Quiet Compressors

[72-SS-L48]

Hi All,

In the market for a new compressor and looking for some ideas.

Currently using a 2HP, 33 Gal, 150 max PSI Craftsman unit. Does ok for what I need. Looking to upgrade to something slightly bigger perhaps but more importantly something that's quieter. I know there are quite a few "quiet" compressors on the market. Any recommendations from experience?

I'm running normal shop air tools. No media blaster, extended use sanders, etc at the moment.

Thanks,
Dave

[olredalert]

----Agree with the quiet aspect! When I built my current garage (1600 sq. ft.) I built a small room for the compressor and insulated the room. I also store some other stuff in there. If you are going to run hard lines don't run them behind a wall if possible. We finished my garage and I installed the compressor and I have a small leak behind the wall somewhere. I have to remember to shut the air off at the compressor all the time so it doesn't run needlessly.....Bill S

[dvss1]

Might be more than what you need but a screw compressors are very quiet. I purchased a Kaiser Asd30 from a auction.

[Igosplut]

Polar air (Eaton compressors). I built two out of parts bought from them for my commercial auto shop. Traditional small screw compressors are louder than pump-style compressors. Polar air runs the compressor speed at 600 RPM (pump speed), rather than the 2500 than most every other runs at. That makes a difference with heat (read=water buildup) and noise. If you put it in an insulated room (especially a small one as most do) pipe the intake air outside the room. Any compressor makes heat, and with a 2500 RPM you're going to produce water at a rapid rate. Even with that, if the compressors have aftercoolers (most do) they will never cool the air as designed. A compressor mat (rubber that goes underneath the base) will help with transmitted vibration. Also, remember to put a rubber line from the compressor tank to the hard lines (obviously a hydraulic-style made rubber line, and this should be the only rubber line as they do not shed heat from the air flow) as that is another vibration transfer point (not the least to say the vibration will crack a metal line eventually). If you use a high-volume of air (blast cabinet, etc) make sure the compressor has a run-on valve (all the Polar air have them) That lets the pump free-wheel (compressor keeps running after high air is reached, and cools the pump/motor also). Eaton has automatic water-drain systems also. Scat-blast has a excellent hard pipe air line routing diagram (lines should run up-hill from the compressor, and all be as high on the wall as possible) to fascillitate any water to run back to the tank. I went through quite a few compressors, and Polar air was by far the quietest, and price-wise only sightly higher than the run of the mill stuff. Also made in America, and made to be fully-rebuildable and their parts are easy to get through the company. I still have the two I built (7 1/2 HP motor, 15 HP pump, 43 CFM@175 PSI) and a smaller backup 5HP that would run my whole shop (just two people, but air over hydraulic lifts, etc) The smaller compressor you could talk on the phone next to it running, and the larger one you could at a distance of ten feet or so. After ten years of constant running (I also had a waste-oil heater that required air to run, besides pneumatic lifts) and other than changing oil, I only had to replace one of he four reed-valves in the larger compressor (literally a five minute job) By comparison, I had a new Ingersol-rand that didn't last a year, sounded like a jackhammer, and had to have the tank drained weekly. Even if you just need a small compressor, Eaton/Polar air is the way to go...

https://eatoncompressor.com/

[luzl78]

Polar air (Eaton compressors). I built two out of parts bought from them for my commercial auto shop. Traditional small screw compressors are louder than pump-style compressors. Polar air runs the compressor speed at 600 RPM (pump speed), rather than the 2500 than most every other runs at. That makes a difference with heat (read=water buildup) and noise. If you put it in an insulated room (especially a small one as most do) pipe the intake air outside the room. Any compressor makes heat, and with a 2500 RPM you're going to produce water at a rapid rate. Even with that, if the compressors have aftercoolers (most do) they will never cool the air as designed. A compressor mat (rubber that goes underneath the base) will help with transmitted vibration. Also, remember to put a rubber line from the compressor tank to the hard lines (obviously a hydraulic-style made rubber line, and this should be the only rubber line as they do not shed heat from the air flow) as that is another vibration transfer point (not the least to say the vibration will crack a metal line eventually). If you use a high-volume of air (blast cabinet, etc) make sure the compressor has a run-on valve (all the Polar air have them) That lets the pump free-wheel (compressor keeps running after high air is reached, and cools the pump/motor also). Eaton has automatic water-drain systems also. Scat-blast has a excellent hard pipe air line routing diagram (lines should run up-hill from the compressor, and all be as high on the wall as possible) to fascillitate any water to run back to the tank. I went through quite a few compressors, and Polar air was by far the quietest, and price-wise only sightly higher than the run of the mill stuff. Also made in America, and made to be fully-rebuildable and their parts are easy to get through the company. I still have the two I built (7 1/2 HP motor, 15 HP pump, 43 CFM@175 PSI) and a smaller backup 5HP that would run my whole shop (just two people, but air over hydraulic lifts, etc) The smaller compressor you could talk on the phone next to it running, and the larger one you could at a distance of ten feet or so. After ten years of constant running (I also had a waste-oil heater that required air to run, besides pneumatic lifts) and other than changing oil, I only had to replace one of he four reed-valves in the larger compressor (literally a five minute job) By comparison, I had a new Ingersol-rand that didn't last a year, sounded like a jackhammer, and had to have the tank drained weekly. Even if you just need a small compressor, Eaton/Polar air is the way to go...

https://eatoncompressor.com/
Do you own the company? Ha. Looks like a great compressor!

[RPOLS3]

Following this one - same situation as Dave. Older Craftsman that works fine but is really loud. Our Dad has a Quincy that is amazingly quiet and I have been considering this one:

https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/q12124vpq-single-stage-portable-air-compressor-2hp-24-gallon-vertical-115v-single-phase?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2sqOBhCGARIsAPuPK0iliJVB7vHVJQp-jKfmDOn-ILEZsrD-azCFsQd2aso_SzeTfLFKbrwaAgYfEALw_wcB

[Crush]

Following this one - same situation as Dave. Older Craftsman that works fine but is really loud. Our Dad has a Quincy that is amazingly quiet and I have been considering this one:

https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/q12124vpq-single-stage-portable-air-compressor-2hp-24-gallon-vertical-115v-single-phase?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2sqOBhCGARIsAPuPK0iliJVB7vHVJQp-jKfmDOn-ILEZsrD-azCFsQd2aso_SzeTfLFKbrwaAgYfEALw_wcB

Like the price on that one

[Igosplut]

Do you own the company? Ha. Looks like a great compressor!

Not at all, just a person that's worn/burned a lot of compressors out, and spent quite a bit on motors/pumps.

[BCreekDave]

Not at all, just a person that's worn/burned a lot of compressors out, and spent quite a bit on motors/pumps.

I second the Polar Air-Eaton compressor. Although I do not use it nearly as much as Igosplut it is a well built machine. The 5HP two-stage may be a bit more than the OP was looking for. They do also have a "quiet" option which is a tank mounted intake air silencer system that you can look at and listen to on YouTube. Another way is to run a hose from the intake filter to a remote location like above a finished ceiling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5jjyp0wWo8