Air Compressor

[BIGNASTY]

I found an air compressor that I would like to have but dont want to run it on the electric 10 HP motor. The tool shop said that I could put on a gas or diesel motor. Question is would a 10 HP gas or Diesel motor be enough or to much or is 10 HP , 10 HP no matter fuel or electric

 

[PMould]

Big,I would think 10 hp diesel would work. do you need fast recovery? might need a constant run regulator and maybe idle solonoid. maybe gas engine in cold country,easier starting. how many cfm is compressor? hook up a few pillow block bearings a PTO stub shaft run it with your tractor:-laf lots of options. good luck,pete.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Don't know about fast recovery but dont want to wait around all day to change a tire on one of the 3 tractors FIL,BIL,and mine or the FIL bus and various other big tire removal and air jack to lift the above equipment tire repair. 1 inch impact going and others working in the shop with air needed is not uncommon around here. The BIL just bought one of the motors below its a 13HP but there are less HP models available he has it on a gen set that is one nice motor. The other is the compressor and the specs That motor would be way over kill but there are some others to look at that are single cyl that are 10 hp. just trying to get all the angles thanks

Champion Advantage series compressor

Specifications
CFM DELIVERED @ 175 PSIG

34. 8
TANK CAP IN GALLONS

120
TANK TYPE

HORIZONTAL
PSIG OFF SETTING

175
PSIG ON SETTING

140
STAGES

2
PUMP RPM

740
MOTOR HP

10
VOLTAGE

NA
AMPERES

NA
HERTZ

60
PHASE

3
LENGHT IN

73
WIDTH IN

24
HEIGHT IN

56
WEIGHT LB

890

 

[GHarman]

BIG, You could do it any number of ways. IMHO.
You do have propane and that may be a better and cleaner way to fuel an engine instead of the necessity of having diesel fuel or gasoline in a storage tank. Course, you may have that already with tractors and such. The disadvantage of propane you have the added expense of plumbing it to the motor. (Exhaust to the outside, in any ICE). Disadvantages of Diesel are; you will have to bleed the fuel lines if you run the tank dry, winterizing the Diesel fuel, storage .
If you consider the CFH @ ?PSI (Volume and pressure) of air needed to run your tools you can determine the size of the compressor and tank necessary.
If the tank or the compressor is to small, the compressor will run all the time or you will run out of air.
Will you have a pressure sensing switch with auto start capability and a system shutoff for maintenence and storage.
I believe 10 HP is 10 HP no matter how you develop it!
Starting torque is another matter.
GregH

 

[GHarman]

Depending on your floor space? You could have the compressor and Power supply near the floor where it is easy to maintain. The tank could be remote mounted as in the rafters, etc. . I was thinking about that for my own shop, however, I got a good deal on a 7HP vertical compressor with an 80 Gallon tank. Takes up less floor space.

Ya have to make sure you drain the tank to keep from accumulating moisture. I leave my drain valve open when not in use.

GregH

 

[jhenderson]

I have always been told it takes at least 50 percent more HP going to gas from elec. I think it has to do with the fact that an elec motor produces a lot more torque than even a diesel engine. Most service trucks that still use gas powered compressors run more power than that. Modern service vehicles use PTO driven compressors, and you can tell when they come up to full pressure. Mike Wilson prob is more knowledgeable than most of us about this.

 

[GHarman]

I have always been told it takes at least 50 percent more HP going to gas from elec. I think it has to do with the fact that an elec motor produces a lot more torque than even a diesel engine. Most service trucks that still use gas powered compressors run more power than that. Modern service vehicles use PTO driven compressors, and you can tell when they come up to full pressure. Mike Wilson prob is more knowledgeable than most of us about this.

I believe you hit the heart of the matter. Its not just HP, it is the amount of Torque combined with the HP, that is necessary!
GregH

 

[BIGNASTY]

Ya Greg propane tank for the place is pretty far away to be running to the shop so if I did it that way it would require an additional tank at the shop. That could be ok for heat but I have my diesel fired heater that Gary calls a Salamander for that. That's why I thought I would throw out the question about HP. The motor that is pictured is to much for this just because of the cost factor alone. They do have an upright model of the same compressor so that is another option.



I have the shop plumbed for air hose connection all over the place even in the pit in the floor (that is not legal) that way I dont have a bunch of hose all over the place causing a trip hazard (if you had one leg you would understand) it's REALLY DANGEROUS for me to have cords and foot catch things on the floor I cant feel them.



