Bought a (30 gallon) Husky air compressor from my local Home Depot store recently. The instructions on the compressor say to release the compressed air daily from the reservoir tank. A small screw at the bottom of the tank has a tiny rubber ring gasket attached to prevent the air from escaping when tightened. So when I unscrewed it the small (rubber) ring gasket broke. It looked very simple to replace, the type we can buy at any plumbing store. So I went to my local Canadian Tire store to get a variety pack of these rings. The smaller type fit nice and snug on the end of the Husky air release valve (screw in type).
The problem is the rubber gasket is not your typical plumbing gasket. It is too fat (big, over sized...). So, it pinches when you attempt to screw the release valve into the bottom of the tank. Furthermore, the compressor has to be tilted some 30 degrees to be able to reach the release screw. This is heavy oil compressor on wheels so you do not want to over tilt its oil level. Not a fun acrobatic stunt to accomplish on a daily bases!
To think that engineers would not select a standard rubber ring for something that can easily need replacing is dishonest when intentional or otherwise cretinous. Home Depot said they had no replacement parts and curiously enough had sold off the remainder of their Husky generators. They referred me to a local maintenance shop for service parts. Today being Easter Monday the place is irretatingly closed.
When I griped they said a manager would recall. His call was prompt and polite. He suggested that I phone Husky Canada which he could not locate himself nor I anywhere on the compressor itself. Google itself was far from clear for that matter. I did however discover the consumer complaints from reading the complaints against Husky Tools. This prompted what you are reading.
In summary, a powerful air compressor crippled by a small rubber gasket that could have been replaced if only the fabricator had chosen to use a simple standard plumbing dimension. Let alone had they had the foresight of providing a few replacement gaskets worth pennies. Thank God these people don't make airplanes!
I will stay away from Husky tools in the future and be more critical of what I buy from Home Depot in the future. I must say that I have had great service and unbeatable prices from Home Depot in the past. So I deduct that Husky Tools are not up to par and rumor has it Home Depot is in the process of flushing them.
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