Silent / Quiet Compressor advise?

skrooby wrote:

Hi Everyone, I'm also looking to get a compressor (my first) and this thread has convinced me to get the ABD TC-20T. Before I do I would like to get some clarification on a few final things so please indulge: 1) For you TC-20T owners out there: is its built-in moisture trap enough to keep the air clean at the business end of the hose? Is there a need to get a separate moisture trap closer to the AB?

So far I haven't found a need. The setup works fine as it comes. You could however relocate the regulator/moisture trap into one of those bench airbrush holders if you wanted to, running a hose from the compressor to the regulator. They're not welded together LOL. By the way, I plan on doing just that soon.

2) What is everyone's views on tankless compressors? Are they more trouble than they're worth?

I don't think tankless compressors would be any more trouble, other than running hotter under heavy use thus dieing an early death, or causing pulsation under certain circumstances. Since I'm used to large garage compressors, I just wouldn't have it any other way than own a minature with a tank. 

Thanks in advance for your imput. I can't wait to hear it so I can order this baby! Jeff

Hope this found you quick enough to help in your purchase decision Jeff?

My Badger Million-Air is about 35 dB or so, about the same as a refrigerator.
My Jun-Air is about the same, maybe slightly louder, maybe 40 dB.
I can paint when my wife is asleep in the next room and she hears nothing.

 

Bgrigg

I'm with Greg.  There seems to be a belief that a CO2 setup is hugely expensive.  Well, I guess that depends on how much you spend on your hobby, and how much the advantages of a silent and dry air supply are worth to you.  I bought my tank and regulator about 6 years ago for $220.  I build a half-dozen models a year, more or less, and I've had the tank swapped out 4 times in the past 6 years at about $15 a pop.  I don't hear from listening to the forum that a decent compressor/regulator/ moisturetrap/whateverelse setup can be had for much less than $200, so I think the start-up costs are roughly comparable.  Sure, I spend money on refills, but I don't spend any money on power.  Considering the advantages, I think it's well worth it.

TomB

Hi Everyone,

I'm also looking to get a compressor (my first) and this thread has convinced me to get the ABD TC-20T. Before I do I would like to get some clarification on a few final things so please indulge:

1) For you TC-20T owners out there: is its built-in moisture trap enough to keep the air clean at the business end of the hose? Is there a need to get a separate moisture trap closer to the AB?

2) What is everyone's views on tankless compressors? Are they more trouble than they're worth?

Thanks in advance for your imput. I can't wait to hear it so I can order this baby!

Jeff

Greg,

Hey, another one of US!  I was beginning to wonder if anyone else had stumbled upon the only truly "silent" (and dry) air source--- a CO2 tank.  It also handles presssures far higher than most of the compressors that are being discussed.  I get way more modeling between refills than you, but even at the rate you use it, it's a bargain, especially since it uses no electricity.  Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone.

TomB 

Mine has a hum that is quieter than my computer while it's running.  Since it has a 1/2 gal tank, it doesn't run constantly, even with heavy spraying. 

Totally worth the investment if you are a serious modeller. 

 

Okay -- I haven't updated this thread in a while, but I have some results! 

I finally purchased a Iwata Sprint Jet from Dixie Art.  Great price and good service.  The compressor is far more "deluxe" than a Paasche D500.  Smaller, Lighter, more preasure when I need it.  Integrated moisture trap andd regulator, all for $160 new.  Worth EVERY penny. The on/off switch and the carry handle are a HUGE win over the Paasche D500.

The SprintJet runs in the low 70db, (compare to the D500s 85).  The sound it makes is of a much higher pitch; instead of the horrible rumble of the Paasche, it's more of a gentle wheezing.  For me, it's a much more tolerable sound.  it does NOT scare my girlfriend out of the house like the Paasche. SprintJet doesn't vibrate very much either; my Paasche would do a dance across my hard wood floor if I didn't put something under it.

All in all, the Sprint Jet is a much more pleasant Compressor to work with.  I recommend it!

I'm getting a little obsessed with this :)

I went down to one of the art supply shops in town with my Sound Level Meter, and actually convinced them to let me measure an Iwata Sprint Jet.  Let me start by saying the Sprint Jet is a very cool looking compressor.  It's half the size of my Paasche, and weighs nothing.  It has a very nice carrying handle, as well as rubber feet.

The Sprint Jet was pretty darn quiet.  I measured about 65dbs coming off of it, similar to a room AC or standing floor fan.   I would have bought it right there, but this art supply shop charged about $200 too much for it (much to my chagrin).

Actually it is easy to keep up with how much CO2 you have. When you get a 20lbs cylinder, you buy 20lbs of CO2 above the weight of the cylinder. Just weigh the cylinder before starting a project. If the total weight weight of the cylinder has dropped 17 or 18 lbs, go get it filled. You don't have to wait till you run out half way through a paint job.   Greg

Armentage wrote:

Think you want to try measuring the sound with a sound level meter? :) Radio Shack  Sound Level Meter

I´d love to do that, but I live in Norway so that meter quickly gets expensive. Buying something similar here costs almost $150.

