Hands-On: Husky’s 26-Gallon Vertical Air Compressor w/6 Tools
By Chuck Cage
We’ve received a ton of email from folks asking, “Do you know of a decent starter air compressor that’ll run air tools?” Our answer: yes, we do. Here it is.
We spent eight weeks with Husky’s 26-Gallon compressor and the bevy of air tools that come with it — enough time to discover that it offers some serious value for its price and a great way to add air tool functionality to your home or small shop. Read past the jump for our hands-on experiences and lots of pictures.
The Husky ships packed tightly into a very heavy, big-ass box. Seriously. If you’re picking this up from the ‘Depot or the post office by yourself — don’t. Bring some help.
It’s a “vertical” style compressor, which means that the tank stands up instead of lying down. It takes up surprisingly little floor space — about the same as a small pancake compressor – covering a 21” x 21” patch of concrete and standing 45-1/2” tall. It also features wheels on the bottom so you can roll it around the shop or out to a wounded vehicle in need of some air.
Perched atop the 26-gallon tank you’ll find a 110V-powered, 1.5 HP electric compressor motor which turns on and off with a smart-looking red switch. Two gauges on top monitor air pressure inside the tank (right) and the pressure going to the tool attachments (left). A knob allows you to adjust the output pressure according to the need of the tool you’re using at the moment.
The quick connect hose fitting located on the left rear of the compressor is like every one you’ve seen before.
As it says prominently on the box, this is a “quiet” compressor. By twisting a knob at the rear of the compressor to select “light duty,” ”medium duty,” or “heavy duty,” you can limit the speed of the compressor to “shush it up” as my grade school teacher used to say.
The Husky can handle a maximum pressure of 155 PSI — enough, even, to pump up those old Cadillac’s air shocks that the pump at the gas station leaves flat — and can deliver 4.0 CFM at 90 PSI.
The Tools
While the tank and compressor are probably what drew you to the product in the first place, Husky also throws in a full complement of pneumatic goodies. This is where the value really starts to kick in as those goodies are air tools. Lots of air tools.
The tools that came with our Husky had a quality feel to them. Most were fitted with red flexible rubber grips that felt good to hold and provided good purchase during heavy use. Our shop and the tasks we take on it it aren’t always spotless, though, which means the nice red color will likely convert into a dirty rust/blackish patina over time. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Each tool is also clearly labeled with a marker for oiling spots for tool care and warning labels for safety — though we suspect the warning labels will wind up slipping off in a days time under hard use if not mindful of them as we were.
Let’s take a look at each tool individually:
The Ratchet
Whenever movie makers want you to know that you’re in some sort of repair facility, they always throw in the sound of an air ratchet. That’s not surprising as air ratchets are extremely useful in the shop. The 3/8” ratchet included with the Husky is pretty much like every other ratchet you’ve used. Its controls are simple: a direction selector switch on the located on the back of the head and an activation lever.
The Impact Wrench
The 1/2” impact wrench is large and heavy. As with the ratchet, the controls are simple. There’s a front-to-back-style directional switch above the trigger – push in for forward and push out for reverse. There’s also a knob at the bottom that controls the wrench’s torque output. It’s labeled 1 (lowest power) to 4 (highest).
The Spray Gun
We’ll be the first to admit that we don’t really know a lot about spray guns, but this one looks about average for an inexpensive gun. The spray pattern is adjustable horizontal to vertical via the rotating nozzle, and there’s a washable aluminum paint container. We didn’t really have a chance to use the spray gun in our testing.
Read on to page two for more tool unboxing.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:55 am
WOOHOO!!!
You guys F-ing ROCK..
I’ve been researching compressors for some time.. and with my birthday coming up, and the wife asking me for a wishlist… well.. let’s say there’s a number of tools on that there list (and car parts… nothing else).
In any case.. I had called in, but I don’t know if you guys are going to address it in next week’s podcast.. I had questions about oiled and oil-less compressors, and what impact, if any that might have on certain uses.. (like for painting).
