My Exciting Afternoon-( kinda long)

[ShadetreeRet]

Two years ago I was in need of an air compressor, money was tight and Harbor Freight happened to have a 2hp with 8 gal. tank on sale for $79.99. Not much, but enough to pump up a tire or blow off a little dust. So, yesterday I needed to pump up a tire, plugged up the compressor, turned on the switch,nothing happened. Hmmm, what could it be? Then I realized the tank had full pressure. OK dumbaxx, hooked up air hose and when pressure dropped it turned over about half dozen times and quit. Flipped switwh on and off two-three times, nothing. To heck with it, I went into the house. This afternoon I drug it outside where the light was better and plugged it up. Took cover off switch, contacts closed ok, checked with multimeter, voltage in, voltage out, switch ok. I removed the cover from the motor to check the wiring,and realized that it had a reset button on it. Don't remember seeing this in the instructions. Pushed the reset button, turned over about half dozen times and kicked out. I had already turned the motor and compressor over with the fan,so I knew it was not stuck. Each time I hit the reset button it would turn over a few more times. After repeating this several times it took off, ran ok. Now, when I bought it I filled it with compressor oil also from H-F. It has not been that cold here this year, but only thing I can think of is that the oil was cold enough and the powerful "2 hp." motor is so weak that it just would not pull it until it got the oil stirred up good. But I gained a little more experience along the way, so all is not lost. Guess I will just have to keep my heat gun on the shelf above the compressor so I can warm it up.
 

[Determined]

You may have a check valve leaking creating preload on the head.
Easy test next time it won't start, unplug the power and drain the air from the tank, plug it back in and see if it goes.
Dave
 

[Fawteen]

Is your compressor direct drive? Also known as an "oil-less" compressor.

Not sure it would apply to a direct drive, but my big ol' belt drive Quincy like to popped the breaker before the motor spun up enough to get off the start windings the other day. Compressor oil gets pretty thick when it's 10º out.
 

[Dusty MI]

Most single phase motors have a start run centrifugal switch, that could have been stuck in the run position, and in one of those tries unstuck it's self.

Dusty
 

[VernMI]

Try synthetic compressor oil. Lowes sells it if you have one nearby.
 

[Bryan inIowa]

mine does the same thing .Put Synthetic compressor oil in it works like a charm now
 

[MSD]

I have a 2 hp one in the back of my pickup that we use on the job site. Anything over a good 50 ft. cord will not get it started. Also this time of year I put a light bulb over the compressor with some insulation around it. After about a half hour it will start ad run just fine even when it is below zero. Otherwise it would just trip the breakers. To hard to get at to change oil for summer or winter so I just leave the same in it all the time.
 

[ShadetreeRet]

Let all of the air out of the tank, still no go. As I mentioned, I had turned it over with the fan by hand, so I was pretty sure there was no pressure on the piston. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

[ShadetreeRet]

Fawteen, It is a direct drive, I guess you could call it a "modular" construction. The motor and compressor unit share the same framework. The shaft sticks out the back end with a fan on the end. The compressor unit is on the other end, BUT, it is not oiless. It has a regular piston and crankcase which requires oil as I mentioned. The unit had been sitting in an unheated storage area and had not been run in at least two months, and although we have only had two or three nights when the temps fell into the twenties, I guess the oil was just stiff, because once it got limbered up it ran fine. Sure do miss my old Craftsman.
 

[ShadetreeRet]

Dusty and Vern, when I bought the compressor I bought a bottle of compressor oil at Harbor Freight also. I will keep the synthetic oil in mind, and we do have a Lowe's nearby. Thanks
 

[GordoSD]

I bought new 60 gal adew years back. Manual called for Mobil 1 synthetic, I think 5-30.