While buying an air compressor, some vital features have to be considered. Be it a homeowner or a small workshop owner, for professional applications you need compressed air. Do follow the buying guide to buy an air compressor as it will ensure the long life of the compressor. Some vital features of an air compressor are as follows

• Horsepower rating

Horsepower rating is a part of every compressor. You use it to figure out the power needed for the engine. The grade compressors tend to produce between 1.5 to 6 HPs. For homeowners, motor producing 3 HP would be enough as long as pressure and airflow meet requirements.

• Tank volume

How can you figure out an ideal tank size for your compressor? If you own a workshop or an auto technician you will need about 30 gallons. If you just need to inflate the tires and not an auto mechanic a small tank with 6-gallon capacity would suffice.

• Power source

The electrical versions of workshops find its use in workshops or homes. You can plug it on any source and it works best when electrical fumes are not emitted. An advantage of the electrical compressor is that they can put to any source. But some households may not be able to cater to the demand of electricity in relation to 110v compressors. If you are planning to opt for a 220 v model then a special electrical outlet has to be created for the compressor. The gas compressors are ideal if you are working in the open and there is no proper electrical source. Though they might prove to be expensive as proper ventilation might be needed because of gas fumes.

• Horizontal vs Vertical

If you are facing issues with space constraint then opt for a vertical compressor. They occupy less space than the horizontal ones. Horizontal ones are used for portable locations, whereas vertical ones are used for stationary needs.

• Portability

If you are looking to make your air compressor work in your yard or on the roof, then a portable version would suffice. Opt for one that has a sturdy frame which means it can be mounted on top. It enables you to move it from the storage location to the place you need them.

• Maintenance

There are a couple of types of air compressors oil free and oil lubricated. The oil-free compressor is devoid of any maintenance issues as the bearings in them are sealed. No form of lubrication is needed as it works best for a homeowner who is not bothered about technical details or changing the oil.

The oil lubricated ones might require you to change oil at periodic intervals of time. They make less noise and prove to be durable. Normally they are used for commercial purposes as you would need to change the oil once in a while.

• Airflow

CFM or cubic flow per minute is the parameter by which you measure airflow in a compressor. Spray guns, brad trailers or reversible drills that are popular air tools need in the bracket of 3 to 6 CFM. To figure out the exact CFM that is needed for your air compressor you would need to follow a series of steps as determined in the manual.

It all depends upon the purposes for which you need to use an air compressor. Obviously, if you need to operate several tools CFM will be higher.

To sum it up, the above-mentioned points are some of the main considerations in terms of a buying guide. Do explore them in details before you are planning to buy an air compressor

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