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Whether you ’re a DIY fancier , a professional mechanic , or just someone who wants to keep their car tires inflated , have an air compressor can be a game modifier . With its power to power pneumatic tools , inflate tires , and more , an air compressor is a various dick that can pull through time and effort .
I ’ve used some of thebest atmosphere compressors , range from portable pancakes to large air compressor plan for permanent placement in a commercial shop . When I got the probability to test a 10 - gal Fortress model — aHarbor Freight aviation compressor — I was aroused to see what it could do . I ’m a long - time Harbor Freight fan ; I frequently circumvent into the company ’s local store when look for moderately price material and supplying .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
Ahead , find out out how the Fortress do in my handwriting - on test , along with the features I like best and the ones I imagine could be ameliorate on a act .
Harbor Freight Air Compressor (Fortress 10-gallon): At a Glance
Rating:9/10
PROS
CONS
Get the 10 - Gallon Fortress 175 PSI Air Compressor at Harbor Freight for $ 319.99 .
What is the Fortress 10-gallon Harbor Freight Air Compressor?
The Fortress 10 - gallon melodic phrase compressor is a midsize shop - type ( or self-propelling ) air compressor with a maximal pressure of 175 pounds per square inch ( psi ) .
The Fortress is also an vegetable oil - free air compressor , which think of there ’s less upkeep because there ’s no need to watch the oil grade ( like I have to do with my large central pneumatic air travel compressor ) .
The compressor comes with two gauges : a tank psi standard of measurement that registers the current insistency in the armored combat vehicle and an end product psi gauge that indicates the forcefulness used to power the tools . Both gauges feature big well-situated - to - read numbers . The regulator dial for the output press bore sits between them , and the offset switch is just below that . All the controls are near one another , making it handy to utilize and operate the compressor .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
How does this Harbor Freight air compressor compare to competitors regarding noise level?
While there ’s a lot to like about this air compressor , my best-loved lineament is its quiet operation . As someone who ’s worked around loud zephyr compressor that have startled me every sentence they cycled on — once making me fall off a step ladder — I was thrilled with the soft operating sound of the Fortress . I rank it among thebest quiet air compressorsavailable today .
Harbor Freight lists the haphazardness point of the Fortress at 69 decibels from 3 feet away when the compressor is cycling ( filling with atmosphere ) . My decibel mental test was 76 dB , but I measured from about 2 feet by . For compare , 76 decibel is about the same racket degree asliving room medicine .
Just listening to the Fortress round , I realized it was super quiet compared to my shop compressor , but I settle to test the dissonance level of my shop compressor just to see how much they differed . When my shop compressor pedal on , it measure 113 decibels of sound — as loud as a live rock band !
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
How easy is setting up and using the Fortress air compressor out of the box?
This 10 - gallon Harbor Freight compressorcomes almost completely piece , but I did have to attach the wheels , which was simple-minded . In the box , I find a nut , a washer , and an axle thunderbolt for each bicycle . I did have to employ my own wrench to attach the bicycle because Harbor Freight does n’t include one , but most DIYers will have a choice of wrenches for such use .
The only other matter I had to do was adjust the handle . The compressor ship with the handle crusade all the agency in , but it ’s sluttish to commit out by untie the nuts that hold it in spot , pulling the handle out , and then exchange the junky .
The manufacturer recommends a break - in stop before using the compressor that comprise of making sure the compressor is off and then give the drain plug , which is locate on the bottom side . Then the instructions directed me to turn the compressor on with the drain plug still open , letting it run for about 30 proceedings . After that , I switched it off , closed the drain plug , and the Fortress was ready to go .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
How portable is this Harbor Freight air compressor?
The Fortress is what I would deal to be a semiportable exemplar . It add up with big 7 - in flat - free tires and an oversized handle , making it easy to vacate the front and undulate the compressor from berth to spot . But it weigh a hefty 83.3 pound , which makes it take exception for some users ( like me ) to lift the whole thing to the back of a pickup bottom . Still , this Harbor Freight melodic phrase compressor is well suitable for manipulation in a service department or shop , where it can be roll around or pull out out on a driveway for wanton use .
