I love these unboxing videos. They really tell me everything I need to know about the product, including the print quality on the box and the thickness of the styrofoam being used.
My same model locked up after maybe 16 hours of run time. I followed the break in and changed the oil afterwards. The oil was full when it locked up at maybe 80psi. It was a full stop with a hum. I unplugged it and drained the tank to no avail. It still only hums at the motor when I try to turn it on.
@@ShinyInsanity i went and bought mine yesterday for $165 and fit in the back seat of a chevy sonic with no protesters. So i think it would fit in about anything
I bought one about a year ago and I've hardly used it. I ment to get some air tools but I've had other stuff come up. Here recently I've started a new job where I use a staple gun all day and the main airline at work is down for maintenance and the portable air they have sucks and barely runs at 60 psi. So I offered to bring mine in temporarily untill they get the main line fixed. Be a good chance to test it in a factory setting. It's just going to be the one staple gun untill I get a splitter.
That will be a good test. Let me know how it holds up over time. It's been holding up when running a plasma cutter but I don't use it as often as I think some folks do.
I noticed that you have a bottle of 30w non-detergent oil on the ground which the machine says to use but you are pouring the pneumatic oil Harbor Freight sells. Are they interchangeable? I asked people at Harbor Freight and they said to use 10-30w, which they sell. So there seems to be three different answers.
I use what they recommended in their instructions to avoid warranty issues. Keep in mind the people working the floor aren't always experts and will just tell you what they "think" will work.
Are you still happy with your Harbor Freight 20 gal McGraw Air Compressor over a year later? I recently bought one and have a couple of comments: 1) VERY loud! Much louder than my previous Harbor Freight US General (similar oil compressor) which was higher HP rated (2 HP) and higher CFM (4.6 at 90 PSI) 2) Part of the loudness is from the "Startup valve" located top of the air compressor and continuously discharges until pressure builds up. I assume this is to reduce startup current 2) Won't run on my Honda i2000 inverter generator. I don't know why because it is only 1.6 HP and vs the 2.0 HP US General (circa 2002) which runs fine on the Honda. I suspect it has to do with start up amps, but always triggers 'Overload" on my generator. 3) I didn't see any instructions saying to change oil after 30 minutes. 4) What oil did you use? I asked the clerk for compressor oil and got 16 oz bottle of air tool oil. I don't think that is correct because instructions say 30W non-detergent oil, which is what you use to break in a car engine but not long term I thought. 5) The cooling fins on the compressor air line to the manifold are extremely loose on mine. I don't think this is the most efficient way to cool that line (should be in contact with the tubing). Overall, it's main selling feature for me was the 20 gallon tank, but I'm honestly thinking of taking the motor and pump off of my old US general and mounting on top instead of this noise maker. It actually vibrates the concrete floor of my garage.
Aside from the loud operation it works well so far. I've been running a manual plasma cutter with it and it seems to keep up for my work. For the price I can't complain, but it is loud no doubt about it. I used the air compressor oil they sold at harbor freight that came in a 32oz bottle in the video. I would suggest changing the oil after the break in period since it was really dirty after the first run.
I just bought the same unit. The new ones don’t have the screw as a drain plug but rather the hole oil sight is a bolt. So you literally remove the oil sight bolt with a 24 mm socket. This also means it doesn’t drain like the one with a screw so in order to drain you have to tilt the whole unit. Let’s see how it works and how long it holds up.
My new McGraw was leaking at regulator knob. Eliminated the regulator and the pipe behind it had 2 pipe fittings that were leaking. Tightened them, now holds pressure. Whats QC? IDK. LOL...
@@ShinyInsanity yeah I kind of bought it with that understanding. I tend to work on a lot of my own items so it's not a big issue. I'll make something work one way or the other.
@@headpainter1 Well glad it was an easy fix and you got it up and running. Hope it works well for you as mine has. Might want to get some ear plugs if you use it a lot :)
I bought one at Christmas and only used it once I had done the proper breaking in procedure etc. Anyway, I just went to use it again and it won't even turn on! The pressure is all drained out of it right now. It's plugged into a dedicated outlet. It's not on an extension cord. It has oil in it. When I flip the switch. Nothing. I looked all through the troubleshooting and didn't see anything about what to do. Somebody did mention that sometimes there are reset buttons? It's not listed on my manual. Have you ever had this happen and do you know where the reset button is?
Sorry to hear that. I've never had this happen on mine, but sounds like it could be something like a loose wiring connector. I don't think this model has a reset button that I am aware. If it's out of the warranty period you can always unplug it and pop off the cover to see if any of the wire connectors worked loose over the winter.
