Buy lubed or non-lubed ~ Can't decide

by Roger
(Wisconsin)

Hello,
I am in the market for a new air compressor for my garage.

I just run air tools and the general stuff on an occasional basis but what I am trying to determie is if it's better to have an oil-less unit or one that has oil.

I live in a cold climate and I have had difficulty getting oil units to run in the cold weather. My feeling is that the oil-free units will meet my needs and last a long time given the frequesncy of use however a nice two stage is going to be quieter. Any suggestions?

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Bill says...

Some years ago I perceive that there were drawbacks to oil-less air compressors, not the least of which were over heating and price.

Nowadays, compressor prices for the DIY have been dropping steadily, and the price discrepancy has become almost non-existent.

I guess the best response to give you is that when I go to buy my next air compressor, all things being equal, I'd opt for an oil-less over an oil lubed.

Bill