Hi Folks,

I am looking at
Grex air tools from Packard
Craftsman Professional 60 gal. Air Compressor, 2.9 hp, Vertical Tank,
Twin-V 2-Stage Oil Free Pump (I figure I could repair an oil free unit if
need be)

Anyone have experience with these?

thanks
George

I avoid oil-free compressors as they are exceptionally loud and break more
often. My biggest complaint about them is that they are VERY LOUD.

When buying a compressor, don't buy it based on horsepower as their ratings
are meaningless. Look for the "cfm" rating at 90 or 100 psi and base your
size decision on that. Air nailers need about 100 psi to work well, but they
don't need very much cfm. Other air tools like sanders and spray equipment
are the tools that use a lot of cfm (cubic feet per minute). A compressor
with a higher cfm than what is required by your highest consuming tool is
probably all you will need (but bigger is always better).

Why do you think that you could repair an oil-free and not an oil type. An
oil type compressor isn't much different than a lawnmower motor - rings,
piston, bearings, and the most prone to need repair item, reed valves. The
reed valves are nothing more than spring steel flappers that cover holes in
a plate to let air pass through the hole in only one direction. They are
usually riveted to the plate, making the whole plate a replaceable part.
Most of the time when these compressors have problems a new valve plate is
all they need, unless you have run it without oil. Just remove the head
bolts and the head, remove the valve plate, replace the gaskets and the
valve plate, and bolt the head back on. In less than 15 minutes your
compressor is as good as new again (and you didn't even get covered with oil
doing it).

--
Charley

"George Saridakis" wrote in message
news:YMsLh.7118$dG.6353@trndny08...
Hi Folks,

I am looking at
Grex air tools from Packard
Craftsman Professional 60 gal. Air Compressor, 2.9 hp, Vertical Tank,
Twin-V 2-Stage Oil Free Pump (I figure I could repair an oil free unit if
need be)

Anyone have experience with these?

thanks
George

George,
Not sure about the Grex, but I have a Sioux pneumatic. I ran it for a
while, and found out that it kept the compressor running full time
(Cambell/Hausfield 60 gal tank). Takes a lot more electricity to run
than the angle drill. It does keep the shop warmer in the winter.
robo hippy

On Mar 19, 6:53 am, "Charley" wrote:
I avoid oil-free compressors as they are exceptionally loud and break more
often. My biggest complaint about them is that they are VERY LOUD.

When buying a compressor, don't buy it based on horsepower as their ratings
are meaningless. Look for the "cfm" rating at 90 or 100 psi and base your
size decision on that. Air nailers need about 100 psi to work well, but they
don't need very much cfm. Other air tools like sanders and spray equipment
are the tools that use a lot of cfm (cubic feet per minute). A compressor
with a higher cfm than what is required by your highest consuming tool is
probably all you will need (but bigger is always better).

Why do you think that you could repair an oil-free and not an oil type. An
oil type compressor isn't much different than a lawnmower motor - rings,
piston, bearings, and the most prone to need repair item, reed valves. The
reed valves are nothing more than spring steel flappers that cover holes in
a plate to let air pass through the hole in only one direction. They are
usually riveted to the plate, making the whole plate a replaceable part.
Most of the time when these compressors have problems a new valve plate is
all they need, unless you have run it without oil. Just remove the head
bolts and the head, remove the valve plate, replace the gaskets and the
valve plate, and bolt the head back on. In less than 15 minutes your
compressor is as good as new again (and you didn't even get covered with oil
doing it).

--
Charley

"George Saridakis" wrote in message

news:YMsLh.7118$dG.6353@trndny08...

Hi Folks,

I am looking at
Grex air tools from Packard
Craftsman Professional 60 gal. Air Compressor, 2.9 hp, Vertical Tank,
Twin-V 2-Stage Oil Free Pump (I figure I could repair an oil free unit if
need be)

Anyone have experience with these?

thanks
George

"robo hippy" wrote in message
oups.com...
George,
Not sure about the Grex, but I have a Sioux pneumatic. I ran it for a
while, and found out that it kept the compressor running full time
(Cambell/Hausfield 60 gal tank). Takes a lot more electricity to run
than the angle drill. It does keep the shop warmer in the winter.