Compressor portabilityalso relates to the length of the propagation electric cord used to power the compressor . The Fortress should be plugged into a weighed down - duty extension cord ( 10 or 12 gauge ) for good results . The longer the cord , the heavier the cord gauge should be . As a oecumenical rule of thumb , an extension electric cord that ’s 50 foundation long should be at least 12 gauge . A 100 - base telephone extension corduroy should be 10 gauge . ( Remember , when it derive to gauge , a smaller number mean a heavier gauge . )
Folks can also increase the usable mountain chain of this Harbor Freight air compressor by using a 50 - ft air hose instead of a received 25 - substructure hosiery . An air hosiery is not included with this Harbor Freight air compressor , but received air compressor hoses with ¼-inch connectors are readily available at ironware computer storage and household improvement centers .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
What care and maintenance are necessary with this Harbor Freight air compressor?
As an fossil oil - liberal air compressor , this unit is easy to keep , but the army tank should be drained after every use . luckily , this is as simple as wrestle the drain valve on the bottom side of the tank when you ’re done using it . With use , wet can build up in an air compressor tank , and if it is n’t unloosen via the valve , it can lead to corrosion within the army tank . This simple step takes just a moment and is well worth the travail .
Other maintenance concern are mostly just common good sense . Check periodically to ensure nut , bolts , and computer hardware are snugly attached , and stiffen them up if they come loose . Check the atmosphere filter monthly — more often than that if you ’re using the compressor in a dusty surround — and replace the filter if it show grueling filth accumulation . Keep the compressor sporty by wiping off scandal or dirt with a damp rag .
What pneumatic tools are suitable for use with this air compressor?
This Harbor Freight melodic line compressor have air air pressure at the charge per unit of 4.3 standard three-dimensional foot per minute ( SCFM ) at 90 pounds per square inch . Many pneumatic tools call for 90 pounds per square inch of pressure , so 90 is often used as a standard when rating compressor .
Its SCFM rating puts it in the abstemious - to - sensitive duty family for airwave compressor . You do n’t have to cognise how to calculate airflow at various pounds per square inch stage setting ; you only have to front on the body of the pneumatic tool you ’re using to find the recommended air pressure and then correct the governor dial on the Fortress to the same pounds per square inch .
I used a pneumatic stapler with a recommended 50 to 70 pounds per square inch , and the Fortress provided ample office for shooting the staples into pine boards . However , when I attached my professional spray gun , which address for 90 to 100 psi , the compressor did n’t give enough airflow to provide a uniform spray ; I finish up with a few dripping after using the spray gun for about 5 second . That hap because my nebuliser hitman was using up the tune in the tank faster than the Fortress could replenish it , so I started to lose spray pressure .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
The Fortress cycles on to fill the cooler with strain when the tank pressure sink below 135 psi . It continues pumping atmosphere into the tank car until it reaches 175 psi . I time the refill Hz at about 45 minute without using any tools . It took longer if I continue to apply my shaft , meaning I was using up the air as it was filling . When using a high - powered paint spray gun , the atmospheric pressure dropped below 135 psi , and while the Fortress ticker kicked on , it never reached 175 pounds per square inch . Instead , it close off because I was deplumate air out of the cooler more chop-chop than the heart could replenish . I had to stop spray to let the tank catch up .
The Fortress is a good air compressor for basic shop and self-propelled tasks , but as a clear - to - culture medium obligation modelling , it ’s not well suitable to continual use by such prick as paint sprayers and framing nailers . These tools take out more air more quick than this air compressor can recover .
Is the 10-gallon Fortress the right Harbor Freight air compressor for you?
If you ’re looking for a light - to - intermediate - responsibility air compressor for a woodworking shop or garage , this high - quality Harbor Freight air compressor might be just the ticket . It comes with ample pressure and air flow to run most small pneumatic tools , and the quiet surgical operation compare to other tune compressor is a grown selling point .
However , if you ’re looking for an aviation compressor you may take from project to contrive , you may desire a small aviation compressorthat ’s easy to lift to the back of a truck . After testing the Fortress with several pneumatic tools , I sense it ’s advantageously suited for someone who does n’t have to comply with a tight timeline . The Fortress is not a fast - recovery tune compressor , so if you ’re face to nail shingles on a roof apace , this is n’t the example for you .
Where to Buy the Fortress 10-gallon Harbor Freight Air Compressor
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a mathematical product tester and writer specializing in the construction , remodeling , and real land industry . She and her husband own a general contracting company , and Taylor is have in both residential and commercial construction applications . She tests a wide orbit of power tool as well as other habitation improvement , home , and lawn - and - garden products .
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