor guy recommended i get a piston as they do not require extensive yearly maintenance. We got an 80 gallon tank. It is about 15 feet from the press. Every time it kicks on I ask myself why did I not get a rotary screw.

So, unless your compressor is going to be far away and in another room, I would never get a piston again.

[ericheartsu]

we went with an atlas copco VSD rotary screw. We have two reserve tanks, and it feeds into a really cool ultra thin/lite pipe system. It's pretty quiet, and we have a normal Ingersoll rand for a back up.

[LoneWolf2]

Another vote for Rotary.
Just bought an all-in-one 10hp/120gal quincy with the onboard air dryer myself as I couldn't take the headaches of a piston beating my brain in every time it comes on.

[Shanarchy]

Also, my piston compressor is voice activated. As in it will only come on as soon as I start to talk to someone. 

[TCT]

Also, my piston compressor is voice activated. As in it will only come on as soon as I start to talk to someone. 

That is classic! 

I honestly don't know how you guys do it that have compressors by your "general areas". We have ours in our basement(Mike, Alan, Eric, and anyone else down south, that is a structure built in the ground under your main floor...  ) the only time you hear it is when it initially kicks on and vibrates the conduit feeding it!
+1 for basements! First time I've been able to say that! 

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

[LocalColor]

Rotary VANE, low maintenance high price, years of service.

[GraphicDisorder]

Our Rotary is 40 inches from our auto, you cant even hear it really. Thats all the argument one needs for those IMO.

[Homer]

we have both, screw for main and piston as back up. Not a chance I would even consider a piston. You are spending some serious coin on a new press, the difference between a screw and piston is peanuts. Don't cheap out now. get the press set up of your dreams. What are we talking in difference, 2-3k?

I had a tech come in and go over our unit, new filters, oil and he said we don't run it enough. If we ran it every hour we were open, we still wouldn't come close to the operating usage of the screw. He actually recommended leaving it on over night a few days a week to get hot and dissipate the moisture. It'll be another 2 years before we service it again due to our low hour count.

 

[alan802]

Yesterday I sent an email out to the others with about a dozen different options, all 10hp and bigger.  I got an email back with a link to the one we are supposedly getting....unbelievable.  We're gonna pay more for a 7.5hp piston that is WAY underpowered, it's the exact same compressor we have on the RPM and it comes on often, is loud as well.  I found options that were cheaper yet more powerful and also explained why we needed a certain CFM and the main differences between piston and rotary.  Guess I wasted my time because either nobody read it or they did and feel like I don't know what I'm talking about.

[GraphicDisorder]

Yesterday I sent an email out to the others with about a dozen different options, all 10hp and bigger.  I got an email back with a link to the one we are supposedly getting....unbelievable.  We're gonna pay more for a 7.5hp piston that is WAY underpowered, it's the exact same compressor we have on the RPM and it comes on often, is loud as well.  I found options that were cheaper yet more powerful and also explained why we needed a certain CFM and the main differences between piston and rotary.  Guess I wasted my time because either nobody read it or they did and feel like I don't know what I'm talking about.

Vote them off the island.

[Croft]

rotary screw for sure , have bought 3 piston types over the years , our last move is a open area shop and I didn't feel like taking up space with a compressor room, bought a KAESER and put it in the back , makes a humming sound when running but doesn't make it impossible to talk on the phone, the biggest difference I have seen is that my air Sportsman  doesn't loose speed as the tank drains like my old piston styles , also the air is way cleaner and dryer. I continually check drain legs at each air point and have had No water in any for over a year now.

[mpot]

We have an Atlas Copco rotary screw. Wouldn't have anything else...

Matt