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

Campbell-Hausfeld MP2875 Chisel Bits

• Compatible with medium stroke hammer (PL153499) and long stroke hammer (PL2534)
• One year warranty

I bought these replacement bits to remove floor tile in a bathroom in my air hammer. They each worked great at first, but about 60 minutes in, 3 of the 4 were already completely bald. I'm going to buy them again, as I'm almost finished the job, but if I were just starting the job I'd definitely consider a more expensive, reliable alternative.

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Central Pneumatic Pancake Air Compressor, Oilless 1/3 Horsepower, 3 Gallon, 100 PSI

• 1/3 Horsepower
• 3 Gallon
• 100 PSI
• Oilless Pancake Air Compressor
• Thermal Overload Protection

I just borrowed this compressor today from a neighbor to air up my tundra & RV trailer tires. I am so pleased with it that I'm going to order one from Amazon today. It's quiet, compact in size, light in weight, and performs exceptionally well......so much so that I'm going to take it with me on RV trips!

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Porter-Cable C2004-WK 4 gallon Oil-Free Pancake Compressor with 25-Feet PU Hose and Fittings

• 165 psi max pressure, 4 gallon tank for longer tool runtimes in a more compact, lighter design
• Oil-free pump for no oil spills/contamination and maintenance-free operation
• Low Amp 120V motor starts easily in cold weather or with extension cord
• Only 29 lbs for easy portability
• 75.5 dBA (per ISO3744) for a quieter work environment

THE PHOTO ON AMAZON IS NOT THE C2004-WK COMPRESSOR. That's a photo of a C2002-WK compressor with the 13-piece accessory pack. This unit comes with ONLY a hose, as noted in the product description, and does not include the accessory tools shown in the picture. Just know what you're getting.

We use finish nailers, brad nailers and staplers and the technical specs for this compressor are a good fit. We've owned a 6-gallon Porter-Cable C2002-WK for a couple of years, use it daily, and are happy with it, but convinced ourselves that a second compressor would let us work at opposite ends of the house without trailing hoses all over Creation. Now we can have two guns attached to each compressor and it should speed everything up.

The 6-gallon C2002-WK is on sale for 25% less than this 4-gallon C2004-WK at the moment, and that's makes the 6-gallon unit a much better deal, but we decided it was a Good Idea to add a more quiet compressor and decided to spend the extra money.

Ordered from Amazon, this arrived a day early and in perfect condition. In fact, in three years, this was the first package UPS delivered that did not arrive mangled or crushed. That's good, because it was shipped in the factory box with no additional packaging or protection, and the factory boxes are designed to protect the contents for pallet-load shipments, not local deliveries.

The 4-gallon C2004-WK is slightly lighter but much easier to carry around than the 6-gallon C2002-WK. It seems to be quite a bit more quiet than the C2002, but the 75 decibels P-C advertises is not "normal-conversation-in-the-same-room" quiet by any measure. Wear ear protection.

I don't think the in-box air hose is going to last a long time, but it's decent and the fittings don't leak, and including a hose allows any first-timer to get going right away.

The pro's are:

(1) Size. It's a slightly smaller diameter than the 6-gallon C2002-WK.

(2) Noise. Subjectively, it probably is 1/3 less loud than the C2002-WK, as claimed although I don't really understand the noise complaints about any hand-carry compressor.

(3) "Lugability". On a bathroom scale, it is only around 6 pounds lighter than our larger C2002, but the weight is better balanced, and it feels 10-pounds lighter when you carry it.

(4) Fittings. Has a ball valve tank drain.

(5) Layout. Anyone who has used a 6-gallon Porter-Cable model will have no problem with this 4-gallon model. The safety valve is relocated where it is much less likely to get banged-about but it is still easy to reach for pre-start testing.

(6) Solid. The label claims "Pro" and for the most part it looks and feels well-built and solid. It's new and only time will tell, but if it lasts as long and works as hard as our 6-gallon unit, it will be a great addition. If you have to pay extra to get this, it should at least feel durable, and this does.

The con's are:

(1) Information. You can't find it or any information about it on the Delta/Porter Cable website. Come on, guys, it's not that new.

(2) Price. There's absolutely no reason this should cost 25% more than the 6-gallon C2002-WK.

(3) Weight. Although easier to carry, it's not much lighter than the 6-gallon unit, and I still wouldn't want to carry either of them up a ladder. It's too much weight to be overhead anyway.

(4) Fittings. I don't remember the factory hose connectors on the 6-gallon unit we replaced them early on but the fittings on this don't seem as crisp or as well manufactured as they could be. They don't leak they aren't crappy there's just a slight bit more "slop" in the sliding locks than I like.

