For more detailed information and guidance, you can download the following:

• Download Brochure (PDF)

Schulz L-Series 20120HLV80BR-3 Two-Stage Air Compressor, 460V Three Phase

The specification that separates this machine from the rest of the Schulz two-stage range is one word on the sheet: aftercooler. This unit has one. Most shop compressors do not, and it changes what comes out of your air lines. Everything else here follows from the same in-line L-Series design — a double-supported crankshaft, a reed valve system and a cast iron block turning at low speed — on a 120-gallon receiver behind a 20 HP motor at 460V three-phase, rated to a maximum of 175 PSI.

Before you order: three things in this listing's data that need checking

We would rather raise these than have you find them after a freight shipment arrives.

• The product title on this listing is the name of a different machine. It carries the name of a compact rotary screw model from elsewhere in the Schulz range. The handle, the manufacturer description, the specification sheet and the SEO title all describe the in-line L-Series two-stage unit covered on this page. The title is the odd one out and we have not repeated its figures anywhere here.
• The weight and the overall dimensions are recorded twice, and the two records disagree. The product's spec metafields give one set of length, width, height and weight; the manufacturer's specification sheet gives a different set. They are not close enough to be rounding. Rather than publish a footprint that might be wrong, we have left both out of this page. If your installation depends on the exact dimensions, ask us and we will get the figure confirmed for the unit you are buying.
• One stray spec field records a 60-gallon tank. The model designation and the specification sheet both say 120-gallon, and the stray value looks like part of the same mix-up that produced the wrong title. We are quoting the tank as 120-gallon on that basis, and flagging the discrepancy rather than hiding it.

Call, text or chat with us on 866-774-7743 before ordering if any of the three affect your decision. Everything else on this page is consistent across the sources we hold.

The aftercooler, and the water problem it solves

Compressing air concentrates the moisture that was already in it, and compression makes the air hot enough to hold that moisture in vapour. The air then travels down a steel line, cools, and the water condenses out — inside your piping, inside your tools, and on the panel you were about to paint. This is the single most common complaint about shop compressed air.

An aftercooler moves that condensation to where you want it. It drops the discharge temperature before the air reaches the receiver, so the bulk of the water falls out at the tank drain rather than downstream. It does not replace a dryer if you need genuinely dry air for finishing or instrumentation, and we will not claim it does. What it does is take most of the water out at the source.

The unit also carries a pressure gauge and an oil sight glass on the block. An air dryer is not included.

In-line design: crankshaft support and reed valves

The L-Series pump is in-line rather than V-configured, and its crankshaft is supported at both ends rather than cantilevered. Double support matters because a two-stage pump loads its crank asymmetrically — the two cylinders are different sizes doing different amounts of work — and a shaft held at both ends deflects less. Less deflection means lower vibration, and vibration is what shortens bearing life over years of operation.

The valve system is the reed type. Reed valves are light, have very little mass to accelerate, and seal against a flat seat, which keeps the pump efficient as it ages. Combined with a low operating speed and a cast iron block, the design is aimed at accumulating hours.

The magnetic starter is mounted and wired at the factory, so the machine arrives ready for a supply connection rather than needing a control panel built for it.

Siting, power and getting it off the truck

This is a large industrial compressor and it must be treated as one. The manufacturer states that this unit is too large for limited-access delivery: you need a loading dock or a forklift on site. That is not a shipping detail to sort out later — it is the first thing to confirm, because a truck arriving at a site with neither has nowhere to put the machine.

Install it on level concrete with clear air on all sides for cooling, and keep the intake away from grinding dust and paint overspray. Because the published dimensions disagree with each other, ask us to confirm the footprint before you commit floor space or size an enclosure.

Electrically the machine needs 460V three-phase supply. Schulz does not publish an amp draw or a recommended breaker for this model and directs the installation to a certified electrician; we pass that on as written rather than estimating a circuit for a 20 HP motor. Confirming the service, and having the branch circuit, disconnect and grounding installed to code by a licensed electrician, is the buyer's responsibility.

Perfect for

• Shops fighting water in the air lines — the aftercooler is the reason to look at this model over its stablemates.
• Industrial facilities on 460V service, where matching the supply avoids a transformer.
• Fabrication and welding shops whose plasma and air tooling suffer from moisture carryover.
• Fleet and municipal garages buying on service life rather than purchase price.
• Sites with a dock or a forklift — a hard requirement rather than a preference for this machine.

What is in the box

From the manufacturer's feature list for this unit: the WEG totally enclosed fan-cooled electric motor, the L-Series cast iron pump with oversized main bearings and Swedish steel valves, CNC machined components, notched belts inside an enclosed belt guard, powder coated components, a mounted and wired magnetic starter, an aftercooler, a pressure gauge, an oil sight glass, an air filter, and the 120-gallon horizontal air receiver with a 1" tank outlet. An air dryer and an electronic drain valve are recorded as not included, and no air piping or electrical hookup materials are supplied.

Specifications

Ratings, stated plainly

The safety valve and the air tank are ASME rated, which is the pressure-vessel standard an inspector or an insurer expects to see on shop air equipment, and it is the claim Schulz makes for this machine. Note the limit of that claim: it covers the vessel and the valve. It is not a North American third-party electrical safety listing for the complete assembly, and on an industrial machine at this voltage that is the distinction a plant engineer or a facilities insurer will actually ask about. We hold no document showing such a listing for this model. If a facility standard, an insurer or a local inspector requires a nationally recognized testing laboratory mark on the whole machine, settle it before you order.

Shipping and delivery

Freight only, to the lower 48 states, and — as above — a dock or a forklift is required at the delivery site. Delivery is curbside and unloading is the receiver's responsibility; collection from the carrier's terminal is the usual alternative if your site cannot handle the machine. Delivery to a residential address carries a residential fee, quoted live at checkout. Pickup for Schulz equipment is available in Acworth, GA.

Inspect before signing. Walk the crate for punctures, crushed corners, shifted banding and oil on the pallet, and write anything you find on the bill of lading while the driver is still there. A clean signature is treated as confirmation that the machine arrived undamaged. Photograph the crate as it comes off.

Warranty and support

Coverage is 1 Year on the unit and 2 Year on the pump. Open the claim before you open the pump: once it has been dismantled, the manufacturer can no longer assess the failure as it happened, which is the first thing any warranty process looks for. Call, text or chat with us on 866-774-7743 first and we will tell you what to record.