"1st Stage" Air compressor filter - Motor Guard?

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I inherited a Sharpe Dryaire Desiccant 6760 system and have been using that but now the desiccant has run out. I want to get away from desiccant and expensive elements it uses - its stage 1 filter element is $30+ and stage 2 element is $50+.The motor guard filters seem popular here, but what about using them as a "main" filter, not just at point of use? Background info: Weekend warrior residential garage use. Quincy QT-5 compressor (5hp, 17ish cfm IIRC). I have the garage plumbed with 3/4 copper and 1/2 drops. I want to put the motorguard filter just after compressor and before the 3/4 vertical line feeding the 3/4 overhead line. I have a home-made air cooler plumbed between the compressor and the tank - high capacity car transmission cooler with an impressively powerful for its size 230v 12" fan. This eliminates a majority of the moisture and is caught in a drain before it feeds into the tank's check valve.I use the typical garage tools - die grinders, DA sander, blower gun, tire inflator, 2" grinder. Also a plasma - I don't mind putting a 2nd motorguard filter on the plasma cart. Don't need an oiler, I do that by hand.Thoughts? Most of the diagrams I've seen on here inlcuding the recent thread and the web have "point of use" filters - I don't want to get that spendy for this setup. I probably should have a more coarse filter before the motor guard - any suggestions?
Reply:I use one of these as a "1st Stage" filter.  Harbor Freight ITEM 98904-2VGA $27.99.  I have it teed into one of my drops, prior to tying into my hose reel.  Some of the moisture gets caught in the tank, more of  it condenses in the metal lines and collects at the bottom of the drops, where it can be drained off via a ball valve.  This filter does a pretty good job of getting the moisture that's left as well as straining out any chunks.  Then, just to be extra sure, I use another inline filter right before my plasma cutter, paint gun, or whatever.  I haven't had any moisture problems... and I'm in humid coastal Georgia, so there's plenty of water in the air here.  Attached ImagesWork HARDER, not smarter! ------------------------ Miller Bobcat 250Millermatic 251Lincoln Precision TIG 185Hypertherm PM 600Hobart 135 HandlerOxweld 400 FlameMaster
Reply:Pierre:  You certainly can use a Motor Guard filter as a "whole shop" filter.  The M-60 model has 1/2" pipe ports in an in-line arrangement and is rated at 100 CFM.  That should be more than enough flow for the average shop.Now, it is not advisable to mount the filter directly at the compressor outlet.  The hot discharge air contains vaporized air and oil that will pass through the filter, as it would with most filters of this type.  20 feet of pipe is recommended to allow the air the cool and the moisture to condense.You can mount the filter near the compressor with this trick: run some pipe back and forth or up and down on the wall by the compressor to create an aftercooler then mount the filter right after this.Tim KeatingGeneral ManagerMotor Guard Corporation
Reply:Forgot about this thread....I ended up with this setup. The aftercooler between the pump and tank stayed put. After the tank I put an inexpensive milton water separator  / coarse filter. Then the motorguard, then three of these in parallel. I realized I'm not going to get away from desiccant for a cost effective solution to dry air. After that, another coarse filter. These HF desiccant units don't include an internal filter to protect against loose desiccant or dust, so another filter after them is mandatory.I baked the sharpe desiccant once - wasn't as tedious as I thought it would be. The replacement elements for the milton and motorguard are cheap. The next time all this needs servicing should be cheaper.When do you know its time to replace the motorguard? I haven't seen what a dirty or wet one looks like.
Reply:I guess I've been real lucky.  I've never had any problems with moisture that I'm aware of unless it's in a hose that's layed outside in the rain and gotten some water in it.I just use an old cheap Campbell Hausfield water seperator that I've put some connectors on for when I paint.  I just connect it to the compressor tank outlet when I'm painting, and never use it otherwise.I don't worry about air tools getting moisture.  Only thing I take care to do is to paint on low humidity days.  Less moisture bein' sucked into the compressor.I don't even have a drain on my tank.  Gotta take the outlet fitting out and tip it on it's nose every year or so.  Get about 2 gal of water outta it.  Last time was really bad, maybe 5gal.Before ya all get upset.  My tank is a very old 100lb propane tank.  Pretty stout.  I can usually tell it's time to drain the stupid thing when the compressor starts short cycling. Decreased air volume in the tank.The setup is in the order of around 40-50yrs old.  I've been thinking lately that I need to find another old style propane tank from that era.  They had around 3/16-1/4 walls.  This time around I'll put a water drain on it.  I've been using it for around 14yrs, and I think I'm pushin' it  It originally was on a farm out in Colorado where there was very low humidity.I mostly shoot pretty good quality alkyd enamel, and have never had a problem.  Only thing I usually have is small bugs getting stuck in the paint before it flashes.  The trick is to leave them alone.  They die, and eventually rot off.  No blemish in the paint."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/