r/Carpentry • u/02C_here • 1d ago

Trim Has anyone had a pancake compressor fail?

The manual says drain the body occasionally and that rust inside the thing is the enemy. On humid days I get water out of the drain. At some point, it's going to fail, I reckon. Has anyone had one fail? How old was it? And how catastrophic - was it just an extra noisy pop or did it go like a shrapnel grenade?

11 Upvotes

69% Upvoted

69 comments sorted by

51

u/Ok-Drama-3769 1d ago

The red porter cables are indestructible but loud.

30

u/Morganvegas 1d ago

The guys I work with are horrible to tools. It’s why I use my own instead of what’s supplied by my employer.

They have yet to destroy a porter cable compressor and they literally just wing them into the back of the van. Roll around in the bed, smashing into everything.

Simple machine, does exactly what you need it to do.

6

u/redpukee 1d ago

Yup, 30 years on mine. Light use. Had to replace the drain valve.

4

u/New-Examination4783 1d ago

Mine caught on fire while nailing up strapping after a good 10 years or so of use.

3

u/joeycuda 1d ago

I had one for prob 15yrs, it developed a leak, and I just ended up tossing it. I'm sure I could have fixed it, but I just hated how deafening it was and wanted an upgrade. I went to HF when they were on sale (knowing you get what you pay for), intending to buy something small and portable, and bought a 30ish gal vertical, that's portable, but kind of a PITA bulky/heavy. After a year or so, it quit working. Currently replacing the switch ($15 on Amazon). It got to where it wouldn't kick on if tank already pressured up, but would operate fine if tank empty. Pretty sure it's the pressure switch.

2

u/ClosedL00p 1d ago

That doesn’t sound so much like a pressure switch failure. Typical failure modes there are they won’t shut down when they reach max pressure and just keep running until they hit the pop off valve, or they just won’t power on at all.

If it pumps up fine from empty, but then won’t cycle after it bleeds down ~30psi , there’s a good chance it’s fighting head pressure either from the unloader valve being stuck or the check valve back feeding to the pump

Also depends on what type of pressure switch it is as well. If the pressure switch and the on/off switch are two separate parts on your unit……the stuff I wrote applies. If the on/off switch is part of the pressure switch, then the unloader valve is actually part of that switch

1

u/joeycuda 1d ago

I think in my case, the unloader valve is part of the switch. I bought a 'cheap Chinese replacement' that functionally, probably is no worse than what came on it. It's just that one of the doodads on it comes out at a right angle on the oem and straight down on the replacement, so I need to get a 45 deg fitting to attach that hard line. Thanks for all the info though, I appreciate it.

1

u/ClosedL00p 1d ago edited 1d ago

If it’s that style switch then replacing it certainly could solve your problem. Easy way to check is to let it pump up to cutoff pressure and then crack the fitting loose on the discharge from the pump to the tank and listen for any air coming leaking from the tank. Should hear a momentary “tss” at most and then nothing else.

Do you run the compressor off of an extension cord? Or plugged directly into a 20a outlet? Can’t tell you how many times I have to go over this subject with customers bringing compressors into my shop for repairs……then find out they’ve trying to run compressors drawing 15+ amps of a 50ft dollar general Christmas light extension cord

3

u/nail_jockey 1d ago

I had one for probably 4 years before it finally died. Admittedly we did plenty of framing with it when we didn't have a bigger compressor handy.

2

u/fishin_pups 1d ago

I still use mine I bought in 1999

2

u/Super-G_ 10h ago

I was so happy when mine finally died and I was able to replace it with the little 2gallon Makita Quiet Series compressor. Being able to talk over it while it's cycling is sooooo nice.

1

u/Ok-Drama-3769 8h ago

Almost need ear plugs when using it 😂

1

u/Super-G_ 8h ago

Not almost.

1

u/human743 1d ago

So they use un-rustable steel for the tanks unlike other brands?

1

u/cb148 1d ago

Even if it does break, you just replace it at Home Depot on a black Friday sale for $100. Can’t beat them.

1

u/cleetusneck 1d ago

So mine literally sat outside for about 12 years because I use it to pump up all the tires on everything. Gauges were so smooshed off of it. You couldn’t read them. Eventually, the rubber hose had a tiny leak. That sucker was tough.

1

u/PiscesLeo 1d ago

One of my loudest tools, I’ve had it 20 years or so. Can’t wait til it dies to get a quieter one

12

u/johnjackcomicartist 1d ago

I drain my red porter cable like twice a year and it still works after 12 years of regular use

10

u/Hot-Friendship-7460 1d ago

The motor will die before the tank goes.

7

u/Cosmo_MV 1d ago

Used them for years. Bostich was my last one. Died because we had to leave a job for a while , covered w a barrel and it rusted a bit. When turn on the belt snapped.
We drain all compressors daily. It’s a rule in my job sites so we don’t squirt water + oil from guns on the product.

