Last updated on August 21st, 2021 at 05:42 am
Air compressor machines have come a long way in ensuring that most of our present day living and technology are even possible in the first place.
Most of the tools used for making and creating our everyday necessities (e.g making of cars, trucks, farm machinery etc.) are powered using compressed air.
The automobile industry for instance, rely heavily on air compressor machines for powering pneumatic tools like impact wrenches, ratchets, sandblasters, paints sprayers and so on.
Pneumatic tools are usually favored by craftsmen because they have a high power to weight ratio. They produce more power compared to their electric counterparts, and they’re usually smaller and lighter in comparison.
Here in this article, we’ve reviewed and listed the 10 best air compressors, and we have a buyer’s guide to help you pick the right one for your projects.
Whether you’re looking for a small portable air compressor for inflating mattresses and tires at home, a large one for powering your paint sprayer or other air tools like framing nailers, or even something larger for your metal fabrication projects, we’re certain that you’ll find one here that’ll meets your needs.
If you want to see our top picks, here they are below. On the other hand, if you want to read a buyer’s guide so you can make your own choice, then keep reading below.
Our Top Picks
Table of Contents
How To Choose The Right Air Compressor For Your Projects
Choosing a suitable air compressor unit is not very simple. There are many types and sizes out there with different specifications and from different brands.
They’re even named with the names of food like the hotdog and pancake air compressor. You hear that for the first time, and you might be a little bit confused.
Also, there are a lot of terms associated with them you need to take note of before buying, like CFM, SCFM, PSI and some others which I don’t need to mention.
You also have to deal with the choice of an oil free compressor vs an oiled compressor. However, you need not worry because we’ll be taking you through everything you need to know before making your choice.
So here’s what you need to consider, and the questions you need to answer before getting one.
What are you using it for?
To choose the best air compressor that will fit your needs, you have to be honest with yourself and answer the question. What am I going to use the air compressor for and how often will I be using it?
Answering this question correctly and honestly will help you avoid speculation, and aid you to know exactly what you need.
There are two type of air compressor users. Those that need it to just fill up tires, football and some other stuff around the home and will only be using it occasionally, and those that will be using it frequently to power air tools or pneumatic tools in their garage or in the jobsite.
If you’re in the first group, then you don’t need a large compressor. What you need is a small pancake or a small hotdog unit.
On the other hand, if you need an air compressor to power pneumatic tools like impact wrenches, die grinders or even a sandblaster, then you need a larger unit with a bigger tank that has the ability to store more air and produce more CFM continuously. CFM stands for Cubic Feet Per Minute. In literal terms, it stands for the volume of air a compressor can produce per minute.
Air tools or pneumatic tools consume a lot of air, so you need a bigger unit with a bigger pump, a bigger motor and a bigger tank to store the compressed air. How large you go depends on the particular tools you’ll be running and the CFM requirements of the tools.
So, the rule of thumb is check the CFM of all the tools you’ll be running with the air compressor. Add them all up, and add 30 percent to the number you get. That will tell you the CFM of the air compressor you need to buy.
If you have a car shop or a garage for working on cars, one thing I know for sure is that there’s no limit to the size of compressor you’ll need. Go for as large as your money can buy.
Good tools normally pay for themselves quickly as time goes by.
Power Source
Once you know the size of compressor you need, the second issue you need to be concerned about is the power or electricity requirements.
Air compressors don’t work themselves. Some make use of gas, but most make use of electricity. You need to plug your compressor to a power outlet for it to work.
The standard voltage in the power outlets in your home or garage will most likely be 120 Volts. That is the kind of voltage that powers single stage units with 30 gallon or less storage tank.
If you will be using your air compressor frequently, you may want to call a certified electrician to create a dedicated 120 volts power outlet for it in your workshop.
It is not advisable to run it with the same electric circuit as the one you are using in your home.
Most units larger than 30 gallons can only be powered with 240V electricity. So when shopping for a compressor, make sure to check the power ratings so you know what you’re getting and be prepared on how to power it.
Noise
Air compressors make lots of noise, especially oil-free single stage units. Hence if you going to get one, you need to also consider how to muffle the noise so that you don’t disturb your neighbors with it.
You might also consider shopping for an oiled unit instead of an oil-free one. Oiled compressors makes less noise when compared to an oil-free units.
Try to also consider the space in your garage where you’ll store it. Larger compressors make more noise, so make sure you have enough space in your garage so that the noise can be muffled a bit.
Portability
Depending on the kind of application or the kind of project you want to undertake, you might a very portable unit.
Your project might demand that you move it from one place to the other. Example includes when you are using it on a job site for framing a building, or installing trim moldings in different rooms in a building.
You don’t need a very big unit for these kind of applications, you need a portable air compressor. Generally, it’s portable if it got wheels on it.
A 20 or 30 gallon unit that got wheels on it like the Industrial Air IL1682066.MN and the DeWalt DXCMPA1982054 are very portable options you can go for. They have wheels and pneumatic tires on them. Hence, they are ideal for jobsite use, because you can easily move them from one part of the jobsite to the other.
The larger an air compressor is, the less portable it becomes. So, if you are going for a very large unit like a 60 or 80 gallon unit, then you have to give up on portability. Those are usually bolted to the ground and are best for workshop use.
Smaller ones like 3, 6, or 10 gallon compressors are very portable, because they’ve got handles on them that will allow you to take them wherever you want.
With that out of the way, here are the best air compressors we reviewed in 2021.
1. Industrial Air IL1682066.MN 20 Gallon Air Compressor Review
This type of compressor is ideal for you if you will be using tools that consume air a lot. Because the V-twin pump produces more compressed air compared to a single cylinder pump, it can keep up with the demand of an air hungry tool like a die grinder or sand blaster. Note though, that you have to be using one tool at a time.
