Customer Reviews

Campbell Hausfeld VT6275 15 Amp 3.2-Horsepower 60-Gallon Oiled Vertical Compressor

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just received my unit several days ago. It was purchased to replace an aging Sears 2 HP compressor, which had mysteriously turned itself on during the night (even though the switch was Off!) and kept running, overheating and filling my home with oily smoke.

The purchase and delivery experience was great. I got the free shipping, and was expecting this would take 2-3 weeks on the slow train. I was surprised to get a call from the freight company two days after I ordered it, asking when I wanted it delivered. It arrived in perfect condition.

True to market hype, the 6.5 HP rating advertised is actually an overstatement. The label on the unit says it is a 3.2 HP, and that makes sense given the current draw. A true 6.5 HP unit would require a 30-50A circuit, like my Delta 5HP Unisaw. But this unit meets my needs at a good price.

Campbell Hausfeld makes this identical unit for a lot of other manufacturers... you'll notice different paint colors, but it's the same unit. Surprisingly, some other manufacturers charge more... as far as I can tell only the paint color and brand sticker is different. Buy this one and save yourself some money.

A downside over some of the cheaper units is that you'll need to provide your own electrical cord, air regulator and plumbing from the tank. I purchased Campbell Hausfeld's vertical compressor mount kit direct from their website for about $11. It comes with rubber and metal plates, as well as lag screws and lag shields to safely mount the unit to the floor. I've also purchased a flexible pipe to make the connection from the compressor tank (after a ball shutoff valve) to the rest of the plumbing in my system.

The cast iron compressor pump is definitely quieter than my old aluminum one was. The unit operates very smoothly and relatively quietly for a compressor, but it's still noisy.

I'll submit an update after I've used the unit for a while, but so far, so good.

I am very pleased with this unit, it is just what I was looking for, powerful and much quiter than I expected it to be. The only downfall is that you need to wire the unit yourself, although if you are handy with electric it is fairly easy to install. The "free" shipping from Amazon is an excellent bargin. I highly recommend this unit.

Just purchased this unit at Lowes for $[...] which I think is a great price. I replaced a 15 year old wheel barrow type CH with the same horsepower and CFM rating but only a 30 gallon tank. I need this capacity because I use lots of continuous duty tools like grinders, sanders and air chisels which require high CFM ratings. If your work involves intermittant use tools like nailers, air ratchets, inflators, etc you don't need this much compressor. One of the big reasons I chose this model is that it has a true cast iron pump body. Many others at this price range use aluminum with iron inserts which won't provide the same longevity. This baby will last!

Other things I like about it are: smooth, quiet operation, well placed readable pressure guage, large 3/4" air outlet, handy sight window for oil level, smaller belt cage and easily accessable drain cock. So why didn't I give it 5 stars? Here are the flaws:

As usual with products made in Asia, the owners manual is almost worthless. Vague installation instructions and print errors in 4 languages - how handy. The book recommends vibration isolators and provides a part number but the number is bogus. No one at Lowes or CH could find the part. I bought some at Graingers that were perfect for $9 each. (BTW, if you want to experience customer service done right, call Grainger's help line. 24-hour operation with true engineers on stand-by to answer questions and do research.) There's a big sticker on the unit with a CH web site and 800 number to call but of course, the web site didn't offer any meaningful information and I got a recording on the phone.

The unit is extremely top heavy which makes it very hard to mark holes for drilling the lead sinkers needed to install it. A bolt pattern in the manual would have been very helpful. The manual recommends that you run the unit with open lines for 30 minutes to break it in and then change the oil. Of course it doesn't come with any extra oil and the crankcase may or may not be full when you buy it. The hole for the oil drain screw is flush with the pump body so the oil runs all over the place when you drain it. I tried to add a nipple to extend the clearance so I could catch the draining oil but the threads are metric and I can't find pipe to fit. The manual offers an "EZ Drain" device at an extra price??? Once you have the unit plumbed in, check all the connections for leaks with soapy water, including the factory connections for the regulator manifold and pressure gauge. Mine had minor leaks in both.

1 last remark...another reviewer said he left the unit on the pallet when he installed it. If you do this, it's a little difficult to use the tank drain plug (draining daily is a must if you want it to last). Putting the unit on the Grainger isolators gives me plenty of room under the unit to reach the drain and place a drain pan. So the bottom line is this...this is a solid unit that operates quietly, has plenty of power and will last 20 years if properly maintained. Once you get past the intsallation woes, you'll be quite pleased.

This is an excellent air compressor! It definitely fills the needs for my home garage use. It is reasonably quiet given its size, and has so far run any tool that I have tried which includes a cutoff tool, air chisel, air ratchet, impact wrench, tire inflator, and an air drill. I haven't yet tried a paint sprayer, but give the size of the tank and the CFM rating I think it would handle it pretty well, perhaps with some waiting for it to repressurize. I expect it will run air sanders just fine as well. Just be sure to check the SCFM of what you want to use against the air compressors rating.

