Reviews seem to be fairly positive. My main compressor is a Craftsman which I am enjoying very much though it is too loud after the kids are in bed and it has had a minor oil leak around a seal since day one. Here is the model: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00915310000P
I use a Badger 155 and a side-feed 100 and generally spray at 15-20 psi. Any thoughts?
If you have the ability, why not run a line from a remote location (garage) to your modeling work area? Leave the compressor away from the family and hobby area but still have the benefits of it.
Unfortunately we have no garage at our place(car port). Plus our house is only about 1000 square feet…hard to hide noisy things!
Regardless I went ahead and picked up the little compressor. They even applied a 20% off coupon which I was not expecting. I am planning on giving it a run through this evening. I think it will be kind of nice to have the big one for the long, day time sessions and the little guy for the late night stuff.
The Harbor Freight 1/8 HP compressor is not a good design and too low in air flow for airbrush. But the 1/5 HP one is an acceptable solution and will allow you to retire the Sear compressor for airbrushing completely. It even come with an airbrush. Reliability of the HF compressor is a big unknown.
I have a Sear compressor that use the same motor as yours but a 1-gallon tank. It is too noisy for indoor use and I do not like the idea of using an oil lubricated compressor for airbrushing.
My main, old compressor sits in the garage like someone suggested. Problem is, it gets cold here in winter and if below zero the compressor will not start. I bought one of those inexpensive small one-gallon pancake compressors to keep in the shop so I could airbrush in winter. Boy, is it loud!
In addition to loud, it is about a year old and going bad already (out of warranty). I guess I should have known that fifty bucks was too cheap. Still works but it has developed a bad knock. So shop for a name brand.
I bought a 1/8 hp Central Pneumatics compressor off of Ebay about 4 years ago. It looks identical to yours but has a different model number, I guess due to age. Anyway, I have had zero problems with mine. It produces enough pressure and flow for my airbrush. I’m not a big fan of Harbor Freight, but in this case I think you made a good purchase.
Yeah, I used it for a few minutes last night to get an idea of its noise. Pretty quiet, especially compared to the Craftsman. I think I will just alternate between the two, one for nights and one for days. Plus I like having the tank for longer sessions. I can go for quite some time when the tank is full and at 12-15psi.
I would say that I am not a big fan of Harbor Freight per se. I guess it is just knowing what you are getting into. If you are looking for something cheap and ultimately disposable then it is great. But I would never buy anything there with an idea of longevity and rarely do I feel it is a good deal unless I use a 20% off coupon. I mean it is a deal in the sense that it is cheap but not in the sense of a good value. You are getting exactly what you pay for, hence not a ‘deal.’ If I can get a year or two of decent use out of the little compressor I will be happy.
What I do is keep a pair of those large headphones that completely cover your ears. The radio I have on above my workbench has a headphone jack. Just before I start the compressor I plug in the headphones and put them on. Great hearing protector that also allows me to listen to my music
