Customer Reviews

Thomas Compressors T-200ST 13 Amp 2-Horsepower 4-Gallon Oil-Free Twin Hot Dog Compressor

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After using friend compressors for years, I decided to purchase my own. I looked at the following Contractor Compressors Emglo (The Standard), Hitachi (OK), Rol-Air (Very Nice), Porter Cable ([...]) Campbell Hausfeld (Not for me at all), and Craftsman [...].

I also looked at some residential lite use units, Craftsman, Campbell Hausfeld, but I feel these are a good value for someone who is buying on price alone, but I wanted a better quality unit.

I use it for general nailing, and weekend warrior stuff, the recovery time is great, it make a lot less noise then all the others I tried, and has greater power, the drawback is it's a bit more expensive, but I feel it's worth the extra $$$ to get a quality unit. It should also be a great finish carpenter unit unit that can be used all day long. The Rol-Air (Inverted Pancake) was a very nice unit, If I intended to use this in the dirt, and mud every day, I would have purchased it, it has a nice roll cage too for protection. Most of work I do is inside, or in a fairly clean area outside so I went with the Renegade, and am very pleased with it.

This model is an upgraded version of the 150 series Ultra units.

I bought two of these compressors to drive an air router (Air Turbine Tools) attached to my CNC (ShopBot) "robot". I work these compressors very hard with about a 50% duty cycle for more than 8 hours at a time. They have been reliable, and surprisingly quiet work horses. (Two compressors running simultaneously make much less noise than a Bosch 1617 router running at full speed.) So far (6 months), not a single problem.

I have recently purchased the Renegade compressor and put it to work immediately. This is by far the best compressor on the market. I installed a "T" fitting to hook up 2 air hoses and with 2 framing nailers going at once, this little baby kept right up. The recovery time is only 10 seconds and has plenty of pressure to go around. Much beter than the Porter Cable pancake compressor I used to own. If your looking for something reliable, QUIET and worth the money, this is IT.

I bought this unit to run framing and finishing nailers for cabinet/construction work. I looked at some of the combination compressor/nailer kits, and almost bought the Porter Cable. But, based on the reviews here and a friend who uses the PC Pancake compressor, I decided to spend a little more and go with the Thomas.

It is very well built, and I'm pleased with the size. It's only 70 lbs., so it's easy to toss around. Recovery time is excellent, and the regulator knob made it easy to dial in the range I needed for the guns.

This is my first compressor, so I'd have to take the other reviewers' words that it is quiet. I've found that I'm more comfortable around this thing with ear plugs. For reference, it is quieter than my router, but not more quiet than my compound miter saw.

My only complaint is with the operating instructions. Information on how to adjust the regulator is completely absent, plus, there are no illustrations or pictures on how to perform adjustments, hook-ups, etc. I did get excellent response from personnel at Thomas regarding my questions (via email), and they were more than willing to help. In their defense, they told me they leave the connection information out of the manual due to the wide variety of applications for which this unit may be used. It would have been nice to at least have a few common examples though.

My initial impression of quality is similar to the impression I had of the Platinum Unisaw - this unit appears to be built for years of use.

I have owned this compressor for almost a year now, and have found it reliable and relatively quiet compared to other offerings. Though more expensive than many similar spec. compressors, the quality is undeniable. I really like this compressor, and recommend it (almost) unconditionally. Time marches on, and as I get older, almost 70lbs. seems to get heavier! I do less framing than I used to, and don't need as much cfm capacity for trim work...and have just ordered a Makita MAC700. The Thomas is my new shop compressor, and its low db's are appreciated against the Campbell Hausfield/Craftsman/Porter Cable hibrid constantly nursed to health I finally gave up on that I have been using. The Thomas doesn't pop breakers, gives zero grief on cold mornings, and is possibly the only oiless compressor I would consider owning. Be young and strong and love this compressor, and you'll have years of trouble free service. Recommended highly.

There were two main reasons I decided on this Thomas compressor.

