HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT AIR COMPRESSOR
You may or may not already be aware that not all air compressors are used for all jobs! They vary in both size and of course their power level. The best way to estimate what you will need is to take a careful look at the power requirements of any of the air tools you plan on using. Then its a simple matter of choosing one that is slightly more powerful than youll need so that you have the ability to purchase an air tool that needs a bit higher power level.
Ordinarily you will probably run across portable rotary screw compressors. There will be a dizzying assortment of choices to make. The cheap ones are just that, cheap ones, thus you should probably stay away from those, unless all you want to do is put air into your tires occasionally.
Sometimes compressors are rated by HP or horsepower. But the HP listing can be misleading. What is important is the amount of power the compressor draws. It’s not uncommon for there to be an inflated value for the HP.
You’re much better off looking at the PSI — pounds per square inch — when choosing your air compressor. 90 PSI is the rating that works with most air tools. If your compressor is listed at 125 to 135 PSI, even though it seems like it should, it’s not going to work with an air tool that requires 90 PSI. The reason for this is that PSI really measures shut off pressure, and the value doesn’t acknowledge when there is pressure lost in the line. If you want to make the most of a 90 PSI tool, consider a two-stage pressure shut off type of compressor. At 90 PSI the first stage will turn off, and the second stage will shut off at 175 PSI.
You will also need to consider CFM or “cubic feet per minute”. Most of today’s air tools need 4 to 6 CFM. This is not a problem as you’ll be getting exactly 3 to 4 horsepower at 90 PSI. What CFM tells you is basically the amount of air being moved through the system.
Tank size on a compressor may be important to you depending on how you wish to use your air compressor. If your work requires you to use it in short bursts, then the typical 30-gallon tank and a normal pump and motor is more than fine. If however, you wish to use it heavily, you would do better with a bigger tank and much stronger pump and motor, taking into consideration air that is stored in the tank.
Because of this you may see professional contractors running multiple air tools at the same time, with the knowledge that using a compressor with a rating of 150 PSI is a better choice for long-term continual use.
Unlike portable compressors, truck mounted ones use the truck to power the compressor. The problem is that you have to keep the truck running in order for the compressor to work. For the contractor who needs to have the compressor running for a long period of time, the better choice is an affordable compressor or possibly one that is mounted on a deck. Just like truck mounted compressors, deck mounted ones are set on a truck’s bed that is removable, which makes it possible to leave the compressor on-site as opposed to having to drag it back and forth for each day of consecutive work.
Also you can find compressors that are electrically and gas powered. If you think you’re going to be working on a site that does not have electricity, then go with a gas powered compressor.