Chicago Pneumatic RCP-C Iron Series Two-Stage Air Compressor

The Chicago Pneumatic RCP-C Iron Series is a two-stage, oil-lubricated, all cast iron reciprocating compressor built for shops that run air most of the day. Low pump speed, finned cast iron cylinders and a cast iron intercooler keep discharge temperature down, which is what decides how long a piston compressor lasts. Available 5 to 10 HP, 18 to 35 CFM at 100 PSI, 175 PSI maximum, on 80 and 120 gallon ASME receivers.

Simplex or Premium: what you are actually choosing

Every RCP-C on this page is offered in two factory packages. The pump, motor, tank and CFM are identical between them. The difference is what Chicago Pneumatic fits at the factory.

• Simplex (Base): cast iron two-stage pump, mounted and wired magnetic starter, ASME receiver, fully enclosed belt guard, start/stop pressure switch control, disc and spring valves.
• Premium (Full Featured): everything above plus three additions. A belt guard aftercooler that drops discharge temperature before the air reaches the receiver and condenses out roughly 60 percent of the moisture. An automatic tank drain that purges condensate on a timer, so nobody has to remember the petcock at closing time and the bottom of the receiver does not quietly rust through. It needs 115V power. A low oil level shutoff that stops the motor before the pump runs dry, which is the failure that turns a rebuild into a replacement.

If somebody in the shop is genuinely reliable about draining the tank and checking oil, Simplex is the honest choice. If nobody is assigned to the compressor, Premium pays for itself the first time it saves a pump.

This compressor does not include an air dryer

No RCP-C model carries a built-in refrigerated dryer, including the Premium build. The aftercooler in the Premium package is not a dryer. It condenses moisture into the receiver where the drain can remove it, but the air leaving the tank is still saturated at tank temperature and will drop water further down the line as it cools.

If the air reaches paint, plasma, blasting, pneumatic controls or instrument work, add a refrigerated dryer rated above the compressor's output. The brand match is the Chicago Pneumatic COOL non-cycling refrigerated dryer. The 35 CFM model leaves headroom on the 5 and 7.5 HP builds, the 50 CFM model on the 10 HP. Browse all refrigerated air dryers.

If you specifically want a reciprocating compressor that ships with a factory-mounted dryer already plumbed in, see the Champion Airstation R-Series, which includes a mounted refrigerated dryer, a 3-way bypass valve and a general purpose filter.

Specifications by model

5 HP, 80 gallon vertical

• Air delivery: 18 CFM at 100 PSI, 175 PSI maximum
• Pump speed: 700 RPM
• Dimensions: 37"L x 24"W x 72"H
• Weight: 580 lbs Simplex, 590 lbs Premium
• Power: 230V single phase, 230V three phase, or 460V three phase

7.5 HP, 80 gallon vertical, 23 CFM

• Air delivery: 23 CFM at 100 PSI, 175 PSI maximum
• Pump speed: 900 RPM
• Dimensions: 37"L x 24"W x 72"H
• Weight: 600 lbs Simplex, 610 lbs Premium
• Power: 230V single phase, 230V three phase, or 460V three phase

7.5 HP, 80 gallon vertical, 27 CFM (C2 low RPM pump)

• Air delivery: 27 CFM at 100 PSI, 175 PSI maximum
• Pump speed: 600 RPM. The slower, larger C2 pump moves about four more CFM than the standard 7.5 HP build and runs cooler doing it
• Dimensions: 41"L x 24"W x 73"H
• Weight: 650 lbs Simplex, 660 lbs Premium
• Power: 230V single phase (29 to 32 A), 230V three phase, or 460V three phase

10 HP, 120 gallon vertical

• Air delivery: 35 CFM at 100 PSI, 175 PSI maximum
• Dimensions: 42"L x 30"W x 78"H
• Weight: 890 lbs Simplex, 900 lbs Premium
• Power: 230V three phase or 460V three phase. Three phase only at 10 HP

10 HP, 120 gallon horizontal

• Air delivery: 35 CFM at 100 PSI, 175 PSI maximum
• Dimensions: 73"L x 24"W x 53"H. Fits under mezzanines and low ceilings where a 78 inch vertical will not
• Weight: 830 lbs Simplex, 840 lbs Premium
• Power: 230V three phase or 460V three phase. Three phase only at 10 HP

All builds: ASME and CRN certified receiver, 3/4 inch NPT outlet, belt drive, 2 year CP Secure warranty.

Reading the model number

Chicago Pneumatic encodes the whole configuration into the model. Using RCP-C7581VS as the example: 75 is 7.5 HP, 8 is the 80 gallon tank, 1 is single phase (a 3 here means three phase), V is a vertical receiver (H is horizontal), and S is the Simplex package. Drop the S and you have the Premium build, so RCP-C7581V is the same machine with the aftercooler, auto drain and low oil shutoff. A trailing 4 means 460V, and a C2 suffix means the larger low RPM pump. The 10 HP models read the same way: RCP-C10123V is 10 HP, 120 gallon, three phase, vertical, Premium.

Sizing and power

Size on CFM, not horsepower. Add up what your tools actually draw at the same time and leave 25 percent headroom. As a rough guide, 18 CFM covers a one or two bay shop running tools one at a time, 23 to 27 CFM handles a busy multi-bay shop with impact wrenches, grinders, ratchets and a spray gun, and 35 CFM supports two operators on air at once. Continuous duty work such as sandblasting or a dual action sander running all day belongs on a rotary screw compressor, which is rated for 100 percent duty. A reciprocating compressor is not.

Take three phase power if your panel has it. A three phase motor starts easier and runs cooler on a machine that cycles all day, and the 460V build keeps wire size down on a long run. On single phase, give it a dedicated circuit sized to the motor nameplate and keep the run short. The 10 HP models are three phase only.

Typical applications

Automotive service and body shops, tire stores, fleet maintenance, welding and fabrication bays, woodworking and cabinet shops, CNC support air, packaging stations and general facility air. If you are replacing a tired consumer unit, expect a real change in recovery time and pressure stability rather than a marginal one.

See the rest of our piston air compressors, the full Chicago Pneumatic range, or our 7.5 HP air compressors.