Ingersoll-Rand air compressor is terrible & the service is even worse. DON'T BUY its junk

[Shaybuilder]

I bought a new Ingersoll-Rand air compressor 5 weeks ago from MSC. I bought their start up kit because it extended the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. This air compressor replaced a Speedaire compressor that I bought new 53 years ago which had over 50,000 hours on it. The Speedaire finally gave out so I bought the IR compressor. After 4 weeks the pressure switch gave out and leaked constantly causing the compressor to run continuously, overheating pump and melting off some of the plastic junk fittings they had on it. I have made 5 calls to IR which weren't answered so I left voice mail messages each time, even sent a email which they didn't respond to either. My first call was on Monday, I also called MSC to see if they could help. The person I am dealing with at MSC has tried for 2 days now and hasn't been able to get through to IR. I see how IR can offer a 2 year warranty, they could easily extend it to 10 years with no problem since they evidently have no intentions of honoring their warranty. MSC so far has been very helpful but since they can't get in touch with IR I told them I want to return the junk compressor for a full refund. I need the air for the drawbars on my mills and plasma cutter all of which are used daily. At this point I will go to Harbor Freight to get a compressor to keep me going if I have to but I will never consider a IR compressor. JUST BE WARNED- INGERSOLL-RAND AIR COMPRESSORS ARE TOTAL JUNK AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF HONORING THEIR WARRANTY.

 

[Vecair]

I bought a new Ingersoll-Rand air compressor 5 weeks ago from MSC. I bought their start up kit because it extended the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. This air compressor replaced a Speedaire compressor that I bought new 53 years ago which had over 50,000 hours on it. The Speedaire finally gave out so I bought the IR compressor. After 4 weeks the pressure switch gave out and leaked constantly causing the compressor to run continuously, overheating pump and melting off some of the plastic junk fittings they had on it. I have made 5 calls to IR which weren't answered so I left voice mail messages each time, even sent a email which they didn't respond to either. My first call was on Monday, I also called MSC to see if they could help. The person I am dealing with at MSC has tried for 2 days now and hasn't been able to get through to IR. I see how IR can offer a 2 year warranty, they could easily extend it to 10 years with no problem since they evidently have no intentions of honoring their warranty. MSC so far has been very helpful but since they can't get in touch with IR I told them I want to return the junk compressor for a full refund. I need the air for the drawbars on my mills and plasma cutter all of which are used daily. At this point I will go to Harbor Freight to get a compressor to keep me going if I have to but I will never consider a IR compressor. JUST BE WARNED- INGERSOLL-RAND AIR COMPRESSORS ARE TOTAL JUNK AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF HONORING THEIR WARRANTY.

We have a IMC 7.5hp vertical that has been running now for 25 years with not one single problem. Runs six days a week. Regular oil changes and normal maintenance. Sorry to hear IR has gone the way of so many other US companies with zero customer service and no product support. I would highly recommend the IMC BelAire as its been very good to us. Good luck!

 

[DDoug]

I need the air for the drawbars on my mills and plasma cutter all of which are used daily. At this point I will go to Harbor Freight to get a compressor to keep me going if I have to but I will never consider a IR compressor

So I.R. or HF only ?
There are many fine compressors out there, search the archives. Quincy, Curtis, Jenny, etc.
Might even consult your Northern Hydraulics catalog.

 

[dkmc]

The way to get a good long term air compressor for reasonable investment these days remains to be buying a good used Quincy QR series and rebuilding it if required. Most of the 'box store' grade compressors are junk these days.

 

[akajun]

Champion advantage series

 

[ernieflash]

I bought a new Ingersoll-Rand air compressor 5 weeks ago from MSC. I bought their start up kit because it extended the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. This air compressor replaced a Speedaire compressor that I bought new 53 years ago which had over 50,000 hours on it. The Speedaire finally gave out so I bought the IR compressor. After 4 weeks the pressure switch gave out and leaked constantly causing the compressor to run continuously, overheating pump and melting off some of the plastic junk fittings they had on it. I have made 5 calls to IR which weren't answered so I left voice mail messages each time, even sent a email which they didn't respond to either. My first call was on Monday, I also called MSC to see if they could help. The person I am dealing with at MSC has tried for 2 days now and hasn't been able to get through to IR. I see how IR can offer a 2 year warranty, they could easily extend it to 10 years with no problem since they evidently have no intentions of honoring their warranty. MSC so far has been very helpful but since they can't get in touch with IR I told them I want to return the junk compressor for a full refund. I need the air for the drawbars on my mills and plasma cutter all of which are used daily. At this point I will go to Harbor Freight to get a compressor to keep me going if I have to but I will never consider a IR compressor. JUST BE WARNED- INGERSOLL-RAND AIR COMPRESSORS ARE TOTAL JUNK AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF HONORING THEIR WARRANTY.