 

Arvid wrote:

I bought a TC-20T from airbrush depot recently and 47db sounds reasonable. It´s very quiet and I was pleasently surprised when I first turned it on. Having a normal conversation while it´s turned on is no problem and because it has a tank it´s not running all the time. It also has rubber feet so that vibrations are reduced. For the price I think it´s a very good option.

Think you want to try measuring the sound with a sound level meter? :)

Radio Shack  Sound Level Meter

jhande wrote:

During my pre-purchase research (summer & fall of '05), I contacted quite a few people & places regarding compressors, especially the TC-20T & 121TK / 121ACN. I had received an email regarding the decibal levels. I can't find the email or remember the exact numbers, but 37 to 47 rings a bell. I think it might have been 47db?? Even at 47 that is a very exceptable noise level. It's a bit noiser than my A/C unit, but I can talk on the phone, watch TV, listen to my wife ramble... uhm talk, listen to the stereo while it is running without distraction.

I bought a TC-20T from airbrush depot recently and 47db sounds reasonable. It´s very quiet and I was pleasently surprised when I first turned it on. Having a normal conversation while it´s turned on is no problem and because it has a tank it´s not running all the time. It also has rubber feet so that vibrations are reduced. For the price I think it´s a very good option.

 

Good point Colin

I put mine on a piece of scrap carpeting even though it's already on a thinly carpeted floor. Made a noticeable difference.

Another good way to keep everything quite is to place the compressor on a soft pad, I used pipe insulation. It has rubber feet on it already, but sitting on my book case, it transmists a lot of vibes, so that is one thing to look into when you purchase one, where are you going to put it and will the vibration make it louder.

Armentage wrote:

47dbs is VERY VERY quiet.  A conversation between two people runs between 65 & 75 dbs.  If this is true, then the TC-20 is a real winner!

I know I can hear my wife and kids talking too easily over the sound of the compressor. 

I actually wrote to ABD last night and asked them to purchase a sound level meter and measure their various compressor models.  The meter costs only $50 from Radio Shack and if their compressors really are that quiet, it would be a huge marketting win for them.  Lets see what happens!

Good luck in getting them to purchase the sound meter and advertise the decibal levels. After all, those compressors are already their biggest sellers.

You are welcome, hopefully it helps in your decision making.

jhande wrote:

I had received an email regarding the decibal levels. I can't find the email or remember the exact numbers, but 37 to 47 rings a bell. I think it might have been 47db?? Even at 47 that is a very exceptable noise level. It's a bit noiser than my A/C unit, but I can talk on the phone, watch TV, listen to my wife ramble... uhm talk, listen to the stereo while it is running without distraction. AirBrush-Depot gives a 1 year warranty. Info is included at their site with the compressor - Click HERE to see the TC20 Manual in Acrobat.

47dbs is VERY VERY quiet.  A conversation between two people runs between 65 & 75 dbs.  If this is true, then the TC-20 is a real winner!

I actually wrote to ABD last night and asked them to purchase a sound level meter and measure their various compressor models.  The meter costs only $50 from Radio Shack and if their compressors really are that quiet, it would be a huge marketting win for them.  Lets see what happens!

And thanks for all the replies everyone - I'm hoping to grow this thread into something that can be stickied.

Armentage wrote:

I've measured the D500 at 80+db     ABD TC-20T (Suggested by 3 posters!) Anyone have DB ratings for this model? I'm a little uncomfortable with the CO2 tanks, and I'm hoping to spend under $200. Does anyone have any waranty/reliability information about the the TC-20T, ...? Who makes the TC-20T?  Who repairs it?

During my pre-purchase research (summer & fall of '05), I contacted quite a few people & places regarding compressors, especially the TC-20T & 121TK / 121ACN.

I had received an email regarding the decibal levels. I can't find the email or remember the exact numbers, but 37 to 47 rings a bell. I think it might have been 47db?? Even at 47 that is a very exceptable noise level. It's a bit noiser than my A/C unit, but I can talk on the phone, watch TV, listen to my wife ramble... uhm talk, listen to the stereo while it is running without distraction.

I was also told that it was believed to be a product of Sparmax [look at their TC-501(asr)] as they will custom build their products for their clients.

AirBrush-Depot gives a 1 year warranty. Info is included at their site with the compressor - Click HERE to see the TC20 Manual in Acrobat.

I have to agree that CO2 would be the quietest way to go. But I'd rather have my compressor. Unless it dies on me, I don't have to worry about running out of air and making a trip to finish a build. Plus it's a one-time investment, no cost of constant refills.

Bgrigg wrote:

jhande wrote: but I can fall asleep just fine with that compressor running in the same room. Of course I am now left with an image of you face down on your build table, hissing Iwata in hand, while your snoring drowns out the compressor's relatively quiet "pock, pock" sound.

