Planning To Buy A Portable Air Compressor? Here Are Some Tips

Buying an air compressor is no easy undertaking. You must find the air compressor that meets your specifications and the one that will benefit you most. Portable air compressors are widespread and can be found in virtually every hardware store in the world, but that does not mean that they are all of the highest quality, nor does that mean that they can all benefit you personally. By the end of this page, we are confident that you will be better equipped to approach buying a portable air compressor.

In this article, we are going to tell you a few tips that we think will help you to buy a portable air compressor. If you have any tips of your own, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section down below.

So, you are planning to buy a portable air compressor? Here are some tips.

The Equipment’s Requirements

When you are buying an air compressor, you likely have an intended purpose for it in mind and know what exactly you will be powered with it. Because of this, you must analyze the requirements of the equipment that you intend on using it on and find out whether or not your prospective compressor can manage to power it. Finding the right air compressor can only be done when you have examined the equipment you intend on using and are certain that the compressor you want will work with it. If you require high airflow, for example, you’ll probably want a compressor that has a tank. 

If you just intend on using the compressor for brushing air or filling a tire, you will not need a tank. These are all things to think about before investing in an air compressor.

Different Types of Compressor

There are two types of air compressors, and those are rotary screws and reciprocating air compressors. The most commonly sold air compressors are reciprocating compressors, which have cylinders that move up and down a one-way valve atop a moving piston. The other type, rotary screw, is designed for constant use and is often used with other tools that run for a few minutes at a time, for example, sledgehammers and jackhammers, and rotary screw compressors are used most often in industrial settings. 

You need to know and to be certain what exactly the type of compressor you need is, lest you waste money, which people often do. If you are struggling, you can always speak to the in-store technician in your local hardware shop and ask them for their opinion as to which compressor you will need and for any other information you might need.

Horsepower

When buying an air compressor, you will want to give thought to the horsepower of the prospective compressor that you are thinking about purchasing. Air compressors with high levels of horsepower are most often used in industrial applications, which means if you intend on using it at home in your garage, you probably won’t need one like this. Small-scale air compressor use will not need high levels of horsepower, and instead, you can settle for considerably lower levels of horsepower than a traditional industrial compressor would use. Give the horsepower of your potential compressor some thought.

Space and Transportation

Presumably, you will be taking your portable air compressor out with you and will be using it in several different places. Because of this, you must think about space and transportation. If you have a large van, then you can likely get away with buying a larger compressor, but if you travel by car then you will want to get a compressor that is easy to travel with and use in different places, as well as store. Space and transportation are something to give serious thought to, so you must ensure that you do not buy something too big for you to travel with.

Power Source

Air compressors vary in power. If you need, say, a 12-volt air compressor, then it is important that you take into consideration all of the other things mentioned on this page and find the best 12 volt air compressor that you can. If you need a 240v, then do the same. If you will not have mains electricity at all times, then you can find an air compressor that comes with an electric motor, thus meaning you do not need to be plugged in all of the time.

Air compressors are a specialist tool, and thus, require a lot of forethought and careful consideration when you are intending on buying one. We hope that this page has demystified some of the things you need to consider, nonetheless. Thank you!