Quincy 551C80VCB23M 5 HP 80-Gallon Two-Stage Air Compressor, 230V Single Phase

Almost every serious two-stage shop compressor assumes you have three-phase power. Most independent workshops, home garages and rural buildings do not, and the usual answer — a rotary phase converter, or a service upgrade the utility quotes in weeks — costs more than the compressor. This machine is the way around that. It is a genuine two-stage, cast-iron, 80-gallon industrial compressor that runs on 230V single-phase service, and it is the only unit in this group that does.

It is also the only one for which Quincy publishes an actual circuit size rather than referring you to an electrician: a 60-amp breaker. That single number is worth more at the planning stage than most of the spec sheet, because it tells you immediately whether your existing panel can take the machine or whether the quote needs to include a sub-panel.

A pump that turns slowly

The motor runs at 942 RPM. Set that against the industrial motors on the larger machines in this range, which turn at nearly twice the speed, and the design intent is obvious: this pump is geared to run slowly for the same duty. Slow-turning pumps see lower piston speeds, lower ring and bore wear per hour of running, and lower noise, which is the difference between a compressor you can hold a conversation next to and one you cannot. Quincy rates the pump for more than 60,000 hours.

The pump body is cast iron with aluminium heads — iron where the wear happens and the mass helps absorb heat, aluminium on top where shedding heat matters more. Drive is by belt rather than direct coupling, so the pump turns slower than the motor and the crankshaft is isolated from motor shock loads.

Two stages, cooled twice

Compression happens in two steps. The low-pressure cylinder takes the first bite, the high-efficiency fin-and-tube intercooler removes the heat that first compression just created, and the high-pressure cylinder finishes the job. Maximum rated pressure is 175 PSI.

Downstream of the pump a mounted air-cooled aftercooler takes the discharge temperature down again before the air enters the receiver. Cooling the air at that point is what makes its moisture condense in the tank, where there is a drain to deal with it, rather than in the pipework and the tools, where there is not. Graphite cylinder and head gaskets hold the seals at those pressures and temperatures.

Will It Fit?

• Circuit: 230V single-phase on a 60-amp breaker. Check the spare capacity in your panel against that figure before you order — it is the number that decides whether this is a simple installation or an electrical project.
• Footprint: 37" by 24". A vertical package, so it wants a corner rather than a wall run.
• Height: 74" overall, and you want clearance above that for pump service.
• Weight: 680 lbs dry, sitting high on a narrow base. Level slab, and anchor it.
• Plumbing: the tank outlet is 3/4". Slope the header away from the machine and take drops off the top.
• Route: measure the doorways. The crate, not the machine, is the dimension that has to fit.

Site preparation is the buyer’s responsibility. Confirming the available supply and spare panel capacity, the slab and anchor points, room ventilation, and the permitting and inspection of the electrical work are all yours and your electrician’s. Ask us anything before you order; we would rather answer questions than process a return.

Perfect For

• Home and hobby shops with a 230V single-phase supply that need real two-stage capacity without a service upgrade.
• Independent repair shops in older buildings where three-phase was never brought in.
• Farm and ranch workshops on a rural single-phase feed.
• Restoration and fabrication work where a large receiver and steady pressure matter more than raw output.

What is in the Box

The complete package: vertical 80-gallon receiver, two-stage cast-iron pump with aluminium heads, 5 HP industrial motor, magnetic starter with thermal overload protection, high-efficiency fin-and-tube intercooler, mounted air-cooled aftercooler, spin-on oil filter, stainless steel reed valves with valve bumpers, graphite cylinder and head gaskets and an oil sight glass. No air dryer is supplied. The EWK-4 Maintenance Kit that unlocks the extended warranty is a separate purchase, made at the same time as the machine.

Specifications

Delivered air volume is not in that table on purpose: the figure published for this unit arrives without the unit of measure it belongs to. Ask us and we will read you the manufacturer’s published value before you order.

Certification, stated plainly

The receiver is built to the North American pressure-vessel code and the machine carries a CSA mark. Our supplier data also references a North American third-party electrical listing, which we are not printing because the record is not clean enough for us to stand behind it. If your insurer or your local inspector requires a named listing mark, ask us before you order and we will confirm what is on the data plate.

Confirm the lubrication and the drain with us first

Published information for this package differs on two points. Each figure is attributed to its source below.

• Lubrication. The manufacturer’s feature list describes this as a fully pressure-lubricated package with a gerotor positive-displacement oil pump, while the structured specification field on this page records the oil system as splash lubricated. Those describe two genuinely different designs, so each source is quoted here rather than one being picked for you. If pressure lubrication is the reason you are choosing this model, confirm it with us before ordering and we will check it against the shipping configuration.
• Tank drain. The same split appears on the drain: the feature list and the detailed specification block both record an electronic automatic tank drain, while one summary field records none. If a fitted automatic drain is a requirement rather than a preference, ask us before you order and we will confirm it.

Shipping and delivery

Freight only, to the lower 48 states, crated on a skid. This is not a parcel and it will not come on a van: arrange a forklift or a dock, because the carrier delivers to the truck and no further. Terminal pickup is available and is often the easiest route for a home or small shop without loading equipment.

A delivery to a residential address carries a residential fee. Tell us at order time if that is where it is going, so the quote is right the first time.

Inspect the crate before the driver leaves. Photograph anything that looks wrong — a split skid, a leaning load, dented sheet metal — and write it on the bill of lading before you sign. A clean signature is the carrier’s evidence that nothing arrived damaged.

Warranty

Quincy covers the machine with a 1-year factory warranty on both consumer and commercial use. Buying the EWK-4 Maintenance Kit at the same time as the compressor extends that to the 3-year "No Bull" warranty, which includes on-site service and labour rather than parts alone, and the unit has to be registered with the manufacturer for the extension to stand.

The one warning we give on every compressor we sell: call us before you take anything apart. An opened pump can no longer be diagnosed, and disassembly ahead of a claim is the most common reason a genuine claim is refused.