Quincy 4153D12HCA23M QT MAX: 15 HP Two-Stage, 120 Gallons, 230V Three-Phase

Most compressors are not killed by the thing they do for a living. They are killed by a lost phase that cooks a motor over ten minutes, or by an oil level that quietly dropped until a bearing ran dry. This QT MAX package ships with a defined answer to both: a magnetic starter with thermal overload protection standing between the supply and the motor, and a low-oil cut-off switch that stops the machine rather than letting it destroy itself. Neither is glamorous, neither appears in a headline specification, and between them they decide whether you own this compressor for fifteen years or replace it in five.

The machine itself is a 15 HP motor driving a splash-lubricated cast-iron two-stage pump at 1,750 RPM, on a 120-gallon horizontal receiver, wired for 230V three-phase power. Quincy rates the pump for over 50,000 hours.

Why the pump turns slowly

1,750 RPM is a conservative speed for a pump of this size, and that is deliberate. Heat and wear in a reciprocating compressor scale with piston speed, so a large pump turning slowly produces the same air with less of both. It is also markedly quieter, which in a shop where people work all day next to the machine is a real benefit rather than a specification-sheet nicety. The cost of doing it this way is size and weight — 923 lbs of largely cast iron — and that is the trade the QT MAX makes on purpose.

Splash lubrication and the oversized reservoir

This pump is splash lubricated, and our specification data and the product description agree on that, which is not the case across every model in this range. Splash lubrication throws oil around the crankcase from dippers on the connecting rods. It needs no oil pump and no filter, so there are fewer components in the lubrication path to fail, and it works well provided the pump runs slowly and carries plenty of oil — both true here, with an oversized oil reservoir. The oil sight glass means checking the level is a glance rather than a job, which matters, because on a splash system the oil level is the lubrication system.

Keeping the air and the pump cool

Between the two compression stages sits a high-efficiency finned intercooler. Cooling the air partway through compression means the second stage receives denser air and the valves see lower temperatures — the reason two-stage machines survive duty that ends single-stage pumps. Downstream, integrated air-cooled aftercoolers drop the discharge temperature before the air enters the receiver, so a large proportion of the water condenses at the compressor where it can be drained rather than in your air lines. That is worth more to a paint booth or an air-logic circuit than almost any other feature on the machine.

Will It Fit?

• Floor space. 78" long by 28" wide. Add working clearance at both ends — the drain, the oil fill and the belt guard all need to be reachable without moving 923 lbs.
• Height. 55" overall, which clears comfortably in most shops.
• Weight. 923 lbs on a level, solid slab.
• Power. 230V three-phase. Quincy lists the amp draw for this build at 42 A and publishes no breaker size, instructing buyers to consult a certified electrician instead. That is the right instruction — the correct breaker depends on your conductor run, the ambient conditions and your local code.
• Air connection. A 1" tank outlet.

Site preparation, the electrical feed, the disconnect and the tie-in to your air main are the customer's responsibility, and the electrical work belongs to a licensed electrician working to your local code. Nothing on this page is an installation specification.

Pressure and reserve

Rated to 175 PSI on a 120-gallon receiver. Storing air at a high pressure and regulating it down to working pressure is what gives a shop its reserve: more air mass in the same tank, longer intervals between pump loads, and a steadier pressure at the tool when two or three people draw at once. It also means the pump spends more of its life stopped, which is the least expensive kind of longevity there is.

Perfect For

• Established repair shops on 230V three-phase running multiple bays.
• Fleet and municipal workshops where downtime is expensive and protection features earn their keep.
• Fabrication and body shops wanting steady, cooled, comparatively dry air.
• Buyers replacing a compressor that failed electrically and who now care about starters and cut-offs.

What's in the Box

Supplied assembled: splash-lubricated cast-iron two-stage pump, 15 HP motor, 120-gallon horizontal receiver, magnetic starter with thermal overload protection, integrated air-cooled aftercoolers, high-efficiency finned intercooler, oil sight glass and low-oil cut-off switch. No air dryer is fitted to this unit. Shop piping, point-of-use filtration, regulators, the disconnect and the electrical feed are not included. The packing list shipped in the crate is the authority on what arrives.

Specifications

Certification, Honestly

Our record lists the receiver against the ASME pressure-vessel code, and lists CSA among the marks this unit carries. Both are worth having and both should be read narrowly: a pressure-vessel stamp certifies the tank's construction and testing, not the machine as a whole, and no mark automatically satisfies a requirement written for a different one. Some insurers, fleet policies and local jurisdictions are specific about the listing they expect on permanently installed shop equipment. If that describes your situation, find out precisely what is required and check it against the unit's data plate before purchase — we will go through the factory documentation with you if it helps.

Before You Order — Please Confirm

• The automatic tank drain. The feature list for this unit includes an automatic electronic tank drain and one of our specification records agrees, but a second record says no drain valve is fitted. It is a small component with an outsized effect on tank life, so if you are counting on having one from the factory, confirm it with us before you order.
• Air delivery. No CFM figure appears on this page. We hold a value for this model, but it is not recorded against a unit of measure we can verify on this particular listing, and the sibling model on another supply voltage documents a figure we will not simply copy across. Ask us and we will quote the factory rating rather than publish a number we cannot stand behind.
• Cooling fan detail. The current description mentions a temperature-controlled variable-speed fan. That claim is not supported anywhere in our specification data for this unit, so it has not been repeated above. Treat it as unconfirmed until we check it for you.

Shipping and Delivery

This is a freight shipment to the lower 48 states, priced live at checkout for the address you enter. The machine travels palletised at 923 lbs, so plan the unload in advance: a forklift, a loading dock, or terminal pickup where the carrier's depot loads you. Deliveries to residential addresses carry a residential fee, shown alongside the freight quote. Inspect the compressor before signing — tank, feet, guards, gauges, cooler fins — and note anything you find on the bill of lading with the driver present. A clean signature followed by a phone call the next day is the sequence that loses freight claims.

Warranty

This unit carries a 1-year factory warranty, extending to a 3-year "No Bull" warranty under the terms Quincy publishes in its warranty handbook. The handbook is the governing document and the extension is conditional, so read the conditions rather than assuming the longer term applies to your installation by default.

And the advice we give with every compressor: if something fails, call us before the pump is opened. A unit that has already been taken apart is very often a unit that can no longer be claimed, which is an expensive outcome for what usually begins as a helpful diagnosis.