Thanks for all the info from everyone it helps make a choice better in the wallet department.



BIG

 

[BIGNASTY]

Greg you were asking about having a on site fuel tank , we have one that the FIL bought that is trailer mounted and SOME MORON drives it to the rack to get it loaded but you have to have the correct license and just a little experience to go get it and of course ya have to have a Rack Card to get into the Fuel terminal without going thru a open cavity body search every time ya pick up some. :-laf Ours is JUST A BIT SMALLER than this one.

 

[GHarman]

:-lafA Quote from the "Three Stooges"! "Hey Moe, That'll Woik, Nuk Nuk Nuk"":-laf

GregH

 

[hcole]

I have always been told it takes at least 50 percent more HP going to gas from elec. I think it has to do with the fact that an elec motor produces a lot more torque than even a diesel engine. Most service trucks that still use gas powered compressors run more power than that. Modern service vehicles use PTO driven compressors, and you can tell when they come up to full pressure. Mike Wilson prob is more knowledgeable than most of us about this.

I have always understood this to be true too.

 

[hcole]

I have always been told it takes at least 50 percent more HP going to gas from elec. I think it has to do with the fact that an elec motor produces a lot more torque than even a diesel engine. Most service trucks that still use gas powered compressors run more power than that. Modern service vehicles use PTO driven compressors, and you can tell when they come up to full pressure. Mike Wilson prob is more knowledgeable than most of us about this.

I have always understood this to be true too.

 

[BDaugherty]

Champion uses the same compressor heads in multiple applications. Find out what the model of that one is and then check to see what HP engine it would have if it came that way. Also, I agree with the ones who stated that you would need a larger engine to run it. I guess if you dont have enough power at your shop, its a good option, but I llike my electric compressor much more than my gas one just because of the noise and not having to do anything when its in standby.

 

[S.Morris]

We run 13hp gas powered compressors in our ERS trailers. They will put up 175psi and require full throttle ,full rpm to maintain(barely)enough air to keep up to an in use 1" air gun (ie : taking consecutive wheel lug nuts off). Don't know the cfm off hand but I think about 20.



Judging by the weight of your compressor, I am guessing it to be considerably larger, and am quite sure a 13hp gas engine will not fit the bill.

 

[BIGNASTY]

We run 13hp gas powered compressors in our ERS trailers. They will put up 175psi and require full throttle ,full rpm to maintain(barely)enough air to keep up to an in use 1" air gun (ie : taking consecutive wheel lug nuts off). Don't know the cfm off hand but I think about 20.

Judging by the weight of your compressor, I am guessing it to be considerably larger, and am quite sure a 13hp gas engine will not fit the bill.

Thanks for that info I called the shop and talked to the guy about it. He going to contact the Mfg. I dont have much of a choice we are off grid and dont have the power for an electric compressor that big so it will have to be fuel powered.

 

[rscurtis]

When you convert this to an engine, whether gas or diesel, you're going to need to find a way to unload the compressor so the engine can continue to run when no air is needed.



Rather than re-invent the wheel, sell this compressor as is, and purchase a used towable compressor in the 80-100 CFM range. It will deliver all the air you could ever use at 100 PSI, as you don't need 175 PSI to run air tools. You'll probably still be dollars ahead of repowering the one you have.

 

[BIGNASTY]

rscurtis
I havent got a NEW one yet im looking because the one I have wont keep up with the demand that I have on it now, It was almost enough when I used it in my shop in Ca and upon moving to MT and having a bunch more things that I need air for its taking a dive on me fast and need to replace it. Thanks for the info on the tow able ill look in to that.

 

[Wayne M.]

Hey BIG. Just wanted to stop by and let you know about our unit here at the shop. It's exactly like this.
http://http://www.specialprojects.com/equipment/5354/
It's 7. 5 hp. It keeps up with sometimes 4-5 men using various equipment including 3/4-1" guns. We do lots of tires. I don't think we have ever wanted more air capacity.

I'm looking at my reference material as I thought I saw a conversion chart for electric vs gas engine. Still looking.
As a backup we use a tow behind scroll compressor and our welding trucks are miller big blues with the deutz 3 cyl+1 lung as a compressor.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Thanks Wayne for the info.

 

[fkovalski]

... dont want to run it on the electric 10 HP motor...

BIG- I do not want to highjack the topic but just curious as to why you want to lose the electric motor. I would think it would be less overall hassle compared to an engine.