@@ShinyInsanity Good morning. Took off the cowling and it turned out the motor had caught fire and melted! It didn't even have 1 hour of use on it It wasn't under warranty anymore but they did take it back and replace it with another one which I had to buy the extended warranty in order to have the store do that Now I'm trying to figure out what could have caused the fire. I suspect it was a faulty batch of these compressors *** However, I wanted to ask how important it is for the compressor to be absolutely perfectly level when operating? I've noticed it seems to be slightly unlevel so in the oil window it looks like it's on the low side. However, when I wheel it all the way out to the cement pad and let it sit there a minute I can see the oil is correct level. In your opinion, does the compressor have to be extremely level in order to run safely? Just glancing at it, the compressor looks level until you look at the oil window.
@@TheButterflyGirl7 Glad you were able to get it replaced. That's odd that happened and hopefully that is not a common problem. As far as the oil level it should not need to be perfectly level. If you have a major variation in your floor it could in theory cause the low side to have some issues with circulation and thus lubrication but I don't think anyone's floors are that uneven. More than likely it was just a manufacturing defect versus anything you did. Let us know how the next break in goes.
Good video, I'm considering this compressor so was good to hear the volume level(roughly) of running machine. Almost 6 months later, are you still happy with this model?...Thanks
Thank you. Yes, for the price it suits my needs just fine. I don't use it heavily except for some light plasma cutting and general garage cleanup, but it is holding up so far. Hope that helps.
I just found the manual, they say we are not to remove the sight glass to do oil changes. manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/64000-64999/64857-193175314796.pdf
@@arod8596 That was after the break in process so it had all the dirt, metal shavings and other junk that was left in there from manufacturing. I only changed it that one time.
@WorldRenownedCFE Congrats. I just used the compressor oil that they sent with the machine. It was nice and clear when I started but looked like chocolate milk afterwards.
FYI on draining the oil you unscrew the oil plug which is that plastic piece which is 22 mm you can also buy extra ones if you feel you need to buy them because you're going to break one you do not use the screw
Someone needs to do a universal " Unboxing " video that covers ALL unboxing of ALL products. ... !0 minutes into a 15 Minute video and yet to turn it on BUT i did learn to put on wheels and add oil !!!! This is meant to be constructive criticism for video production.
I don't think they test these compressors motors...it would of had oil inside and wouldn't need a break in process..Maybe they test the tanks but who knows!
I love these unboxing videos. They really tell me everything I need to know about the product, including the print quality on the box and the thickness of the styrofoam being used.
Different details matter to different folks so glad you found it useful.
My same model locked up after maybe 16 hours of run time. I followed the break in and changed the oil afterwards. The oil was full when it locked up at maybe 80psi. It was a full stop with a hum. I unplugged it and drained the tank to no avail. It still only hums at the motor when I try to turn it on.
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you were able to get a replacement or refund. Mine is still working, but still loud.
Picked one of these up yesterday and will be unboxing it tomorrow. Appreciate the video but appreciate the Spongebob even more. 😂🤘
Lol - gotta sneak in some SpongeBob references when possible. Congrats on the purchase.
Someone else who is smart enough to open large boxes from the bottom.
Live and learn :)
Thanks for the dimensions of the box, i thought i was gonna need a truck to go get the compressor. Now i know itll fit in the car.
No problem. That was my main concern as well.
@@ShinyInsanity i went and bought mine yesterday for $165 and fit in the back seat of a chevy sonic with no protesters. So i think it would fit in about anything
@@towboatjeff Awesome. Almost anything except a smart car or Corvette :)
I bought one about a year ago and I've hardly used it. I ment to get some air tools but I've had other stuff come up. Here recently I've started a new job where I use a staple gun all day and the main airline at work is down for maintenance and the portable air they have sucks and barely runs at 60 psi. So I offered to bring mine in temporarily untill they get the main line fixed. Be a good chance to test it in a factory setting. It's just going to be the one staple gun untill I get a splitter.
That will be a good test. Let me know how it holds up over time. It's been holding up when running a plasma cutter but I don't use it as often as I think some folks do.
I noticed that you have a bottle of 30w non-detergent oil on the ground which the machine says to use but you are pouring the pneumatic oil Harbor Freight sells. Are they interchangeable? I asked people at Harbor Freight and they said to use 10-30w, which they sell. So there seems to be three different answers.
