Air compressor failure. What would you do?

"Air compressor" is kind of pushing it. It's just a tire filler, really.

I have this lil ol' Craftsman air compressor. 1.5 gallon tank, something like 2cfm. I've had it for 7 years.

It just started leaking. I took it apart (it's in a big, dumb plastic housing) and discovered the failure was at the pressure cutoff switch. Okay, fair enough.

It's 1/8" NPT, on at 120PSI, off at 150PSI. I root around the web, and find that a new one is going to cost me about $15, delivered.

New Year's Day at Harbor Freight offers a 25% off coupon. That means I can get this:

For $37.50. Honestly, I hate to toss the Craftsman over a $15 switch, but it's 7 years old and who knows what might fail next.

Oh, hive mind, make my decision for me!

Compressors are in the long list of excluded items in tiny print at the bottom of the HF coupons.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: Compressors are in the long list of excluded items in tiny print at the bottom of the HF coupons.

You speak truth. Poop. There are dozens of $50 compressors out there, though.

I have the pancake version of that HF compressor. It works. I use it primarily to run a nail gun or pop rivet gun when I'm away from my shop.

I think I would buy the $15 switch and if it didn't work out, then go with the new unit.

Per usual, I found the switch for $10.5 on eBay. It is ordered.

You guys are really lousy enablers

Always attempt repairing first. Besides being cheaper, the satisfaction of saving a piece of machinery makes it worth it.

The repair to the craftsman is a much better deal IMO. That HF compressor will last for one tire inflation, and it will take 2 hours because they put out about half their advertised airflow.

I'm a huge fan of HF stuff, don't get me wrong, but their compressors are really crap. Did you ever have one of those tiny 12v emergency inflators and it took 3 weeks to fill a tire? Imagine putting that unit on a little tank and expecting miracles.

I bought one of those for camp to keep around for inflating the boat trailer tire or the occasional ski tube inflation. It lasted for one tire and one ski tube (which by the way took 3-1/2 hours to inflate). Then I noticed it was making about 2 psi. A teardown inspection found a dark blue and black piston, rings turned to powder, a heavily scored cylinder, and a bent connecting rod.

Re: 12V compressors, not to hijack

Slime Spair Kit VS Continental Comfort Kit?

Just bought the Slime Kit for the E92 after I ditched the run flats as it was better rated as well as cheaper.

Thoughts?

The proper enabler response is, Craigslist and the biggest compressor you can find. Quincy is a good name brand to search for.

If you're buying a cheap HF compressor I'd upgrade to one of their black tank oiled compressor units.

UPDATE: Pressure cut-out switched installed. Diagnosis was correct. No leaks. Compressor works swell again!

Thanks!