Anyways, your timing couldn’t have been better.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Oh, and for the record, I had decided already that I wanted at least a 25 gallon tank and an upright form factor with wheels..
So this is PERFECT! - There were just so many choices out there it was overwhelming, and there’s really not a good source that I’ve found for non-biased reviews. Except toolmonger.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:58 am
what you, and husky themselves, fail to document — is this 110 or 220v?
March 29th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Good point Mike.. I forgot about that in my excitement.
Judging from the HP rating, etc. I would think it’s 110. But maybe it’s only wishful thinking..
Also, don’t forget that until April 11th, this qualifies for the Home Depot Rebate that was posted on Toolmonger yesterday. ::link::
March 29th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Crap.. just realized.. according to Homedepot.com - this is temporarily not available online. So no rebate.. unless it becomes available before 4/11
March 29th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Mike/Rick:
It’s 110 — I’ll add it to the post. Sorry ’bout that!
And though it’s unavailable online right now, we’ve seen ‘em in the stores. If you’re still having trouble finding one, drop me a line via the contact form and I’ll see if I can help you track one down. As active as you’ve been around here, we’re happy to help.
March 29th, 2007 at 11:56 am
I’ll let my wife know in case she can’t track it down..
March 29th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I have a 32 gallon version of that Husky compressor. It’s actually a Campbell-Hausfeld made unit and has been pretty good for me. One piece of advice: ditch the impact gun they give you and buy a real one (IR or Nitrocat). You’ll be happy you did.
March 29th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Get one of these and you’ll wonder why you waited so long. One little tip. Make sure the outlet you plug this into is on it’s own breaker.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
chuck: many thanks. if husky themselves, and even the home depot site, doesn’t mention this, don’t feel bad.
Donn: yeah, i think this probably draws 12-13 amps by itself (peak load on startup), so on a 15amp circuit it should probably stand alone. good tip.
April 1st, 2007 at 10:57 pm
I bought this compressor about 6 weeks ago and agree with everything in the review. It was a great value and is working well for me.
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:23 pm
One other thing to note on this one is that Home Depot puts it on sale / clearance a couple of times a year for $199. I picked up the old model (no quite modes) at that price a couple of years ago and have been very happy.
April 6th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Thanks for a great review. I may soon pull the trigger and make the purchase.
FYI, I was searching around some and ran across another site with more info/pictures/video on this compressor:
http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/huskyq26rvu.html
April 11th, 2007 at 7:36 am
I’ve been told that this unit doesn’t have an automatic turn off/pressure regulator. Can anyone tell me if this is accurate?
April 18th, 2007 at 7:18 am
The compressor turns off when it hits it 150psi max. There is a separate regulator for the tools where you dial in your pressure you need. When the tank pressure falls low enough, the compressor kicks back on. As far as I know, it works like any other compressor…
BTW, I did buy one and everything looks good so far!
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:10 pm
I got this compressor today, i got it open box from home depot with a 10% discount. the ratchet was missing , so i gotta go back up their tomorrow and get it. Anybody have any problems with the impact, i know its not that great but the one that came with mine to me seems to be broke. It works fine and all but i couldnt even loosen the lugnuts on my car with it. Is it just cheap or is mine defective any information would be great thanx! Im gonna take that up when i go get my ratchet.
May 30th, 2007 at 7:04 am
The first one I bought had a leaking regulator valve, so I returned it the same day with no problems dealing with Home Depot. The replacement compressor work great until this week. It looks to be a bad motor in this one, so now I have to decide whether or not to exchange it for another one (I have one more week left on my return policy), or to get a refund. My second option is to us the extended service plan, which I recommend if you buy this compressor. I’ve become a great fan of Husky produces and hater of the new Craftsman tools. but round two with this compressor is wearing my patience.
