We had moved on from that to talk about how easy or difficult there are to carry. I was just pointing that you probably don't want to take any advice from us regarding that subject until you know we're comparing the same size compressors. As you say, all things being equal.
I keep an assortment of new water shut-off valves in my plumbing toolbox because of that very reason. Whenever I replace/repair any fixture around here, there's a 50/50 chance of the valve working/leaking after shutting it off for what is likely the first time since it was installed.
It's 1/4-turn ball valves for me from now on.
So pick a day on the calendar, say boxing day, and walk around working each valve in the house annually. And if/when you must replace, choose quarter-turn ball valves.
That works for your own house, but not when a neighbor or relative asks for your help.
Then, to replace the shutoff, you have to shut off the main. When that hasn't been exercised for 15 years either, things can get ugly very quickly.
I have, in fact, politely declined to help when a visual inspection led me to believe that things might not go well.
Perhaps because there is never a situation when all else is equal.
Assuming it will be carried. My pancake sits in a cabinet on wheels that has a drawer and the top holds my drill press. It has never been out of the cabinet and is rarely wheeled out from its spot. Works for me, may not for others.
I used to hate visiting my mother-in-law's house for that reason. It was usually a weekend and I'd see things that needed fixing. The typical 15 minute job. But I knew if the valve did not work, I'd be spending all day Sunday trying to find help or have the city turn the water off, etc.
The solution was to get her to sell the house and move up with us.
Keep reading the thread. I posted about the HF sale going on where they have a pancake version and a hot dog version that are both 3 gallon, 1/3HP and 100 PSI, same price, on sale or not.
That's what prompted my question. Maybe there is something else - other than the shape - that makes them unequal, but I don't know what that might be.
-MIKE- wrote in news:p2ghr5$mkj$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
Going a bit off subject here...
This Old Tony made a video about the 1/4 turn PVC ball valve. Such a cheap little thing and yet so awesome:
Puckdropper
DerbyDad03 wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
You could have the best of both worlds if you simply put the hotdog components inside the pancake compressor and fry the whole thing!
Puckdropper
DerbyDad03 was heard to mutter:
I don't eat pancakes much, maybe once or twice a year. I gave up the NYC dogs decades ago. My nephew-in-law used to stop on every coner in NYC to grab one and stuff it in his face. Asked him one day if he knew how they were made. He quit eating them that day.
No clue but have a pancake. Easy for me to tote. Was gifted a month ago with a short hotdog style but haven't had time to get it out of the box with all the holiday stuff going on.
I'll be interested to know what and how many differences there are between those styles. I always basically assumed portablilty vs power and tank size for higher usage, like in a tire shop.
I used to do the same with my mother's and MIL's houses. I'd only visit once or twice a year but it seemed the whole week was fixing things that "just broke" or "Oh, that's been that way for a long time". Once, it was a cracked toilet. I couldn't find the crack (so thought it was the tank seal) through all the blue gunk she'd be using for 10 years. I gave up on it and hired a plumber. He was one unhappy Smurf!
That's sorta like using nuclear weapons on a wasp's nest. ;-)
a dirty water hot dog
il less and price - why
hem on a "all
Not a fun answer, but a real one based on my experience. As always, YMMV.
First, the compressors you are looking at in the Harbor Freight ad are toys . One of my boys just bought one as he couldn't get how important the CFM amount was to the utility of the machine. But shooting brads tasks that co mpressor mightily, to the point of him returning it. Great for inflating a football, a tire, or blowing dust off a small project, no more.
So, I remember before we had either kind of compressor, and compressors wer e just compressors. Different shapes and sizes, but no "hot dogs" or "panc akes". Having both, I can tell you why I pick one over the other based on its intended use.
My hot dog compressor is
and I have owned several. Great little unit, and it takes me about several years to burn one up. Plenty of power for guns up to framing, and you can use it for framing and roofing ONLY if it is a repair. It is easier to ca rry than my pancake, and easier to store. If I go to the supply house or s omewhere else before I drop it in storage, it will fit in the floor board a rea of the passenger side of the truck and is almost invisible to thieves. It is easier to move around on the job than my pancake as I just grab the h andle. I have never broken a carry handle on any of my hot dogs. This one goes with me as first choice as it is wonderfully portable.
My comparable pancake was bought specifically to work on uneven surfaces. The hot dog can be knocked over, pulled over when there is a kink you can't see in hose and (not me.. never!) yank it, and is unsteady on different su rfaces. The pancake goes on a roof and sits on the slope with no problems. So it can go on the first story roof to work on the first story siding or roofing, of from the first story roof you can work on the second. Having c ompressors stolen from the ground level while the guys break, or even while in use, since we hoist the compressor on the roof while working in questio nable areas we always take it home.
I do have a slightly bigger pancake that I bought recently at HD, and it is great. Only marginally bigger than their small pancake in their own Ridgi d brand, this thing will crank out as much air as I need to do light framin g(sheds, walls, build up, etc.), and light roofing like a few squares a day . Even does some light paint spraying! I recently put Hardie Plank and tri m up on a house front using it and never taxed its capacity. It was on sal e for $99 last year on Labor Day and it has been used a lot since. BUT... I hate the plastic handle/housing, it won't fit in the floor boards - only in the seat, and isn't easy to chain up if I carry it in the bed. It is ha rder to move around, and usually requires both hands as it has an odd balan ce to it.
If I was only using a compressor for general duties and light woodworking, I would buy a higher capacity hot dog like the Sears, no doubt. At $99 it' s a steal. I have broken several handle/housings on the pancakes I have ow ned, and would only buy (as I did) one if I needed it. The housings on pan cakes aren't repairable, and at the price I had to pay for the Bostitch hou sing I broke it was about 1/3 the price of the whole machine.
Hope all that helps.
Robert
Water does damage to air tools as well as rust in the tank. More water, more opportunity for the heated compressed air to vaporize and condense inside the hose on the way to your tool.
But how are you going to air up your tires, blow dust off of a work surface, cut a piece of steel with a cut off wheel, remove lug nuts, run that air ratchet???? ;~)
The first thing I did to my 22 year old compressor was replace the drain valve with an elbow, 12" 1/4" galvanized pipe and a SS ball valve.
One Saturday about 30 years back I fixed something or other and the city's gate valve came apart, closed. I obtained a ball valve, removed the gate valve, tightened down the open ball valve, closed it, and reconnected everything. I got about a half inch of water in the basement. The town has been by to replace the meter several times since and never commented.
one has lower center of gravity and stows a little lower
not sure about the bottom on the pancake but maybe it drains at the lowest spot
not sure about my cylinder drain maybe the drain really is at lowest spot due to internal contour but then again maybe not
Pancake compressors have a low center of gravity making them more stable on roofs and other slopes. I don't know if that's a big advantage, because you can always find a level surface and run your air hose wherever you need it. Cylinder tank compressors have larger capacity tanks, which means when the tank is full, you can run the compressor longer before the pump kicks in.
But these little HF/CN $57 compressors don't put out enough air to do much of anything. If a pancake interests you, spend another 40 bucks and get four times the performance from this:
For comparison: PORTER-CABLE CENTRAL PNEUMATIC Price: $99 $57
90 PSI 2.6 SCFM 0.6 SCFM 40 PSI 3.7 SCFM 1.0 SCFM Power 1 HP 1/3 HP Weight 30 lb 18 lbThis Bostich is comparable to the PC:
That does look like a nice unit, particularly for the price. Unfortunately, there aren't any Sears stores in the area. I think the closest is 25-30mi in the wrong direction.
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