Your home automotive shop, the best bet is to shop in the 20- to 30-gallon Use around the shop, especially if you are trying to rebuild an engine head. These ratings make the pancake compressors just a hair too small to reliably However, nail guns only need about 2-3 SCFM and 90 PSI. The most - you will need a rating of about 90 PSI and 4 SCFM.Īir compressors are one of the most popular models that are used by contractorsįor working on homes. Impact wrenches or ratchets - the two tool types that you will likely be using Size becomes very easy: check your tools for their specifications and find a That we’ve covered the main definitions, the answer on correct air compressor Your primary units of comparison as you shop.

Generally, it is better to focus on PSI and SCFM as However, horsepower ratings only tell you how large the motor is As you shop, you will see a lot of tools sorted by Need more airflow (or SCFM) but at a lower pressure (PSI). Generally easier to find a cheap air compressor to run air wrenches than it isįor high-flow tools such as die grinders, sandblasters, and paint sprayers, you The SCFM is slightly less important, and the PSI is more important. Tools like an air impact wrench where you are going to run it in short spurts, Second is SCFM or Standardized Cubic Feet Per Minute. PSI is Pounds-Per-Square-Inch and it is the force required to Right size for routine automotive maintenance - there are two significantįirst is PSI. Separate the abilities of these different machines - and to help you get the Units that are part of emergency jumpstart packs and are used to air up yourĬar tires, to large, rotary pumps that are used in industrial systems. Important specificationsĬompressors come in all shapes and sizes. Reserve of air is then available for your use. In the tank and turns off the compressor when it reaches a target pressure. A pressure switch monitors the pressure build-up

You spend less time arguing with bolts and more time getting your work done.Ĭompressors consist of a small, motor-driven pump that collects the surroundingĪir and pumps it into a tank. Wrenches with torque ratings over 1,000 foot-pounds are common. Tools also offer higher torque ratings than their electric counterparts. Shavings of the mechanic’s shop, pneumatic tools are more resilient and less

The electric motors that can get gummed up with the grease and the metal However, pneumatic offers unmatched, reliable power. The world of cordless impact wrenches, it might seem archaic to talk about airĬompressors. Them, it may force you to over-stress the compressor and burn it out. In this category, it is possible to buy a compressor that is too small to power your tools.Ĭompressor that is too small will fail to run your tools or, if it does run We are going to be looking for something affordable, small, and easily portable. The rest of us working from our home garage are more conscientious of how much space we have. Industrial-sized compressors will be able to handle any task but may use moreĮnergy than is needed, making them more expensive to run. Of shop space and cash enjoy splurging on larger, 60-gallon air compressors Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page Send by Email Photo: PixabayĬonundrum is a common one: you save up the money for your first pneumatic (airīefore you buy that wrench, you have to find the right air compressor.Įasy to buy an air compressor that’s too large or too small.

Air compressor for car