Survey of Portable Air Compressors
Job-site trails assess the quality and performance of more than two dozen compressors designed for trim carpenter.
Synopsis: This tool survey compares the specifications, features, and job-site performance of 24 different portable air compressors with tank sizes ranging from 2 gal. to 4.5 gal. and prices ranging from $189 to $608. In addition to individual evaluations of each compressor, the article compares newer oil-less designs with traditional oil-bath compressors.
As a remodeling contractor and interior-trim specialist, I use my air compressor every day. I can’t even imagine working with hand-driven nails anymore. Pneumatic nailers are faster, more accurate and less likely to knock adjacent work out of alignment than hand-driven nails. I also use compressed air to clean my equipment and to remove dust and debris from the work area. So I don’t need convincing that pneumatic fasteners are the way to go. And neither do most builders, judging by the number of nailers and compressors on the market these days.
In my last article on pneumatics, I evaluated a couple of dozen trim nailers. In this article, I’ll tell you what I learned about the power plants that drive these tools. Earlier this year, I used all the compressors shown here on my job sites in southern Oregon. The compressors ranged in size from 2-gal. hot dogs to 4.5-gal. twin-tank models, and from 1-hp to 2-hp motors. Every one of them got the job done, but some did it better than others. I found some big differences in how long the compressors took to pump themselves up and how much noise they made doing it. There were also some notable discrepancies in the way the machines are finished and detailed. But before we get into that, let’s first look at what constitutes one of these compressors.
The major components
All the compressors surveyed here have the same components: the motor/pump; the tank; the pressure switch; the pressure regulator; and the pressure gauges. One gauge reads the tank pressure, and the other reads the outlet, or line, pressure. The regulator controls the line pressure. Turn the knob clockwise for more pressure to the tool, counterclockwise for less. The pressure switch tells the motor/pump when to turn itself on as tank pressure falls as the compressor is used. After working with the compressors discussed here, it becomes obvious that larger motors draw fewer amps, and generally speaking, they will pump up the tank quicker. The higher the rpms, the faster the tank reaches working pressure. But along with high rmps comes more noise.
Tanks come in two shapes: cylinders called hot dogs and circular, pillow-shaped tanks called pancakes. Manufacturers arrange tanks in varying ways. For example, many compressors use a pair of 2-gal. cylinders stacked atop one another to save space. To lower the center of gravity, some put tanks side by side. Pancake tanks are usually used to save floor space, and they have the motor/pump mounted atop the tank. Two manufacturers, however, tip pancakes on edge, encircled by a roll-cage handle that protects the components.
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