The first was the noise level. The Thomas had the lowest db rating within its price range. It is much quieter than my old compressor and although still loud the noise level is livable. I really wanted the Panther compressor from Werther International. Similiar in size and specs to the Thomas however, the db ratin is 42db. That is about the same as nomal conversation. The only drawback with the Werther is the price tag, about $1600.

The 2nd reason was the 135psi top level air pressure. Here I was disappointed. The unit specs are that the unit turns off at 135psi, on again at 110psi. My unit topped out at 120-125psi and then shut off. It came on again at 110psi. I called Thomas and explained the problem. They thought it was a faulty pressure switch and immediately sent me a new one. After installing the new pressure switch I was disappointed to find the unit still turned off at 120-125psi. I again called Thomas and they advised me to take the unit to a Service Center for repair. I called the service center and they said the problem is common and can be fixed by adjusting the brass screw inside the switch. I again took the switch apart and found the screw. The screw has a Torx tamper resistant head and was also sealed with a bit of plastic to keep the driver from fitting into the slot. I pried out the plastic and luckily had the right size TorxTR bit. I adjusted the screw using trial and error and finally got the unit to shut off at the specified 135PSI. After the adjustment the unit turned on again at 120psi rather than the spec of 110psi. I found another black plastic screw that was sealed with wax. After removing the wax and again using trial and error I got the unit to start again at 110psi.

Quite a bit of trouble to bring the unit up to the specified psi specs. Thomas' customer service people were great in their prompt attempts to help me. I hope that Thomas will improve their quality control so that the units are right when they are shipped.

Other than this problem the unit seems to be well constructed and performs as expected.

This compressor is fast - up to pressure quickly and recharges in about 12 sec. Cycles on and off frequently on a framing nailer, but the cut-in pressure is above the nail gun minimum, so no half shots and the cycle speed ensures no downtime. The footprint is compact and stable. Definitely quieter than the 3450 rpm screamers - for oil-less, this one is pretty good. A little noisier than I hoped, but not bad. You can be in the same room while it is running. Improvements? The pressure cut off occurs at 128-130 psi instead of 135 as advertised. Does it matter? Probably not. Should it be checked and set right at the factory? Probably. Despite the claim of no plastic shrouds, the outer end of the motor is plastic. Could be susceptible to getting bumped and broken. The air filter is under a plastic cover integrated on the cylinder head - looks durable and easy to access. And to top it off - the unit looks good. Would I buy one again? Absolutely. It does what it needs to do and it does it well. Add no maintenance for the oil-less and you have a winner.

I recently purchased the Thomas T-200ST and believe it is the finest portable air compressor available for contractors, builders or serious do-it-yourselfer. Super fast recovery, quiet, and extremely well built. All steel/aluminum and ball bearing construction make this virtually indestructable! I have tried them all and found the Thomas to be of superior quality! A few notches above the Porter Cable, Makita, or Dewalt. If you want the very best, spend the money and go with the Thomas...you won't regret it!!!

About 2 years ago I purchased a Large upright compressor with a 60 Gal Tank that was powered by 240 volts and being a retired mechanic use to shops with large compressors I thought this would certainly handle all of my needs to work on my 74 Corvette along with my other cars. I then decided to also build an addition to my home and at first this compressor was beautiful and perfect but I soon learned that here in the humid south if you did not drain this huge compressor on a daily basis it would lock up if you left any air in it at all for even a few days. I replaced the seals 5 times in two years and finally I sold my $600 big compressor and shopped around looking especially here on Amazon and after reading all of the reviews I found myself purchasing the Thomas T-200ST. One of the major things I love about Amazon is it was delivered in record time right to my home. I have now used this compressor for about two months and I am currently building another addition to my home and the Thomas keeps right up with me with NO problems at all. The recovery time is unbelievably fast and no matter how fast I shoot the nail gun it is right there with me ready for the next one.
Should this unit ever wear out, I will without a doubt have another on the way that same day from Amazon. Take it from someone that is an amateur builder but was a professional mechanic, The Thomas T-200ST Compressor and [...] is a combination that you can NOT beat!!!!

Very impressed with my compressor,quick recovery time,fairly quiet,a little heavy so strapped it to my handtrucks for ease of moving,overall I am impressed,