Air compressors

When I started as a sub,,I used electric compressors.Each night after I finished a job I fretted,,,It was a nasty repetition every other day.The fear of having to rely on a external electric outlet.

Not only was the customer being charged for my services but I added to the electric bill too.Some homeowners/contractors might think its no big deal but if someone is on a very strict budget and they basically scrimped to save for a new roof then here I am adding to their troubles.

I have 5 compressors,I am envious of Ed because I have heard alot of good things about emglo but have never purchased one.


1.Quincy 2 stage gas,,,runs up to 10 guns consistently,,,very pricey but well worth it for massive jobs exceeding 100 square.


2.Rol-air single stage gas,,,,great compressor IMO,,still a little pricey.


3.Dewalt 5 hp gas,,,great compressor IMO around $600-$700,,,not distributed anymore but the Honda is a workhorse.Single stage.


4.Cam bell/Haus,,,Big Tank,,sorta heavy,,I use it on re decks because of the size of the tank, major air without kicking on that much.,,but electric.


5.Dewalt single tank,,portable comes with 2 guns great for interior work and my small repairs.Also electric.


If you have a crew of 2-4 nailer's I recommend a double tank gas.Some people use generators to power the electric compressors which is cool,,I have one too,,but if you are not installing wood then a gas is much better of an investment IMO,,,I would worry if I had New Construction too with having an electric compressor.But now a generator and gas compressors have made my life much easier.Plus New Constructions are far and few between.


Some may think that electrics are the way to go but when I was using them I would burn them up 2 weeks after purchase.I went to EVERY Lowe's or Home Depot within 60 miles,,,repeatedly exchanging them.They hated me.


IMO using someones electricity to run a compressor for a day or two consistantly is rude.Like I said some people have a hard time making ends meet.But that is my opinion.,,,


I would recommend looking for a double tank gas.,,Emglo,Dewalt or a Rol-air,IMO..


If buying new really study the warranty.Go for the one with the longest in store warranty.,happy hunting.

Hitachi's electric are almost bulletproof as far as the compressor, just as long as it is NOT oil-less. Don't buy an oil-less compressor for roofing. We are running a Dewalt electric now and it has held up very good.
Used to use gas compressors 15 years ago, but same as anything we have come a long ways since then and are running electric now. If there are 10 guns running, you aren't worried too much about using electricity or gas (probably making some serious money per hour)....but with 10 guns or even 5, you don't want to run on one compressor anyhow. Talk about a tangled mess of hoses.

All of our roofing tools could probably fit into the front passenger seat of a pickup. Then again, we don't run a bunch of subs and are not subs ourselves.

We don't buy from the box stores because they usually just carry DIY quality tools. Not for contracting every day.