Thoughts on Central Pneumatic air compressors from harbor freight?

I have the fortress brand, a small one though and it's awesome. Super quiet. Not sure how big you need.

I want bigger than I’ve been using which is 13 gallon. I don’t need it to be very portable since I have my hoses running on the ceiling and to a hose reel that I use for my woodworking. It’s long enough and with extra hoses I can reach pretty much anything I need to. This is the one I was considering.
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Tractor Supply DeWalt

I've had this one for about two years now. Does great around the house. Keep an eye out for it to go on sale. I think I paid $375 for mine

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no “good” ones at Harbor Freight or even Tractor Supply.

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The Dewalt the guy linked at Tractor Supply looks good to me. Post a useful reply, why is that one not good?

Really have to look at what you need it for. For a lot of DIY stuff, a smaller 2-stage compressor will fit the bill. Kobalt 30-gallon 2-stage will do more than a low quality 1-stage 60-gallon unit even with a lower CFM rating. The higher tank pressure gives you more usable air and the recovery time should be reasonable. Plus you have the option of 120V or 240V wiring. I have a Makita 5500, single stage 5-gallon but with 6.5 SCFM @ 90psi so it keeps up with most smaller air tools and I've done small HVLP painting projects with it. Very durable too, use AMSoil compressor oil in it and no trouble with it starting on a cold day. That's another consideration with big oil-lube compressors, cheaper ones with cheap oil will draw more current when cold and will often exceed a 20A 120V circuit, which is why you would want a dedicated 240V circuit for any 60-gallon. If all you want is something for small tasks, I would look at CAT compressors. Durable, oil-free, and very quiet though they do cost some money.

i have a 10 gallon central pneumatic that is going on 8 years old. I have had to change a fitting or two but it has been a really good compressor. i do change the oil and drain the tank frequently.

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IR two stage Tractor Supply

Wrong.

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That IR is a peice of shite.

I know you have no way of knowing this, but i'll inform you that of all the compressors that IR makes throughout this country, more than half the warranty calls are from that piece of crap. It is without a doubt the worst piece of equipment that IR puts their red sticker on, and just about anyone who works for them will tell you they wished they'd stop making that only for Tractor Supply compressor.


All i said is that if you are going to be using your compressor regularly, as in daily, then you need a good one. A good one is an IR (anyone but the tractor supply one), Champion, or Quincy.
If you are just using it in your home shop from time to time for fun, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with a cheap one. There's nothing wrong with that Dewalt one for home use from time to time, although i don't really think that one is cheap, and is overpriced b/c it says Dewalt.

appreciate it, i'm already well invested in guns, hoses and fasteners though, haha

The Makita I have is probably as much as you need then though it's not an under $200 compressor. The SCFM for use with even a small HVLP gun is what's going to make it difficult for you to stay that low on the price range.

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On board hose and accessory storage is nice, I can wrap 100' of green Hitachi poly hose on it and keep the tire air chuck and a blow gun in the locking compartment.