Finding The Right Air Compressor For Your Needs

Air compressors are highly versatile tools, ideal for a wide range of different household and workshop tasks. The air compressor is usually attached to one of a variety of air tools (also called pneumatic tools), and in comparison to electrical tools, provide more power, durability, and ease of use.

An air compressor can be used to power nail or spray guns, hammers, wrenches, drills, saws, sanders, tire inflators-and that's just the start. There's almost no household or workshop project you can't complete with an air compressor and a few select tool attachments, making them enormously convenient tools.

The question is, what kind of air compressor do you need? The answer to that depends on several things:
Where are you going to use the air compressor-will you have access to electricity?

vAre you going to be working in a well-ventilated area?

What types of tools are you going to use the air compressor to operate?

The last factor-the types of tools you plan to operate-is the most important factor that will determine the air compressor you need, but it's also important to consider the environment in which you plan to use the compressor.

The tools you plan to use are the most important factor because most air compression tools have requirements for the air pressure and volume by which they operate.

Air Compressor Ratings

Air compression units are rates on four different factors:

Pounds per Square Inch (PSI): This measurement is the amount of air pressure delivered by an air compressor unit. The higher the PSI rating, the greater the amount of air compression the unit can withstand, and the more air that can be compressed in the tank. (Essentially, the higher the PSI, the more compressed air a tank can hold.)

Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM): This measurement is the volume of air that an air compressor can pump in one minute at a specific pressure. A higher CFM means a compressor can provide more air per minute. This means higher CFM-rated units are more suitable for larger jobs, while lower CFM-rated units are best for small projects.

Horsepower (HP): This measures the amount of power produced by the air compressor's motor. A higher horsepower engine generally goes hand-in-hand with a higher PSI. Units with higher horsepower can usually handle a larger workload.

Tank Size: Air compressor units with large tanks and powerful motors can operate at high PSI ratings for longer periods of time.

In general, for all of these measurements, the higher the measurement, the heavier the workload the air compressor unit can tolerate.

How do you choose the Right Air Compressor?

Choosing the right air compressor for your needs isn't a matter of guesswork, and there's more to it than understanding those four basic terms. There is, in fact, a specific formula you can use to select the air compressor that will work best (and safest) with your tools.

1. Check your air tools and select the one that has the highest CFM requirements at the highest PSI.

2. Add a 50% safety margin to the required CFM.

3. The resulting figure is the air compressor you need.

For example, if your highest powered tool needs 5 CFM at 100 PSI, you'll need to select an air compressor unit that provides at least 7.5 CFM at 100 PSI.

Other Considerations: Portability and Convenience

Once you've figured out the CFM and PSI requirements, choosing an air compressor comes down to finding a unit that provides you with the greatest degree of convenience and portability for a price that suits your budget.

Depending on how much you have to spend, you can choose between three main styles, and then take a look at extra features if you've got the budget for them.

Twin-stack air compressors are the most portable, and are particularly good for projects that might be carried out in awkward places-roofing projects, car maintenance, or work carried out on uneven surfaces. Most are electric powered.

Pancake air compressors are portable and light, but are smaller than twin-stacks and are generally more suitable for lighter projects such as crafts and hobbies.

Wheelbarrow style units are highly maneuverable, and have the advantage of being gasoline powered, so you're not tied to using them in places that have access to electrical outlets. The downside is that you must operate them in a well-ventilated area for safety reasons.

Other features available depending on the unit you choose include electric start systems, dual air outlets to operate two tools at once, 'muffler' type units to reduce noise, and idle controls to help safe fuel on gasoline-powered units.