How big of an air compressor for home shop to air tires

Mine is a 5 hp with 80 gallon tank and rated at 155 psi to keep my tires at 125 psi cold.

Here is the one I have from Lowes: http://www.lowes.com/pd_48365-1126-...?Ns=p_product_price|1&page=1&facetInfo=Kobalt

 

i run a 50 gallon compressor 150psi cut out 120 cut in. twin stage compressor 220v. air's up tires pretty quick and runs air tools well. i would say go with the best air compressor you can afford, because you will probably find yourself using it for a lot more than just airing up tires. but cfm and psi matter more than tank size.

 

Northern Tool has a great air line system I used: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200484023_200484023



RapidAir: http://www.rapidairproducts.com/rapidair.asp

 

I have a frankenstein I pieced together. Champion 2 cylinder pump, Dayton motor, and a 60 gallon tank from a Craftsman compressor that gave up the ghost. Have the cutoff set @ 120 psi. It is an oil type pump and very quiet.

 

Most of the ones I have seen at Sears are imported garbage & the same can be said for the ones Menards stocks.
We bought one from Menards & had all the water separators/filters recommended & within 4 years it was toast.

Am the sort that only wants to buy large expense items once & have been told you cannot beat Quincy. http://www.quincycompressor.com/
Two local farm stores sell them & when I searched to get the link, Northern Tool had them priced. They are not cheap, but are impressive in person
& are made in the U.S. Think Ingersoll Rand is assembled in the U.S.

Would think a single stage 60 gallon would more than take care of the average user. A couple times a year the farm stores(central IL area) will have a sale
where they are $100-$200 off & are worth looking into. The next time I catch that sale, one will be in the garage.

 

For airing up tires you don't need a big tank but you do need a two stage compressor. Most single stage compressors the cut in can be lower than your tire pressure.
I have an Eaton compressor, made in Dayton Oh, best you can get for the price IMO. It's a 10 hp single phase 2 stage 120 gal tank. It's fairly quiet and will keep up with anything my shop. I have a old 80 gallon tank down stream of the regulator. It helps the high volume tools work like they are supposed to at the proper pressure. They are not trying to get air through the tiny orfice in a regulator as there is volume on the regulated side.

 

Champion, Quincy, Eaton and Saylor-Bell are all great units.

 

Regarding pressure, the shop I used to work at ran 150-160psi, aired tires up reasonably quickly without causing excessive wear on our air tools. As far as volume, the bigger the tank you can afford, the better, won't have to be running the pump as often leading to fewer heat and moisture problems.

 

In a normal shop I'd agree on tank size but not everyone is going to do much more than air up a tire. In that case a bigger tank is just going to cause the compressor to run longer just to fill the tank.
Shops running their guns straight off the tank are some of the reason I do my own tire work. They way over torque the lugs. Then they complain about their air guns only lasting a year. When you ask them about it they say the inch guns won't run well on 90 psi. The problem is they can't get enough volume through the regulator. The only time I have to hook my gun straight to the tank is after I've had tire work done in the road and the lugs are torqued to a 1000+ lb/ft.