That's one reason why I don't use CA glues and just Testors Model Cement. It wasn't a pretty sight when I woke up only to find my face glued to my build. 

While I agree that a CO2 tank is probably the quietest, I can't help but notice that you didn't include the cost of the tank and regulators in your cost analysis...

I'm lucky in that I don't have to worry about noise and hooked up a garage compressor with tank that only cost me about $75. When it breaks down (I am under no illusion about it's longevity!) I will replace it with a more expensive and much larger tank garage compressor. If I was worried about noise, I would certainly look into the CO2 system.

I use a 20 lbs CO2 cylinder with regulator. It is completely silent. The only noise is the air exiting from the airbrush. There is no moisture in the CO2 to need to trap . There is no need of power to run it. It is completely portable. There are no parts to wear out. The 20 lbs size is very common and easy to get. I can easily do 4 or 5 models before refill @ $12.00. That is about $3.00 or less per model. That's a lot of models before I incure the cost of a good, silent compressor.   Just my opinion   Greg

So I went out and bought a Radio Shack sound meter today!  I measured my D500 with it.... EIGHTY DECIBELS!   80+ db is very loud.  It's just shy of the range that causes hearing damage with prolonged exposure.

I had a lot of fun on the way home with this meter.  An NYC subway runs at 90+db while you are inside riding, and puts out about 85 db while passengers are getting on and off at a station.  Walking down Midtown NYC at 4pm, there's about 75db of ambient noise.  My aircondition puts out about 60, and my microwave puts out around 55.  The scale is logarithmic, so a 75 is MUCH louder than a 55.

Another interesting find -- SilentAire claims that the Scorpion I actually runs around 40PSI, and the II at 55PSI, and rate their loudness closer to 50 db.

Does anyone have any waranty/reliability information about the the TC-20T, SilentAire, or the Spirit Jet?

My D500 actually broke down after only a year of use.  I sent it back to Paasche (big pain shipping a 12lbs chunk of blue iron) and they return it to me in tip-top shape after 10 days (free return sipping.)

Who makes the TC-20T?  Who repairs it?

jhande wrote:

but I can fall asleep just fine with that compressor running in the same room.

Of course I am now left with an image of you face down on your build table, hissing Iwata in hand, while your snoring drowns out the compressor's relatively quiet "pock, pock" sound.

eizzle wrote:

#121TK This one is awesome! Very, very quiet, and is pretty inexpensive. I have one and I really like it!

MaxPower wrote:

Here's the one I plan on ordering. The ABD TC-20T... second one down. It actually mentions being quiter than your compressor by name.

The 2 above are basically the same compressor. I had mine (ABD TC-20T, because I ordered as an Iwata AB kit) since Christmas. It is very quiet when it fires up. Think of it as one of those fish tank power filters. It's a bit noiser than a refrigerator (at leat mine) and quiter than a sewing maching, actually almost anything else that has an "on" switch in my house besides light bulbs, LOL. I get migraine headaches easily, but I can fall asleep just fine with that compressor running in the same room.

It also has plenty of power (cfm and max PSI) to handle most task compared to other compressors costing much more. My wife uses it for the occasional T-shirt spraying (50 - 60 PSI).

I've searched and tested compressors for months before I decided on this one. It is the quietest I could find and I really like the extra power.

Highly recommended by this hobbiest. 

Gee... I should start getting a commission... 

-- Oop's... Edit --

To answer the other part of your question...
It works on the same principle as the larger compressors. It kicks on to replenish the air supply in the small tank (quietly). Once the pressure is met it shuts off (silent LOL).

eizzle wrote:

http://www.airbrushcity.com/121tk.htm This one is awesome! Very, very quiet, and is pretty inexpensive. I have one and I really like it!

How exactly does that work?  Does it click on and (loudly) fill up the air tank, and then stay silent until the air is depleted?  Does it fill up the tank quietly and then only fill the chamber as needed?

I've seen a lot of tank models that claim to be quiet, but I have a feeling that they are NET quietier; that they fill up the tank and then switch off until more air is needed.  Is this true?

I have the scorp. I, noise will not be an issue with this unit.   I get just a tad above 20 PSI with the built in moisture trap and a regulator I bought at a hadrdware store and attached my self.  The PSI I get is just fine for my work. 

Tankmaster7 wrote the following post at 07-17-2006 6:57 PM:

I have an Iwata silent compressor. It comes with a built in moistur trap and regulatro and even so gives me a max working pressure of about 28 PSI. It's not very loud at all. I forget  which model it is though.



BTW specifically which silent Iwata compressor are you using? The Spirit Jet?

Armentage wrote:

Can you be a little more specific about how loud it is?  Would you compare it to your fridge, or a hair dryer? Maybe a power drill (but less high pitched)?

It's definitely quieter than a hair drier. It really can't be heard more than 15-20 feet away from it. I would say it is about as loud as a comparitively quiet power drill, but as you said, less high pitched.