Help With Garage Air Compressor Filter/Reg/Desiccant System.

[427HISS]

I'm looking to replace my old Binks filter/regulator for my 60g upright air compressor and single stall garage.

I need one for both oiling tools and a clean line with air dryer filter/drain for painting, but, I could delete the oiler as I can just oil the tool before use.
A friend of mine does not,....use a dryer, he just buys the cheap $2 bucks for the through away desiccant filters then puts them in the garbage. He never gets water in his HVLP gun, thus not in his paint primed car. I don't know about that. lol.....It's not like I'm painting a entire car but, I want to paint my new FE block, steel bell and trany, other car parts to my honey-do-list of painting the house shutters, chairs etc.....

My use is just diy mechanic & some small piece painting garage, not everyday use. I have just a single stall garage, with a two post car lift for my Ford 427 Shelby Cobra (rep) my truck and wifes 300M.

I'd like to stay under $125 if possible. I don't want some piece of sh☆☆, yet wanting quality, low price and longivity. I know most of the time in life you get what you pay for but,....there are also great products at great prices as well. Harbor Freight has good tools and bad as well as Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, ebay, and dedicated air compressor/pneumatic tool companys....etc.

I don't want a piece of crap though. You know,.....the best of all worlds.

Here are just a few I've looked at.

Milton 1108 1/2" Filter and Regulator Duo.
$95

https://www.amazon.com/Milton-1108-F...2%3A2661618011

CH Campbell Hausfeld PA2085 Air Cleaner Dryer Filter Regulator & Lubricator.
$65

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CH-Campbell...-/332541763854

Eastwood
$30 to $1,000

https://www.eastwood.com/shop-equipm...nd-dryers.html

PNEUMATICPLUS
$45 to $88

http://www.pneumaticplus.com/pneumat...kaAk5MEALw_wcB

Selection on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...lator&_sacat=0
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[427HISS]

You-Hoo....

[FERoadster]

I bought one of the HF filter descicant units and install it on a seperate line from my compressor. (downstream from my initial regulator and seperator). Seems to work OK for Plasma cutting and painting. BUT !! the HF desiccant bulb leaks a minor bit so the desiccant material will absorb water from the leak overnight and be saturated. I installed  a valve in front of it and only use it for Plasma cutting and painting.
You can bake the dessicant in an oven to dehydrate and reuse it.
Desiccant material can be costly but I did some searching and asking at various stores and found thet Wall Mart sells a small package for drying flowers. Thinking it further I tried various stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby sells a 5 LB bag for about $15 where at other retailers its $15 to $30 for 8 oz.
Just my findings

BTW I have 3 large tanks hooked to my compressor (5HP IR30)  and store over 250 gallons. The dessicant comes off the last tank in the stream so most watter would be settled out in the first 2 tanks.
Richard >>> FERoadster

[cjshaker]

Every link I clicked on got a "not available" page, except for Ebay.

[wowens]

http://motorguard.com/air_2_2.html

Plug this on the end of your air hose. 25' of new hose after. Use only when painting. Replace filter after 20 hrs air passing through it.

[wowens]

http://motorguard.com/air_2_4.html

Replacement filter. Forgot this last pist.

[427HISS]

How much are they ?

[FERoadster]

The Motorgard has been available for over 30 years. I do use one for painting with an airhose coupling on the ends. But the "cheap seats" filter is to use a roll of toilet paper inside the canister. WAAAY cheaper than the "Micron" filter and every bit as effective

Richard

[wowens]

Richard, I stressed over giving that trick to him. 
If you use toilet paper, buy the cheap stuff, run a good bit of air through the open line to blow out loose fibers & change often.

[wowens]

https://www.amazon.com/Motor-Guard-M-30-Submicronic-Compressed/dp/B000GI0H2M

[wowens]

Oops

[wowens]

https://www.amazon.com/Motor-Guard-M-60-Submicronic-Compressed/dp/B000WZYKAE

[Falcon67]

The Motorgard thing is your best bet - but it'll work better if you run some iron pipe from the compressor up and along the wall(s) to your drops including drip legs.  The idea is to cool the compressed air and let the moisture condense out.  I built my own deal and it works well enough - but would add a Motorgard AND the disposable at-gun filters for car painting.  I have about 60~70' of iron pipe installed.  No filter at the blast cabinet 30' from the compressor and no water problems.  If you want an oiler for tools, then buy a filter/oiler/regulator combo and put a nipple on it so you can move it around to other drops.



Typical drop with the portable regulator setup

[427HISS]

Chris, that is quite the muffler system on your compressor, is it to quiet it down ?
Sorry, is the pipe for the intake or exhaust ?   
Please tell me about it.

[Falcon67]

The air cleaner is the intake - is does not muffle any sound.  Others claim various mods to reduce compressor intake noise but using a dB meter says it makes no difference.  The compressor is in a closet surrounded by insulation, Quiet Brace and OSB - keeps the noise down. 

The tall thing is a take off of a "Frazinator".  It's a couple of long pieces of 1 1/2" iron pipe with a long 1/2 feed pipe that runs to the bottom.  The idea being that air exiting the 1/2" pipe into the larger space slows down, contacts a larger cooler surface area in the big pipe and loses some of it's moisture before entering the distribution lines.  The big pipe has a gate valve for a drain at the bottom that is plumbed out through the wall.  Air for the system exits the top.  Seems to work well enough, for general work I don't get any moisture at the working end of any lines and very little if any water in the drip legs.

The bitty gold thing is a 175 psi popoff valve to prevent a overpressure condition, as a backup to the one on the compressor.  There is now a long run to the left of the above picture that goes to the other end of the shop.  Two drops in the big parking/work area, one 50' hose reel and two drops in the tool room. 

Head end


With lower pipe installed.


Full assembly


This gets used A LOT lol.  Best thing I never did for air.