To sum it up, I would say the Industrial Air IL1682066.MN is the ideal air compressor you need if you intend to carry out simple auto maintenance projects in your garage, you got air hungry tools, and you’ll be operating one at a time.
The portability also makes it ideal for jobsite use.
Related: How To Choose An Air Compressor For Spray Painting
What we like about it
Where it can be improved
2. Makita MAC700 2.6 Gallon Portable Air Compressor Review
Although the Makita MAC700 is one of the smallest air compressors you can get your hands on in terms of tank size, it certainly has its pecks.
You’re going to find it very useful as long as you’re not going to be powering air-hungry tools like impact drills, sandblasters and so on. It fills up fast, recovers quickly and will do just fine with low air-demand tools like nailers and staplers.
Related: The Best Pneumatic Brad Nailers For Your Woodworking Project
What I like about it
Where it can be improved
Related: 7 Best Air Needle Scalers For Metal Surface Preparation
3. Craftsman CMEC6150K 6 Gallon Pancake Air Compressor
If you need an air compressor to power tools that don’t consume much air to handle DIY projects at home or even to carry out small handyman services, one with a 6 gallon tank will be ideal.
One of the best ones you’re going to find is this Craftsman CMEC6150K. It’s an oil-free machine, that means it does’nt need much maintenance, although it’s kind of pricey compared to other 6 gallon sized units.
These are ideal for inflating car tires, mattresses, and powering low air-demand tools like nailers.
Related: 15 Must-Have Tools And Items For Homeowners
What we like about it
Where it can be improved
4. Bostitch BTFP02012
The Bostitch BTFP02012 and the Craftsman CMEC6150K look so much alike. The major difference between the two is the different brand names.
Two couplers in the unit gives you the opportunity to connect two tools at the same time. That means you don’t have to be connecting and disconnecting different tools.
Like I mentioned earlier, small pancake air compressors like this don’t produce a lot of CFM, thus, they’re not ideal for powering air-hungry tools. They’re best for powering low air demand tools like nailers, and for inflation projects.
Related: 10 Best Random Orbital Sanders For A Perfect Sanding Job
What I like about it
Where it can be improved
5. DeWalt DXCMPA1982054 20 Gallon Hotdog Cylinder Air Compressor
If you really want a unit that you can use to tackle more demanding projects in the job site, like framing a whole building, or maybe you want one that can do more that the small 6 gallon ones, a 20 gallon air compressor like this DeWalt DXCMPA1982054 will definitely step up your game.
If you’re running trim nailers, you get to run them for longer periods of time, before you need to pressurize the tank again.
You can get it up and running using normal 120 volts power outlets in your garage. However, I’d recommend that you create a dedicated 15 amp circuit for it alone, so it does not trip your circuit breakers. Its own dedicated circuit will allow you to run it uninterrupted and with peace of mind.
What we like about it
Where it can be improved
6. Makita MAC2400 4.2 Gallon Dual-Cylinder Air Compressor
Like the MAC700, the Makita MAC2400 is another Makita air compressor that comes equipped with a big bore pump, practically meant to make the recovery process quick when the tank losses pressure.
The Makita MAC2400 is oil lubricated and also runs at a lower RPM compared to similar sized units. The lower RPM coupled with the fact that it is oil lubricated and it’s made of durable cast iron reduces the wear and tear in the pump, ensuring that you get many years of service from the machine.
What I like about it
Where it can be improved
7. California Air Tools 8010
If you want to buy a really quiet air compressor, the California Air Tools 8010 is one of the first unit we’d recommend.
It’s an oil-free model, but it’s quieter than even some of the oil lubricated ones.
If you want to work in an area where noise is a huge issue, then you seriously consider getting this unit. The tank fills up quickly in less than 3 minutes and recovers quickly in less than 30 seconds when the pressure falls down during use.
What we like about it
Where it can be improved
8. California Air Tools 2010A
Sometimes, a 2 gallon air compressor is just what you need especially if you don’t use it all the time, or you need something portable for your handyman services or to carry out little DIY projects around the home. If that’s the case, then the California Air Tools 2010A will certainly fit your needs.
The small tank capacity means it’s also lightweight and easy to take with you on the job.
What we like about it
Where it can be improved
9. Powermate Vx PLA4708065 80 Gallon Air Compressor
If you have an auto workshop and you use high air demand tools like sand blasters, air hammers and ratchets, you’re going to need a big air compressor that has a large air storage tank and produces a high CFM so that it can keep up with the tools you’re running.
One unit that fits that description pretty well is this Powermate Vx PLA4708065. It’s an 80 gallon single stage air compressor equipped with a 3 piston pump powered by a 4.7 HP motor that runs operates at a speed of 3450 RPM.
The 3 piston pump helps spread the work of compressing the air across the 3 cylinders and reduce the workload of the pump. 3 cylinder pumps are more efficient because the air get’s compressed in 3 cylinders instead of 1, hence more air is produced at a given time compared to a unit with a single cylinder.
This is not some toy. It’s something you need to bolt to the ground in your workshop to prevent it from falling or traveling along the ground due to vibrations during use. It’s a 350+ lbs beast, so you certainly need something like a shop crane when setting it up.
What I like about it
Where it can be improved
10. Ingersoll Rand SS5 60 Gallon Single Stage Air Compressor
This is the Ingersoll Rand SS5. You need to bolt this on the ground because it’s a heavy duty 60 gallon single stage air compressor. It’s very heavy and can be quite unstable (travels) when switched on. So, get it bolted to the ground.
It’s a single stage air compressor, which means air compression is done in just one stroke, and tank fill up pretty quickly. You can start preparing all you air-demanding tools now, because it’s this machine can keep up.
What we like about it
Where it can be improved
