Bigger is, well bigger....

[dbhost]

It isn't often, mostly when I am spraying do I wish I had a bigger air compressor than my old Central Pnuematic 2HP 29 gallon oil lubed compressor. And then a monster like this comes up in my facebook feed....

https://www.northerntool.com/product...L0CcH_0NIluYoQ

Well, it IS bigger, and certainly has enough flow to.... well never worry about flow rates again.

[capncarl]

You are right! 20 hp 3 phase 75 CFM is definitely bigger! It’s a monster. It would probably require you replace your air lines, not much considering the loan you would have to take out to pay for 3 phase run into your house…. And the new meter and panel…. If you can actually run 3 phase in your neighborhood.

[twistsol]

I think I could find better uses for the $6199, but I doubt any of the neighbors would escalate the compressor race.

I'd skip the three phase and just get an old tractor diesel motor to run it ... thinking of the neighbors again

[LCHIEN]

I worked for a seismic company, we ran 90-meter ships with air guns and seismic acquisition equipment.
They used large air compressors for operating the air guns.

The typical air compressor complement of each vessel was 2 ea 2725 SCFM 2000 PSI, for a total of 5450 SCFM , 2000 PSI

Air compressors: 2 x Eureka / Ariel 2725, 2725 SCFM, 2000 psi, driven by Caterpillar 3516 Diesel engine

Now that was a big air compressor setup.
I was the project manager for the air gun synchronizers that fired the air guns, and for the cables towed in the water to acquire data.

[dbhost]

Not sure if anyone here actually remembers my setup... Central Pnuematic 2HP 29gallon air compressor (5.9 SCFM@ 90psi, 7.2 SCFM@ 40psi) and a Central Pnuematic 1.5HP 12 gallon air compressor (4.2 SCFM @ 90psi, 5.8 SCFM @ 40psi) One way check valves pushing into a common manifold setup so yeah, I do get 10 + SCFM and rarely run out of air...

Yes it WOULD be nice to have ONE compressor do all of it. But after all these years I realized something....

I can run anything I want in my shop with the 29 gallon compressor. Until I get stupid and try to use the dual action sander...

Yes I have been looking at and drooling over 80 gallon single phase units with 17ish scfm at 90psi, but that monstrosity that popped up was just way behond anything I could potentially put to use.,

[cwsmith]

Maybe you need something like this, it would probably run everything in your neighborhood (It's one of the smaller projects we made at our Painted Post facility:

[LCHIEN]

whats the specs on that baby? HP, SCFM, PSI

[cwsmith]

Hi Loring,

It's been over 20 years so I had to look back through my archive files.

That was a model 'HSE' package. I believe the photo was taken in the late 90's, and I did the product Marketing sheet somewhere around that time. In 2003, I decided it would be nice if we had a product 'size' comparison graphic which gave size details and specs.

According to that, this model had two sizes, a 9-inch or and 11-inch stroke, double-throw up to 1,000 hp, and cylinder bore range of 2.125- to 28-inches.

As you can see, it was one of the smaller compressors we built.

This was the Engine Process Compressor Division. There we built the engines to drive the pumps to drain the Great Salt Lakes (back in the 70's IIRC) and the larger compressors like the BDC we supplied to the Alberta 'tar sands'. I have a picture of that, if anyone is interested. Likewise I have a cross-section illustration of a typical horizontal unit. Note, that the smaller models, 7-ESH and 11-ESH we made in the Air Compressor Division, for factory service. Both of those could be configured as a vertical (ESV), which of course had a much smaller footprint. The ESV configuration simply moved the distance piece and cylinder to the top of the frame, and added an extra lubricator feed directly to the cylinder.

[capncarl]

I have a IR 5 hp 3450 rpm 18.1 CFM 60 gallon air compressor that I purchased used 25 ish years ago for $500.. it has served me well, and has blown its head gasket a few times when I was using a high volume Binks gun overworking it.

Boy is it loud! Working in my quiet shop and that thing kicks on, it’ll make you jump out of your skin. I never leave it plugged in when I’m working on dangerous equipment for fear it will make me have an accident.

I think a similar model now sells for +- $1600. If I have to replace it I’ll definitely look for something quieter.

[dbhost]

If the tank is still good, look into the HF compressor pumps. I have seen a few guys using them and they are super quiet and produce a LOT of air...