Rolair JC10 Plus Review- 2.5 Gallon Air Compressor

When it comes to air compressor, Rolair JC10 plus comes first in the list because of its popularity and performance. This unit is accompanied with 2.5 gallon and S1 rated 100 percent duty cycle motor.

This  delivers 2.3 @ 90 PSI and ideal for indoor use because of its quietest operational noise. Yes, you heard right. The unit produces the lowest noise at only 60 decibels so you can work freely without disturbing your family or neighbors.

Being profiled with powerful Induction Motor and having Two-Piston Pump, Rolair is able to operate uninterruptedly without voiding warranty. You can run heavy duty tools like finish nailer for framing and roofing, brad nailer, staple gun and even impact wrench in a pinch.

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Experiment !

We conducted an experiment using three varied pneumatic tools: framing nailers, finish nailers and brad nailers. The test result demonstrates that this little guy can sink 6 (3 Inch) framing nails, 11 (15 gauge 2-1/2 Inch) finishing nails and 19 (18-gauge) brad nails before it had a kick on.

With finish gun and brad nailers, we did start shooting randomly and didn’t have to stop until the nails have finished. The motor kicked on and off but never failed to produce necessary air pressure.


Review in Detail

Mo​tor

Okay, let’s talk about the universal versus induction motor. All the consumer-grade air compressors are profiled with either an induction or universal motor.  Universal motors are typically found on a vacuum cleaner or a blow dryer; they can run an air compressor as well but don’t last longer and usually have a 150 to 200 hours’ lifespan.

Users who need it once in a month for some kind of repairing applications can buy universal motor featured models.  They are cheap and good for intermittent use.

Contrarily, an induction motor with heavy duty copper coil can last years and years. A common example is the motor used in water pump. Those are induction motor. If you have one in your house, you may know better than me about their durability.

Rolair has furnished the unit with an induction motor whereas many competitors out there pack their unit with universal motor, which is a differentiator in buying decision.

However, Rolair’s induction 1 horsepower motor draws only 8 amperes that means you can use regular 15-amp or 20-amp, 120-volt circuits. Motor that draws 8 to 10 Amps rids you form the hassle of constant tripping breakers and voltage drops.

The frequency of rotation is 1700 RPM which is as lowest as possible. Lower RPM means less noise and easy start up. You don’t have to worry about start up in the wintertime.

Pump

In spite of being a consumer-model, Rolair JC10 Plus has included two pistons in two cylinder blocks that can build max air pressure inside tank at 125 PSI. Two piston-pumps minimize the pressure on one single pump resulting in less heat and wear.

Then the two cylinder blocks are interconnected through two inter-cooler passages: The first pump builds pressure and transfer it to the second cylinder, then the secondary pump compresses air with maximum pressure and channels along a braided stainless-steel line hose directly into the tank.

Tank

The Rolair JC10 plus is packed with a hot dog style 2.5-gallon aluminum tank. In respect of light weight and durability, aluminum tank is far greater than cast iron tank. Tanks made of cast iron are more likely subject to rust and have comparatively a shorter life if not maintained properly.

A ball drain valve makes storage convenient and easy. Many consumers have objection with it and they prefer instead a wing or butterfly valve. However, you can change it and this is not a big deal.

Initially, it takes about 1 minute to fill the tank and refills in 10 seconds. There is a “Start valve” which functions automatically: before starting to build pressure in empty tank, the valve releases air for 10 seconds to warm up the unit. Then it closes by its own and starts filling the tank. this unique feature of the device adjusts the process of moving parts under light weight thus increases longevity of the unit.

Performance

The Rolair JC10 Plus air compressor’s two pistons direct drive pump produces 2.35 SCFM @ 90PSI. This is quiet powerful to run heavy duty tasks—you can run three trim guns and two roofing guns and you don’t need to stop and wait until the tank gets refilled with desired pressure.

Decibels of Noise

As far as noise level goes, Rolair JC10 Plus has come up with the lowest decibel (60 dbA) of noise in the market. Our specialists say, “it’s actually much quieter than our conversation. If two or three people have chat while running the compressor, from a different room you will hear only their conversation”.

Dimension and Portability

Weighing only 39 pounds and measuring 16-inch-wide, 15-inch-tall and 17-inches-long, the product allows you to transport easily or even to ride top up a ladder. This square designed compressor feels really compact and solid.

Featuring square shape, it is well balanced and remains stable in truck bed. The unit will never flip from an uneven terrain. The roll cage handle also gives a good grip making storage simple and convenient.

Additional features !

Rolair JC10 Plus includes lots of extra conveniences:

  • A heavy roll cage safeguards the key mechanism of the compressor, so that you could literally roll a compressor all the way through job site and you would never hit the pump, motor or anything like that.
  • It includes a round shape 20mm threaded intake filter silencer mufflers to minimize noise level and to ensure fresh air intake.
  • Two pressure gauges, one universal hose coupler and one automatic power on/off switch has made the unit complete and convenient.
  • The unit is mounted on some anti vibration rubber feet which transfers less vibration to workbench or floor in house.
  • As cooling system, a braided stainless-steel line hose is used to transfer air from pump to the tank.
  • Two gauges display tank pressure and output pressure.

Start Va​lve

Rolair has furnished the unit with a nice and unique mechanical device which is pretty practical and useful; they call this unit “Start Valve” just attached with the pump head.  This cutting-edge technology makes starts up in the morning very easy.

Well! let’s talk about how this “Start Valve” functions. During the first few minutes of engine operation, the start valve opens automatically and releases air for 10 seconds to minimize a little bit head pressure so that it’s not working against itself.

Many compressors don’t have the “Start Valve” feature. They start to build up pressure inside the tank as soon as the switch is turned on. It is a kind of strain for both the pump and motor coil.

That is why our specialist suggest to run your compressor for 1-2 minutes keeping the drain valve or emergency valve open to allow its pump and other components to be free.  At one extreme, both pump and motor will get increased durability, on other extreme, your compressor will start easily without stripped barkers or voltage drop.

Electronic Solenoid Valve

This guy is a bit of electronics, right. On a compressor, the professional contractor knows that you need to turn your compressor on and off with the on/off switch so it unloads the head pressure but the homeowner doesn’t typically know. So Rolair puts the electronics solenoid valve there. If its running and you pull the plug, it doesn’t unload the head pressure.

Warranty and Service

As far as customer service goes, it is definitely a differentiator for Rolair. They have phone numbers on the user manual, which nowadays is pretty hard to find a phone number. No one wants to pick up the phone. If you have some quarries, you can contact them.

There are 500 service centers throughout the United States. Find out the closest one and claim your service. Rolair is substantially focused on making sure that the end user has a good experience.

All the products of Rolair come with one-year warranty. Within the warranty period, obviously everything is taken care for as far as manufacturing defects detected. Beyond that if you need to buy some parts for replacement, they are available online or stock throughout the country.

Verdict

The Rolair JC10 Plus with quality components produce consistent performance and have exceptionally quite operational noise level. This is a small light -weight but powerful enough for indoor trimming, framing, finishing and roofing.

Furthermore, this is 100 percent duty cycle motor so you can run a compressors non-stop without voiding the warranty. I can assure you that this device will outperform and outlast than any other oil-less consumer grade compressors with similar configuration and specification. Those are more for filling up tires on your bike, car and that sort of thing; this little guy is for contractors. Why not keep it in your short list.

This unit is a bit pricey due to top notch technology and robust built quality. If you need some chip priced compressor, Porter Cable C2002 models and Senco PC1010N 110V compressor can be a very good choice.

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