Stanley SXCM27550323

Good little air compressor for basic home use – Stanley air compressor – 2.75HP (2KW) 50L twin stack low noise air compressor, model # SXCM27550323 Replaced my old Ingersoll Rand (40 years old) compressor, oil reciprocating type with this Stanley “Oilless” reciprocating 2.05 KW compressor with 50 L tank – has twin 1 kw motors with air intake silencers. Compared to my old IR compressor it’s really quiet – have seen some people complaining that the rating for this compressor is 62dba and theirs was a lot louder, but it's not entirely how it works – the manufacturer quotes 62dba@5m LWA84db – I tested the sound output with no load on my sound meter – start up at 5m was about 72dba and as it approached full tank before cut-off it was running just over 85db – this matches the manufacturer statement – don’t be thinking it runs at 62dba because it doesn’t. On top of that you have the output of the tool, and some of them will go over 100 DB, so as always, hearing protection is a must when using and operating the compressor and the tools.

Having said that the compressor runs relatively quiet, not unhappy with it at all, it's a smooth runner.

The other issue when trying to buy a replacement compressor without spending over $1k is the capacity to run your tools and work effectively – domestic, not industrial use. I found that confusing in the shops I went to – there is air comp capacity and “free air delivery” – some compressors were advertised and semi trade quality, but the free air delivery (FAD) was only around 145 L / per minute. The charts I was shown indicated that a lot of tools used over 250 L – 300L per minute so compressors around 145L / minute does not cut it. Most of the sub $400 compressors are well under 200 L per minute – in the end, I chose the Stanley because it is supposed to deliver 210 L per minute FAD – just air blowing indicates close to 300 L a minute consumption on the chart but mine works ok on blowing and will work fine with most small air tools (chisels, die grinder) as the compressor can also dial up to 145 PSI output (1000 KPA or 10 Bar)

The warranty statements on the Distributor and Seller sites are also a bit contradictory:

The Distributor states: “The Stanley 2.75HP 50L Twin Stack Low Noise Air Compressor is suitable for the majority of jobs around the home and the trade. It delivers a powerful 210L/min free air delivery at 145PSI making it ideal for tradies and home handyman alike.” (from the Stanley site)

The Seller States on their website: “The Stanley 2.75HP compressor is covered by a huge 24-month trade warranty too, making it a great investment for both personal and commercial use.” (from the supercheap site)

The Stanley manual states that the warranty will be voided if the compressor is used in trade or commercial situation. Maybe the sellers need to change their marketing as “trade use” and a 24-month commercial warranty are appealing when you are considering your choice, and you do not know the difference in warranty until you open the box and read the manual!

The manual also states never to use an extension cord – well the cord supplied is way too short and for most Power Points and outlets that are higher up, will not reach – cord supplied is about 1.3m which is way too short – unavoidable to use an extension cord, but a short extension cord does not drop any volts anyway so I can't see what the problems is using one. I use a 1.5 mm2 cabled extension cord (15amp) and it runs fine.

The quality is pretty good overall, everything was nice and tight and it has all the safety features – was not overly happy about the 240v cables laying across the tank and zip tied to the motor bolts in 2 places that get hot, so I wrapped the cables in plastic cable wrap and made a big improvement getting them clear of any heat and vibration points – looks a lot neater now and the cords are no longer near or attached to the hot parts of the motor / compressors.

So, the compressor runs the air blower nozzle okay and I have used my little die grinder, though the air volume and pressure drops off fairly quickly – I doubt very much that this compressor can supply constant FAD 210 L / minute?

The manual says it has a duty cycle of 75% and you should stop the tool being used when the compressor restarts after pressure drop and then use it again when the compressor stops again when full. I would think it is the other way round – if you did that you would get about 25% run time and 75% recharge time which is not going to cut it in real world use. It's not practical to stop every time the compressor cuts back in and wait for it to stop again, you will not get much done.

So, if using basic small air tools, bit of air blowing, air brushing, pumping up Tyres and low load workshop use, then the compressor is good – it will work for me as its only home workshop, but it's not going to run an air chisel for hours on end without stopping like my IR compressor could, but its horses for courses.

For the money paid ($399) I am happy that this is a good quality little compressor (I would have hated to have paid the list price of $799 for it!) and will work well in my small home workshop.

PROS • Has very good, strong wheels front and rear to make the compressor mobile • It weighs just under 50kg which is solid but still easy to move around • Its relatively quiet, though I would recommend hearing protection anyway • Everything fits well, well bolted together • Has tank gauge, hose pressure gauge, water trap, safety pressure valve (overcharge protection) • Nicely powder coated finish (Stanley yellow) • Std. Nitto type fitting and connectors • Good value at $399 on special • Tank drain valve on the bottom easy to use and works well • Oilless compressors, no big maintenance issues (not sure about service life plus or minus?) CONS: • Rated at 200L FAD, not sure it can keep up with that • Power cord too short – should be another metre longer • Warranty not a deal breaker, but Distributor says good for tradies and Seller says it has huge 24-month trade warranty as well, but manual says any commercial or trade use voids warranty. • Having to stop working when the compressor starts up is not practical and doesn’t speak volumes for the FAD Capacity (not sure about the 75% duty cycle, that must be on very low air consumption tools?)