Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Air compressor--really worth the extra money?

From: "Eric J Russell" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2015 11:59:19 -0400

>  I was in Harbor Freight yesterday--they've got what I'm sure is their
> usual two-stage Chinese whatever for $599.

I have no experience with the HF air compressor. You might try browsing the 
forums at www.garagejournal.com - they often discuss HF items. (don't blame 
me for all the time you spend there, however...)

I bought a 'used' 5 HP IR air compressor via CraigsList. It looked like new 
for ~ 1/2 the price. I changed the oil and it has needed no further 
maintenance.

Eric Russell
Mebane, NC 
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From: Mike Rambour <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2015 08:04:40 -0700

I bought a Champion (Quincy competitor at about  same price/quality) 
about 20 years ago...I open the cabinet its in about once a year and 
change the oil, I plan on doing that the rest of my life.

  It does have a auto drain on the tank for moisture/water, so oil 
change is all it needs.

   I don't want to EVER have to move that sucker again and I doubt I 
ever will.  But you are right about the price, the Harbor Fright one is 
cheap and you can buy a few good ones for that price, how noisy is the 
Harbor Fright one ?  The Champion/Quincy's are quiet due to their low RPM.

     mike

On 7/12/2015 7:43 AM, Scott Hall wrote:
> Setting up the new garage, was planning to buy a Quincy compressor (want to
> buy it once and be done).
>
> They're expensive, but if I only have to buy it once...
>
> But I was in Harbor Freight yesterday--they've got what I'm sure is their
> usual two-stage Chinese whatever for $599. I'm sure it won't keep up with a
> blaster, but for that price I could dang near buy two of them and still be
> less than half of a Quincy unit.
>
> Anyone have a Harbor Freight compressor and can talk about the quality? If
> it's just a name thing, and I'll get ten years out of a H-F unit, I might
> just consider it. If I'm going to have to screw with it more than once a
> year then I'll spend the extra money on the high-dollar one.
>
> I suppose if it lasts ten years, I could buy one each ten years and still
> be under the cost of a Quincy.
>
> Or should I revisit this and consider IR units again, etc.?
>
> Thanks guys.
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From: Mark Andy <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 13:46:52 -0400

Howdy,

I've back to backed the 5hp HF against my Champion 5hp unit.  The champion
is better in every way.  Quieter & more air.  But... its about double the
cost so it damn well better be!  I got the HF first and had a failure with
the pressure switch during the break in process.  I got freaked by that a
bit and took it back, then got the Champion (I'm local to TP Tools, so this
was pretty easy).  You guessed it, the Champion had the same pressure
switch, near as I could tell.  :-)

Last I knew, the HF unit actually was the only product with USA-made
components at HF.

Anyway, hindsight and all... I have a little more peace of mind with the
Champion (and yes, I bought it with the intention of willing it to my son),
but I continue to recommend the HF to folks shopping on a budget.  I think
its a good compressor and the extra $600 or whatever in your pocket can buy
you a lot of cool tools.

Mark

On Mon, Jul 13, 2015 at 11:04 AM, Mike Rambour <[email-masked]> wrote:

> about 20 years ago...I open the cabinet its in about once a year and change
> the oil, I plan on doing that the rest of my life.
>
>  It does have a auto drain on the tank for moisture/water, so oil change
> is all it needs.
>
>   I don't want to EVER have to move that sucker again and I doubt I ever
> will.  But you are right about the price, the Harbor Fright one is cheap
> and you can buy a few good ones for that price, how noisy is the Harbor
> Fright one ?  The Champion/Quincy's are quiet due to their low RPM.
>
>     mike
>
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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 11:01:50 -0700

On 7/26/2015 10:46 AM, Mark Andy wrote:
> Howdy,
>
> I've back to backed the 5hp HF against my Champion 5hp unit.

I've got a 20gal DeVilbiss, bought it 15+ years ago, hung it 8ft up on 
the wall a decade ago after we remodeled, it built the house and has 
done a lot of car work and been worth every friggin' penny I spent on it 
and then some, but I think it's wearing out and I'd like something 
bigger and it's pretty loud up on the wall of the garage for everyday use.

That Champion looks acceptable, cost-wise, the HF unit perhaps even more 
so, the plan at this point is to noise-insulate a chunk of a cabinet out 
in the side yard adjacent to the fence and run conduit and air line out 
there for it.

The TP Tools website doesn't show me a height, and that's a potential 
constraint.  Can I get you to grab a measuring tape and tell me how tall 
it is?

Thanks.

John.

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 11:04:32 -0700

> constraint.  Can I get you to grab a measuring tape and tell me how tall

Oh, wait.

76in H.

Never mind.

Off to the yard with the measuring tape.

John.

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 11:09:30 -0700

>> constraint.  Can I get you to grab a measuring tape and tell me how tall

Fascinating that the shipping weight on the Champion is almost twice 
that of the HF unit.

John.

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