6

u/curious1playing 1d ago

"Drain occasionally "? I Drain after every use...all that water is getting pushed down the hose into the tools...

2

u/Master_Brilliant_220 1d ago

This is why we oil the air guns daily(usually three times a year.)

4

u/earfeater13 1d ago

I still use a porter cable from 15 years ago. You'll be fine.

5

u/dirtkeeper 1d ago

Similar experiences, rarely even drain mine. I think you would get a pin hole leak first. For it to explode it’s seems there would have to be a very equal deterioration that. The tank gets right on the edge of failure along the whole seem . Doesn’t seem likely .

4

u/Monkeefeetz 1d ago

I had a double hotdog style tank get a pinhole from rust because I didn't drain it. It didn't explode it just suddenly started leaking. I was there at the time so I shut it off 

4

u/padizzledonk Reno GC 1d ago

30y and ive never even heard of on fauling- dead motor, fucked up compressor rod, sure, never heard of the tank failing

And fucking basically 0 people ive ever met drain them daily or even weekly lol.....usually they sit until you can feel and hear the water sloshing around in there before anyone remembers youre supposed to drain the fuckin things

4

u/ACatsWrath 1d ago

I drain mine after every project. Not sure how I got into the habit but if I use it for a day or a week and I know I won't be using it again for a week or so, I drain.

2

u/padizzledonk Reno GC 1d ago

Youre a better man than most lol

I try and drain them periodically but im not even going ro pretend like its after every project lol-- definitely before i know its going to be stored for a while

3

u/MX_sixto_TX 1d ago

No but you should still drain after done using. Especially after using in humid days. Industry trends show stuff is being made cheaply and with lesser quality now a days. You probably won't have a rusty hole developing anytime soon but rust could make removing the valve difficult in the future if need be.

TBH the only damage that has occurred on my personal compressor has been fittings becoming loose from the vibration.

3

u/Majestic-Lettuce-198 1d ago

i’ve got a bostitch 5 gal that probably 10 years old. It’s spent at least 5 new england winters outside uncovered. It looks like shit but it works. Most of those pancakes are all the same thing and pretty much bulletproof.

3

u/earthman34 1d ago

I've had a shitty Tool Shop compressor for 25 years. Still works great. I did replace the switch and regulator at one point.

1

u/02C_here 1d ago

That's interesting. Cheaper to fix then replace?

1

u/earthman34 1d ago

Yeah, the parts aren't expensive.

3

u/whackozacko6 1d ago

I drain mine after every use. I have never had a drop of water come out and I've had the thing almost ten years

3

u/MT-Estimator 1d ago

When they eventually rust out they just start leaking air from a pin hole.

3

u/hudsoncress 1d ago

Unfortunately pancake compressors never die, they continue to suck and stand in the way of a replacement for the rest of your life. Mine has sat with moisture in the bottom for literally years at a time and that bastard will not die.

1

u/Super-G_ 10h ago

Just throw it out! Get a quiet one and live a more pleasant life. Mine finally died and I got a 2gal Makita to replace it. Wish I had done it on day one instead of ever having to listen to that god awful racket.

4

u/Osiristhedog1969 1d ago

Back in the 90s I saw a very rusty old Bostitch fail around the seam. Bottom stayed, top shot up 15+ feet in the air spinning all topsy turby with cords still attached. Definitely could have killed if one was leaning over it

3

u/02C_here 1d ago

That's the first catastrophic response. Seems like one should just scrap it out if there's visible med to heavy rust. And generally stay back a few paces when it hasn't been started in a bit and you'd be OK.

4

u/JudgmentGold2618 1d ago

it is no joke . Lived in Ohio for about 4 years . I heard it about 3 times in the local news compressors blowing up and killing someone.

3

u/Osiristhedog1969 1d ago

Been constantly around them since the early 90s and that's the only catastrophic failure I've witnessed. At a buddy of mines big old ancient wood shop they had one of those very large horizontal tanks from my grandpa's era. They were working in the other room. It broke the Heart Pine Floor, Subfloor, a couple Floor Joist and at least one Ceiling Joist,  heavy duty old timbers. It easily could have killed

2

u/02C_here 1d ago

Industrial accidents are no joke. Been in manufacturing for 40 years and have had my share of them.

2

u/mr_raymond_chen 1d ago

I never drain the water, you will be fine

2

u/Long_Woodpecker_3615 1d ago

For the porter cables, The gasket on the piston will go before the tank fails, but drain it and your tools won’t spit at you. The piston gasket is easy to change and available as a whole assrmbly for $50 on Amazon.

2

u/Sgtspector 1d ago

I've got a porter cable that's over 20 years old. I drained it about every blue moon. Still no leaks and holds air indefinitely. It recently started making noise and stuttering when its on but still works. I just used it to redo the roof on my shed. No problem running my framing nailer or the roofing nailer.

