Learn What You Need to Know About Air Compressors



Posted: Friday, December 16, 2005

by Bill D
Harris

Perhaps the most important question of all when it comes to thinking about buying an air compressor is do you really need to buy one? If you use an air compressor for an odd job every now and then, you’re probably much better off simply renting one when you need to. If you use an air compressor often, though, then you probably should go ahead and buy one, since those rental fees or leasing fees do add up over time.

When you start planning for your actual air compressor purchase, you’ll want to first consider what types of jobs you’ll be using it for. Since air compressors are rated and sold according to horsepower, you need to know what horsepower is needed for the particular tools you’ll need be using the air compressor with. Don’t start your shopping until you know this or you may end up buying more horsepower than you need—or can really afford.

Which brings us to step two in purchasing an air compressor: set a budget for your purchase. There are a multitude of air compressors out there, and the price range varies significantly. If your budget is small, you may want to look into used or refurbished air compressors. Often, this a great way to get a terrific buy on a top brand name one that you couldn’t otherwise afford.

Once you know exactly how much horsepower your air compressor should have and how much you can spend, you’re ready to start shopping. The place to start is on the Internet. You can easily find air compressors for sale online. You can also find product reviews on them that can be of great assistance to you in making your purchase.

You can also do some comparison shopping for used air compressors at auction sites like eBay. Sites such as this are a great way to buy a high quality air compressor at an affordable price. Still, don’t buy more horsepower than you need or you may find your air compressor is not compatible with the tools you want to use it with.

And stick to that budget! When shopping around, it’s easy to either get overwhelmed and just buy something or to get carried away and buy something you can’t truly afford. That’s why it’s essential to know what you’ll be using your air compressor for and to have a budget in place. Research is always a good idea to ensure you get the best value for your money.

Which is, after all, the point! Remember, you want to get the best air compressor possible, while spending the least amount of money possible and still purchase a high quality air compressor. So do your homework. You’ll be glad you did when you see how much money you’ve saved on your air compressor purchase.

Bill Harris is a retired foreman who spends his spare time as a freelance writer for sites like http://www.foremansfinder.com – a resource site for all things industrial. If you need information about air compressors, flow meters and expansion joints, ForemansFinder.com is the place for you.

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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)
» left by Thomas Mushy Marsh from England 4 years 216 days ago.
No not really. All it did was tell you the obvious when buying any kind of equipment. I feel it would be better if it was more truthfull and came from someone with experience of buying an actual air compressor.
» left by Mike
from Kutztown, PA 4 years 202 days ago.
This essay indicates it is important to select the right compressor and stay within your budget ( an Uh-duh assertion) but it says nothing about how to do it. Data on general compressor requirements as they relate to certain tools such as impact wrench vs. finish nailers would have been helpful. Tells us something don't just admonish us to do the right thing. We know that.
» left by Anonymous 3 years 18 days ago.
Also, I have been reading that horse power has nothing to do with the type of tools the compressor is pushing ... it basically effects how fast the tank will fill ... that's all. $%&*@$%&ty disinformation blurbs like this, should be taken down. It sounds like a grade 6 book report gone bad. Retard alert!
» left by Gene Haas
from iowa 2 years 162 days ago.
With respect to what 'size' compressor, a major problem with this article is its focus on horsepower. An air tool typically does not specify its air requirement in terms of horsepower, it specifies its air requirement in terms of minimum capacity. This capacity is typically expressed in units of SCFM (Standard Cubic Feet per Minute) at some pressure (Pounds per Square Inch). A good example would be, "... requires a minimum of 4 SCFM at 90 PSI...". While one could argue there is some relationship between horsepower and SCFM, the SCFM should really be the prime requirement.
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