Bird, Thanks for the info and your attempt to get yet more info. My "Craftsman" two stage is running fine now since Dave's remote intervention.
The DeVilbiss 30 gal on wheels is a single stage oilless. It is in the 15-20 year age range as best I recall (definitely at least 10) It is the one that isn't working right. Eventually I will open it up and take a look.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
Egon, I just hope I get as much service out of the Craftsman/DeVilbiss two stage oilless as I got out of the wheel mounted 30 gal DeVilbiss single stage oilless. I'll consider what type to get to replace it after it dies and is not economical to repair. In retrospect, I'd guess that a good oil type might last longer than an oil free. I remain skeptical about "lifetime sealed no-maint-required bearings."
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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In retrospect, I'd guess that a good oil type might last longer than an oil free.
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According to the Industrial Air dealer I got my Puma from, and who was also a DeVilbiss dealer, the oiled compressors should last about TEN times as long as an oilless. For "occasional" use, as I did with my 2 gallon oilless DeVilbiss in the RV when we were full time RVers; no problem. But when I bought the place in the country and got a 30 gallon Craftsman (clearly labelled that it was made by DeVilbiss), the longest it ever lasted between overhauls was 8 months. But with oiled compressors, I've never had to tear into one of my own.
This is sort of hijacking the thread, but...
Pat mentioned, "is not economical to repair".
So, at what point do ya'll consider something not worth repairing? 50% of the cost to buy a new one? 75%? I am of the opinion that if the item was good, and the repair/ rebuild will last for some time, it is worth quite a bit of the cost that a new one would fetch.
Not too long ago I replaced the metal tape in a tape measure. I had to go to the manufacturer for it (no store carried it), and it was $1 less than buying a whole new tape measure. But the new one's case no longer came in the color I had, and I didn't want to send a perfectly good chunk of plastic to the landfill. Was that an economically smart move on my part? What with the time involved to get the part and make the repair; no. Maybe that tape had some sentimental value-- after all, we had been through a lot of projects together.
Maybe my father has it figured out. He was the guy who taught me how to repair things. Now that he's retired, and it would seem he has a lot of time (another story), he just throws the broken one away and buys a new one. Might be that he grew tired of fixin' stuff.
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
at what point do ya'll consider something not worth repairing
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When I was in the air tool repair business, some customer wanted an estimate before repairs and that was fine with me. But the majority of my customers did not request estimates. However, if the cost to repair was 50% or more of the cost of a new tool, I always called the customer first. Some wanted them fixed; some didn't. And I'm about the same with my own equipment. At 50%, I have to think about it and decide; more than 50% I'll probably replace it.
Bird, My currently sick DeVilbiss is at least 10 years old and probably in the 15-20 bracket. It has never done anything but run fine except the drain petcock got a bit cranky and required tools instead of fingers. If I get the service out of the two stage Craftsman/DeVilbiss I got out of the portable I will be happy with it. Depending on how long it lasts I can't say if I would replace it with an oil free or get a "good" one.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
Pat, we both know there are always exceptions to every rule. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] When we sold everything on the farm and had to move back to town, temporarily in an apartment, I knew I had to have some kind of small compressor, and while I'd had no problems in the RV with the little 2 gallon oilless DeVilbiss from Lowe's, I knew I'd prefer an oiled compressor, so I bought this little toy at Sears in the middle of 2002. Three years later, when we bought this house, I bought a bigger compressor and gave that little one to my youngest daughter and it's still working fine. However, about the same time that I bought that little compressor, our older daughter's husband bought one just like it, primarily to run a staple and brad gun. His broke down in about a month. I'm not sure what happened to it, but he returned it for credit toward a bigger one. So oiled vs. oilless ain't the only consideration. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
[img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] Drat! I couldn't get the picture of that compressor to load in, but it was probably the little direct-drive type with a pancake tank? Or maybe side-by-side tanks? ANYWAY, .... in my humble opinion, what matters most in the long term is not oil or oil less, but RPM! Yep, the slow chuckers will win that race every time. A Two-cylinder vertical or vee model single stage will outlast a rotary, and a vertical or vee two-stage will outlast a single stage. I'm running about 950 RPM on my big Devilbiss in the shop and my portable direct drive Campbell Hausfeld rotary runs 3450. So I guess my CH rotary is oil less? I bought it at auction and all I've ever done is plug it in. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]
CJDave
"So oiled vs. oilless ain't the only consideration." - Bird
Right again! Quality and robustness should figure in there somewhere. Since I paid under $400 (On sale at the OKC Sears outlet store) for my 60 gal 175 PSI two stage oilless, I can't expect it to last forever in severe service (Hopefully mine will not be THAT severe.) If it gives me any where near the service of the 30 gal portable DeVilbiss it will have been a bargain. If it dies prematurely I may buy a belt drive oil type compressor to retrofit to the tank and controller. The 60 gal two stage is direct drive.
Another issue is the sort of plop plop sound the old oil type compressors made, not as distinct as a laboratory vacuum pump but still easily discernible. Given a choice, I'd like to hear the nostalgic plop plop.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
Bird I got one of those 3 gallon jobs it seems to do just fine but I don't work it too hard.
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