Dang!

Vaughn McMillan

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Saw an ad this evening in the local Pennysaver for a 3hp 60 gallon Kellogg-American compressor. Asking price was $200. I've been watching for a real compressor, because my little 5hp (yeah, right) 18 gallon Auto Zone buzzmaster really isn't made to power my pneumatic sander. Called the guy up to confirm it was a real 3 hp, and it was indeed a 220v two-stage industrial compressor. He said it was old, but in good working shape, with a relatively new motor. I don't have 220v power to my shop, but it's coming soon, so I figured this would be a good start to the new, upgraded shop.

Drove down to the guy's house tonight...he had it running when I got there, and it purred like a two-stage kitten. It was in super shape, and didn't look nearly as old as he made it sound. As soon as I saw the compressor, though, I realized I had forgotten to ask a critical question. Dummy me, I had just assumed that it was a vertical compressor. Turns out it was a horizontal compressor, and not 60 gallons but 80 gallons. There's absolutely no way I can squeeze a compressor that size into my overpacked shop. I also don't have a good space outside the garage to build a compressor shed big enough to hold it. As much as it killed me, I had to turn down the deal. :(

Still ended up visiting with the guy for nearly an hour. I do believe he could talk the ears off a stalk of corn. Real nice retired Air Force guy who told stories inside of stories inside of even more stories. :rolleyes: Something like: "That saw over there, I got from my brother in law. Well, he used to be in the autobody business in Montana, and up there they had a hardware store called...uh, I don't remember. Anyway, that hardware store was next door to the diner where I met my wife. I was stationed up there in 1979, and we were running a ...." and on and on and on. :p
 
:doh::doh::doh:...
I would have parked the car outside and made room in the garage...:eek:

:rofl:
All four vehicles are already outside. Heck, I'd have put the compressor in the driveway if SWMBO would allow it. :p I just need to keep my eyes open for a decent two-stage vertical in the 40 to 60 gallon range. I don't need tons of tank capacity, but I'd like the pump to be able to keep up with my sander. Something with a continuous duty motor. I'll just keep trying to burn up my little one until the right one comes my way.
 
I think I need to move to some place where those "Good Deals" come up on some decent equipment.:( The only things that ever come up out here iseither JUNK or occasionally some industrial cast off that has been used so hard that it's really only good for scrap iron. Maybe you should have just loaded it in your pickin up truk, hauled it home and then built a shed over it in the Truk.:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
I'd have found a way to fit that one in for that price, man, you most likely have LOTS of space, not to mention that the compressor does NOT have to live in the same room as the workshop, you could put it outside with a sound deadening cover on it, and just plumb the shop from there for air.

:D
 
I'd have found a way to fit that one in for that price, man, you most likely have LOTS of space, not to mention that the compressor does NOT have to live in the same room as the workshop, you could put it outside with a sound deadening cover on it, and just plumb the shop from there for air.

:D
Trust me, if there was a way I could get LOML to agree to an outbuilding or some other cover, it'd be at my house now. Heck, I'd put it at the neighbor's house if I could get away with it. :doh:This thing was not as small as the one in Greg's pic looks. I'm guessing about 7 feet long, and about chest-high at the air filter on top.
 
Trust me, if there was a way I could get LOML to agree to an outbuilding or some other cover, it'd be at my house now. Heck, I'd put it at the neighbor's house if I could get away with it. :doh:This thing was not as small as the one in Greg's pic looks. I'm guessing about 7 feet long, and about chest-high at the air filter on top.

Hey Vaughn, wouldn't your LOML like a new 4 sided Grape Arbor in the back yard? (guess what would be in the middle of it, complete with underground piping to the garage..er shop). When it fired up and she asked what that noise was, you could just say it was an automatic Bird disperser to keep them away from the grapes. :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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...you could just say it was an automatic Bird disperser to keep them away from the grapes. :rofl::rofl::rofl:
The bird disperser would be a deal breaker for sure. :D She loves her hummingbirds, and we've got 'em hooked like crack addicts on LOML's sugar water. She goes through about 5 pounds of sugar a day. We've got LOTS of hummingbirds.

Not long after we moved in, I tried very hard to convince her we should build a storage shed in the back yard. (There was already a nice one in place when we moved in...I wanted to add a second one.) She was very adamantly against the idea, because the back yard is one of her favorite spaces on the property. She didn't want it cluttered up with a shed. As a result, we pay monthly rent at a storage place so I can have the garage for my shop. If I could fit the compressor on the side of the house, I could probably talk her into it, but it's just physically too wide to fit and still allow the necessary access to the gate.

Oh well, sooner or later the right one will come along. If my current one burns up before I find a good used one, I'll buck up and buy a good new one. I really don't need one with this big of tank.
 
Not to sound like I am talking down to you here, but why didn't you take the compressor then try to finagle a deal with another woodworker or whatever to trade for a vertical compressor...or sell it for an inflated price and buy a verticle compressor that was smaller and perhaps new? Do you see what I am getting at. Having nothing (which is what you ended up doing) gave you nothing in which to barter, beg or trade for something that would work better.
 
Not to sound like I am talking down to you here, but why didn't you take the compressor then try to finagle a deal with another woodworker or whatever to trade for a vertical compressor...or sell it for an inflated price and buy a verticle compressor that was smaller and perhaps new? Do you see what I am getting at. Having nothing (which is what you ended up doing) gave you nothing in which to barter, beg or trade for something that would work better.
Travis, that thought has occurred to me too, and I've not yet ruled it out completely. I'll have to wait to see how my shop remodeling shakes out, and see if SWMBO could live with a large tarped air compressor in the driveway for a while. I also toyed with the idea of buying a vertical tank and figuring out a way to use the compressor head and motor from the old one. Not sure I want that big of project right now.
 
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