I use what they recommended in their instructions to avoid warranty issues. Keep in mind the people working the floor aren't always experts and will just tell you what they "think" will work.
Are you still happy with your Harbor Freight 20 gal McGraw Air Compressor over a year later?
I recently bought one and have a couple of comments:
1) VERY loud! Much louder than my previous Harbor Freight US General (similar oil compressor) which was higher HP rated (2 HP) and higher CFM (4.6 at 90 PSI)
2) Part of the loudness is from the "Startup valve" located top of the air compressor and continuously discharges until pressure builds up. I assume this is to reduce startup current
2) Won't run on my Honda i2000 inverter generator. I don't know why because it is only 1.6 HP and vs the 2.0 HP US General (circa 2002) which runs fine on the Honda. I suspect it has to do with start up amps, but always triggers 'Overload" on my generator.
3) I didn't see any instructions saying to change oil after 30 minutes.
4) What oil did you use? I asked the clerk for compressor oil and got 16 oz bottle of air tool oil. I don't think that is correct because instructions say 30W non-detergent oil, which is what you use to break in a car engine but not long term I thought.
5) The cooling fins on the compressor air line to the manifold are extremely loose on mine. I don't think this is the most efficient way to cool that line (should be in contact with the tubing).
Overall, it's main selling feature for me was the 20 gallon tank, but I'm honestly thinking of taking the motor and pump off of my old US general and mounting on top instead of this noise maker. It actually vibrates the concrete floor of my garage.
Aside from the loud operation it works well so far. I've been running a manual plasma cutter with it and it seems to keep up for my work. For the price I can't complain, but it is loud no doubt about it. I used the air compressor oil they sold at harbor freight that came in a 32oz bottle in the video. I would suggest changing the oil after the break in period since it was really dirty after the first run.
@@ShinyInsanity Thanks, I'll change the oil as soon as I can get some. Good to hear the compressor is holding up.
@@DellAnderson No problem. Good luck and have some paper towels handy when changing the oil.
Really good price sir it’s December 2021 I got mine for 230 dollars 💵 and it was on sale down here in Texas
Yeah I think inflation and supply chain issues are really jacking the price up on a lot of goods. Hope you like yours.
@@ShinyInsanity I do so far 😉
@@ShinyInsanity....gotta pay for INFLATION.
@@John-xu3jk Let's just get rid of inflation :)
I just bought the same unit. The new ones don’t have the screw as a drain plug but rather the hole oil sight is a bolt. So you literally remove the oil sight bolt with a 24 mm socket. This also means it doesn’t drain like the one with a screw so in order to drain you have to tilt the whole unit.
Let’s see how it works and how long it holds up.
Have they improved the noise level at all?
@@ShinyInsanity I have no reference on how it was before but it’s definitely loud as hell so I assume no.
My new McGraw was leaking at regulator knob. Eliminated the regulator and the pipe behind it had 2 pipe fittings that were leaking. Tightened them, now holds pressure. Whats QC? IDK. LOL...
That sucks it came like that. QC unfortunately is not a priority with a lot of products these days.
@@ShinyInsanity yeah I kind of bought it with that understanding. I tend to work on a lot of my own items so it's not a big issue. I'll make something work one way or the other.
@@headpainter1 Well glad it was an easy fix and you got it up and running. Hope it works well for you as mine has. Might want to get some ear plugs if you use it a lot :)
Only complaints a bit loud low cfm but for $135 open box im more than happy
Yeah the noise is the first thing that hits you when you turn it on, but as you said for the price I'll not complaining either.
I bought one at Christmas and only used it once I had done the proper breaking in procedure etc. Anyway, I just went to use it again and it won't even turn on! The pressure is all drained out of it right now. It's plugged into a dedicated outlet. It's not on an extension cord. It has oil in it. When I flip the switch. Nothing.
I looked all through the troubleshooting and didn't see anything about what to do. Somebody did mention that sometimes there are reset buttons? It's not listed on my manual. Have you ever had this happen and do you know where the reset button is?
Sorry to hear that. I've never had this happen on mine, but sounds like it could be something like a loose wiring connector. I don't think this model has a reset button that I am aware. If it's out of the warranty period you can always unplug it and pop off the cover to see if any of the wire connectors worked loose over the winter.
