Air Compressor Reviews and Buying Guide:

When comparing air compressors, you should take a look at 4 major attributes before deciding - style, pump, tank size, and power. Air compressor styles are quite varied - tankless inflators, heavy-duty industrial compressors, and contractor grade models. Most air compressors are used either in the garage, at the shop, on the job site, or around the house. When it comes to air compressor pumps there are 3 types - Belt-drive, Direct-Drive, and Invector. Invector models are good for first time users, direct-drive pumps are good for occassional users and belt-drive pumps are great for professionals who use their air compressors all the time. Tank sizes in air compressors generally run from 2 to 120 gallons Larger tanks work better with continuous use tools like sprayers, sanders, grinders or sandblasters. The smaller tanks are great for tools like nailers, stapler, or impact wrenches. Air compressor power is best described in terms of cubic fee per minute (CFM). As an example, a sander requires a 30 gallon tank and an air compressor with a CFM of 9-15. You can read reviews of specific models below.

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The best selling air compressors are the Campbell Hausfeld 02-gallon (Direct drive) Quiet Air Compressor ($115), the Campbell Hausfeld 12 Volt Inflator ($21.99), the Campbell Hausfeld Wall Mountable Air Compressor ($89.99), Campbell Hausfeld Air Wave Cordless Rechargeable Air Compressor ($149.99), the Coleman Powermate 02-Gallon (Direct Drive) Air Compressor ($89.99) is the best portable air compressor. For use in the garage, the best Invector vertical is the Coleman Powermate 08-Gallon (Invector) Air Compressor ($239.99), the most popular direct-drive vertical air compressor is the Coleman Powermate 33-Gallon (Direct Drive) Air Compressor ($435), the top horizontal direct drive compressor is the ProForce 06-Gallon (Direct Drive) Air Compressor($139.99), the Coleman Powermate 40-Gallon (Belt Drive) Air Compressor is the top vertical belt drive compressor, and the Quincy 20-Gallon (Belt Drive) Air Compressor w/ 230 Volt Motor ($799.99) is the best horizontal belt drive air compressor. We prefer the Maxus 04-Gallon (Direct Drive) Air Compressor w/ Control Panel ($335) for electric direct drive compressors. For electric belt drive compressors, we recommend the Maxus 20-Gallon (Belt Drive) Air Compressor ($555), for gas belt drive get the Contractor 08-Gallon (Belt Drive) Air Compressor ($850). Other top manufacturers include AirTech, Briggs & Stratton, IronForce, and Pro Force. Top models from Ingersoll Rand include their Ingersoll Rand Electric Stationary Air Compressor ($536), the Ingersoll Rand Electric Portable Air Compressor ($549), the Ingersoll Rand Gas Portable Air Compressor ($839). We also like the NorthStar Electric Stationary Air Compressor ($1499), the Wel-Bilt Electric Portable Air Compressor - 2.5 Gallon, 120 Volt ($79.99), and the Industrial Air Cast Iron Pump Compressor ($369). All the best air compressors can be bought online at Northerntool.com, Aircompressorsdirect.com or Amazon.com. If you are ready to buy online, we recommend Amazon.com. We are always impressed by their competitive prices (often the lowest), fast shipping, and customer service -- plus almost everyone already shops with them and trusts them. You can browse the up-to-date list of best-selling air compressors at Amazon. RECOMMENDED: The most popular model at Amazon is the Makita 13 Amp 2-1/2 Horsepower 4.2-Gallon Oiled Twin Hot Dog Compressor -- this is a well-built, quiet, affordable, powerful piece of equipment.

Portable Air Compressor - Small Air Compressor:

A portable air compressor is very handy to have around the house as well as out on the job. Being able to take the compressor anywhere allows for total freedom in completing jobs on time. The best portable air compressors are the Craftsman 16731 Compressor ($329), the DeWalt D55155 100 PSI, 2.75 HP, 4 gallon Compressor ($349), the Porter Cable Air Compressor CPLDC2540S ($526), the Ridgid 3 HP 5 Gallon Compressor OL50135 ($259), and the Campbell Hausfeld Portable Air Compressor FP2020 ($165). Beyond just portable, we were also looking for a quality small air compressor and found 2 models to be the best - the Senco PC1010 1/2 HP 1 Gallon Mini Air Compressor ($134) and the Makita MAC2200 2 HP Oil-less Air Compressor. Reviewers were happy with the power output of both the smaller air compressors.

Industrial Air Compressor

After reading several reviews online, the stand out winner for best industrial air compressor was the Maxus 120-Gallon (Belt Drive) Air Compressor ($2500). Contractors and commercial facilities all rated it #1 for durability and reliability. Maxus products are designed for high performance and can handle tough contruction projects or auto shop usage all day. The features on this beast are - solid cast iron pump (15,000 hours or more of reliable performance), 4 cylinder two stage pump, oil sight glass, pre-wired magnetic starter, 3 phase motor, 120 gallon ASME Tank, 5 year warranty 37+ CFM @ 90 PSI.

Buy an air compressor - What to Look for

Experts all agree on a few basic features to look for when buying an air compressor - make sure it has an ASME Tank, Belt-Drive compressors have longer life, cast iron cylinder and cast iron pump sleeves are best, get premounted and prewired magnetic motor start, low oil shutdown, oil-free compressors are best, vertical compressors are better when trying to save space while horizontal compressors are bulkier yet more often portable. We suggest buying from a proven online store like Amazon.com where you can read owners reviews and get a feel for which air compressors actually work like they should.

Used Air Compressor:

When it comes to used items of any sort, Ebay is a great place to start. It's not a traditional store where you see a product and buy it, but you can really do some agressive comparison shopping by searching for all available air compressors on their site and find the best product for the cheapest price. Bid on the one you want and hope your highest bid works. Otherwise you can try the more traditional online store like Amazon.com which offers new and "used" versions of the products it lists. Perhaps you can find a quality used air compressor on their site.

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