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compressors

herb said:
Hi,

Does anyone know of a good and QUIET shop compressor?
Click to expand...

Good is Good; there are a bunch. But quiet is very subjective and depends on what size and CFM you want and even more on how much you'd be willing to spend. For instance, I'd really like to have an 18 CFM silent rotary screw unit, but I'm not in the position to spend $25,000 for one.

My shop air is supplied by an Ingersol-Rand 12 CFM/3hp unit that's set up in my garage. While you can carry on a conversation in the garage when it's running, neither I nor the cohabitants of my house would enjoy having it housed in my basement shop.;)

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Generally, the only non-expensive and quiet compressor is the one that is not in the same room as you are.
How big are you interested in. I think some of the portable Senco and Hitachi compressors are not so loud as many others.
 
Any oil less compressor will be louder than a belt driven one. Even the 'quiet' oil-less ones are pretty loud. Some belt driven ones are quieter than others, but there aren't many that publish sound levels. Best way to get silence is to have a small shed against the side of your garage/studio and put it in there.
 
Hi,

Thanks for responses. The purpose is in general to have air and particularly blowing out hollow forms. My shop is in the basement. I have a fairly large and LOUD compressor in the garage that I use for blowing out sprinkler lines. I have an air tank that I fill up in the garage and use in the shop. It's OK but not convenient.

Herb
 
Compressor

Herb,
While I realize that it's not always possible, why don't you think about running a line down to the basement. Best possible world: noise in the garage, and air in the basement!
Kurt:)
 
Been there, done that, got the shirt. I took care of it by putting a big box, lined with foam, over the compressor. It was big enough to let it cool. Was very helpful in reducing noise. I used the cheap matress pads from Wal-Mart for the liner. The Hiatachi was the quieter one. I went to the tool center and asked for a side by side comparison. I knew I could damper the lower tones easier than the higher ones, I picked the thumper over the squealer.
Good luck.
 
Binh Pho had a compressor that we used in his air brush class that was so quiet it sat about 3 feet from me and you could barely hear it. I have no idea how much it cost but 5 people were able to use airbrushes at the same time and this thing is no bigger than a suitcase.
I have my shop in the garage and have put lofts up for storage. I am seriously thinking about putting the compressor up there and then walling in around it with insulation. My little compressor is so noisy you almost can't stay in the room with it. I do plan to get a bigger one and put it outside the shop in it's own building or hopefully an add on to the garage.
 
Quiet compressor?

I use a small Senco compressor and found it useful for shorter bursts of air. Its small lower capacity and 5 gal tank ran out too quickly, so I added another 5 gal portable air tank and that helps. It is fairly quiet, so I can have it close by.
 
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