Safety Speed Cut Thermwood Corporation ECabinet Systems

Cabinetmaking

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

US Air Compressors / GSI

9/10/15       
Bob Member

Anyone have any experience with them?

We are looking to upgrade to a 10 to 15 hp screw compressor and they have great prices on ebay.

They have a choice of air front ends
Atlas Copco
Gardner Denver
or GHH RAND and Ingersoll Rand Company
Others have recommended Atlas Copco as Rand seems to have gone to China.

10 hp with no tank at $3K
15 HP at $4K

Only see one complaint on BBB and have seen them on ebay for years.

If they are legit good compressors, what air end would you recommend?

Thanks

9/12/15       #2: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Kevin Member

Website: http://www.bayerleinenterprise.com

Looks like they only received feedback from E-Bay on one compressor, price looks cheap enough to take a chance, way cheaper than Kaeser, that's for sure.

9/13/15       #3: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Larry

The controls used will have a major affect on cost of operation. The more frequent the start stop, the higher the operating cost. Motor running but compressor unloaded is costing $ also. Large storage will reduce operating costs. Screw compressors are best suited to continuous demand applications. Of those listed Atlas would be my first choice. Price seems too low!

Locate it away from dust with lots of ventilation. If the radiator is dirty the temperature of the oil will go up and its life down. There should be a control that shuts the compressor down if the oil gets too hot. Screws require expensive separator, filter and preferably synthetic oil changes. Don't mix oils with different bases. Go by the hour meter for recommended oil changes. I can't remember the exact cost of a 5 gallon can of synthetic is but roughly $350. We've got 2 screws, 25 Curtis & 40 hp Quincy. I don't recommend Curtis. I think Quincy is now made by Atlas. There is a difference in quality of components, design of structure, rigidity and leak resistance. Costs can be cut by using a small air end and turning it faster, life goes down. Also you are buying compressed air not HP. If the input power is high for the air out it will cost you $ everyday! Is your drier big enough? Your piping? Regulator? Automatic drains? Condensate separator/filter? Last thought, keep your recip as a backup, ready to run.

9/13/15       #4: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Bob Member

With no outright horror stories, I went ahead and ordered a 10hp with Atlas Copco air end.
Will use the 80 gal tank from 8 hp recip ready to turn on in the event of failure or maintenance.
Points well taken on maintenance. I will be sure to have regular scheduled cleaning of the radiator. They insist on a break in maint of oil and filters at 90 days. Working 8hr shift once a year thereafter.
$400 each kit.

Interesting that they have come out with a brand GSI Brand with new website.
They say the new ones run slower for better life.
They list "soft start" on some of their listings but use Wye-Delta Start. From my research it lowers starting currents but never saw it referred to as a true "soft start".

I felt it worth the risk. My thoughts are that standardized controllers and software are more commonly available in most industries.

I will try to update on my first impressions.
The real test will be in the long run.

9/13/15       #5: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Bob Member

On other thought/question?

If a recip and a screw have the same cfm listed. Would you not get twice the overall air from a screw as it is continuous and the recip should only be 50% duty cycle?

This seem logical to me but I don't see it anywhere on sizing articles. Got to admit I did not want to oversize and the fact that i had a 3 phase 30 amp service already in place led me to the 10 hp.

I am adding a beam saw and and a 150 spindle boring machine shortly and speeding up my cnc line. It's balanced for 1 person now going to go for warp speed and balance it out for 2. Don't think that will double the air demand but it will put some increased demand.

9/13/15       #6: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Larry

Wye-Delta Start is not a soft start! If you ever need to replace the motor be sure to get one with 6 leads to work with the reduced current start system. Wye-Delta Starts are widely used in areas with poor power available. Some areas of Japan & Europe and almost all "3rd world areas." Do the controls unload the compressor when full pressure is reached? If no air demand, for a timed period is the motor shut off? Do the controls allow you to adjust that? Running unloaded the motor will consume 60% +- of full load. When "Off" no power is used BUT at start again there is a surge in power needed to start everything turning.

You might want to reduce the cycling of the new compressor by adding more storage. A beam saw has low air demand, don't know what your drill will use. The CNC will use the same amount per unit of time regardless of the # of hours it runs. The two things there that cost a lot of air: the air nozzles that blow on the tooling and the blow gun to clean the table.

Go to Kaeser's web site and look @ their recommended air system for components needed. I forgot one on my earlier post, coalescing filter. Clean, dry air is worth spending some $ to get given the cost of equipment and down time. Once the pneumatics of a tool are fouled with oil, water & dirt it is almost impossible to clean them out.

Let us know how it works out.

9/13/15       #7: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Kevin Member

Bob,

We run a 15hp Kaeser with 400 gallon receiver tank, we have 2 routers, beam saw, large bander, air sanders, sprayers ect, point is that a 15hp screw is making WAY more air than a 15hp recip, looking back I could probably do with a 7.5 with such a large receiver tank.

The entire system fills in just minutes

Make sure you get a drier matched to your output cfm on the screw

9/13/15       #8: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Bob Member

I got the impression that the controller is fully programmable.They asked what initial settings I wanted for the range for on off. It will run unloaded for a programed period of time and then shut off. As we do not do any finishing or sanding (closet parts only) I am now feeling pretty good about the choice of 10 hp. We do not blow off the table (I am a bit OCD on that) We use a clean cycle, the only good thing about the huge dust foot on the Biesse Rover 30. Takes 30 seconds to clean the whole 5X8 area. We do blow out the holes on the vertical partitions I wish I could fix that operation but that could covered in whole long thread,

I am planning on using a 80 gal tank of my old recip. Do you think that will be enough?
I have on old compressor with an 60 gallon tank I could add fairly easy for a total of 140 gal. There is a large tank advertised on Craigslist about 2 hrs away for a few hundred dollars.
I have a good sized dryer already.

Reading these posts made me think of something. I can put the dryer before the tank or after. I am thinking before now. Any thoughts?

Thanks all for the input. Since I did not come from a woodworking background, I sometimes feel a little isolated. This board is priceless for me.

9/14/15       #9: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Larry

This site offers some very good information about design & layout of a compressed air system. There is a pictorial layout that is easy to follow.
Larry
http://us.kaeser.com/Images/USGUIDE3_DesigningYourCompAirSys-tcm9-12601.pdf

Link

9/14/15       #10: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Alan F.

Kaeser's may cost more to acquire but our power bill went down $250 a month when we switched to Kaeser about 12 years ago.
The total operating cost for us is less than a cheaper compressor and may be for others depending on cost of repairs, power, and other issues.

A-

10/6/15       #11: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Knick  Member

Website: cmsdisplays.com

Alan F
how many shifts? how big is the compressor? wow that seems like alot of money to save a month for just a compressor. we have a 40HP IR and run one shift and that uses about a $2.50 a hour to run.

10/6/15       #12: US Air Compressors / GSI ...
Bob

Got the GSI 10 hp for $3000 shipped.

Install was super easy and it is working well.
We will have to see about the long run.
All chinese components as far as I can tell.
The Air end is not clearly marked. This has me a bit concerned as it was supposed to have an Atlas Copco.

But so far so good.
I will report back any problems.


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Limtech Industries, Inc. Lamello