I totally Agree with Shaybuilder .I bought a IR compressor because they said they had three sevice centers near me .
Well I rceived the compressor and the first thing that hits me is a big sticker "MADE IN INDIA " Oh No after seeing some of those you tube videos, I am on the Horrors Now.
I install the compressor and reailize the oil fill cap is a shipping plug . SO i call IR after calling several differnt places, I finally Found a human to talk to, and was told that I need to fill out a form and email to company (Third Party ) after several days of waiting with no return call I reserched the internet and purchased a fill plug,(I could have easily made one but did not want to void warrenty .
50 Dollars later the pug arrives Still no call back ).
Fast forward 3 months the starter/relay dies again I jump through the hoops , again no call back . I call my electrician he replaces the relay, Back in service (still no call back) threee weeks later I get a call that a sevice man is in the area and will be comming by to "Repair" my compressor . when he shows up I tell him I needed the comp. so it is already repaired . He leaves me the relay and goes on his way.
Forward another month and the relief Valve blows apart. I dont even bother I call McMaster and get one .(rebuildable Not like the crimped on junk used as original Equipt.)
Well apparently IR does not have a service dept and contracts out repairs and warrenty to a third party who does not place warranty work high on its priority list.
So Moral of story is DONOT BUY INGERSOL RAND not only are they not made in USA but they are built like they belong at Walmart .
and they are obviously built to "High Indian Standards" . dont get me wrong not all Indian stuff is low quality but if IR is any indication of Indian Quality , Big trouble .
Sorry for Rant !!!!

 

[Labrat]

Now wouldn't it be ironic if your HF compressor outlasts the IR one...

 

[rons]

You might be dealing with cheap/faulty/import accessory type parts that make the compressor system fail.
I replaced the mechanical pressure switch with a modern digital switch that is programmable with a digital readout.
Compare the adjustment range and the screw twiddling you have to do with a diaphragm switch. No more of that nonsense.

Integrated Display Pressure Sensors

Pneumatic sensors with buttons and a display to set and read values from an operator's position.

www.smcusa.com

 

[DDoug]

You might be dealing with cheap/faulty/import accessory type parts that make the compressor system fail.
I replaced the mechanical pressure switch with a modern digital switch that is programmable with a digital readout.
Compare the adjustment range and the screw twiddling you have to do with a diaphragm switch. No more of that nonsense.

Polishing a turd with electronics.....Might as well put a Rasberry Pi on the thing.....as you wheel it out to the curb.

 

[Phil in Montana]

Thats sad, in my dfay the T30 IR was king with no problems, and IR stood tall in there dealers and sevice...Phil

 

[eKretz]

Yeah, sucks but not surprising. I've got a 20+ year old IR 80 gal compressor in my garage and it's pretty good. The wonderful effects of globalization.

 

[Steve's Hobby]

I bought a new Ingersoll-Rand air compressor 5 weeks ago from MSC. I bought their start up kit because it extended the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. This air compressor replaced a Speedaire compressor that I bought new 53 years ago which had over 50,000 hours on it. The Speedaire finally gave out so I bought the IR compressor. After 4 weeks the pressure switch gave out and leaked constantly causing the compressor to run continuously, overheating pump and melting off some of the plastic junk fittings they had on it. I have made 5 calls to IR which weren't answered so I left voice mail messages each time, even sent a email which they didn't respond to either. My first call was on Monday, I also called MSC to see if they could help. The person I am dealing with at MSC has tried for 2 days now and hasn't been able to get through to IR. I see how IR can offer a 2 year warranty, they could easily extend it to 10 years with no problem since they evidently have no intentions of honoring their warranty. MSC so far has been very helpful but since they can't get in touch with IR I told them I want to return the junk compressor for a full refund. I need the air for the drawbars on my mills and plasma cutter all of which are used daily. At this point I will go to Harbor Freight to get a compressor to keep me going if I have to but I will never consider a IR compressor. JUST BE WARNED- INGERSOLL-RAND AIR COMPRESSORS ARE TOTAL JUNK AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF HONORING THEIR WARRANTY.

