they have one of these where I work. it takes forever to pump up, and the regulator does not allow much flow. No good for inflating large truck tires. It's a POS.
@kuvuakoj I believe the black compressors are better quality (a little more money) a 20 gallon tank will run most air tools on a limited basis. If you do heavy work you will need a shop compressor (60-80 gallon). I run an impact gun on a pancake compressor to bust tires loose, you just have to wait for the air to recover. Air tools are only as good as the compressor used to run them. If you run synthetic oil in a HF compressor, it will last much longer than using cheap oil.
people buy things from harbor freight and say they are junk most off the time when you take care of your tools and treat them how you should they will take care of you im only 15 and probably have over 10K invested in my tools.
@redneckrollercoast1 People go to Harbor Freight looking to save money, I have some of their tools and you get what you pay for. I bought this compressor just for extra air storage and it does OK for the $160 I paid. This was a better option than buying a large shop compressor. I agree that if you take care of your tools they will last a long time.
we have one of these same compressors. i bumped the air pressure up from 105 to 120 and the diaphram blew thru. we rep[laced the shutoff/unloader valve for 20 bucks from grainger.i also put a higher pressure safety blow off. the regulator is useless and restricts air flow so i removed it.
great video-question though, I've had the same unit about a year now and just developed a problem. My compressor keeps running but doesn't get past 40psi. I don't hear any air leaks but was hoping you had a suggestion?
@hotelgm07 There is a check valve that keeps the tank pressure from loading the pump, it may be bad and I have heard it gives a lot of trouble. Try using a better quality part... You can get most compressor parts and do your own plumbing. I have had no problems with my unit but I normally use it as a back-up pump and additional air storage.
the cut in and cut off switch is adjustable with a min difference of 30 and max of i think 50 mine kept shitting off at 98 psi so i took it apart and made it so it cuts in at 90 and cuts out a 120 psi
I bought this air compressor a while back on sale and agree that this is a pretty good compressor. I didn't have the problems that you did, but I did notice my impact wrenches don't work very well. I'll try your suggestions of increasing the pressure. Thanks for the review.
i purchased the same compressor from the same place 3/12/10 guess what happened 4/10/11 yesterday after sitting in my garage and being used ''fired up'' about 12 times in the year and one month i owned it, it stopped compressing air it will only get up too about 25psi on the tank gauge they new when they sold it. it was posatively crap the one year warranty is for the tank all other parts are 90 days READ IT!! WHAt a worm i wonder why there are only negative statements.HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS SUCK
POS! lol i have that compressor and when i plugged it in i was amazed at how loud it is...supper loud and cant keep up with any tools, i did hook it up to a bigger tank to help it out but when i can i will deff upgrade to a better one....somtimes it wont work so i just shut it off and take a break and then try again later.
Good video. Was that manufacturing machining metal dust that needs to drained then refilled after the first few hours of use to prolong pump life? Or is it ok to trust the factory and fill with oil then change at recommended hour of run time?
@Capture1776 Any new compressor (or small engine) will make metal as the pump (or engine) breaks in, it is from machined surfaces that will polish smooth as the pump runs and it is normal. By draining the oil, it purges the abrasive metal chips from your equipment regardless of the brand of oil. Most compressors for home use require SAE 30 Non-Detergent motor oil or a suitable air compressor oil. I use Amsoil because it is synthetic and reduces heat & wear under demanding conditions.
awesome video! I have had 2 of these, the first one a few years ago when they where black, the shut off circuitry blew up on that after warrentee and no longer functioned.. a year later I take it to harborfreight and they let me buy a extended warrentee and swap it for me with this red one.
I have painted a car with it, and thought it runs out of breath too fast for that, but I did knot know about this pressure adjustment you mentioned in the video. I will check this out and also change the oil
@streetphase You can also buy a better quality pressure switch and hook it up. I am getting ready to paint my car and I wanted more air tank and I was concerned the compressor would not keep up and that is why I bought a second compressor. The SCFM rating is the air delivery rate and most tools require 4X the tool rating. Change the oil often and the compressor will last a long time regardless of the name on it. I prefer synthetic oil because that is what IR sells for industrial use.
Finally, an honest review from someone who knows what they are talking about. Good job! I get so sick and tired of people ragging on Harbor Freight tools because they are Chinese and the quality control is not up to par with their Dewalt tools. You are getting a great deal people! Most of the time it is a simple fix, if any, and then you have an excellent tool that will last many years. I bought a store return Harbor Freight generator for $30 today! All I had to do was replace the spark plug.