Not to mention the Grex moves as 15,000 rpm free speed. As we know, sanding
slower is going to give a better finish ....

Seriously, George, consider electric. I love a flex shaft and a 1725
induction FHP motor. No real noise, good control by supporting the
handpiece on the toolrest to just kiss the work, and the capability to hold
the tool securely in one fist while sanding an interrupted edge or
odd-shaped piece held in the other.

I would definitely go electric. No stiff hoses in the way, no worries
about lubricating the tool, no noisy compressor, nothing.

A small motor spinning happily away using much less electricity than a
10 - 15 amp rated compressor that won't power a pneumatic sander
correctly.

I have a Sioux close angle drill that I use as a sander that I bought
from Klingspor with a goodie package of paper some years back. It has
been a real workhorse and I love the lack of noisy compressor motors
while working.

Even with a large compressor, you will keep it busy with a pneumatic
sander or grinder. These things are essentially a blow by turbine
that generate no torque of consequence, just whiz around very quickly
to build momentum to do the work.

Even if you still need to buy the compressor for other things, on the
sander, go electric.

Robert

Hi George

Don't know anything about Grex air tools.
Do know you should go for a oilbath compressor, not a oil free one.
as for the HP, just like others have mentioned, they don't mean
anything, go by cubic feet per minute at a realistic pressure 90 PSI
is a good one, that is the pressure most air tools are used at,
What you use it for is up to you of course, but if your use is mainly
sanding, than that is one expensive sander to buy and to run, just
IMO.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

On Mar 19, 5:32 am, "George Saridakis" wrote:
Hi Folks,

I am looking at
Grex air tools from Packard
Craftsman Professional 60 gal. Air Compressor, 2.9 hp, Vertical Tank,
Twin-V 2-Stage Oil Free Pump (I figure I could repair an oil free unit if
need be)

Anyone have experience with these?

thanks
George

as others said, don't even look at the HP, look at CFM at some reasonable
pressure - I have a Quincy compressor with a 5 hp motor - it puts out
(according to the manual) 21 CFM at 160 PSI, and I have my old compressor, a
crafstman 2 hp unit that puts out 7.2 cfm at 60 psi (according to my
memory). The 2 hp crafstman puts out almost double what many of the new
cheapie "5 hp" units put out. I use my compressor for all sorts of things
beyond running an air sander (I could argue with those who said go electric
but I won't, let's jsut say I won't go electric), I run a bead blaster, I
run a paint sprayer, air drill, and so on - my sandblaster uses the most
air, most other things the compressor cycles on and off fairly infrequently.
The sears unit though would run continuously when I was painting (cars) and
eventually cracked a ring (and as others said, it's an easy overhaul - just
like a lawn mower engine, but without a valve train). (hey, if you are on
the left coast, do you want a nice compressor?) if you have the space, look
for a "real" compressor like a Quincy, that can run all day, every day for
decades - you get better air (dryer), more pressure/volume for your HP, and
more reliability - downside - compressor weighs about 800 pounds (upside to
that, no one is going to steal it out of my shop)


"George Saridakis" wrote in message
news:YMsLh.7118$dG.6353@trndny08...
Hi Folks,

I am looking at
Grex air tools from Packard
Craftsman Professional 60 gal. Air Compressor, 2.9 hp, Vertical Tank,
Twin-V 2-Stage Oil Free Pump (I figure I could repair an oil free unit if
need be)

Anyone have experience with these?

thanks
George




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

" wrote:

as for the HP, just like others have mentioned, they don't mean
anything, go by cubic feet per minute at a realistic pressure 90 PSI
is a good one, that is the pressure most air tools are used at,


And make sure they mean Sustained Use. Having a compressor take a deep
breath in the middle of something is not good. Which means you also have to
look at the tank size.