Thread: Need help with Air Compressor Electric Vs Motor

Gidday

Well my Compressor Finally arrived!! Whoooo Hooooo!!!

I'm gonna fondly refer to it as the HULK!!! Big green n mean!!! Hasent taken to long to hook everything up BUT not sure what these plastic things are (yer I know don't laugh!!!)

They look like some kind a screw in air filters but I'm not sure??? Can Anyone help:confused: :confused: :confused:

ARe there any setup tips (Other than tightening everything up and filling her with oil) that I need to do before I crank her up!!!!

This is an exciting day for me today fellas................My first piece of big 15 amp machinery

IS this the first big step into the light for a DarkSider????

I think not

REgards Lou

G'day Lou!

Mate! That thing's going to dim the lights in Wagga- when you start it up - and maybe even a bit in -Wagga

I think that you're right in that there would seem to be a separate air filter for each cylinder.

Cheers!

Man that is a monster. There will certainly be no shortage of air out of that.

Originally Posted by NewLou

ARe there any setup tips (Other than tightening everything up and filling her with oil) that I need to do before I crank her up!!!!

Watch your oil level....don't overfill or some interesting things can happen, some of them expensive.

Termite you're not talking from personal experience there are you????

Gidday

Well today's the big day time to kick the Hulk over and run her in before I start putting a load on the bearings with a tank of compressed air.

This is also the first test of my hanging 15AMP plug!!

I filled her up with oil n checked her over as per the manual. The first little challenge I came across was finding the air reciever service valve. On my compressor this is located on the bottom side of the tank. (See Pics)

Finally I kicked her over and Lug lug lug lug lug!!!!

Off she went with no Dramas. And yer all the boys are right these puppies are LOUD!!!!

Its been a great DAY!..................I've successfully kicked over my first BIG MACHINE!!!!

WHOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO.......................GO THE HULK!!!!

I'll share my air compressor journey as I go so that newbies to big machinery like me I'll have a rough guide in regards to how to go about things!!!

I'm over cautious with new engines so I'll run the Hulk for 3 Half our sessions under no load before I start putting her to work.

This should ensure the engines run in!!!

REgards Lou

Lou
I would run up to 4-5 psi after running on load for 1/2 hr to check cut outs then op to full load (the 3 x 1/2 hour no load sessions arn't realy necessary).

Then check the oil after is has stopped for 3-4 mins ( beware of the unit starting while checking or topping up the oil embaressing to say the least)
and drain the tank

Be wear of draining the tank too often the drain valves have a limited life and once they start to leak need to be replaced , overhauling can be tricky

The shed's a dusty place so take extra caution to clean the area around the filler/ dipstick before cheching , topping up

Last take Termites warning to heart , bad things will happen if overfilled.

Rgds

This thread has been most informative and a great tutorial. Thanks all. My difficulty is slightly different from the original NewLou, though someone may be able to offer assistance. I recently bught a compressor from a neighbour. Have not brought it home yet as the Toyota was out of ordrer. However, it has no tank and a Honda 5.5 engine with a belt drive. It also has a water pump at the other end of the base, which can be driven by a belt from the same motor. What I am wondering is whether it ca be converted t take a tank, and or how you operate without one. We are out in the bush here and have solar panels and batteries, so I am not keen to overload the system.
What I mainly want it for is pumping tyres and cleaning tools and filters on the chain saw. As I have observed from the thread they are costly beasts and then there is all the tricky stuff about setting them up which I was unaware of until I came across this great thead. I must say I am not particularly mechanically sophistocated.

Hi Michael...

How was it plumbed before? No tank?. You can certainly pump up tyres without a tank, but one is needed for almost everything else.

Originally Posted by NewLou

Gidday

Well my Compressor Finally arrived!! Whoooo Hooooo!!!

I'm gonna fondly refer to it as the HULK!!! Big green n mean!!!

REgards Lou

Lou, just caught up on your acquisition photos. Good decision... Looks a lot like the one I got and I am soooooo impressed. You gotta get a stapler/bradder - give it some work! I'll be following you air tools research with interest. There is a hand-held pneumatic drum sander that Grizzly advertise, saw a picture of it in FWW ages ago - runs off a straight air drill.... it is on my list. Best regards

Originally Posted by MurrayD99

. There is a hand-held pneumatic drum sander that Grizzly advertise, saw a picture of it in FWW ages ago - runs off a straight air drill.... it is on my list. Best regards

This is the sander Lou. I'm sure it will appeal to a darksider. http://www.grizzly.com/products/H2882

Looks like a lint collector!

I know you have already made your purchase, but I thought I would add my experience for others considering purchasing a compressor.

I bought a cheapy 2.5 hp direct drive with a 40L tank. I also bought a tool kit containing a rattle gun, air ratchet, air hammer and some other accessories. I bought decent air hose as the coily thing that comes with them are an absolute waste of space on anything that needs a reasonable air supply. I bought a second hand air drill.

I found that it wouldn't keep up air supply to the air ratchet and rattle gun. But it was the regulator that was limiting supply. I could hear the air hissing through the regulator after stopping the tool, an obvious restriction. So I bought a good regulator with decent sized fittings, and now it keeps up. But I also had trouble with tools rusting up, so I bought a water trap.

I then wandered into a BOC outlet looking for something, can't remember what. I saw a belt drive compressor, pre fitted with a decent regulator, a decent water trap. It came with all of the tools I mention above, and 20 metres of reasonable air hose. It was $650 for the kit.

When I thought about what I spent on my "cheap" compressor, I would have been far better off buying the $650 kit at BOC. And that's without shopping around for any other prices.

My compressor was $200, the rattle gun kit $150, $50 for a decent water trap. I picked up the regulator second hand, but spent about twenty dollars on adaptors. 20M of hose fitted is around $30, a second hand air drill was $50, and then there are quick change connectors to be bought for each tool, and so on. And I'm still stuck with a noisy direct drive compressor, and when the motor dies it will be a throw away job, as buying a replacement motor to bolt up would cost more than a new compressor!

Some food for thought!

Hey there NewLou

Well you've had your WTD3017 for a while now... What do you think? I'm in the market for one myself at the moment and see that transquip.com.au has them for a grand (+del).

But WTD has no presence in SA so I'm after a little intel about the product. You see, I don't generally like spending a thousand of the hard earned on something that I've only ever seen photo's of.... Hence this query.
The hulk does look the business. Have you done much spraying with it? Any reliability problems? Lived up to expectations? Would you recommend one to your mates?

I only want to buy one compressor over the next 10+ years so it needs to be a good one. Any input here is appreciated.