I gotcha. Thanks for the response, That's exactly what I was looking for...some real world use times. Sounds like this one will work fine for my use. Thanks again.
@hendu3270 Some air tools consume more air than a home compressor can deliver, the die grinder, cut off tool, etc all use a lot of air. I have the same problem with my body sanders and this is why I am putting two compressors together.
Great video! I've been eying this same compressor for the past few months. Currently I have a small hotdog style compressor that runs the various nail guns I have but it just won't keep up with an impact wrench, 1/4" die grinder or my cut off tool. What kind of tools will you be running with this one dollman0? If you'll be using any of the tools listed above, any chance you'd be able to hook one of them up & run it till the comp motor kicks in so we could see how long the air supply will run it?
@hendu3270 I am using a DA sander and it consumes 17 CFM, your die grinder will be the same. The two compressors I have will put out around 5 CFM each, that gives me 10-11 CFM and 40 gallons of air to run tools. I run a IR231 impact gun and 20 gallons will do about anything you need to do, it will hammer a good 20 seconds before it runs out of air. Most shops have a serious duty air compressor and it is well beyond the means of a consumer.
Were the instructions under the plastic cover or are they written on the top ? My friend has the same one with a low pressure setting but he is afraid to reset it do to the warning on the top.
@ncrdisabled Remove the small screw and the plastic cover, flip it over and there is a decal under the cover. There is a metal screw in the center near one end and a plastic screw, turn the metal screw to bump up the high and low pressure. the plastic screw will only raise the high setting per the instructions.... Be sure not to go past 120 or the safety will pop. If you need a short video of how to do this, I may consider doing this for people who are unfamiliar with pressure switches.
they have one of these where I work. it takes forever to pump up, and the regulator does not allow much flow. No good for inflating large truck tires. It's a POS.
KrankieV2 2 weeks ago
i was thinking about buy one like that, how is it on impact guns, i need for for fixing car
kuvuakoj 5 months ago
@kuvuakoj I believe the black compressors are better quality (a little more money) a 20 gallon tank will run most air tools on a limited basis. If you do heavy work you will need a shop compressor (60-80 gallon). I run an impact gun on a pancake compressor to bust tires loose, you just have to wait for the air to recover. Air tools are only as good as the compressor used to run them. If you run synthetic oil in a HF compressor, it will last much longer than using cheap oil.
dollman0 5 months ago
people buy things from harbor freight and say they are junk most off the time when you take care of your tools and treat them how you should they will take care of you im only 15 and probably have over 10K invested in my tools.
redneckrollercoast1 6 months ago
@redneckrollercoast1 People go to Harbor Freight looking to save money, I have some of their tools and you get what you pay for. I bought this compressor just for extra air storage and it does OK for the $160 I paid. This was a better option than buying a large shop compressor. I agree that if you take care of your tools they will last a long time.
dollman0 5 months ago
Thanks for the review. I am considering buying one. How long does it take to fill the tank up?
Thanks
boatbros23 7 months ago
@boatbros23 It takes around 3 min depending upon the pressure
dollman0 6 months ago
we have one of these same compressors. i bumped the air pressure up from 105 to 120 and the diaphram blew thru. we rep[laced the shutoff/unloader valve for 20 bucks from grainger.i also put a higher pressure safety blow off. the regulator is useless and restricts air flow so i removed it.
robby844 7 months ago
I just did a video on mine if you'd like to see it. Thanks again for the really nice review!
snarlingrabiddog5150 7 months ago
Just got it today. I LOVE it! Thanks again for the review!
snarlingrabiddog5150 7 months ago
You just sold me on this unit. I'm buying it tomorrow :) Thanks for the great review!
snarlingrabiddog5150 7 months ago
great video-question though, I've had the same unit about a year now and just developed a problem. My compressor keeps running but doesn't get past 40psi. I don't hear any air leaks but was hoping you had a suggestion?
hotelgm07 7 months ago
@hotelgm07 There is a check valve that keeps the tank pressure from loading the pump, it may be bad and I have heard it gives a lot of trouble. Try using a better quality part... You can get most compressor parts and do your own plumbing. I have had no problems with my unit but I normally use it as a back-up pump and additional air storage.
dollman0 7 months ago
the cut in and cut off switch is adjustable with a min difference of 30 and max of i think 50 mine kept shitting off at 98 psi so i took it apart and made it so it cuts in at 90 and cuts out a 120 psi
joeyf504327 8 months ago
I bought this air compressor a while back on sale and agree that this is a pretty good compressor. I didn't have the problems that you did, but I did notice my impact wrenches don't work very well. I'll try your suggestions of increasing the pressure. Thanks for the review.
