Consumer-grade air compressor is mainly for low pressure – single tool usage. Most commonly found in household or small garage workshop.

Contractor-grade air compressor is portable yet capable of providing a steady supply of compressed air. Typically wheeled, or mounted on a small vehicle to enable use of pneumatic tools on work-sites.

Commercial air compressor is continuous high pressure, heavy-duty air compressors that can power multiple tools at a time. Designed to be fixed in one place, they are most suitable for industrial and marine usage.

A Single-stage air compressor is typically smaller in frame size and has a lower amount of pressure – for the compression process only happened once.

Whereas for Two-stage air compressor, the compression process happened twice to double the pressure. While a two-stage compressor produces higher air power, they often cost more and produces more noise.

Your air compressor’s specifications will mainly depend on these 3 factors:

CFM, or Cubic Feet per Minute, is the air compressor’s flow rate, or the amount of air that an air compressor can produce at a given pressure level.
In data points, 1 (cubic meter / minute) = 35.32 CFM.

PSI, or Pounds per Square Inch, is the amount of force that an air compressor can deliver.
In data points, the bar is a metric unit of pressure and 1 bar is equal to 14.5 PSI.

HP, or Horsepower, is the amount of power that an air compressor’s motor or engine can produce.
In data points, kilowatt is a unit of power and 1 kilowatt is equal to 1.34 HP.

Piston air compressor is the most common type of compressor, and they work on the basis of valves and piston rings. They are relatively inexpensive, but are louder and supply a lower air output delivery, as well as lower air quality.

Rotary screw air compressor works based on two intermeshing rotating screws and is generally more expensive. They offer a steady flow of air – without pulses and fluctuating pressure that can be associated with a piston air compressor.

Choosing between an Electric motor or Diesel engine to power an air compressor has always been a topic that sparks off considerable debate.

While diesel engines have increased in prices over the years, their technology and performance have also improved dramatically. Even though an electric-powered equivalent is generally quieter and emission-free – to a certain degree. All these advantages are irrelevant if a power supply isn’t available on-site, and this suggests that a diesel-driven option is a more versatile solution for work sites in remote locations.