Have You Bought The Best Air Compressor For Air Tools Yet?!

Let’s cut down to the chase and say the main difference with both of these air compressors is that one is grounded and you can move the other one around.

A piston compressor often comes with a tank that keeps it stable in one place for the duration of using. This model uses a functioning motor supporting the air pressure, which means the more you use it, the more air pressure climbs. The maintenance of this machine can be quite demanding. Therefore, it would be suitable for bigger projects than household ones.

A portable device has the tendency for using in a household with its relatively smaller tank and its ability to be moveable. Also if you keep the motor running, the compressor will continue producing air pressure, with a small footprint.

Some people believe a portable air compressor equals small weight. While there are some truths to that statement, it’s not entirely true that weight is the deciding factor — the shapes of the machine factor in quite a lot too.

Both kinds have their weaknesses and strengths and serve different purposes. That’s why you should consider the type of your work, and your interests as well before choosing one or another.

When research for your next air compressor, you will see ‘CFM’ a lot, let’s make sure you know what it stands for and how important it is in the process of choosing your ultimate machine!

CFM stands for cubic feet per minute. It shows the amount of time that the air compressor can provide air for. And why should you consider this factor as well? The reason for this is whether the machine can provide air fast enough for your tool. Nobody likes to stop the work in the middle of the way and wait for their compressor to play catch up.

So, what CFM rating is perfect for you? This question only you can answer for yourself, as it depends on how much tools you use and how fast those tools use up air. You should check out more CFM ratings if you decide to use more than one large tool at a time.

Before you make up your mind about the air compressor for you, you might want to check out the tank size on that machine. Why? It’s obvious the bigger the tank, the more air it can maintain. However, there’s a much more crucial reason why you should delve more into it. It’s the space to place the device.

Let’s assume you’d get the portable one. And you are looking forward to packing it in for the next trip to the beach with your family. Can you imagine how much space your van has left after all the picnic stuff? Also, the space in your garage, have you cleared all the boxes out of your garage for your new air compressor yet?

That’s why it matters.

The pump settings of each model represent how fast the air compressor can top up its tank. I know it’s kind of clear that everyone wants their tank filled up quickly; however, there are so many types of pump settings out on the market right now, it might confuse you.

To break it down, we will go over each kind of pumps:

• Oil-free (or oil-less) compressors: the majority of small compressors have this kind of pumps now, cutting down the maintaining and changing the oil for you. Most of them focus mainly on household projects. However, it can burn out rather quickly, if using frequently.
• Oil-lubricated air compressors: contrary to the first kind, this one, as you can guess, uses oil to lubricate the components in its pump. Also, it’s bigger than the oil-free model, and need a lot of maintaining. Without cleaning and changing oil routinely, the pumps can break down and stop working altogether but doesn’t burn out as quickly as the oil-less version.
• Single stage air compressors: it usually means the machine uses a single cylinder.
• Two-stage air compressors: and this one has two cylinders, which is superior to the single stage machines, can pump up to 200 psi faster, holds more air in, and doesn’t wear out quickly. These compressors can work much more intense and powerful projects in the shops.

These kinds of machines can cause quite a lot of noise while operating. So, you’d better watch out for those devices that extremely loud and uncomfortable for users.

Most of the oil-free air compressors can’t help but be a bit loud. Several brands have worked on this problem for some time, and some put out their results to the market and are welcomed warmly by consumers. Some are not that bad as you can wear ear protection while operating them.

Aside from all the significant factors mentioned above, you should still check out other features the machines offer so you can make an informed decision.

• Thermal protection: this feature will come in handy when there’s a surge in your electricity, or you just keep your compressor running for too long, causing its overcharge and overheat. As you know, from common knowledge, nothing can survive constant heating, so thermal protection provides cover for all the components in your compressor.
• Air-cooling system: this feature couples with thermal protection give you the ultimate cooling system for your machine. It makes sure the air pumped wouldn’t get too hot.
• Oil-free pump: if you don’t have much time to care for the device, it would be ideal for getting the one coming with an oil-free pump. It minimizes the maintenance that you have to do for the machine and also prevents your device from short-circuiting.
• Drains: to ensure all the condensed water get out of the compressor as it can cause all kinds of troubles, from leaking to rusting, the manufacturers have built in drains in each machine. However, not all types of drains have excellent designs. For example, the cock design is a bit complex, and you have to use pliers as well. The ball valve design is currently in demand on the market as for its effortless use.