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If it says this is a kids review objective ignore it. I am not a kid I honest did not feel like logging in.
I have owned this air compressor for about two years now and it was worth every penny. The compressor is gracious, So far I have hasten my compressor about 100 hours thus far. It has always supplied my with an broad amount of air when using air tools except if I hasten my impact for 10 minuets continuously then it drops to 70 psi. I would recommend this compressor to any one with out hesitation. I turned it on two years ago and it has been on ever sense it kicks on about every hour because there is a leak I have not fixed in my air system. As to the previous reviewer he is fat of bull. And as to the allegations that it is cheap and would not acquire up to extended runs I routinely hurry It for 3 to 8 hours at a time continuously and have done so at least a dozen times in the summer on 90+ days. Yes it puts of a lot of heat but if you do the math PV=nRt you will leer that a lot of heat is given off compressing that noteworthy air. Yet with all this heat it has never caused it to malfunction, and the motor has a thermal over load/over heat button which has never tript on mine even after 8 hours in the summer. As well as the complaints as to the power of the motor if they were good that would mean that the motor was only 30% efficient thus it would be putting out 2320 watts of heat which it is not. It is drawing more than enough power for 4 HP even with efficiency factored in so it is putting out at least 3 HP. As well as the quandary with the lack of rod bearings. They don't have them because there is no map to score a round ball bearing on to the crankshaft with out cutting them in half. As well as every exiguous engine I have rebuilt and ever car engine I have seen they have had nothing more than the rod bolted around the crankshaft without any bearing of any kind. Finally the sing with the valves being cheap..... Why do you need to effect it more complicated if it works reliably with such a simple valve. Also in response to the allegations that the tank was going to over pressurize If the switch failed and it continued to accelerate there is a spring loaded safety valve on the power switch on the compressor so it is not possible to over pressurize it, mine hits about 133 before it kicks off. It is an superb portion of equipment I highly recommend it.
This air compressor is identical to my Ingersoll Rand SS3L3 compressor that I purchased through Northern Tool in the early summer of 2005. This is the first air compressor that I have ever owned, so it was a learning experience from the begin.
It is recommended that you remove the IR SS3L3 startup kit as the compressor is delivered to you without any oil in it. In some cases the warranty is not helpful unless you have purchased the startup kit.
One thing I immediately noticed was that the pressure switch was flimsy. When I plugged in the compressor to test it out, I found that the motor continued to accelerate even as the gauge on the tank passed 130 psi. As it creeped closer to 135 psi (the limit printed on the tank), I pulled the straggle. I ordered a modern switch from Ingersoll Rand for ~ $35 and this fixed the scrape. Perhaps I could have made a warranty claim, but it was easier to order the switch as there is an authorized IR dealer nearby and I had the switch within 2 days.
I ran the compressor off and on for several months without any major issues. I worn it for several things... a limited bit of die grinding, I rotated the tires on my car using the impact wrench and air ratchet, I former it to blow dust off my work bench and check the air in my tires on a routine basis. I bought the compressor because I have several project cars, and I would like to start the serious work of restoring them. Recently, I have been looking at plans for a sandblasting cabinet, and I am starting to doubt that this compressor will stand up to the task of sand blasting for extended periods. Things I have learned about the compressor since its acquire that have led me to this conclusion:
1. This unit uses a 3 HP "split phase" motor, which can be rush on a standard 30A 230V household outlet - it draws about 15A during continuous duty. (I swap between my compressor and my dryer on the only 230V outlet in my house) . The motor does not output a honest 3 HP at all times. At startup the motor may reach its 3 peak horsepower, but during normal operation it may only be outputting half that power, so in truth it is essentially a 1.5 HP motor. This borderline counterfeit advertising is similar to peak and RMS power ratings in audio amplifiers, though it is fairly standard operating design to rate motors in this fashion. It is not a inquire of of efficiency - it is an intended feature built into the windings of the motor.
2. The motor runs at 3450 RPM. Though it is quieter than a relate drive unit like the 30 gallon compressors sold at most hardware stores, 3450 RPM is unexcited quite snappy. With the pulley ratios, the compressor crank spins at 1200 RPM. Heavier duty systems might have the AC motor running at 1200-1750 RPM with the compressor running at ~700 RPM or less, resulting in a noteworthy quieter setup. If I could do it over, I would believe a slower, beefier unit with a suitable power rating that runs at a slower, more still run.
3. There is apparently no available rebuild kit for the compressor itself, according to the local IR dealer, though they do sell gaskets and the oiling kit. It is a very simple originate, consisting of essentially three parts; a cylinder head, cylinder block, and crankcase. It is a two cylinder, single stage compressor. The "valves" in the head are what I own are called "reed valves", which are simply spring loaded "fingers" that mask holes in the cylinder head, and they go with the blowing/sucking of air as the pistons depart in the cylinders (no mechanical actuation of the valves) . The pistons are aluminum, and though I measured, I don't remember the diameter... something on the order of 60 mm. The rods are also aluminum, and there are no rod bearings. The crankshaft is cast iron machined at the journals, and the aluminum rods rotate on the crank without any rod bearings. The crankcase does not have a removeable oil pan, and the cylinder block bolts to the crankcase. I was somewhat disappointed to search for the absence of rod bearings and the employ of aluminum rods.