I have been going down this road for a while-I need to up grade from my 5HP to 10 or 15-everyone tells me nothing made in the States now. the Quincy Guys were here trying to bait me with a China one-made by :"good old boys"in the USA, I explained that while I don't have anything against China, my 1st priority is my home country-next is allies of my home country-the German one: Kaeser Rep in OC, never came by as promised-so I passed on that...I have a very small shop, couple of Mazak QT's and going to add a VMC next year-hopefully-The Quincy Guys said a piston type will be fine-sure would like to fine something made in this Country as I like to support American Manufacturing/Workers-though my travels on the web this one came up says make in USA-I wonder why this one does not seem to come up in discussions...anyone know if they are made in State by a USA owned company ?

 

[scsmith42]

Gardner Denver and IR compressor divisions merged a couple of years ago. Per feedback that I heard from some employees, lots of product quality problems have resulted.

 

[rklopp]

Gardner Denver and IR compressor divisions merged a couple of years ago. Per feedback that I heard from some employees, lots of product quality problems have resulted.

I have my grandfather's Gardner Denver recip from 1956 that's going strong. It's heavy, slow, and, sadly, too small for my needs. I need to upgrade.

 

[dundeeshopnut]

I have been going down this road for a while-I need to up grade from my 5HP to 10 or 15-everyone tells me nothing made in the States now. the Quincy Guys were here trying to bait me with a China one-made by :"good old boys"in the USA,...

The legendary QR series Quincys are now made in CRAPLAND??? That sure IS sad news. Luckily there are still enough used pumps around to keep us quality addicts in supply for at least another 30 years.

 

[john.k]

You think thats bad......the sandblasters ditched 2x Sullairs,I x Atlas Copco and 1x Dresser and replaced them all with a giant Indian made screw compressor with digital control output modulation.....cost something like $200k...........poetic justice actually,because the new owners were importers of the Indian junk compressors.......and also importers of junk Chinese bulldozers......Chinakat and Chinakom (atsu) .....the central Queensland retailer of the dozers is still hiding out from dozens of death threats..

 

[Just a Sparky]

Saylor-Beall made in USA for 107 years and counting. Union shop.

Tank-mounted units
Bare pumps

Comparable tonnage per horsepower and RPMs to Quincy's QR-25 lineup. They are big, heavy low speed pumps. They've retained some of the more expensive old-school design features that Quincy phased out beginning in the 50's like centrifugal unloaders and gear-type oil pumps. The wrist pins have needle bearings too, whereas all the Quincies have plain bearings there AFAIK. They both have the same disc-type valves instead of cheaper reed valves (which some of the Ingersols are notorious for if I'm remembering correctly.)

Of course there is the matter of the price tag... A bare 10 horse PL-707 pump alone will put you out four and a half grand. Then again a comparable QR-25 will do about the same.

Buy once, cry once / get-what-you-pay-for and all that. Upfront cost vs false economy resulting from downtime of a cheaper unit in a production environment, yada yada.

 

[Shaybuilder]

The good news about the POS air compressor that Ingersoll-Rand won't even return a call after leaving 5 voice mails and a email message. MSC has issued me a return authorization for a full refund, I will be taking it to MSC's facility tomorrow. Evidently MSC could never get IR to return their calls also. IR has to be one of the stupidest companies putting a big label on the tank (PROUDLY ASSEMBLED IN THE USA), they don't advertise the fact that it is assembled with shitty garbage parts.

 

[moonlight machine]

Saylor-Beall made in USA for 107 years and counting. Union shop.

Tank-mounted units
Bare pumps

Comparable tonnage per horsepower and RPMs to Quincy's QR-25 lineup. They are big, heavy low speed pumps. They've retained some of the more expensive old-school design features that Quincy phased out beginning in the 50's like centrifugal unloaders and gear-type oil pumps. The wrist pins have needle bearings too, whereas all the Quincies have plain bearings there AFAIK. They both have the same disc-type valves instead of cheaper reed valves (which some of the Ingersols are notorious for if I'm remembering correctly.)

Of course there is the matter of the price tag... A bare 10 horse PL-707 pump alone will put you out four and a half grand. Then again a comparable QR-25 will do about the same.

Buy once, cry once / get-what-you-pay-for and all that. Upfront cost vs false economy resulting from downtime of a cheaper unit in a production environment, yada

My Saylor-Beall has been totally trouble free for years, I don't know about service or warranty because it has never needed anything.

 

[GregSY]

The I-R of today is so far removed from the I-R of 50 years ago it's unrecognizable.

As with many products, the air compressor stopped being a product long ago and is now an 'asset' within a company of bean counters and deal makers. It's the fault of the companies that make them but equally the people who buy them.