Replies

1. 
   RickL | Dec 17, 2008 03:35pm | #1

   Depends on the type of gun you are using. Some HVLP guns will work with smaller compressors. Typically the guns are more expensive to use with smaller compressors.  Search for both as a compatible matched set, not just the compressor or you will be disappointed.

1. 
   dlb | Dec 17, 2008 03:46pm | #2

   I have an Ingersol-Rand gun, non-HVLP. I just need to upgrade my compressor from a 2hp/5gal to something more capable of producing a constant flow of pressure.The undisciplined life is not worth examining.

1. 
   dgreen | Dec 17, 2008 04:57pm | #3

   Figure out how many cfm you need at what pressure and then double it so you don't run the compressor to death. Most are rated at 50% duty cycle. Then pick a compressor that meets those specs. 

    

   ................................................

   Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot

2. 
   hammer1 | Dec 18, 2008 04:30pm | #4

   I need my compressor to go out on job sites and run a couple of nail guns. Then I need it to come in the shop and run air tools and paint guns. With the first, I need high pressure, the second requires high volume. Since I may work in old houses, I also needed something that wouldn't blow the fuses on older wiring. I picked a Speedair, cast iron oil type with a 30 gallon tank. It only draws 15 amps which is great for questionable power sources. The 30 gal. tank is challenged running an HVLP gun. 10 minutes of a steady trigger uses up that much air.

   The smaller, less expensive, oil less compressors don't meet my demands. Although they don't draw much juice, they have to run all the time to keep up. The smaller air tanks can't provide the volume needed for a paint gun or air tool. Most of the pancake types are very loud and the constant running puts strain on the electrical supply. They can't keep up with two framing guns, either.

   My Speedair is portable, in that it has wheels but you wouldn't want to pick it up by yourself. Paint guns and air tools use large volumes of air. A 5 gal. tank is inadequate. Once you step up to a heavier duty compressor, the price goes up to match. I've had mine for about 12 years. It's performance has been flawless. It has met all my criteria but there is some compromise. I'm more likely to be spraying large and multiple cabinets, not small projects. A larger tank would be an asset but I would sacrifice portability. I could have gone for an oil less with a large tank but then I would have to listen to it. The extra expense for the cast iron type has been money well spent, at least for me.

   If I have to spray passage doors, I don't use the HVLP. It's way too slow. I'm better off renting an airless when faced with that task. It's not often that a customer will want to pay carpenters wages to have their painting/finishing done. When it comes to interior trim, staircases and the like, the finishing is often in someone else's hands. Sometimes to my dismay but that's the way it is.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   dlb | Dec 19, 2008 04:39am | #5

   Thanks for the reply. There is a lot of good information to think about in your e-mail. I guess that I will just have to wait one more week to see if one ends up beneath the tree.

   Thanks again,

   dlb

   .

    The undisciplined life is not worth examining.