Steele Products SP-CE355TM 4.6 Gallon Air Compressor with Wheel Kit

• 120V 60Hz
• 3.5 HP
• Max PSI 115
• 4.2 CFM @ 90
• 5.2 CFM @ 40

Pros:

1. Solidly built

2. Pumps up to pressure quickly

3. Good workmanship (where it counts)

4. Compact

5. Oil lubed should last a long time

6. Should be more than adequate for any homeowner application, and some professional uses

7. New ones actually 5 Gallon, and labeled accordingly

Cons:

1. Really dumb on-off switch setup useless

2. With wheels already installed is designed to be broken when in transport without cushioning

3. Small 3" wheels not good for mobility around project sites

4. Average noise not particularly quiet but not bad for outdoor use

5. Turns off at 105 psi (gauge readings)

6. Warranty for commercial use is only 3 months

7. Duty cycle is not specified nor mentioned in manual

Expecting it to arrive with the wheel/mobility kit ready to install was surprised when it arrived fully assembled. Of course the predictable had occurred. With just a sheet of cardboard under the compressor there is no cushioning. The box had been dropped at an angle hard enough to bend both wheel mount brackets. The wheels, jammed to the frame, could not be turned, making removal from the plastic bag a bit more difficult the compressor had to be lifted from the box anyway. Removing the wheels (not a particularly easy job as the nuts are of the full locking variety and the axle bolt has a Phillips head that is not easy to access when the brackets are bent at a bad angle under the tank) and bending the brackets back close to where they belong with a crescent did an adequate job of freeing the wheels.

One bracket had excessive weld slag that also interfered with the wheel rotation and had to be reduced in size with a chisel.

On a positive note, the wheels appear to be undamaged, in spite of their rather flimsy appearance. Would be much nicer if they were 5" or 6" diameter, though, instead of 3".

The next discovery was the loose switch cover. The cover itself is a flimsy "snap-on" affair that came off in transport and refused to snap back in place. Eventually got it to stay put, but the on-off button didn't line up with the power switch for some reason. The main worry at that time was that the compressor would not turn on. In fact the problem is it cannot be turned off!

Ran the unit in for 15 minutes as prescribed in owners manual, closed the drain plug, and ran up to pressure. At precisely 115 psi it turned off, quickly dropping to 100 psi, and held. On subsequent air-up sequences it shut off at 105 psi, then dropped to 100. Maybe a break-in phenomenon?

Oh, and the switch cover came off again. Won't stay put if you plug the compressor in and let it run. Haven't contacted Steele customer service so cannot comment on problem handling.

With all the weight on the back side, the wheels, which are in front, almost lift off the garage floor enough so that they actually turn slowly when the compressor is running interesting. When the compressor shuts off they settle back down to the floor. Another positive, the compressor is smooth running and does not drift across the floor when running it stays put.

If you forget to release the pressure at the end of the day, no worries. The pressure dropped to about 20 psi overnight.

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Mr Ellsworth hit the nail right on the head. My product also arrived with the wheels bent and unusable. However that was easily remedied with an impact driver, vise grips to bend back into shape and I also added 3 washers to act as spacers in lieu of grinding.

Big selling points of this machine for me were:

Made in the USA (GUESS WHAT???? NOT ANYMORE!!! MADE IN CHINA) Almost a deal breaker. I am still debating returning it for this alone since the product description states made in the USA

Price Just a Benjamin, Jackson and some change shipped.

High HP for its size which provides quick charge time.

5 Gallons Decent tank size for garage or small shop use (inflating, nailing, HVLP spraying, blowing off tools and workbench) while remaining very portable.

Attached Wheels.

2 Outlets.

Oil lubed.

Easy to read forward facing gauges.

The handle is a great idea but would be nice if it were extendable. I am only 6'1 and have to bend over a lot to drag this thing around. I attached a cheap Reelworks retractable hose to the vertical section with 3 hose clamps so the whole thing is self contained. I also use the secondary air outlet to store my tools that are not in use (Water/Oil separator and inflator, I keep the blow gun on the hose full time) so everything excluding my nailer and paint gun is ready to go.

No leaks detected anywhere.

The universal couplers supplied fit very well on both kinds of attachments that I have.

The regulator is located well so it's easy to adjust pressure.

The Bad

My garage is wired off a single 20 amp breaker and if the compressor fires up when I have any other tool running it will blow the breaker. Its rated at 13.5 amps and obviously is pulling more at start up. This never happened with my previous compressor, but that one was only rated at 10 amps.

The made in China thing still gets to me.

The plastic motor casing shakes, rattles and rolls more than an 83 Corolla I use to have. I actually need to pull it off and see if there is something I can do to dampen it. It sounds really cheap as is.

Did I happen to mention Made in China.

Not a bad compressor if you can get it for the right price. Anything closer to two hundred and I would start looking at the name brand models.

PS. I apologize for the crude pics. They were taken with my Kindle.

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I could not find any reviews on this air compressor. The specifications are nearly identical to the Steele Products SP-CE155QT which received pretty good reviews. But this one has the same CFM ratings and a bigger engine, 3.5 HP compared to 1.5 HP. I called Amazon and was told it has 72 dB rating. dB-ratings work on a logarithmic scale (not linear). So a 3-point difference in dB rating is substantial. Unfortunately that was a deal breaker since I work in environments where noise is a huge factor. If noise is not a concern, then save $100 and buy this one. The SP-CE155QT produces 55dB, has a smaller engine and the same CFMs, without a wheel kit.

QUESTION: It's made of steel and has a wheel kit, but it weighs the same as the aluminum SP-CE155QT?

72 dBs is pretty loud and I have questions about the weight which is why I gave it 4-stars. I bought the SP-CE155QT and gave it 5-stars in my review.

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first it was cracked in the plastic cover no big deal but now having trouble getting it to work,. disappointed