Nearly every professional contractor uses an air compressor. Of course, it’s not just a construction tool. Automotive, woodworking, aviation, marine, and many others use compressors to power air tools. When I got our team together to decide on the best air compressor, we sparked a fierce debate concerning brands, styles, prices, and much more.
The first questions were “What size?” and “What’s the application?” Good points. The selections below are the result of many hundreds of hours of testing and use—not to mention several more hours of internal discussion! Now that the physical and relational bruises have healed, I’m ready to share our expert opinions across a range of compressor categories.
Coming off of the success of the Metabo HPT pancake air compressor (also called “The Tank”), the 8-gallon EC1315SM delivers more CFM and capacity. Max pressure is 225 PSI—which you’ll likely never use. However, what you may use is the 5 CFM (at 90 PSI) which lets you run up to 3 framing nailers or 4 roofing/siding nailers simultaneously.
Running a trim crew? Connect as many as five 15-gauge or 16-gauge finish nailers and get to work! In either of these scenarios, each tool would have plenty of air to drive nails. Another great feature is the quick ramp-up time—just 55 seconds to get from to 125 PSI from empty. When you do run it below 95 PSI, the recovery time is a brisk 14 seconds.
For the money, you get a lot in this capable package. Between the wheeled portability and capacity—this compressor is my all-around go-to workhorse on any jobsite.
Choosing the best small air compressor used to mean grabbing a pancake model. Lately, however, smaller “hot dog” compressors have proven their worth on small punch lists and trim jobs. The almost unbelievably small DeWalt D55140 features a 1-gallon tank and weighs less than a Cocker Spaniel. I can stand this compressor on the rear floor of an F150 SuperCab without a second thought and get to work.
The key to enjoying this trim compressor is application. It consistently drove 18-gauge brad nailers and 23-gauge pinners without any difficulty. If you want to do some remodeling with a framing nailer, you’ll want to get a larger model (like the DeWalt 6-gallon pancake compressor or one of my other recommendations).
Lastly, the D55140 doesn’t make a ton of noise. It’s around 4-5 dBA quieter than most other trim compressors. That’s more than enough to be noticeable.
At 60 decibels, the Rolair Ultra-Quiet 2.5-gallon air compressor is quiet enough to hold a conversation next to it. As impressive as this is, the noise level represents just one of many features we liked after choosing it as the quietest portable air compressor.
Lastly, the cycle times are short—nearly identical to the larger 8-gallon Metabo HPT model that’s our overall top pick. Expect it to take around 14 seconds to get from 95-125 PSI. I also consider Rolair one of the best air compressor brands on the market, with models ranging from hand-carry models to wheeled and stationary units up to 200 gallons in size.
Both the DeWalt FlexVolt and Milwaukee cordless compressors make solid cordless compressors and carry similar specs. However, the 2-gallon Milwaukee earns the nod for several reasons. First, it’s a full 11 decibels quieter (just 68 dBA). Audibly, that sounds about half as loud as the DeWalt! It does trade a bit of that for weight, however.
While it’s certainly helpful on jobsites with no power, our plumbing pro also successfully used it to bleed heaters (which typically have to be done manually) and air-test PEX on several re-pipes. It even worked to pressure test a new sewer line.
You get a very respectable 1.2 SCFM at 90 PSI—about what you could expect from a capable corded trim compressor. The roll cage’s carry handle (and good balance) are the cherry on top. A bit pricey at $379 as a bare tool, I still like the portability and performance for professionals. This compressor also earned a 2020 Pro Tool Innovation Award.
Things got heated when we started talking about the best shop compressor. One thing is clear: Ingersoll-Rand, Jet, and Rolair dominate the shop compressor space in the opinion of our review team. Either of those brands represents a solid choice.
The Ingersoll-Rand 2475N stands out as it offers 100% duty cycle operation with 17.2 CFM at 90 PSI. (IR has models that go up to 24 CFM or more). This single-phase compressor also installs easily into any garage with an available 230V circuit. Commercial shops can look at the 3-phase model.
This is a premium product for any shop looking to drive sanders, lifts, and multiple impact wrenches or other air tools simultaneously. At $3149, expect to pay for the quality you get with this system.
Priced around $129, this Craftsman 6-gallon pancake compressor lets you tackle anything from framing to trim tasks. It delivers up to 120 PSI pressure consistently (150 PSI max) with airflow of 2.6 SCFM at 90 PSI. The oil-free design should let you use this for many years with little to no maintenance. For those keeping score, the fact that this product is manufactured in the USA makes it even better.
We tested this product on managing a small fleet of vehicles for a local non-profit ministry as well as with smaller trim jobs and limited framing applications and punch lists. The 6-gallon capacity really helps when you have a small project involving higher-demand air such as roofing. The fact that I could run a couple of tools at once without a splitter just adds to the appeal of this inexpensive tool.
Ever check out a "review" site and you can''t tell if they actually tested the tools or if they''re just "recommending" the Amazon top sellers? That''s not us. We only recommend what we''d actually use, even if we don''t earn a commission from it. It''s all about giving you a legitimate recommendation and our honest opinion of each product.
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