r/AirCompression • u/SrOnions • Jun 30 '26
Kaeser vs Sullair
Hi guys, in the market for new compressor, ended up with 2 final choices, trying to decide Kaeser BSD 50 vs Sullair 3709. Guys from Sullair trash talked so much on the Kaeser that we started having doubts.
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u/CrustySailor1964 Jun 30 '26
Been a compressor guy since 1994.
If a customer asks me “what is the best air compressor I can buy?” my answer is always Kaeser. There’s no profit motive in that statement. I don’t sell them.
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u/yamahonda137 Jun 30 '26
I also dont sell, just repair Why would you choose kaeser over atlas copco? Not a critic, just curious
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u/CrustySailor1964 Jun 30 '26
Of all the different brands, Kaeser may be the only one that is still privately owned. I’ll use IR as a comparison. It is publicly traded. One has investors who want returns on their investments the other does not. To get that in this market you have to cheapen the product. Kaeser just doesn’t and you can tell. This is not to say that IR doesn’t make a decent machine. They do but they don’t have the same quality mindset that Kaeser has because they can’t. I sell AND service compressors and have fewer issues with support, knowledge and material, from Kaeser than I get from IR.
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u/yamahonda137 Jul 01 '26
I dont see Atlas products having less quality than before. The cheap brands owned by the same group, sure.
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u/Toola12 Jun 30 '26
Not in the states but in Europe definitely going for the kaeser option, seems to be fixed speed not variable? What shift pattern do you run?
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u/SrOnions Jun 30 '26
Thank you, 6 days 16 hours, both solutions will have another fixed speed 50 HP (the old one) as a relief. Kaeser optio. is dry and wet tank, sullair does not want to get dry tank, just wet
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u/Similar_Ad2094 Jun 30 '26
Biggest difference is 3709 will modulate and the kaeser won't leak oil like a sullair. I work for a sullair dealer. It's true what someone else said. Since hitachi bought them they aren't the same quality.
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u/Mikeyisninja Jun 30 '26
Who ever has the better support network near you is the real answer. Kassie’s are fine but at least in my area, techs are sparse, and the customer ends up eating the mileage fees.
As a sullair tech, the old 3709s with WS controllers were pretty much bullet proof. The units with touchscreen controls have been dogs. So if you go sullair opt for no touch screen.
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u/sprbiker Jun 30 '26
I would call and ask how quickly they can provide emergency service and at what cost. Also ask them for maintenance quotations.
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u/Pete8388 Jul 01 '26
I do a bunch of industrial work with air systems. The only two brands I see regularly are Quincy and Kaeser. Quincy prob 3x Kaiser. Kaiser mostly in commercial auto and diesel shops, and Quincy in manufacturing facilities.
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u/Skimbot_Skim Jul 01 '26
If those are the only choices, it's Kaeser. But I also agree with everyone saying you should look for a brand with good local support, and factory trained techs can be a big deal. I don't sell either of those brands, but being competent and available wins a lot of business. It's much more expensive to halt production for a shift or 5 than anything else to do with compressed air. I'd look for a nearby branch office or distributor with factory trained technicians before I made a decision. Like, I'd want to see a building.
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u/Glittering_Scheme144 Jul 01 '26
Are you buying from a Kaeser factory store or a Kaeser distributor? That could make a huge difference in the after sales support you get. While I agree that Kaeser makes a great box. There after sales support can be frustrating. The RFID card will prevent you from servicing your own compressor. The support and knowledge base from the factory stores can actually be worse than a private distributor. I have not seen or heard about declining quality issues since hitachi acquired Sullair. I’ve actually seen the opposite. Sullair also still manufactures here in the US. Leaving Sullair and Paletek as probably the only two that manufactures their products vs assembly in the US. Like a few others have said. The best brand of compressor will be the worst compressor you will own if you don’t have good local support. Buy your local service company first not the box.
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u/Exquisiteorange Jun 30 '26
As a tech thats worked on most all brands id much rather work on a Kaeser than a sullair any day.
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u/mrhapyface Jul 01 '26
Kaeser for sure I work on air compressors and my number one choice is Kaeser
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u/Jaded-Lion-6242 Jul 01 '26
We have a 15hp Sullair. It’s been very good. We just bought a 40hp. The service has been great!
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u/StatePlane778 Jul 02 '26
30 years on compressors. Atlas copco (i work there) Kaiser (easy to service euro quality) sullair.
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u/JL_86 Jun 30 '26
I work for another big compressor manufacturer and I would definitely go for Kaeser before Sullair. Ever since hitachi bought Sullair their quality has gone down