Central Pneumatic from Harbor Freight...

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This section should be re-named the "You get what you pay for in all tool purchases" section

It will probably work, if you used it more than 2 hours per day for a week, I bet it would sieze up. Should be adequate for light duty cyle stuff and airing up innertubes and water toys with the occasional sparing use of a 1/2" impact. It will run hot and won't be a family heirloom but what the hell, it's cheap and thats what everyone wants these days.
 
haystax said:
It will run hot and won't be a family heirloom but what the hell, it's cheap and thats what everyone wants these days.
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OooRrrr...It was given to me as a gift, I am a shade tree mechanic who would like to be able to run air tools if needed and I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!

If I had titled the thread:

"I really need a constant duty cycle compressor that I want to heir to my grand kids and oh by the way, it needs to be able to inflate a dirigible every hour on the hour, what do y’all recommend"...then maybe I would appreciate your sarcastic feedback a little more.

As it is, I am simply unfamiliar with the brand and wanted some feedback as to whether or not I needed to return it and spend the money elsewhere.
 
Damn dude, gettin' a little worked up over the response from stack. Chill out the forum is all about fun.

xumFJ40 said:
OooRrrr...It was given to me as a gift, I am a shade tree mechanic who would like to be able to run air tools if needed and I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!

If I had titled the thread:

"I really need a constant duty cycle compressor that I want to heir to my grand kids and oh by the way, it needs to be able to inflate a dirigible every hour on the hour, what do y’all recommend"...then maybe I would appreciate your sarcastic feedback a little more.

As it is, I am simply unfamiliar with the brand and wanted some feedback as to whether or not I needed to return it and spend the money elsewhere.
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I have the burned up corpse of just this compressor model in my barn. Lasted 1 month (I did not buy an extended warrenty). Haystax is absodamnlutely correct.
 
IDave said:
I have the burned up corpse of just this compressor model in my barn. Lasted 1 month (I did not buy an extended warrenty). Haystax is absodamnlutely correct.
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It's called oil. Usually stops that problem. :doh:

Again, As a hand me down, the Central Pneumatic is just fine. Our little 5 Gal is pumping away all day long, as long as we keep oil in it.
 
Oh, it had oil.
 
Sleeved aluminum blocks and aluminum heads on cast iron blocks are bad combinations for steady state motors or pumps.
 
IDave said:
Oh, it had oil.
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I figured it did. Most of us on the board aren't that dumb.

But I had to make the comment anyways. Seemed appropriate. :D
 
xumFJ40 said:
...
As it is, I am simply unfamiliar with the brand and wanted some feedback as to whether or not I needed to return it and spend the money elsewhere.
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If I received that compressor as a gift I would either return it or throw it away. The specs published are fraudulant. A real 3HP air compressor will put out over three times as much air as that one and will only run on 230 volts (as it would require around 30 amps on 115 volts). Interestingly enough, you can get a real 3 HP Ingersoll Rand compressor that will cost almost exactly three times as much that will greatly out perform and I expect outlast by magnitudes the cheapy.

I wouldn't plan on using your gift for much more than airing up tires and blowing off dust. $200 retail won't buy an air compressor suitable for operating automotive tools such as 1/2 inch impact drivers, die grinders, disc sanders, sand blasters, etc.

I think you would get much better value returning the central pnuematic and using the funds as partial payment on a higher quality product.
 
Tools R Us said:
The rule of thumb to get a decent compressor is buy belt driven and oil lubed. The direct drive units turn the pump to fast, making a noisy short lived unit. .
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I guess Im unsure of the info, I have had my Direct drive oil-less for over 10 years, It works great, does what it is supposed to do, How long are they going to last? BTW its a 30gal. 4.5 HP roll away type I got from Costco.
I say use it till it dies, Then YOU can make a choise of what you want, There is always something better, We dont always have the choise to buy such an item.
Good luck
 
How long are they going to last?
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I don't know, how long is a piece of string? :D

I am glad yours has turned out to be an excellent piece of equipment, that is not always the case, I see lots of them that die an early smoky death.

OooRrrr...It was given to me as a gift,
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Had I known that it was a gift, already had it, I would have said to run it, if/when it died you would have a better idea of what you need? The first post sounded like you were shopping for one, for a few more bucks belt driven oil type units are available that are more substantial.
 
zebrabeefj40 said:
Guess someone forgot to tell the auto manufacturers this one... :rolleyes:
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autos don't have steady state motors, and, yeh, someone muust not have warned volkswagen (rabbit) :doh:
 
Matador98 said:
I figured it did. Most of us on the board aren't that dumb.

But I had to make the comment anyways. Seemed appropriate. :D
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Sure. The problem was after hard use the oil began leaking out all over the place. I had to refill the oil after an hour's use, and of course it went everywhere. The aluminum cylinder/piston/rings didn't hold up.
 
Damn - I take the weekend off and get hell for posting something someone didn't want to hear, imagine me doing that :D

XUM - good luck with it dude, if it's free and it lasts then good for you, you lucked out. I think i said as much in my first post - it will work for little stuff, if you use it a lot it won't work. Looks like that was the concensus of the board as well. There is also a badass venturi effect vaccum attacehment that can be powered by a compressed air source. You should pick one of those up to remove your wadded up panties from your ass :flipoff2:
 
For the most part, the tools from Harbor Freight can be decent, you sort of get what you pay for in some cases. I'm very happy with the tools I have ordered from them so far...

If you are concerned about getting a decent compressor, then you should go to Lowe's, Home Depot or Sears. I got a 5hp, 20 gallon, 150psi compressor from Lowe's with some air tools (yes they are cheap, but they will do for a while) all for $244.
 
haystax said:
Damn - I take the weekend off and get hell for posting something someone didn't want to hear, imagine me doing that :D

There is also a badass venturi effect vaccum attacehment that can be powered by a compressed air source. You should pick one of those up to remove your wadded up panties from your ass :flipoff2:
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Now dat was funny. LMAO :D :D :D
 
I just got one of these compressors given to me too. It has been sitting around for a while. After I started it I blew the 15 amp thermal protecter. I tested the amps and they were at 18 amps! susposed to be 14. I am looking for new capacitors if anyone has a compressor they are not using and wants to sell me the two capacitors ( 2 round plastic things under the motor). Harbor freight has a 8 week waiting period to get them.
Thanks,
Steve
 
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