June 21st, 2007 at 10:37 am
My wife bought me this compressor last year for Fathersday. I installed 500 square feet of hardwood with it. It was on maybe a total of 24 hrs. I didn’t use it for 4 or 5 months, and when I did it wouldn’t shut off. I took it to the nearest authorized repair place. they replaced the pressure switch, and that didn’t solve the problem. air was apparently blowing by the piston….And guess what. Parts are on back order,,,have a lot of things to do this summer and I’m waiting over a month now to get my compressor back….
My opinion Look for another compressor,,maybe another manufacturer. Not a Campbell-Hausfeld. The one i got sucked….
July 15th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
My Husky conpressor tip on it’s side and now it will not start. Is there something can do to get it going again ?
August 12th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I purchased a predecessor to this compressor a few years ago. Here’s my experience:
Pro’s:
1. Vertical configuration with small footprint — tucks away nicely into a corner and still high enough to easily get to the controls.
2. Easy-to-read and use controls.
3. 150 PSI allows for a long run time between charges.
4. Came with a decent air tool starter kit.
Cons:
1. Extremely loud. I imagine that the light- and medium-duty modes will quiet it some, but then you’re waiting around a while for this thing to charge.
2. Pump broke after about 3 years with only periodic light-weight use. Trying to figure out whether to repair or replace it.
3. Takes a while to charge up.
My typical usage was as follows… Charge it up (takes about 5-10 minutes); turn off the power switch (I hate when it kicks on unexpectedly — kind of dangerous if you’re driving a few nails and this thing suddenly fires up making all that noise); use it to dust off some sawdust, etc.; drive a few brad nails; don’t touch it again for several weeks. I never ran it hard or for more than a few continuous minutes at a time. However, last week, sparks started shooting out of the compressor. Not sure what happened, but I’m guessing the pump ceased.
It was a nice starter compressor, but the noise drove me crazy and its short lifespan is disappointing.
Keep in mind when shopping for a compressor — bigger is not necessarily better. If you only need periodic short bursts of air (such as driving a few brad nails every couple of weeks), then this compressor is TOO BIG. You will need to wait to charge it up every time you need to drive a few nails (even if you don’t discharge the tank like you’re supposed to — it will lose most of its pressure over a few days/weeks). A smaller compressor with a comparable SCFM will charge up quicker, but cycle more often.
x_hobbes
September 9th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
I have the older version of Home Depot’s 26 gallon air compressor. The tank and tires are about the same but mine has a REAL belt-driven compressor, electric motor and a fairly decent switch. I upgraded mine with a better air filter assembly, lever style drain cock, put on some nicer gauges and divided the air outlet into three seperate outlets with a good oil/water seperator. The first outlet is for my general purpose air tools and smaller paint guns. The second outlet provides air for my HVLP paint guns. The third outlet is for my airbrushes. I have a special 0-50 psi badger brand regulator/gauge combo on that outlet. I use my compressor just about everyday. I paint cars. Do mechanic type work and lots more around the shop with my unit. Only the electric switch went bad one time and that was because I plugged it into a rather weak outlet.
I was shocked to see Home Depot began selling these air compressors with the newer Suzy Homemaker user-friendly type pumps sitting on top. They are cheap no-good items that never really perform good and eventually fail. My advice is: buy something that looks like it belongs in a proffesional shop and not in your mom’s broom closet.
By the way….. ALL air compressors make noise, get very loud at times and kick on at a pre-set pressure. For the guy with the nail gun who gets startled to easy….. welcome to the blue collar world. Don’t hurt yourself out there!!!
September 29th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Where can I get a replacement motor for this unit?
September 30th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I have an older Husky horizontal version, 26 gallon, 5HP, 110V and up until just recently it worked great with occasional household type use. Recently it would not start. Motor cranks, pump cycles but it will not completely turn over. Pump is not ceased because it turns well by hand and the motor when disconnected from the pump turns on but trips the breaker. Any suggestions for a fix?
