DC Motors

This may be a little off topic here but here goes any way.  I found a 24V DC air compressor that a wholesaler has for sale (not EbaY) the place says that it can be run on 12V with no problem.  I have a deisel with two batterires but of course they are in parallel so I can only get 12V with out adding a third battery which could be connected in series.  I would think that running hte 24V motor on 12V that it would either not run or would get hot and not last very long due to the drop in voltage and extra draw in amps that woudl be required to run it.  Any ideas on this?

Well I believe we both got the same compressor.  After looking a little closer at the nomenclature the compressor runs off 28v!  So I need to figure out how to build a step-up transformer I'm guessing.  Hopefully someone will chime in who knows what they are doing and lend us a hand

I have talked with a few others about this compressor.  Apparently if the motor is wound correctly it won't really care if the voltage is low.  It deffinetly won't run as fast but it shouldn't hurt it as I was told, the windings should be heavy enough to handle the lower voltage and somewhat higher current.  I currently have a Viar 550 that another person really wants to buy from me.  I have run that one for over ten minutes straight, it doesn't even get warm.  The situation is right for me to sell the one I have and get a different one or I wouldn't do it as the Viar is more compressor that I really need at this time any way.