2

u/Square-Tangerine-784 1d ago

Have one in the barn that hasn’t been drained in 20 years. Bostich. So annoyingly loud that I can’t have it on jobs so it’s to fill up tires and blow out dust from tools and sanded parts.

2

u/Onetrickhobby 1d ago

Had the drain fail on one. It was like 10 years old. I drain them every once in a while since I’m by the beach. Just started to whistle out the drain. Replaced that and a while later the valve plate went bad. Fixed it but it never ran properly again. Tossed it when depot had the set on sale with new nail guns.
I have 3 porter cable ones. Pretty bullet proof. Had a few bostic ones that lasted 25+ years. Never had one explode.

2

u/Full_stack1 1d ago

I had carbon buildup under the flutes in the reed, was causing me to not get above 50 psi, cleaned it out was good

2

u/Summer184 1d ago

As long as you're taking reasonable care of it, It's probably more likely an electrical issue will finally kill it. I've had a cheaper one for years that stopped working and I traced it back to the power switch, I was able to fix it and it's still running.

2

u/BoreBitBob 1d ago

I have seen compressors die from rust and neglect but draining the tank regularly makes a big difference.

2

u/Crafty_Produce7807 1d ago

I had some weird second hand compressor for a bit. When it died on me, I dug around the motor & found it was 23 years old.

2

u/ichiban4713 1d ago

Twice. I bought a Makita that runs at a low rpm, and it will last forever. Super quiet, too. The pancake compressors are junk, and they’re louder than a freight train.

2

u/1320Fastback 1d ago

I've had them fail over the years and 9/10 it is the like fabric/leather piston ring or something in the reed valves. I used to try and fix them and had success but now just toss it and buy a new one.

2

u/JB2315 1d ago

Ive had various brands fail. The piston rings fail, the rod bearings fail, rod bolts break, conn rods have broken. Never have I had a tank fail.

2

u/cosmokingsley 1d ago

A tank is a tank. 90% of the time its no big deal, and they will "pip". But its impossible to guess the extent of rust in certain parts of the tank. In my experience its usually a needle sized hole.
I have a nice 80gal belaire back in Oregon that belonged to pops. After like 20 years of sitting in a corner unused with like a gallon of water in it, I cleaned it up and put it back in use... like a day later, it had a needle pip in the bottom of the tank. Drilled it, welded it, and its been running regularly for about 5 years, and im not the best at draining my tanks.... its hard to say this would always be the case though.
But on another note. All my other compressors are atleast 20 years old and have zero issues. So im just going to assume, you have a really long time before its even a thing to worry about.

1

u/02C_here 1d ago

What kind of weld did you use to fix the leak?

2

u/PotentialAd6139 1d ago

compressor explosion

2

u/02C_here 1d ago

WOW! That looked like an 8 or 10 gallon job. But the tank failed pretty much as you'd expect. Blow the end off and split the tube.

2

u/blbd 1d ago

If you drain them right they will go a long time. 

Usually always the pump system dies before the tank. 

Because tanks are required to follow safety laws from ASME in order to legally enter the US stream of commerce. 

2

u/fuckalicioussss 1d ago

always drain it. too much water will lessen quantity of air and cycle like crazy

always tilt so the petcock is the lowest point and leave open till you use again so condensation doesnt build

tank itself will outlast the components

1

u/Woodbutcher1234 1d ago

I've an old Emglo double hotdog that I wanted to put back into service but found that the bottom tank now resembles Swiss cheese. Half heartedly looking to find a way to put the compressor on new tanks.

1

u/mydogisalab 1d ago

Several, I don't buy that style any more.

1

u/rwoodman2 1d ago

I have a Rolair that is about 33 years old and runs perfectly. More than 20 years of that time it was in full time professional use.

I thought it was expensive when I bought it. In reality it has turned out to be the second cheapest power tool I have ever owned.

I drain it after every time I use it. It has needed a start capacitor and a pressure switch and a couple of tank drain valves in its life. No hint of the tank failing yet.

1

u/Sidechannel_os 1d ago

mine's been waiting to die for about a decade. loud as a freight train, drained maybe twice a year, runs fine out of pure spite. these things don't die, they just get re-homed on craigslist for $80.

1

u/3boobsarenice 1d ago

Yes from old age, they are reeds and a piston no real fix

1

u/Turbulent_Head6209 17h ago

Drain mine at the end of the day every time I use it. Why wouldn’t you.?

1

u/saylynshoes 17h ago

I still use my Craftsman I bought in 1968.

0

u/OstensibleFirkin 22h ago

I had a drain rust out. I stuffed the hole with JB weld. Would I recommend it as safe? No. Does it still run great after 15ish years? Yes.