![]() ![]() What you will find are four nearly identical compressors from Bostich, Porter-Cable, Craftsman, and DeWalt, because they are all owned by SBD. You're not going to find a pancake air compressor with the Stanley Black & Decker name on it. The whole unit is built more heavily, including better wheels and better cable and hose management, than the 8.0-gallon unit farther down our list. Some of that quiet comes at the expense of tank pressure, because it only hits a low 130 PSI. California Air Tools' trick is a lowish 70 dB rating, although all air compressors are loud. It's rated at 6.40 CFM at 40 PSI 5.30 CFM at 90 PSI, which is enough to run an impact wrench and other hand tools intermittently, like when changing tires. ![]() The horizontal hotdog configuration makes it easy to roll 90 pounds around, and with a narrow 17 x 31-inch footprint, it's easier to store. That translates into a longer 70/30 duty cycle: it's rated to run 70% of a given hour (or technically 70 out of every 100 minutes). The California Air Tools 15020C has a 2.0hp oil-free motor, which is very powerful for a compressor of this size, meaning it's not going to be working as hard as comparable units. So when making our Editor's Pick, we thought about what home mechanics do most often looked into what air tools people would most like to use and found the best-rated air compressor that met those needs. At the same time, you can't paint a car with a $150 compressor that you can carry in one hand. You can inflate a tire with a $4,000, three-phase 80-gallon compressor, but you'll need a forklift, an electrician, personal loan, and a spare room first. When you're buying an air compressor, you always have to decide how to prioritize cost, size, noise, and usability. If you’re looking for portable a 12V tire inflator, see the results of our testing in our guide. And you’ll probably find a lot of places to use a portable air compressor around the house, too. Even if you’re not planning on restoring a car, we use an air compressor daily in the AutoGuide Garage to dust parts, blast out gunk from hard-to-reach areas, and clean off our work areas. Some things, like DA sanding and sandblasting can only be done with air. If you don’t need one of those (yet), everybody can use a blow gun, which delivers high pressure air with pinpoint accuracy. There are also tools, like an air chisel, shear, or hammer, that are hard to recreate in a cordless tool, if they’re available at all. With a small compressor all it takes is an air hose, some fittings, and an inflator, and you can pump up any tire (and anything else inflatable) in just a few seconds. A portable electric tire inflator is great for emergencies, but not something you want to use regularly. Once you have your compressor set up, you can turn it on in the morning, and it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice at for the rest of the day.Īny home garage will benefit from having at least an inexpensive air compressor. Air tools are also less expensive than comparable cordless tools, and never run out of batteries. Cordless tools are so good now that in some cases they’re even better than air tools, but we don’t know any electric tool that can sandblast, spray paint, inflate a truck tire in a few seconds, or blow off a work surface like an air compressor. After a great floor jack and a tool chest, getting the best air compressor is probably next on any home mechanic’s wish list. ![]()
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