Choosing the Right Air Compressor

An air compressor is a tool, specifically it is a tool to run other tools, unless you just need a volume of air compressed for an air tank or to inflate a tire. What sort and how big of a compressor you need is going to depend a lot on what kind of tools you need to run with it. A body shop running DA sanders and a paint booth all day long needs a much more robust compressor than an engine shop running impact guns and occasionally a media blast booth.

Shop use or portable? – if you are setting up shop you likely want something big and 220v powered that can provide air all day without breaking a sweat. If you are headed to the race track, or use a compressor for both automotive and roofing or carpentry tasks, you likely want a portable compressor with wheels on it, or small enough to carry.

Before you begin, you should to write down what tools you want to run with the compressor, and how many of them at the same time? If you are buying one for your home shop, the answer is usually just 1 at a time, but if you have a thriving business with several employees that should be taken into account. A good rule of thumb when buying a compressor is to look for one rated at 1.5 times the CFM requirement of the tools you are likely to use continuously for a long period of time.

Refer to this Air Tool Useage Chart as a reference for what you will need when choosing your new air compressor.