Seems like the price might be right to score a small compressor for air brushes, target practice, scaring the cat, or whatever. At Lowe's on sale for Father's Day.

Hopefully better than the $70 one I got from HF, which died after 1 year...

Originally Posted by patmat2350

Hopefully better than the $70 one I got from HF, which died after 1 year...

We have had a 5hp Campbell Hausfeld compressor for 30+ years. As a matter of fact we are discussing getting a new tank for it. It was made before drop dead dates were required on air tanks. This one would definitely exceed the recommended service life. The only thing we have had to repair was a broken drive belt last year. I'd buy another CH compressor.

I have had a small CH compressor for years and have not had a bit of trouble with it. It has lain quiet for months on end and then a project comes along and it is used for days on end. They are great little units. I would buy the unit that is on sale in a heart beat if the one I have was giving me a problem, but it's not. I don't think you can beat them for the money. I beat the "snot" out of mine and it keeps on pumping.

DDWILLIE

My small CH compressor has given me no trouble either. Well made unit.

I have a twenty gallon Craftsman, had it for about 20 years, works just fine but noisy.

X2 here. I've abused it and it continues to stand up. For airbrushing though I found a really nice medical compressor that is small, clean, and quiet. But I'm still Jonesing over the $59 price tag on the CH.

Originally Posted by DDWILLIE

I have had a small CH compressor for years and have not had a bit of trouble with it. It has lain quiet for months on end and then a project comes along and it is used for days on end. They are great little units. I would buy the unit that is on sale in a heart beat if the one I have was giving me a problem, but it's not. I don't think you can beat them for the money. I beat the "snot" out of mine and it keeps on pumping.
DDWILLIE

Me too. I've had my CH compressor for a long time, and it has given me good service with no grief---.

Originally Posted by der kapitan

Me too. I've had my CH compressor for a long time, and it has given me good service with no grief---.

I think the secret to these units is the compressor is a SEALED unit so guys like me who love to tinker, like changing oil and adjusting things, cannot get at it and screw things up. LOL! The only thing is, when they go, if they ever do go, they are toast.

Bill

Originally Posted by DDWILLIE

I think the secret to these units is the compressor is a SEALED unit so guys like me who love to tinker, like changing oil and adjusting things, cannot get at it and screw things up. LOL! The only thing is, when they go, if they ever do go, they are toast.

Yeah, but for the price---.

Originally Posted by der kapitan

Yeah, but for the price---.

Your right. For the price you can't beat them. For that price even if you don't us them much, you can afford to let them set around and collect dust and be available when you need it.

I bought one 9 monhs ago strictly for airbrush use. It works great, no complaints at all. I bought it so I can use the airbrush in the basement instead of going out to the garage where the big compressor lives. The brad nailer is a bonus, and works good too, but I've only used it with the big compressor so far. They run this $59 special about every 3 or 4 months.

Pete

I went to both Lowes in my area and both were sold out. Hoping some Dad's get them for Father's Day.

I'll check out Lowes, with hope in my heart come Monday, But that is good to know Pete.

I have a little tascam single action brush that I can run for an hour off my portable air can. setting it up wastes almost half the can.

I also have a full automotive grade spray gun but cant run it at home because I don't have the air. I take it to the brewery where I have a dried supply of 120psi air available.

cool story... we fabricated the air dryer from spare parts. the air from the main compressor runs into a old boiler expansion cylinder, to seperate the air, and that runs down to a 3 foot long length of 4 inch copper pipe deading into a conical cap.

that whole mechanism is wrapped with 1/2" copper tubing with contains recirculated 24f degree chilled propylene glycol.

so.. whats happening is that the air is chilled, this induces condensation, which runs down the cylinder and is ejected, the exhaust air from there runs through the air handler separator... and .. bam... dry air!

the comedy of the situation is that all this stuff is installed in the mechanical room of the brewery... we call it.. the "cave" it litterly is, under ground, and all the chillers are located next to the boilers, so there is this ... hot and dank environment back there and all the cold condensation coupled with the high humidty back there?

well, lets just say, that with out regular up keep, the place can get a bit.. slimy...

so the little mechanicly timed port that ejected the condensated moisture from the air dryer formed a little covering of.... slime... so when it did its thing of releasing the air to blow out the condensate water... well... the thing started to sound like something in the cave was letting out a giant fart.


now... that's comedy in and of itself... however.. I had to mess with the maintence guy who built all this stuff and had set up the mechanical workshop a little further up in the cave where it was dryer.

I got a bag of those siren whistles. and one weekend in between all my usual beer mine tasks, I fabricated this... thing made out of brass pipe fittings, and PVC pipe scraps hat culminated in a siren wistle.

my little manifold thing managed to slow the air down enough to let the whistle work and let off a big, LOUD WaaaaaaaaaWHEEEEEEEE!! whenever the air dryer discharged...

the next day.. my day off, I was rudely woken up by crazy old man Tim calling me up calling me a sunnufabich while laughing his tail off.

I had to order a bag of forty of those dang whistles and blasted through 10 of them to get it all working right...
needless to say.. I'm still giving those things out to the kids of uppity parents.

Well Lowes just happened to run out of these while they were on sale. (Note I was there this week while they are not on sale and there were several of them on the shelf.)

Anyway, last Sunday Fathers Day, after I went to two different Lowes, the Wife who was 'spose to be out picking up a pizza rushes in the door saying she has to go to the bathroom and for me to go out to the car, passenger side, and get the pizza. I had to laugh at her all but diving into the bathroom as I walked out of the front door towards the car. I open the door and low and behold there is a box containing the compressor and nailer! I turn around and she is standing at the front door laughing at me and my suprised look. SHE GOT ME!

I like this one even better than the one from lowes as this is 3 gal and the Lowes is only 2. Na, Na, Na, Na, Naaaa!