Which brand compressor?

[T Shirt Farmer]

I did want to piggy back on the other compressor thread.

I am moving to new building and will need a new screw compressor that will be inside the shop. I have quotes on Quincy 7.5hp 21 cfm $5200 plus tax and install and a 5hp Kaeser 21 cfm $7200 plus tax and install. Both have built in tanks, chiller and dryer and claim 64 DB. I have had a Quincy 15hp screw for 20+ years and has been awesome but is way to loud to go inside the new shop. The new line of Quincy under 10 hp models are imports but the larger units are still made in the USA.

Any other brands I should look at? any of you have the above mentioned units?

[Zelko-4-EVA]

we have two Atlas copco compressors.

the newer of the two we bought used - cost was about $4,000  - its 30 Hp and delivers 125 cfm

[balloonguy]

I have an ingrosol rand unigy and it has been a nightmare. I bought a 5 year extended service plan and I have been running for less than 2 years out of the 5. It is a total POS.
I hear great things about kaiser.

[tonypep]

Agreed IR is overrated. Mine is less than six months old and have had several issues with it. We actually had to go to an auto parts store fore a belt because the local IR install/service Co. doesn't stock them. An $18.00 belt? Really?

[ebscreen]

Had a Kaeser for 2 years or so and never a hiccup.

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[Action1]

We have Ingersoll Rand and have been very pleased with it. We keep a service  log  in a plastic sleeve that we post on the side of the compressor with a magnet.

[ScreenFoo]

First auto I ran was hooked up to an IR screw, and it was great--over ten years old before it needed anything besides oil and filters.  I suppose though, everyone else is going downhill, why not IR too....   

We have a Quincy recip that was well under 3K for a 10HP--loud but way more CFM and storage than we need, so it doesn't cycle often or for long.  A comp tech we had swapping out a bad mag starter recommended Champion stuff--and everything I've read or heard about them has been positive.  Might be worth looking into.

[alan802]

Had an IR for 4 years and it was 10 years old before we got it.  All I ever did was change the oil in it and it never quit on us.  I ended up buying a SpeedAire, I think that is Grainger's house brand which is probably a Campbell Hausfeld just rebranded.  It's lasted longer than I thought without any real issues which surprised me.  I thought we were going to have major issues with it since the auto drain stopped working within the first month of us having it but they sent a replacement and I never installed it.  I just put in a manual drain valve on the bottom and drain it once a week.  My screen guy said the compressor wouldn't last 6 months and I remind him every once in a while that it's still kicking almost 3 years later. 

If I had to do it all over again, I'd get a rotary screw, and I'd probably get at least a 10hp and I've done some research in this area and I really like the Kaeser compressors.  It seems like we need compressed air for damn near everything around here, the press, newman roller master, the sand blaster, diamond drag engraver, screen department, and this 7.5 piston is too loud and seems like we work it way too hard. 

I guess 3 years without any down time should be looked upon as a decent unit but I've never really trusted it.  Every time I look at it I think it's up to no good.  Kind of like when you see some punk kids in a car beside you at a red light, and you wonder what kind of illegal activity they are mixed up in.  That's how I feel about our compressor.  Another year or two and it will have my respect.

[ebscreen]

I guess 3 years without any down time should be looked upon as a decent unit but I've never really trusted it.  Every time I look at it I think it's up to no good.  Kind of like when you see some punk kids in a car beside you at a red light, and you wonder what kind of illegal activity they are mixed up in.  That's how I feel about our compressor.  Another year or two and it will have my respect.

Ha ha. Felt the same way about my previous compressor, an Emglo. Kept wondering when it was gonna up and walk out.
Well, it kept going until I traded it to a guy for two storage tanks. He emailed a few months later to let me know how
great it was working out.

Book, cover, something something...

[Admiral]

If I had to do it all over again, I'd get a rotary screw, and I'd probably get at least a 10hp and I've done some research in this area and I really like the Kaeser compressors.  It seems like we need compressed air for damn near everything around here, the press, newman roller master, the sand blaster, diamond drag engraver, screen department, and this 7.5 piston is too loud and seems like we work it way too hard. 

I guess 3 years without any down time should be looked upon as a decent unit but I've never really trusted it.  Every time I look at it I think it's up to no good.  Kind of like when you see some punk kids in a car beside you at a red light, and you wonder what kind of illegal activity they are mixed up in.  That's how I feel about our compressor.  Another year or two and it will have my respect.

I feel the same way with our 7.5 champion.  It's been running fine for over a year and a half but it's so loud and hot that I hate it whenever it kicks on.  Kaeser will be my plan when we need to upgrade it to get more cfm...

[ZooCity]

Looking at Chicago Pneumatic screws- these are lower level brand line of Atlas-Copco, not to be confused with "central pneumatic" or whatever the hell it is they sell at the harbor freight.  These look very nice, have the chiller built in and even have a slightly cheaper (and slightly louder), belt driven option.  But, I've never heard of the line.

Can't really find used screws and not sure I want to invest so heavily in that much air at the cost of new so looking at some used piston style- Curtis is what seems to come up for 3ph. 

How loud is a 5-7.5 horse piston compressor if it's muffled? And how often does a unit like that kick on running a typical 6/8 all air press- is it just insane or tolerable?  We would put it back around a corner and I would muffle and maybe even box it in and provide in/out take air. 

[ebscreen]

A lot of tech companies in my area use screw compressors and have a stated hour limit on them and
then throw away buy new.

Craigslist

[ZooCity]

Them are some good deals.  I don't see this going on in MT, seems very hard to find a used screw. 

[Rockers]

we have two Atlas copco compressors.

the newer of the two we bought used - cost was about $4,000  - its 30 Hp and delivers 125 cfm

We bought a brand new Atlas Corpco. 15Hp with air dryer + a charcoal filter after the tank just for good measure. It`s a beauty and very quiet. I think it was around US$5000.

[ZooCity]

I like the Chicago Pneumatic (basically an Atlas-Copco) a lot and pricing is around $5500 delivered for a 7.5hp screw/dryer combo Rockers, you pricing sounds way better, am I missing something or is that not a screw that you bought?

Other option is to swoop up a 80gal, 5hp, Curtis piston/recip for under 1k, tune it up, add the chiller and just deal with the noise. But it's just at the recommended 5hp, 19cfm from the '91 Gauntlet manual.  Also have to deal with a used compressor being a potential troublemaker.

I do plan on finding a rental co. that has a sufficient compressor and then running my hookups for a quick swap out when ours goes down.