October 1st, 2007 at 2:23 am
Rick if I had to guess, I’d have to say that’s a valve problem. It turns fine by hand because you’re moving it slowly and valve or piston leakage allows the pressure to leak down, so you can turn it fully. But when the motor starts, it gets a half rev around, then slams into a cylinder full of air that the exhaust valve isn’t letting out.
Is the tank sitting at 0 psi? If it’ll start with no pressure in the tank, but the problem occurs when starting back up at pressure, then there’s a relief valve in the switch mechanism that’s not operating. That’s a separate problem entirely.
I think these have simple flap valves, so if you take apart the head, the problem should be readily apparent. I’ve never had a compressor open so that’s pure speculation!
October 31st, 2007 at 6:23 pm
I have an air compressor that I used about 5-10 times per month. After each use, I empty the tank and leave the valve open to allow for the water to drain out. I really don’t like having fill the tank prior to each use, but I have heard that this is a required step to protect my air tools. Is there something that I can do to keep the air in the tank and still protect my tools?
November 1st, 2007 at 5:14 am
You can get a solenoid valve kit that will periodically purge the water from the tank. I don’t know where the valve is on this particular tank or how much clearance you have, but they work well in industrial situations. I wouldn’t recommend it if you can hear the compressor from the house. It uses pressure from the tank to blow the water out and then if the pressure gets too low your motor kicks on. Could make for some unhappy neighbors or family members at the little hours in the morning.
December 5th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Problem, not about this model, but a Husky 6 gallon oilless unit. I have had it for only 1.5 years, only low use at home. Will not build pressure, no leaks so I think problem in cylinder/piston ring. I cannot locate parts and if I cannot will have scrap unit which does not make sense. Anyb ideas
December 5th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Gregaz, toss the unit in the trash. Oilless pumps are non-serviceable.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Zathrus, thanks for this advice. Next purchase will be a design that can be repaired. The only way to fix this is to replace the compressor/motor unit as that is how it is manufactured. The cost for this is the cost of a new compressor!
December 7th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Oh, any recommendations for a good home air compressor that can be repaired? Minor paint/tire reflate etc. Thanks
December 8th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Any that use an oil-lubed pump are repairable. But then you have to keep up with the proper maintenance schedule, make sure the oil doesn’t affect your paint sprayer, etc.
One other upside of oil-lubed compressors is that they’re generally quieter.
Note that oil-lubed compressors are usually considerably more expensive than oil-free; largely because they’re marketed to professionals, have longer duty cycles, etc. I’ve seen some cheap ones recently, but I don’t know if they were any good; I’m not really in the market at the moment.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I guess nobody here used thiers very often or something cause mine was complete trash. The impact gun broke first, then the air ratchet exploded. And yes I oil em every time they were used. Now the compressor will get up to the pressure I have it set at, but when I use up the air and it gets back under pressure it wont cut back on by itself. I have to shut it off for like 2 minutes then turn it back on. And once it didnt shut off where I had it set @ 80psi, I walked over there and the guage was past 150… Im still fighting with Home Depot to get a refund or another compressor.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I received mine for Christmas 2006. I have not encountered any issues with the unit at all. I do not use it every day, nor every week. My use of the compressor is situational. When a car breaks down, I use the compressor and cars have been breaking a lot lately. The impact gun has plenty of torque and really takes to rough duty well when I am out in the rain taking off the tires. Do remember to oil it every use though, as I didn’t do it once and you can definitely tell. The ratchet works as expected, although as mentioned in the review, can be hard to fit in some places. I have put this through some heavy use periods where it would cycle frequently during use. The motor shroud tends to get very hot in these instances, however continued to function as expected. The quiet mode does significantly lower the noise output, however it runs so much longer that increases the heat generated by the pump as well. If this compressor were to die in the near future, I would most likely investigate an oil lubed unit that can sustain more cfm @90 psi. That being said, I think that this is a great compressor for the home workshop use (not for home based business workshops). I believe that HomeDepot no longer offers this model, and the Husky website does not list it as an option either. PS I have not found a use for the die grinder, or air chisel yet either.