Help me decide: compressor for OBA

[mavrick1903]

Looking to add a compressor for on board air. Tires mostly, but air impact might be nice. And would like to allow for lockers down the road if I went that route. Tossed between the Viair and the two from ARB. Hoping for under hood mounting.

 

[dwmckeehen]

I am really happy with the ARB portable air compressor we purchased prior to our trip to Nevada in September. I was going ro go for a TJM unit but the place I was going to buy it at rented them and the shop owner said they were going to stop renting them because of customer reports of problems.

The portable ARB unit comes in a box that holds everything you need. Thought about getting a mountable unit, but I like that I can take this out and use it with other vehicles if I want.

It worked beautifully. It is a very strong, solid unit that filled our tires quickly. In fact, the thing that took the longest time was giving the unit a few minutes to cool down prior to putting the hose back in the box.

This was one of those purchases that I was so glad I made, it outperformed my expectations.

 

[Sig_Fan_55]

I have pretty much decided on this one from Viair. 100% duty cycle and should fit under the hood well.

VIAIR 450P Automatic Function Portable Compressor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000X9EGFS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_21ZEwbQC0TH98

 

[kwill]

Good choice. I have no doubt that the ARB units are great but I think you get more for your money with Viair. I own two of them including a 480C mounted under the hood of my T4R.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Depends on what type of set-up you're looking for.

My planned set-up is going to run this bad boy:
https://www.extremeoutback.com/product/14/ExtremeAire+Magnum+12+Volt+Compressor++Part#+007-222.html

With something like a small 2.5 or 5 gallon reserve tank.

 

[menace II sobriety]

I think I would go with the Viair. you could very easily mount it in a tool box and have a small portable one just like the ARB. Also I had Viair compressors in my old bagged nissan and they were great. never had any problems with them.

 

[Ezlife45]

Nobody has come out and said it but you won't find a compressor that can support an impact wrench. You will need a reservoir to be able to do that. Harbor freight has a small aluminum receiver that may be half decent. Couple that with a good compressor and you are GTG.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Nobody has come out and said it but you won't find a compressor that can support an impact wrench. You will need a reservoir to be able to do that. Harbor freight has a small aluminum receiver that may be half decent. Couple that with a good compressor and you are GTG.

The magnum I posted earlier might do the trick. The problem is that CFM is not a very accurate or useful measurement apparently, yet it's used a lot to sell compressors and tools. I spent a good hour or two trying to understand the "Free Speed CFM" and "X" CFM at 0PSi and "x" PSI and other stuff and it really came down to, "it will probably work."

The compressor I linked above is a 100% duty cycle unit that is more powerful than the dual ARB units and anything Vlair has to offer at the moment but is still fairly small. I still plan to run a small reserve tank to give it a "buffer" and have a small amount of storage because I'm still unsure of how capable it is.

 

[kwill]

I like that Extreme Air BUT it is very expensive and my biggest concern is that it can draw up to 82 amps! The Viair 480C is less than half the price, about half the weight, max draw is 23 amps and the output is pretty close. It is 100% duty cycle at 100 PSI, 50% at 200 PSI.

 

[menace II sobriety]

Nobody has come out and said it but you won't find a compressor that can support an impact wrench. You will need a reservoir to be able to do that. Harbor freight has a small aluminum receiver that may be half decent. Couple that with a good compressor and you are GTG.

for what its worth I had a pair of viair 280s in my mini truck and they would fill a 5 gal tank each fairly quick, but I would not try to run any impacts of off the compressor itself. I think EZlife is right though, I feel like you'd have to spend some money on some real hardware to run impacts with any force behind it. but to fill tires or air up rafts and stuff like that, or just have a blow gun to blow dirt and water outa things you'd be money with the via.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I like that Extreme Air BUT it is very expensive and my biggest concern is that it can draw up to 82 amps! The Viair 480C is less than half the price, about half the weight, max draw is 23 amps and the output is pretty close. It is 100% duty cycle at 100 PSI, 50% at 200 PSI.

Oh absolutely, that's why this set-up is being planned with a heavy duty alternator and a second battery. But I want to go with the heavier duty set-up because it'd be nice to have a "light duty" set of tools that I have at work to use on the trail or weekends. But I have other mods that are more important on the list.

 

[paulienkeo]

I feel like you'd have to spend some money on some real hardware to run impacts with any force behind it.

 

[Ezlife45]

Not apples to apples, but I have run an impact wrench off a 6 gallon pancake compressor. That compressor was rated for 2.3 or so CFM and my impact is something over 5. You just have to wait at times for the compressor to catch up.

 

[redkat]

Viair: made in China. ARB: made in Australia. Point to ponder.

 

[Coldduck]

VIAIR 450P Is good to go

 

[delloro]

Get a 12v impact.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Viair: made in China. ARB: made in Australia. Point to ponder.

To be fair, most of all the components that ARB are going to be using are most likely purchased and manufactured by a factory in China. Much in the same way the majority of "Made in the US" items are actually assembled in the US, as long as a majority of the components are physically put together in the country it gets the sticker.

Granted some stuff is genuinely suspect when made in China, but most everything including components for products is made there; so I take much of that with a grain of salt...

Get a 12v impact.

Do you mean like one that hooks up to your battery? I had a Dewalt 12v cordless impact and while it was very strong for a lil guy I can't see it taking wheel lugs off. My 20v Dewalt will struggle some when the lube guys overtorque the wheels past 100ftlbs.

 

[Oneluv13T4R]

My 20V Milwakee Impact Driver rips lugs off no problem but yeah when you get over that 100ft/lb mark it will take an extra few moments til she breaks them free. But definitely cranks them down to spec. Just used it yesterday do some snow wheeling up in the mountains cause my freaking UCA bolt nut backed itself off coming around a turn, glad I had it and not wasting time freezing in the snow as the sun just set. But I also have the Viair set up as well.

 

[delloro]

Do you mean like one that hooks up to your battery?

that's the kind.

or this one: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kawasaki-12-Volt-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-Kit-Tool-Only-841337/203124449

 

[Mtn.Rush]

I've had my Viair 400p since 2011 with zero problems.