You must consider various factors when it comes to buying a new air compressor, especially if you are getting one for your business. If you are in the market for air compressors, I am sure you know the importance of getting the right one for your projects. You must buy an air compressor that will serve efficiently for ages and also require minimal maintenance to save on costs. Here are some factors that you have to take into account when looking for an air compressor for your applications:
Your air tools
When buying an air compressor, it comes down to whether it can serve its purpose to power your tools efficiently. Always check the CFM rating of the machine and whether they match the requirements of your air tools.
Easy to use and repair
Nothing is worse than purchasing an air compressor at an affordable price, and down the road, you spend more money fixing, maintaining, or replacing it. You have to look at every model and compare the price against efficiency. Accordingly, you can use an expert recommendation to find the best air compressor for your projects that will not require much maintenance.
Other considerations
You also have to check if the air compressor is suitable for the tasks you want it for. For instance, you should take a look into features and other elements like electricity-powered or fuel-driven. Below are some of these special considerations you must always have in mind when buying an air compressor.
Electric or gas-powered.
If you are contemplating working indoors, then the best choice of air compressor for you is one that is powered by electricity. Electric air compressors are the most suitable for indoor applications because they do not emit fumes. However, gas-powered air compressors are efficient and cheap when used for outdoor applications that require you to move between sites. Their exhausts prove to be an issue, and they require special maintenance.
If you choose an electric air compressor, there are other things to take into consideration. For instance, you need a readily available source of electricity and the exact voltage output that matches the requirement of your air compressor.
Single-Stage or Two-Stage
Piston air compressor can either be single-stage or two-stage. These two differ in the amount of PSI that each can reach. For instance, a single-stage air compressor can reach up to 150 PSI while two-stage air compressors go as high as 200 PSI.
Single-stage air compressors work by sucking and compressing air to the required pressure in a single stroke of the piston pump. The CFM rating on a single-stage air compressor is often higher compared to two-stage air compressors.
On the other hand, a two-stage air compressor works in the same way as a single-stage air compressor, but the only difference is that it has tow pistons firing in turns. The two pistons compress air in stages instead of once. The air is first compressed then cooled and compressed once more. These air compressors can reach 200 PSI rating. They are equally very efficient because they cool compressed air in stages to increase density.
Two-stage air compressors are perfect because they can compress air at any given moment without losing pressure. However, they are more costly.
Fixed or Portable
Depending on your work station and the applications, you can either go for a fixed or portable air compressor. A fixed air compressor is stationary and, in most cases, they are bolted to the ground to prevent it from moving while in use. On the other hand, portable air compressors are also called movable air compressors because they can be move between sites.
Horsepower and CFM
Air compressors are measures in horsepower (HP). The rating can sometimes be misleading since the HP rating does not necessarily equal the amount of compressed air.
A better measurement of performance is the standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) because it measures the performance of the air compressor’s HP.
In most cases, the size of the engine in air compressors ranges between 1HP and 2HP. Since industrial applications will require 5HP or more but these are often special cases. HP is never the best indicator of the strength of an air compressor. Instead, you can use the CFM rating. CFM measure the volume of compressed air that is produced by the air compressor.
Noise
If noise is an issue for you, then you can consider getting oil-lubricated air compressors since they tend to rattle less compared to oil-free air compressors. Oil-free air compressors are less efficient and not as versatile as oil-lubricated air compressors. Additionally, they do not require a flat surface that allows free circulation of oil.