It does not come with a filter/regulator or wiring for 220V, so you do need to do a little work to get it installed. That this standard for air compressors in this size range though, so I have no complaints there.

I just left the unit bolted to the shipping pallet and sat it in the corner of my garage. For 220V, I wired a plug on 220V wire so I can run it through my laundry room door and plug it into my dryer outlet when I need to use it. Not optimum, but it is a working solution until I have a garage that is wired for 220.

If you need a powerful home compressor, you won't be sorry you bought this one!

I needed to upgrade my shop air compressor and had narrowed my choices to Ingersoll Rand and Campbell Hausfeld. I researched the various internet sites and to my surprise Amazon.com sells air compressors and had an incredible deal on the Campbell Hausfeld VT6275 60 Gallon. The deal included free shipping; this was true free shipping all the way into my shop. Great quality compressor at a great price and a very smooth transaction.

Just finished setting this unit up. Ordered on Friday night and compressor was delivered by ABF early Wednesday morning. Friendly and professional driver used a pallet jack to wheel it right into my garage. Free Super Saver Shipping came out less expensive than Lowe's (after $79 delivery charge) or Home Depot (after $200 delivery charge for Husky-branded unit).

Purchased this vertical model to handle larger jobs that my 6-gallon Porter-Cable oil-free unit can't support. I was originally planning to go with a 20-30 gallon 120VAC portable compressor. I had initially narrowed it down to an Ingersoll-Rand 20ga. unit at Sears (many of the Craftsman units had sketchy reviews) and a 30ga. Kobalt model at Lowe's. However, after considering the increased capacity (2X-3X) and increased air flow (2X) of some of the larger vertical models for the same price as the smaller portable ones, I decided to opt for bigger and (hopefully) better.

I'd like to point out to those who may be relative novices to compressor ownership that there are a fair number of additional parts that are required to get these models up and running. In my case, I also needed to add a 240VAC circuit in the garage. All the additional parts added another $250 or so to the final cost so the price parity between larger and smaller units is not as it appears at first glance. The manual makes little mention of the additional plumbing required other than to say recommend the installation of a shut-off valve. Fortunately, Campbell Hausefeld has a helpful video on Youtube to help with setup. One gripe to CH about the oil drain: Why not include an oil drain extension with the unit? The oil draining process includes cleaning up oil that runs down the side of the tank because you can't easily recover the draining oil.

Ran the unit through the 30-minute break-in period. Found one small leak in the threaded plug on the back side of the pressure switch. Tightened and it's good to go. Unit is quiter than my small, oil-free unit. One hour total running time on the unit now and everything seems in order. Time will tell but I'm very satisfied thus far.

As of 5/09, Lowe's has this model in stock locally for $438, so you're paying about $160 extra for "free" shipping from Amazon. Also, Harbor Freight appears to have a reconditioned version of this unit (or very similar), which they will ship to you for a total of only about $400. Looks like a good unit though; I will probably buy it shortly to replace my rusted-out, 10-year-old Devilbiss 26-gallon unit (when they say drain the tank after each use, they mean it!).

I BOUGHT THIS AIR COMPRESSOR SO I CAN USE AIR TOOLS WHEN I NEED TO AT HOME. THIS THING IS POWERFUL AND I RECOMMEND TO ANYONE. IT CAN HANDLE ANY AUTOMOTIVE TOOL. I HAVE SANDBLASTED MANY TIMES WITH IT. ITS A CHAMP !

Great compressor I recommend this to any one with a home shop. I burned up my 8 gallon. I strated shopping around and found this one. With the free shipping it's a great buy and the truck driver unloaded it and help with the placement. You will need to buy power and plumming surpplys. I spent about $180.00. Worth the money. Mine came with oil inside. What more can I write about that the other great reviewers have wrote.

When it comes to changing the oil that's another story. For the price I'll take the bad with the good.

First off, i bought mine at lowes. After cycling off i could hear hissing, poor weld at top of tank was leaking air...lots! I called the 1800 number and was told by the machine to call during normal hours and not during peak hours.... WTF, its 1pm!! I rewelded it my self, tank still fails to hold air, could not find leak so i filled the unit with freon and used freon leak detector. Its leaking out of the compressor, poor valves not sealing properly and come out the air intake. Also, this unit gets really hot during use, the tank get so hot you cant touch it after running nonstop for 1 hour, then the air gets so hot, the hose gets hot, and the nozzle on the sand blaster is so hot you cant hold it, and you have to stop so it can rest. The oil, is very dark after about 3 hours of use. Buy a better unit if you plan on using it for real.