Air dryer

[Davehunterconrad]

Has anyone used that standard Pneumatic air dryer from harbor freight? $400 bucks but looks legit. So tired of moisture in my lines

[tnbndr]

If you search on here there was some discussion on them. Some guys had luck with them others not so much. I purchased the one from the store on this site and never looked back. Works great, no issues and dry air. Couple hundred bucks more though.

[plasmanewbie]

If you search on here there was some discussion on them. Some guys had luck with them others not so much. I purchased the one from the store on this site and never looked back. Works great, no issues and dry air. Couple hundred bucks more though.

Same here. Bought the Sharpe 6760 from http://plasmaspider.com/shop/dryer_sharpe6760.html and its been flawless.

[plasmartist]

I bought the 3 stage sharpe as well and like it. No matter what brand you get, its important to mount your dryer as close to your cutter as possible to allow the air more time to cool and condense. Dryers mounted directly off the compressor do practically nothing.

[little blue choo]

I have been using the HF unit for 3 years and I've been very happy with it.

Rick

[Ryan]

I got an ATD 5 stage 1 gallon desiccant system. It is similar to the Sharpe. Got it on Amazon. I live in very humid Easy KY. Been running the dryer for over 6 months and the desiccant is still good.

[Euclid933]

I installed a fridge dryer early this year. Good investment, was about £550, but well worth it.
Regards,
Will.

[gamble]

I have it
I spent about $85 in fittings and they no longer let you use the 20% off coupon. Also it does NOT come with a plug and the cord is short. The packing sucks so expect some shipping damage. However it’s is cheap and it works very well. I love it. Well worth the money
Some guys have been using them for 10+ years. Mine is only about a year old and worth every penny

[dsanford55]

Has anyone used that standard Pneumatic air dryer from harbor freight? $400 bucks but looks legit. So tired of moisture in my lines

how's the air dryer working out?
did u mount it as close to the CNC as possible?

I'm looking at a air dryer also

[gamble]

Mine is right off the compressor, about 50 feet from the table. Works great. Love it!

[sawdust1]

I have always wondered how do you know when to replace the desiccant? I drain the water out the valve in the bottom and keep goin. I get desiccant free from the local gas plant.

dc

[gamble]

I have always wondered how do you know when to replace the desiccant? I drain the water out the valve in the bottom and keep goin. I get desiccant free from the local gas plant.

dc

It changes color when it absorbs all the moisture
Blue when it’s new and pink when you need to replace it

[sawdust1]

Thank you gamble. I have sodium silicate in my gun box, it changes colour from blue to pink and then I remove and bake it to drive the moisture back out. It has a consistency like sand. The air dryer for my torch holds marble sized pellets, they never change colour. I expected they might dissolve or something but they never seem to change.
david

[Jfile]

Looks like it has been awhile since anyone posted on the topic of air dryers but I have a question. I bought one of the HF dryers and have it plumbed up and ready to go but haven't brought it online yet. I have a couple of other filters including a Motor Guard filter a few feet from the torch. The only reason I haven't started using the dryer is that I read in the manual that you should install an automatic oiler on the input side or at least add a few drops of lubricant ever so often. I'm not completely familiar with the dryer but that seems contrary to the purpose of the dryer which is to provide clean, dry air. Am I missing something here?

[djreiswig]

You shouldn't need an oiler on an air dryer. The air doesn't contact any moving parts that need lubed. And you certainly don't want oil in the air going to your plasma cutter.

[Jfile]

Thanks. That was my thoughts as well. I was really surprised that the instruction manual even mentioned it.

Thanks again for the feedback!

[djreiswig]

I'm guessing you're talking about this page in the manual.

It shows a filter, regulator and oiler between the dryer and the tool. This is how you would set it up for pneumatic tools like an impact wrench. The plasma needs clean dry air.

[Jfile]

Okay, makes sense now. I just didn't look at the instructions and the diagram close enough. Thank you for pointing that out. Rookie mistake but I'm learning. Thankfully I asked before doing anything crazy!

[djreiswig]

We've all been there.