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Opinions on rotary screw air compressor brands

T

Tungsten Carbide

Aluminum
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Location
NJ
We have high compressed air demand due to our grit blaster and thermal spray guns,so we need a rock solid compressor. We have a Quincy now, but we are having problems with it. Before I spend money on a new Quincy, I'd like to know if there is a brand with a better reputation (like Kaeser, Ingersoll-Rand, etc.). Any input is greatly appreciated.

Gene
 
I have an Altas Copco. My next compressor will be a Kaeser.

Size matters- the large Quincy and Atlas Copco's are good compressors. It's the small ones that are made in China that you should avoid.

Service parts are expensive, and you need to keep rotaries serviced regularly.
 
Going to give another nod to Kaeser... buddy bought a brand new IR rotary and it was so bad that is got kicked out of the shop after three months. I have a friend with an older Atlas/Copco and its been fine for him. The new Kaesers are just so nice and compact... I would budget for the matching dryer too. Man good dry air can save so many headaches.
 
I have an Atlas Copco GX5. It has 1,000 hours on it, which is 4x what it needs to have owing to the (IMO) overly long burn-off timer which has the machine run 6 minutes after it pumps up the tank, which takes 1.5 minutes. I'm adding a 120 gal auxiliary tank to mitigate that.

Other than that, it has been fine. No issues, and it is much quieter than the Quincy QP-5 piston compressor it replaced. More like vacuum cleaner noise, instead of the jackhammer noise that the Quincy made.

Regards.

Mike
 
Finegrain said:
I have an Atlas Copco GX5. It has 1,000 hours on it, which is 4x what it needs to have owing to the (IMO) overly long burn-off timer which has the machine run 6 minutes after it pumps up the tank, which takes 1.5 minutes.
Click to expand...
Mike, what year is your GX5? Mine was built in 2008- it has no unloader, it just shuts off when it comes up to pressure.
 
guest said:
Mike, what year is your GX5? Mine was built in 2008- it has no unloader, it just shuts off when it comes up to pressure.
Click to expand...

2017. The Atlas Copco guys told me the run-on time is to clear out any moisture in the pump.

I hate it, as it costs me a lot of money. I get that the pump isn't working hard during the run-on, but my electricity bill went up noticeably when I went from the Quincy to the Atlas Copco. A quick calc tells me I'll get back the cost of the 120 gal aux air tank in ~3 years.

Regards.

Mike
 
Finegrain said:
2017. The Atlas Copco guys told me the run-on time is to clear out any moisture in the pump.

I hate it, as it costs me a lot of money. I get that the pump isn't working hard during the run-on, but my electricity bill went up noticeably when I went from the Quincy to the Atlas Copco. A quick calc tells me I'll get back the cost of the 120 gal aux air tank in ~3 years.
Click to expand...
The first air end that I replaced in mine, the tech pulled the intake valve off and looked down inside, I think he was hoping to find some corrosion in the screw. But it was fine.

They say they like to see 6-8 minutes of run time to give the oil a chance to get warm and get rid of any condensation. I put 2 x 80 gal receivers in the system to get the run time up to that number.

You'll still have the unloaded running, but not as often if you add storage.

I hope you get better service from yours than I get, I'm on the third air end- the shaft seals fail and they won't sell me a damn seal kit.

It makes good air, but it spits $100/gal oil on the floor in the process, and I have to put in about 2-3 oz per week to keep it topped up.
 
guest said:
I hope you get better service from yours than I get, I'm on the third air end- the shaft seals fail and they won't sell me a damn seal kit.

It makes good air, but it spits $100/gal oil on the floor in the process, and I have to put in about 2-3 oz per week to keep it topped up.
Click to expand...

So far so good. 1,000 hours, no repairs, and I haven't had to add any oil yet.
 
Was over at a buddy's shop they just recently put in a brand spakin new IR horizontal tank smaller screw compressor. I asked him how they liked it so far and he just looked at me and said DO NOT buy one of these they've had nothing but issues. In our shop we've got a big ol' Quincy screw hooked up to a 800 gallon receiver. she def don't run much til we add more air guzzling operations to the mix.
 
I have an Atlas Copco GX11FF. It's okay. The control board needed to be replaced under warranty at about 100 hours, it pukes thermostats like clockwork every 8,000 hours and they're a few hundred bucks. Other than that, oil changes and air oil separators have been the only real maintenance in 28,000 hours. It leaks a bit of oil here and there and the after-run time is silly long like was mentioned.

Also have a 50hp variable speed Sullair, but that's too new to really have an opinion. It dropped my power bill a lot. Variable speed is nice.
 
guest said:
Size matters- the large Quincy and Atlas Copco's are good compressors. It's the small ones that are made in China that you should avoid.
Click to expand...
We had about a 20hp Sullair in Kunshan and it was Made in China ... ran five days a week 24 hrs a day, had zero problems in two years that I know of. Was a nice (if kinda loud) compressor. I think about half the price of what they sell for in the US.
 
IMHO correct sizing is everything with a screw - any larger industrial compressor, they don't like stop and start. They especially can not tolerate only intermittent run. Its a fundamental nature of the way they lubricate them selves. Equally they have a fair bit that kinda goes wrong. If you only genrally need a little air 4 days a week then a lots one day, you need a system with 2 separate compressors. Trying to do it with just a large one will cost you more in parts and electric down the road unless you put in large air storage.

Me i like hydrovanes, sure there not as efficient as a good screw, but so long as you keep on top of the oil changes and they run long enough cycles to get upto operating temp to keep the oil dry they just go forever. Like screws a key part of that means that if your only using it intermittently, you need it inside the heated space, not outside in a typical compressor enclosure so it can stay at correct running temp. Soon as you start building moisture up in the oil your heading for problems with any compressor.

As to screws taking out shaft seals in less than a 1000 hours, sounds like a major issue either alignment or a design failure or a back pressure issue.
 
The screws are nice, Kaeser is great but seems like they charge alot for the name, Atlas and Quincy make good ones too. I see Pierson workholding runs an Eaton screw and like it.

I keep looking at a Mattei rotary vane compressor, same kind of money as a screw same type of lifespan but when it does come time to rebuild its cheap and easy to throw a new set of vanes in and maybe a couple other simple parts, not pricey and super precision screws. Sizing and tank capacity are same type of concerns as the screws are, but as they say the vanes wear in not out like a screw.
 
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