@@ShinyInsanity Good morning. Took off the cowling and it turned out the motor had caught fire and melted! It didn't even have 1 hour of use on it
It wasn't under warranty anymore but they did take it back and replace it with another one which I had to buy the extended warranty in order to have the store do that
Now I'm trying to figure out what could have caused the fire. I suspect it was a faulty batch of these compressors
*** However, I wanted to ask how important it is for the compressor to be absolutely perfectly level when operating? I've noticed it seems to be slightly unlevel so in the oil window it looks like it's on the low side. However, when I wheel it all the way out to the cement pad and let it sit there a minute I can see the oil is correct level.
In your opinion, does the compressor have to be extremely level in order to run safely? Just glancing at it, the compressor looks level until you look at the oil window.
@@TheButterflyGirl7 Glad you were able to get it replaced. That's odd that happened and hopefully that is not a common problem. As far as the oil level it should not need to be perfectly level. If you have a major variation in your floor it could in theory cause the low side to have some issues with circulation and thus lubrication but I don't think anyone's floors are that uneven. More than likely it was just a manufacturing defect versus anything you did. Let us know how the next break in goes.
I. CANT. C. THE. OIL. LEVEL. WELL. A. DIFFERENT. COLOR. OF. OIL. WOULD. HELP. !!
THANKS.
Good video, I'm considering this compressor so was good to hear the volume level(roughly) of running machine.
Almost 6 months later, are you still happy with this model?...Thanks
Thank you. Yes, for the price it suits my needs just fine. I don't use it heavily except for some light plasma cutting and general garage cleanup, but it is holding up so far. Hope that helps.
Where is the drain bolt for oil changes?
At 11:00 minutes in the video.
@@ShinyInsanity i have same compressor i dont have one unless they sold me an older model just bought it 9/5/21
Not all of these compressors have that drain bolt. Mine doesn't have one either so I'm curious if you just have to lean it over or what?
I just found the manual, they say we are not to remove the sight glass to do oil changes.
manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/64000-64999/64857-193175314796.pdf
Mine is brand new and cant get it to hold more than 60psi.
Sounds like you might have gotten a dud. Hope you can return it and get a new one.
Is it still working well? Why was that oil so hard
Still working like a champ. Used the plasma cutter with it the other day. The oil drain is kind of in a weird spot which was the only issue I had.
@@ShinyInsanity meant to say so dark, did you change it once more ?
@@arod8596 That was after the break in process so it had all the dirt, metal shavings and other junk that was left in there from manufacturing. I only changed it that one time.
you still using this how has it held up?
Yup still using it. Plan to use it this weekend with the plasma cutter. It's still noisy though.
@WorldRenownedCFE Congrats. I just used the compressor oil that they sent with the machine. It was nice and clear when I started but looked like chocolate milk afterwards.
I really just wanted to see it in action. LOL
Check out some of the other videos where I'm using the plasma cutter. It keeps up pretty good but is loud.
You got a great price. It's on sale today $40 off for 199.99.
It's it still working for you?
Yup still working so far. If you can stand the noise it's a good little compressor.
FYI on draining the oil you unscrew the oil plug which is that plastic piece which is 22 mm you can also buy extra ones if you feel you need to buy them because you're going to break one you do not use the screw
Its Loud man😀
Yeah, definitely could be quieter, but the price was right :)
@@ShinyInsanity Thanks for the easy to follow instructions🙏
@@simmons6014 Not a problem. Hope it helps if you decide to get one. Thanks for watching.
@@ShinyInsanity I bought one last week and will set it up this week thanks.
I only got one wheel with mine
Time to head back to the store.
@WorldRenownedCFE Thanks for the offer, but I think it was Fernandez Mata that needed one. Luckily mine came with two wheels, but thanks for offering.
Someone needs to do a universal " Unboxing " video that covers ALL unboxing of ALL products. ... !0 minutes into a 15 Minute video and yet to turn it on BUT i did learn to put on wheels and add oil !!!! This is meant to be constructive criticism for video production.
I'll take showing someone how to add oil and wheels as a partial win :)
dang...F this buzzer....looking for a piston
Thanks - the noise the new compressors make is too much for me. I'll take a 30-year-old sears compressor.
It's weird, but you actually get accustomed to it when it starts running and you are working. The first time it starts up will make you jump though :)
I don't think they test these compressors motors...it would of had oil inside and wouldn't need a break in process..Maybe they test the tanks but who knows!
Hmm, I'm not sure if it had any oil in it when I first broke it in or not. I hope they test them in some way before shipping them out.
There was a little oil in mine when I unboxed it so I just topped it off and began to use it and it’s worked fine for me so far
Oil isn’t black sir.
When it's dirty, it is.
please speak up. i have this volume on max and i can barely hear