rotary screw compressors

[rick_d]

anyone know about these? I know they are pricey, but I need a reeeeaaaallly quiet unit in my area. looking at 3-5 hp models.

curtis?

quincy?

chicage pneumatic?

etc

 

[Bryan E.]

We got a new one for our machine shop, and it's quiet but cost $10K. Ingersol Rand, don't remember the model. If your looking at one in this price range, I can get you more info.
Good Luck,

 

[alia176]

Won't a simple pulley driven (not oil less) variety work? If you stick the thing in an enclosure, that'd quiet things down quiet a bit!!

 

[CruisinGA]

Ingersoll Rand...

A good belt drive ingersoll is much quieter than the cheapie home depot/sears units. Still not very quiet.

Unless you have one serious shop, I think a rotary screw would be too much...

 

[Junk]

kaesar (sp?) makes a great small unit, again super $$$$ - get a solid compressor - ideally an older one and you'll be surprised how quiet they are. The piece of s*** ones that are oiless etc are s*** anyway.

 

[honk]

Take a look at Eaton. They're top quality and not in the cheap zone but run at speeds that are much lower than many of the other brands. Low RPM = low noise.

http://www.eatoncompressor.com/page/page/504413.htm

 

[sleeoffroad]

I installed a Kaeser 5hp /105 psi model in the new shop. Our old 2 stqge sat outside and in winter it would not start, so I wanted one that can be inside. It is not dead quiet, more like a large AC unit. I fed it into an old 60 gallon home compressor tank. The unit does not come with a tank. Two changes I would make is to get the 125 psi model and also get their dryer. If I want to I can still do that, but right now it works good.

If you buy commercial grade equipment it will be more money, but in the long run you will be better off. The compressor requires once a year filter and oil changes.

 

[rick_d]

If I could take the noise of a piston I'd only get a IR t-30.

but I want a floor mount (detached tank) unit. My buddy has a curtis 15hp piston type (3 phase, 120 gal tank) that is quieter than 90% of the tank mounted oil and 100% of the oil-less models. Bad thing is its 500#'s and 3 phase...

I am looking for a small rotary still- maybe I'll check around town to see who is running them but that will take me 4-6 weeks....

http://www.toolking.com/chicagopneumatic/view.asp?id=14367
tank mount with dryer

http://www.toolking.com/chicagopneumatic/view.asp?id=14366
w/o dryer $2,926

 

[Off-Kilter]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but my .02 is those two options you posted are not that good of a deal if you look at the specs. I have an 5 hp IR rotary screw that puts out 28 cfm @ 125 psi and 65 dB with dryer and 80 gal tank. I paid $6800 including refrigrerated dryer, some other filters, and additional dessicant dryer. At 65 dB, you can hold a normal conversation next to it while it's running.

 

[rick_d]

thanks-

I did not hold much hope for the Chicago Pneumatics. I still have not made a decision and quiet is still very important in my local.

thanks again.

rick

 

[60wag]

We have three compressors at work. A 25HP Gardner Denver screw, a 10HP Joy Twistair screw, and a 10HP IR T30 piston type. None of them are quiet. The 25HP has its own room because of the noise. It also generates lots of heat but it also compresses a lot of air. The two 10HP units sit out on a loading dock in a cage. The IR just runs, and runs, and runs. Its at least 20 years old. I think the head has been rebuilt once. The oil gets changed once a year and mybe the air filter. The Twistair is a PITA. It has the same capacity as the IR but reqires 10 times the maintanance. The hoses frequently leak, shaft seals fail, control valves fail, the oil separators are almost $200 to replace. You need to run this expensive synthentic oil in it. It needs a pan under it to catch the leaking oil - basically its a "Land Rover." For time I have in it and in the 25HP unit, I could have built a very nice ventilated sound enclosure for the IR unit. Maybe a newer mosel would be better. You might look into a scroll compressor rather than a rotary screw. They are supposed to be quiet but I think they need to run a close to full duty cycle.