Need some help - Electrical

[RockyMtnHigh]

For a couple weeks I have been searching for the best/cheapest options for a CO2 setup. Yesterday we went to Sears and I found a little two gallon / 1HP compressor for $99.

Bought it and took it home based off the SCFM rating it had which was 2.4 at 90 PSI, plugged it into the back and you could hear the motor whine but then the inverter button on the dash went out.
Got to looking at the specs of the compressor and it requires a 120V outlet. It says on the tank its 10.5 Amps.

Craftsman 2 gal. Air Compressor with 17 pc. Accessory Kit - Model 15312 at Sears.com

So this morning I wake up go to Checker and buy myself a 800W inverter hooked it up to the battery, it did the same thing and gave a code on that it was overloaded. Went back to Checker and the Manager gave me a 1200W inverter and said without a doubt it would work. NOPE, it blew the fuses in the inverter, actually blew the fuses in two 1200W inverters as he couldn't believe it and pulled another off the shelf and tried himself. Both the 800 and 1200W inverters had an output of 110-120V.

The compressor works great when plugged into the wall in the garage, I tested how long it would take me to get from 20 PSI to 35 PSI on the tires and it filled them up in about 15 secs. That's why I messed with it as long as I did.
As it stands now, the compressor is back in the box waiting for me to get off from work in the morning so I can take it back, but I thought I would ask and see if there is something I maybe missing or another option to try.

Could it be the compressor or were the inverters just cheap?

[cruiserlarry]

RockyMtnHigh previously said:

For a couple weeks I have been searching for the best/cheapest options for a CO2 setup. Yesterday we went to Sears and I found a little two gallon / 1HP compressor for $99.

Bought it and took it home based off the SCFM rating it had which was 2.4 at 90 PSI, plugged it into the back and you could hear the motor whine but then the inverter button on the dash went out.
Got to looking at the specs of the compressor and it requires a 120V outlet. It says on the tank its 10.5 Amps.

Craftsman 2 gal. Air Compressor with 17 pc. Accessory Kit - Model 15312 at Sears.com

So this morning I wake up go to Checker and buy myself a 800W inverter hooked it up to the battery, it did the same thing and gave a code on that it was overloaded. Went back to Checker and the Manager gave me a 1200W inverter and said without a doubt it would work. NOPE, it blew the fuses in the inverter, actually blew the fuses in two 1200W inverters as he couldn't believe it and pulled another off the shelf and tried himself. Both the 800 and 1200W inverters had an output of 110-120V.

The compressor works great when plugged into the wall in the garage, I tested how long it would take me to get from 20 PSI to 35 PSI on the tires and it filled them up in about 15 secs. That's why I messed with it as long as I did.
As it stands now, the compressor is back in the box waiting for me to get off from work in the morning so I can take it back, but I thought I would ask and see if there is something I maybe missing or another option to try.

Could it be the compressor or were the inverters just cheap?

While I'm sure those invertors were probably inexpensive, over-rated products, the problem is the compressor.

You say it's rated @ 10.5amps / 120 volts. You were using invertors with maximum outputs of 800 watts (6-2/3 amps) and 1200 watts (10 amps) - both putting out less, at their maximum limited output, than the compressor draws (10.5 amp). Thus, you have blown fuses. The FJC invertor puts out even less, with a maximum output of 400 watts (3-1/3 amps) - way too little to power the compressor.

In addition, some inductive motors are not compatible with invertors, regardless of their output power. I'd suggest you look into a compressor designed to run on a 12 volt system, or continue your hunt for a CO2 system (I recommend the Power Tank systems)

[RockyMtnHigh]

Thanks Larry! Like I said, it's back in the box waiting for the trip back to Sears.
It is a sweet little compressor, it kicks the crap out of my pancake I have in the shop that I run my nailers on, but right now the focus is on the FJ, so back it goes.