hankhill2 10 months ago
i purchased the same compressor from the same place 3/12/10 guess what happened 4/10/11 yesterday after sitting in my garage and being used ''fired up'' about 12 times in the year and one month i owned it, it stopped compressing air it will only get up too about 25psi on the tank gauge they new when they sold it. it was posatively crap the one year warranty is for the tank all other parts are 90 days READ IT!! WHAt a worm i wonder why there are only negative statements.HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS SUCK
lbwoihe01 11 months ago
POS! lol i have that compressor and when i plugged it in i was amazed at how loud it is...supper loud and cant keep up with any tools, i did hook it up to a bigger tank to help it out but when i can i will deff upgrade to a better one....somtimes it wont work so i just shut it off and take a break and then try again later.
Staxrax 1 year ago
Good video. Was that manufacturing machining metal dust that needs to drained then refilled after the first few hours of use to prolong pump life? Or is it ok to trust the factory and fill with oil then change at recommended hour of run time?
Capture1776 1 year ago
@Capture1776 Any new compressor (or small engine) will make metal as the pump (or engine) breaks in, it is from machined surfaces that will polish smooth as the pump runs and it is normal. By draining the oil, it purges the abrasive metal chips from your equipment regardless of the brand of oil. Most compressors for home use require SAE 30 Non-Detergent motor oil or a suitable air compressor oil. I use Amsoil because it is synthetic and reduces heat & wear under demanding conditions.
dollman0 1 year ago
awesome video! I have had 2 of these, the first one a few years ago when they where black, the shut off circuitry blew up on that after warrentee and no longer functioned.. a year later I take it to harborfreight and they let me buy a extended warrentee and swap it for me with this red one.
I have painted a car with it, and thought it runs out of breath too fast for that, but I did knot know about this pressure adjustment you mentioned in the video. I will check this out and also change the oil
streetphase 1 year ago
@streetphase You can also buy a better quality pressure switch and hook it up. I am getting ready to paint my car and I wanted more air tank and I was concerned the compressor would not keep up and that is why I bought a second compressor. The SCFM rating is the air delivery rate and most tools require 4X the tool rating. Change the oil often and the compressor will last a long time regardless of the name on it. I prefer synthetic oil because that is what IR sells for industrial use.
dollman0 1 year ago
Finally, an honest review from someone who knows what they are talking about. Good job! I get so sick and tired of people ragging on Harbor Freight tools because they are Chinese and the quality control is not up to par with their Dewalt tools. You are getting a great deal people! Most of the time it is a simple fix, if any, and then you have an excellent tool that will last many years. I bought a store return Harbor Freight generator for $30 today! All I had to do was replace the spark plug.
h0ndaATC 1 year ago
I gotcha. Thanks for the response, That's exactly what I was looking for...some real world use times. Sounds like this one will work fine for my use. Thanks again.
hendu3270 1 year ago
@hendu3270 Some air tools consume more air than a home compressor can deliver, the die grinder, cut off tool, etc all use a lot of air. I have the same problem with my body sanders and this is why I am putting two compressors together.
dollman0 1 year ago
Great video! I've been eying this same compressor for the past few months. Currently I have a small hotdog style compressor that runs the various nail guns I have but it just won't keep up with an impact wrench, 1/4" die grinder or my cut off tool. What kind of tools will you be running with this one dollman0? If you'll be using any of the tools listed above, any chance you'd be able to hook one of them up & run it till the comp motor kicks in so we could see how long the air supply will run it?
hendu3270 1 year ago
@hendu3270 I am using a DA sander and it consumes 17 CFM, your die grinder will be the same. The two compressors I have will put out around 5 CFM each, that gives me 10-11 CFM and 40 gallons of air to run tools. I run a IR231 impact gun and 20 gallons will do about anything you need to do, it will hammer a good 20 seconds before it runs out of air. Most shops have a serious duty air compressor and it is well beyond the means of a consumer.
dollman0 1 year ago
Were the instructions under the plastic cover or are they written on the top ? My friend has the same one with a low pressure setting but he is afraid to reset it do to the warning on the top.
ncrdisabled 1 year ago
@ncrdisabled Remove the small screw and the plastic cover, flip it over and there is a decal under the cover. There is a metal screw in the center near one end and a plastic screw, turn the metal screw to bump up the high and low pressure. the plastic screw will only raise the high setting per the instructions.... Be sure not to go past 120 or the safety will pop. If you need a short video of how to do this, I may consider doing this for people who are unfamiliar with pressure switches.
dollman0 1 year ago