ABAC AB5-2180VPFF 5 HP Two-Stage Air Compressor - 80 Gallon Vertical Premium, 175 PSI, 16.6 CFM T39 Pump

The ABAC AB5 VPFF pairs the highest output 5 HP pump in the 2-Stage Hybrid Pro range with ABAC's Full Feature package. The belt driven T39 two-stage pump moves 16.6 CFM at a maximum 175 PSI, a full two CFM above the standard 5 HP V4 builds, and the FF specification adds the protection that lets the machine run without somebody checking it daily. All three voltage builds ride on the same 80 gallon vertical ASME tank and weigh the same 398 lbs: 230V single-phase (AB5-2180VPFF), 230V three-phase (AB5-2380VPFF), or 460V three-phase (AB5-4380VPFF).

Key specifications

• Models: AB5-2180VPFF (230V single-phase), AB5-2380VPFF (230V three-phase), AB5-4380VPFF (460V three-phase)
• Warthog part numbers: 8090304315, 8090304349, 8090304364 (ABAC part numbers 2021119417, 2021119419, 2021119421)
• Motor: 5 HP, 60 Hz
• Pump: T39 two-stage hybrid, aluminum with cast iron cylinders and inner cooling technology
• Air delivery: 16.6 CFM at max pressure
• Maximum pressure: 175 PSI
• Tank: 80 gallon vertical, ASME tank and safety valves
• Full Feature additions: automatic tank drain and low oil level automatic shut off
• Aluminum heads and aftercoolers for heat dissipation and moisture removal
• Fully enclosed belt guard
• Start/stop pressure switch control
• Weight: 398 lbs
• Dimensions: 25 x 34 x 75 in
• Warranty: 2 year full, assembled in the USA

What the FF package adds

FF is ABAC's Full Feature designation, and ABAC defines a Full Feature build as the standard machine plus an automatic tank drain and a low oil level automatic shut off. Those two additions cover the maintenance steps a busy shop skips first. Condensate collects in an 80 gallon receiver every day a two-stage pump runs, and a tank nobody drains rusts from the inside and pushes water down the line into tools and finish work. A low oil level shut off stops the pump before it runs dry instead of after. If the compressor lives in a mechanical room and nobody is assigned to it, that is what the FF premium buys. If somebody opens the drain and checks the sight glass every morning, the standard VP build does the same work for less.

How it compares

Two decisions separate the 80 gallon 5 HP builds, and the first is the pump. The AB5-2180V4FF runs the PAT 49 pump for 14.6 CFM; the VPFF steps up to the T39 for 16.6 CFM on the same tank at the same 175 PSI, which is the margin that keeps a second air tool from pulling the line down. The second decision is the Full Feature package itself. The AB5-2180VP is the same T39 machine without the automatic drain and the low oil level shut off, so it suits a shop where somebody checks the compressor daily, and the VPFF suits one where nobody is assigned to it. If the tool list already outruns 16.6 CFM, the 7.5 HP AB7-2180VFF delivers 22.2 CFM on the identical 80 gallon vertical footprint. If noise is the deciding factor, the AB5-2180VQP Quiet Power delivers the same 16.6 CFM at 66 dBA, though it carries 527 lbs in a 39 x 24 x 80 in cabinet.

Choosing a voltage

All three builds deliver the same 16.6 CFM at 175 PSI, weigh the same 398 lbs and share the same 25 x 34 x 75 in footprint, so the decision comes down to what the panel offers. Pick 230V single-phase if the shop runs on common single-phase service. Where three-phase exists, the 230V or 460V three-phase build is the better long term choice, because a three-phase motor starts under less stress and runs cooler at the same load, and that matters on a machine that starts against a full 175 PSI tank several times an hour. Whichever build you pick, run it on its own circuit sized to the motor nameplate and have an electrician confirm the service before delivery.

Typical applications

ABAC lists the Hybrid Pro range for air and water spraying, impact wrenching, hammering, grinding, fastening, tire inflation and general equipment operation. In practice that means collision centers, dealership service departments, production fabrication and woodworking shops, farm buildings, and busy maintenance bays. At 16.6 CFM the machine will hold up a DA sander or a die grinder continuously, or a pair of impact wrenches used intermittently, and the 80 gallon vertical receiver absorbs the surges so the pump is not restarting on every trigger pull. For sandblasting, or two operators on high draw tools at once, start at 7.5 HP or move to a rotary screw compressor rated for 100 percent duty.

A two-stage compressor sends warm, wet air down the line, so pair this one with a refrigerated dryer rated above its 16.6 CFM output, such as the ABAC COOL 25, plus a filter regulator ahead of any paint or finishing work. The automatic tank drain clears condensate out of the receiver; it does nothing about moisture already carried downstream. Part of ABAC's 2-Stage Hybrid Pro range from the Atlas Copco group. Browse the rest of our piston air compressors and our compressed air dryers.