Upgraded the Shop Air Compressor (FOR REAL THIS TIME)

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

Okay, this is a long story that starts on a weekend a couple years ago. 

I was in the shop working another seven day trying to get jobs done and my compressor died.  The air is used for tool changes on the five mills I currently have under power, and three machines use an air seal or air shield around the spindle to keep coolant and chips from getting into the spindle.  I can't run without air. 

I couldn't find a motor big enough for that old store brand compressor for sale anywhere that was open on the weekend, so I started shopping for a new compressor.  Tractor Supply had an Ingersol Rand 5HP 2 stage at what seemed like a pretty good price.  Better than some of the store brands in that size.  I bought it online for pickup and headed over to the store where they loaded it onto my truck. 

I bought into their extended warranty with on-site service as well.  I figured I didn't want to be out of service and have to drop a chunk of cash again like that. 

It was a bit of a chore.  I made my own reinforced vibration damping pads and sank dead heads into the concrete floor when I installed the old store brand.  Of course, the new IR was bigger, and four feet instead of three. After making new pads, setting new dead heads, muscling out the old compressor, and muscling the new bigger one I was ready... nope.  None of the plumbing hooked up or lined up. 

By mid-day on Sunday I was getting frustrated, but after what would be quitting time on a normal day, I finally dropped mold blanks on a couple machines and got one order machined. 

The compressor seemed to be great... for a little over a year.  Just out of the manufacturer warranty it cooked a motor. I contacted the extended warranty company, and after a few days learned they didn't even have somebody in the area who could service the compressor.  If anything it was more stressful than the last time I lost a compressor.  Finally I gave up and ordered a motor from a motor supplier, and eventually they found somebody who would work on my compressor.  I already had it running, but I wanted what I paid for.  I made them come up with a new motor, and when the motor didn't even have the correct shaft size I made them come up with a pulley hub for it.  Somewhere in there the service company had told Asurion the repair was complete (a couple weeks out) and they had still never even visited my shop.  Just made excuses. 

Anyway I eventually did get the new motor and the new motor hub... and I had to turn over the burned up motor.  (That last part is important.) 

I also at some point wound up on the phone with somebody from Ingersol Rand who let me know that every part of that compressor had bene specified by Tractor Supply.  My conclusion from that is IR whored out their name to sell some compressors to Tractor Supply out of the cheapest combination of parts possible to meet a price point.  That's not the worst of it. 


In the middle of all that I started searching around to find the US Motors motor on that compressor had a reputation for failure, letting out the magic smoke, and in atleast one case catching on fire. 

The motor I bought started tripping its thermal overload regularly.  On a busy day in the shop sometimes several times in one day.  I downsized the pulley to reduce the load on the motor twice, and it started tripping less often, but it still tripped.  Okay, maybe I got a bad motor, so I switched out to the one from the service company, and it started tripping the breaker, so I downsized the pulley on it.  Eventually to the smallest pulley I had been using on the other motor.  It was maybe (maybe) a little better, but it would still trip the thermal overload periodically. 

I got to thinking about it, and I don't see how the original motor ran for a year... and then I had a moment.  I bet the thermal protector in that motor was defective or disabled.  Of course since I had to turn it over instead of putting it on my recycle stack I can't check it, but if I was a betting man I'd bet IR or US Motors did it on purpose to keep the compressor running.  It would explain why so many of those motors burned up or in atleast one case caught on fire.  No working thermal protector would explain that. 

Anyway, my dad passed away earlier this year and I am in the process of cleaning out his shop.  He had a big 2 stage Campbell Hausfeld compressor in his shop, and my plan is to bring it to my shop before I sell the property.  Its a bit of a chore.  A bit like last time I swapped out my big stationary compressor.  Plus loading by hand, the long drive, and probably having the shop shut down for two days.  I noticed the Campbell Hausfeld has 7.5 HP motor on it.  Anyway, I haven't swapped out compressors yet. 

Yeah, they all must have known that 5HP motor from US Motors Mexico plant was inadequate for the job.  I found a temporary solution.  I bought a 7.5HP motor for the Ingersol Rand and swapped out the motor again.  I put the original large pulley on the new motor, bought a hub adapter, and wired it up.  It was a bit of a chore setting belt tension, but it starts easy and fills fast.  It's the same rated RPM as all the old motors, but it sure seemed like it filled FASTER even than the original motor did with the same large pulley. 

I think it was always under powered... and they all knew it.  I think the thermal protector on the original motor was bad or disabled... and at least some of them knew it.   



The sad part?  I think if they had used a 7.5HP motor and adjusted the price accordingly in the first place it would actually been a good deal instead of just seeming like it.  I still plan to bring the compressor from my dad's shop and keep it as a backup.  I'll leave a smaller compressor out there in case I need one for working on stuff before I get the property ready to sell. 

AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T GET YOUR MOLD CUT THIS AFTERNOON.   

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

It Just Doesn't Freaking Stop!!!

... or rather it does stop, but not when you expect.

Yes, I am talking about that Craptor Supply / Craptersol Rank air compressor again.

I put in a full day in the shop yesterday.  I was done, playing on the computer and sipping on an ice tea when I heard the compressor kick on and then kick immediately back off again.

I said the heck with that shit, turned off the contacter and headed in the house.  This morning I found nothing obviously wrong, but it wouldn't start.  The breaker was tripped in the sub panel.  I played with various ideas on soft starting the compressor, but decided to check the next obvious likely problem first.

I cycled the compressor on and turned it off.  There was no hiss.  I grabbed a wrench, loosened the line... and there was the hiss.  The unloader has failed.  Cold the motor has enough juice to start the compressor, but after running all day in a hot shop with 113-117F outdoors (more in direct sunlight) beating down on a metal roof the resistance was just to high.  I can run for a few days the way it is, but I am about to order a new contacter and unloader.  I suppose I should make sure I have a spare check valve on hand too.  Yes you can sometimes clean check valves, but it usually doesn't last long.

Any day I expect the bung to blow out the bottom of the tank, or the compressor to throw a rod through the block.

In my opinion based on my experience Ingersol Rand and Tractor Supply colluded to defraud customers with this abomination.