Do Silent Or Nearly Silent Air Compressors Exist For the Home Shop?

One thing that has always bugged me about air compressors is that they're noisy as hell. (At least the big Sears kind, which is what we have at work.) That's why I've never bought one for my home workshop.

Yet when you visit the automobile service station you never hear the damn things, just the whizz of the impact wrench. I'm going to ask the local mechanic on my next visit but I think I already know the answer: it's outside and it's an industrial unit. Translation: overkill and too expensive for the home shop. Correct?

So is there anything that's truly silent or very nearly so for the home shop? I'd really like enough CFM to drive a small sand blaster with it but not if the compressor is going to have SWMBO and her minions running me of the reservation as my workstop is in "my" half of the two car garage, directly below the living space.

Suggestions or recommendations?

J.

Reply to
John
Loading thread data ...

I just bought the little Senco. They claim 65db and that sounds about right. Okay, it has very little capacity, which is why it is so quiet; but you can't have everything.

Reply to
Toller

I ahve seen that little guy. It isn't an oil less compressor, and it is very quiet. I am toying with one for my shop. It just seems to purr.

John

Toller wrote:

Reply to
Eddie Munster

We have a FINI brand small compressor that we carry for back-up work. It's a model that requires oil and looks amazingly like the small Senco pc1005 model. It's very quiet compared to the small Porter Cable pancake type models or a larger Emglo that we use on the job. It won't handle more than two guns at a time though and I'm not sure if it could handle the sandblaster. If you needed a larger model, could you just put it outside and run the hose into the garage?

Mike O.

Reply to
Mike O.

I have considered rolling a Sears beast outside and putting it inside a padded, insulated box. I just don't know where I'd store the box when it's not in use... :-)

J.

Mike O. wrote:

Reply to
John

I have one too. Its great for brad guns. But its a pea shooter in capacity. Forget trying to use it for anything but a brad gun or pneumatic stapler.

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

You want a compressor that has the seprate motor with belt drive single or twin piston compressor. These are quiter. Service stations usually have them in a storage room.

Reply to
Battleax

You are quite right about location. I work in a machine shop. Our air compressors are outside. It has two advantages. It eliminates having to listen to it and it's better for the compressor due to better airflow. It's not at all unresonable to do that at home. Couple of holes in the wall, a litttle pipe and a little wiring.

Reply to
CW

there are some previous postings on compressors made by "Jun Air", e.g.,

formatting link

Reply to
Daniel H

I have a June air or maybe Junair compressor and I can't really hear it at all. It will run a nail gun but I don't use bigger tools. It is very quiet. I understand they are very expensive. This one was a gift from my boss. max

Reply to
max

I also have a 4 gallon tank. Could I hook it up to the tank to use with something bigger? I understand it will take several minutes to refill the tank, so the rate of use will be pretty feeble, but any reason it wouldn't work?

Reply to
Toller

and then hope your neighbors don't add some little holes in the wall.. *g*

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

I rented a Dewalt electric wheelbarrel type that was so quiet you could stand next to it and have a conversation at normal volume. Great technology as it runs up to 3 nailers(per the rental yard). It was an oil type and pretty heavy.

Down side: around $700. I recently bought a Job Boss by PC and since it was an oil type was hoping for quiet... no dice. It is LOUD!

RonT

Reply to
Ron Truitt

John, Champion makes a 5 hp unit that is relatively quiet for the size. The commandair series. I worked for a local distributor and God service center for them. You can find out the distributor in your area. They were about

1800.00 but are oil lubed, repairable and easy maintenance for them. I am looking at an Atlas Copco rotary screw for my shop in the future. They are quiet and have a built in air dryer but run about 3500.00. The GX-5 is the unit I am looking at.

Reply to
Carl Stigers

Reply to
Eddie Munster

A 4 gallon tank is pretty small. I don't think it would be useful for anything except a few pops with a nail gun. Forget it for tools that require continuous air.

Bob

Reply to
BillyBob

I have a 50 litre direct drive. I house it under a bench in the shed. I have made a cabinet to surround it with the doors and two ends panelled with 6mm peg board. The machine sits on 12mm insertion rubber on a concrete floor. When in the shed it is relatively quiet and from the outside you can hardly hear it. It is quite noisy when in the open. hope this helps regards John

Reply to
John B

I just bought a slightly used 5 hp belt driven double piston compressor for $150. It just chugs away quietly. Not silent, but not noisy. The first key is to avoid the direct drive types. I have had two, an oil-less and one that uses oil. Both make a racket and can scare the bejesus out of you if you are standing nearby when it starts up. Mine has a handle and wheels, but that is rather optimistic since it requires a 220 v. outlet.

Reply to
Gerald Ross

Reply to
Toller

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.