4. The compressor can accelerate fairly hot, especially when pressurizing the tank from zero pressure. I would like to add an intercooler in line to the tank as the compressed air is quite hot, and I mediate the compressor itself could exercise some more cooling. I bought some copper to fab up a larger heat sink for the compressor housing, though I haven't made it yet. I assume this will accomplish the unit hasten worthy cooler, and therefore extend its life. The flywheel on the compressor is designed to proceed air over the unit, but I smooth believe the produce needs improvement.
5. There is a flimsy petcock drain valve in the bottom of the tank that is difficult to access. It is irritatingly slight, difficult to approach, and awfully flimsy. I have not yet installed a regulator and filter in the system, and I haven't checked how remarkable condensation has detached in the tank. I would like to replace this drain valve, if possible, though I have been putting this off simply because I don't want to lay down on the floor and fiddle with it. (Note: Added 10/10/06 - I added a Swagelok fair angle 1/4" male NPT to 1/4" tube adaptor to this drain orifice, then plumbed 1/4" tubing out from under the tank and connected this to a ball valve. I angled the tubing downward so that condensation is sprayed in aesthetic patterns on the floor. On any given day I release about 1/4 cup of oily, rusty, watery residue. This makes me want to install a condensor between the compressor and tank) .
6. I have made several trips to the hardware store to score the just fittings to fetch the unit running properly, though most fittings were readily available. It seems to me that a lot of the fittings on the system are kind of cheap, though I am faded to the Swagelok fittings that I expend at work, which are expensive and well worth the brand. Copper tubing is ancient to route compressed air from the compressor to the tank, and I mediate some improvements could be made there, as well.
(Note: Point #7 added 10/13/06)
7. The oil reservoir drain dash is on the bottom of the crank case, however this is no practical procedure to drain the oil without spilling it all over the top of the tank. One could select the compressor to change the oil, but a better soultion would be to insert a ball valve in the oil drain slump for easy draining. I have not yet done this, as I'm procrastinating over the indispensable oil spill that will arrive with project. I suspect that the threading on the oil prance is standard NPT like all of the other fittings on the tank - possible 1/4" or 3/8".
IR sells the SS5L5, which uses the same 60 gallon tank, but a 5 HP split phase 3450 RPM motor running a different two piston single stage compressor. For someone considering more power, this unit is tranquil quite affordable, but it will smooth have some of the drawbacks of this system. It turns out that 5 HP is about the most one can glean out of a 30A single phase 230V household circuit without flipping breakers.
My biggest complaints are the utilize of the split phase motor, the relatively cheap build of the compressor (aluminum rods and lack of rod bearings), the flimsy pressure switch, and the cheap fittings obsolete all over the machine. I will continue to exhaust this unit for some time, but I am already considering either building my contain crude RPM, fair 4-5 HP air compressor from various parts suppliers, or impartial purchasing a current one from a company like Eaton Compressor. Ingersoll Rand makes the Type 30 series which is a step above the SS series, and I have considered these units as well, but I would almost feel safer building the unit on my have so that I know exactly what is going into it.
For someone that needs something better than the cheap 30 gallon lisp drive units sold at most hardware stores, this unit is more than adequate. However, if you are considering something for medium-heavy duty, you might want to contemplate something with a miniature more quality, and therefore more cost. Like houses, I assume sterling advice for someone looking to grasp an air compressor is "retract the most you can afford". I for one like the opinion of a compressor running at a detached 750 RPM at a mere 73 dBa, as opposed to my high revving 1200 RPM SS3L3.
(Note: Added 10/10/06 -- As far as safety is concerned, this item will never blow up and harm anyone - IR has installed safety valves all over this tank as the other reviewer mentioned. IR would never permit such a liability to pass into the hands of the consumer, of course. Meanwhile, my criticisms of this unit are based on what I'd like to glance in a compressor, that is all. I concept I was paying for more than I got.)
And as a final imprint, I will say that IR has marvelous customer benefit. With authorized IR dealers all over the country, getting parts (like gaskets, pressure switches, and oiling kits) is resplendent painless.
I'm in the process of building a kit car in a one car garage. I needed a grand enough compressor to hasten a DA sander and paint sprayer, which can be air hogs, but purchase up runt floor dwelling. Cost for performance, you can't beat 10.3 CFM @ 135 PSI in a vertical package. Be advised of a few things:
1. This unit uses 220 volt power, best to hard wire it in.
2. Order the open up kit, you need the oil, and you obtain an extended warranty from IR on the pump.
