When it comes to tackling tough, home-based projects, in which common handtools fall short of expectations, there's nothing better than a high-quality pneumatic-whether it's an impact, grinder, or cut-off wheel running full-tilt boogie.
| The D55168 is affordable, portable, and has most of the performance you will need for typical home-based projects, including painting.
As you already know, pneumatics can be an absolute adrenaline rush in the home workshop. A decent pneumatic is able to handle a typical knuckle-busting job in half the time of common handtools. Finishing faster means more time to enjoy your project.
Speed isn't the only thing they provide, though. Pneumatics offer a tremendous amount of torque, much more than you'll get out of a handtool-even if you have superhuman strength. But to properly power pneumatics, you have to first find an air compressor that matches or exceeds the tool's operational requirements.
One thing to consider when buying an air compressor is that each type of pneumatic tool requires a specific amount of air pressure to operate it, which we'll talk about later. Then you need to decide if you want a compressor that runs on fuel or electricity, either 220v or 120v. Electric compressors are the most popular in the home garage, and by far the cheapest.
Armed with this information, we went in search of an all-around 120v electric air compressor that offered three simple things: performance, portability, and affordability. Surprisingly, what we found literally blew us away. There are some fantastic electric air compressors on the market, and practically every major tool manufacturer offers one, including Makita, Craftsman, DeWalt, and Ingersoll Rand. But, as we learned, they are not all the same. If you don't do some research, you could end up disappointed with the results. Fortunately, it's easy to determine what you need and what to expect from your compressor.
Air compressors are available in all shapes, sizes, power ranges, and price points. Compressors start at about $150 and go up from there. Some of the commercial-grade compressors can run $1,000 or more. What we discovered is that besides price, many end-users complain about noise and portability. Others seemed disappointed by the lack of performance with certain pneumatics. So to get you started, here are a few tips that might make your search easier:
Cubic Feet Per Minute
Let's start with CFM (cubic feet per minute) or SCFM (standard cubic feet per minute) ratings. The greater the flow of the air from the compressor, the better the performance of the pneumatic tool. You must match or exceed the required average CFM of the pneumatic tool you are planning on using to the CFM output of the air compressor. These ratings are listed on the products. Pneumatic sanders and grinders can require more continuous CFM than most other tools, whereas nail guns and impacts require much less CFM in short bursts. A good CFM range for an air compressor in a larger shop is between 6 to 14 if you are planning to use several pneumatics at the same time. Most decent air compressors that are used only occasionally at home or in the field can operate well with 4 to 6 CFM. The majority of pneumatics operate with a PSI (pounds per square inch) rating of 90, so your compressor should have a regulator that adjusts to at least that high.
Horsepower Ratings
Horsepower ratings on air compressors aren't as important as CFM, so don't get fooled by peak horsepower promotions that suggest otherwise. The CFM is the most important aspect of a compressor-no matter the peak horsepower ratings. In fact, horsepower ratings of compressors only tell half the story, and the ratings system is not as verifiable as consumers expect.
Duty Cycle
When considering an air compressor, you should think about how much you would use it. Some air compressors (commercial-grades) have a 100-percent duty cycle, meaning they are running all the time when in use. These are more expensive. Typically, though, in stores like Home Depot or Lowes, we see duty cycle ratios around 50/50. This refers to how much time the compressor can safely run within a given period of time. In the case of a 50/50 ratio, it means the air compressor will run half the time on the stored air in the tank and half the time with the motor running as it builds up pressure.
Cut-In And Cut-Off Pressure
Learn the cut-in and cut-off pressure before you buy. The cut-in pressure is the pressure at which the tank restarts when you are using it. The cut-off pressure is the maximum PSI of the tank from start-up to shutdown.
Code Certification
It's also good to know if the compressor you want was evaluated by OSHA or an independent testing facility, and that it meets all safety requirement standards. If it was properly tested, the compressor will carry one or more the following marks: UL, CUL, ETL, or CETL. Check carefully, because you don't want to buy a compressor that hasn't been properly certified. Now, armed with this information, you should be able to make a smart buying decision.
Using It
When we finally had all our information together, we looked at air compressors at several retail outlets and online. The one that seemed to jump off the page and met all three of our requirements was the 15-gallon D55168 from DeWalt. Not only did the D55168 have an exceptional size tank for the price, it also had 200 PSI of maximum tank storage, and 5.4 SCFM at 90 PSI, which allowed for quick compressor recovery times using most pneumatics. After three months of testing the D55168 with practically every pneumatic known to man, we think it is the best buy you can find for home or small business use. And since it retails for around $375, it could also be one of the most affordable on the market. On the downside, it did not test well with a common pneumatic air sander and caused us to wait a considerable amount of time to finish a small job. But that's what happens when you need consistent air pressure from a 5.4-SCFM unit. If we were planning more use with a sander or grinder, we would have looked for a 6- to 14-CFM compressor.
What sold us on the DeWalt was its ergonomics and the fact that it offered such a small footprint as a stand-up-type compressor (41.75HX19WX21.25L). It looked great in the garage and tucked neatly in the corner-you hardly notice it.
Our tests of the D55168 included three different types of highly popular impact wrenches. We wanted to learn how fast we could drive a 6-inch lag bolt through a block of wood. The D55168 breezed through our evaluation with ease, never having to recover for a split second. Then, just for fun, we took a 3/4-inch impact and spun tires off a Ford F-250 in succession. No problem there, either!
The D55168 has an oil- and maintenance-free air pump, which means more time using the unit and less downtime maintaining it. The only thing you have to do is make sure to open the drain valve after every use. On that note, we think that the position of the drain valve at the bottom of the tank was too close to the ground, which made opening and closing it tricky. But that was a minor annoyance. On the plus side, the low operational noise level really put it over the top. It produces only 78 dBA according to DeWalt's tests, and while we can't confirm or deny the noise level, we assure you it was much quieter than most air compressors in that size range. Another nice feature allows the end-user to run an extension cord (12-gauge or heavier) if it is less than 50 feet long. The D55168 is completely portable and rolls on wide-track semi-pneumatic tires that will never need maintenance. It has a cut-in pressure of 170 PSI and a cut-out pressure of 200 PSI. There are also dual 2-inch gauges on a metal console panel to read the PSI in the tank and PSI reaching the tool. A high-flow air regulator allows for maximum adjustment of the air reaching the pneumatic-from 7 to 150 PSI.
The bottom line is, if you're looking for an air compressor to operate sanders or grinders-go with a compressor with more CFM. DeWalt and others offer much bigger units. But for everything else-from painting to breaking bolts free-you can count on the D55168 to do just about every job you can throw at it. You won't find a better-priced unit with so many features anywhere.