(5) Plastics. A lot of plastics. It's the same amount as is used on the 6-gallon C2002, so Porter-Cable doesn't seem to be adding plastic to cut costs, and the plastic shrouds and handles on the older 6-gallon unit haven't failed or been a problem... But I'd sure like the carrying handles to be plastic laminated around steel. When I first grab either of them, I don't yank them around, just in case.

Why 4-stars?

(a) Weight. It could have been still lighter.

(b) Support. Online information is not yet available.

(c) Price. There's no reason for this to cost more than the 6-gallon C2002 that we can see. It's not 25% better; but the price of these should come down after the novelty wears off.

(d) Item Description. The product photo on Amazon (and most other retailers, too) is wrong. We knew it was a C2002-WK in the photo when we ordered it, and read that it didn't include all those accessories, but not everyone will.

It's still new around here, and we'll update this as we go along.

Porter-Cable makes reliable and durable small compressors at a tolerable price-point. Overall, I'd recommend this for anyone who must use a small compressor frequently more than once a week. But right now, the 6-gallon C2002-WK gives a much better bang-for-the-buck for anyone who only needs a small compressor every-so-often.

ADDED ON 3/4/2011: We used this all day yesterday with the short polyurethane hose it came with. I wouldn't want the hose on a jobsite, but actually, it's surprisingly good around the shop or around the house. It lies flat and coils neatly for storage.

It's only real shortcoming is the 25-foot length. Otherwise, we were surprised that it was better than expected.

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at first it leaked when I took it out the box I fix the leak then on the job site after I turned it on the regulator was broke the was spring missing . I don't know if this damage happen in transit but remanufactured products and not a good bye

AIR SAND BLASTER KIT - AIR TOOLS

• Comes with three 1/4" Nozzles
• 13/64" Air Jet
• Key wrench
• 10 ft. hose & pick-up tool

I purchased this to sandblast some rust off of my cast iron tub and the tub feet. I first tried it on the feet, since they are small. First of all, this comes with virtually no instructions. There are some instructions on the back which tell you about changing the nozzle, but nothing about actual use. It comes with 4 nozzles, but I could not figure out what the difference is between the nozzles, other than two are silver and two are brass. I am sure it is actually two sets of nozzles and backups, but nowhere does it tell you the difference. One would think it would be the nozzle sizes, but they looked exactly the same, including the output hole.

I figured out what must be the only way to use this product attach your air compressor to the gun, and run the black tubing to the inlet valve on the bottom of the gun barrel. Then, attach the other end of the hose to the metal pipe, and stick the pipe into your sand. When you squeeze the trigger, the valve on the gun barrel should siphon out sand into the barrel, where the air output causes the sanblast effect. Seems simple, but just plain doesn't work. The hose would not siphon any sand. It would trickle about 1/3 of the way up and then stop. I was able to get sand to come out by putting my bucket of sand on top of a ladder, and holding the gun below it and upside down, to use gravity to pull the sand into the gun, but even then, the effort was hardly worth the meager output.

I have a professional DeWalt 300 PSI 5 gallon air compressor, and I turned the regulated pressure all the way up to 250, so that should be more than sufficient, but there was not enough suction to pull up the sand. Air leaks out of the gun through the handle. Also, once I was able to get it working, the gun would lose pressure from my compressor after about 7-8 seconds. So then I would have to sit and wait for the compressor to fill up again (again, I have a large 5 gallon tank).

This is one of the worst products I have ever bought, simply because it did not work at all and was completely useless to me.

EDIT 10/9/09 According to a commenter, you may need to adjust the plastic tubing to suck up air in addition to the sand to get this to work correctly. I'll stick with the 1 star review for now, since it should have come with better instructions if that is the case.

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The picture clearly shows a blaster handle with four ceramic nozzles.

What arrived had four steel nozzles, which are inferior they wear out quickly and cost less than ceramic. That's pretty deceptive.

I bought this primarily to get the nozzle holder this entire kit cost less than buying just the one piece, so I gave it two stars instead of one because that piece was fine.

Also, the black hose in the kit absolutely reeks of mothballs(?). I opened the box and then had to get it out of the house. It sounds weird but you really couldn't store this in the basement.

In any case, if the seller is shipping metal in place of steel you can do better on the price, so look elsewhere.

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There were no instructions with the kit and no way of getting the information.

The Kit requires almost double the pressure that was listed in sales.

I would suggest this unit be used by hobby people for a part time use. Thanks Kay