There has never been a better time to buy the best portable air compressor for garage or home use. There are some big reasons why the time is right to grab a portable air compressor:
- The best portable air compressor is now within reach for everybody
- You can buy an air compressor for use in the garage
- You can buy an air compressor for home use
- Air compressor price – now cheaper and more affordable than ever
In case you haven’t noticed, the air compressor price has tumbled. Especially for portable air compressors which are excellent to keep in the garage, or for use in all kinds of jobs around the home. Once upon a time, industrial air compressors were large, heavy and suited mainly for workshops and industrial applications.
Where to get the latest air compressor price
But what has become more common lately is the popularity of the smaller portable air compressor for home use. Nowadays, there is no reason why you can’t buy a portable air compressor for the garage, which is excellent for those home renovation tasks, or fixing the car, or whatever you need to do.
Here at Air Compressor Journal, we want to help you pick the perfect portable air compressor for the garage or workshop. We are determined to bring you the best unbiased air compressor reviews. We never accept free products from the makers of these air compressors, and we have never accepted a promotional air compressor price. Our ultimate goal is to become your trusted product reviewer when you want to research a product, or check an air compressor price.
The Best Portable Air Compressor for Garage
If you like to run a bunch of air powered tools in the garage or the workshop, then this can be an extremely efficient way to do it. All you need to do is choose the best portable air compressor for home use and it can be an extremely versatile tool to run all sorts of air tools from a central source of compressed air.
The best advantage of using a portable air compressor is that you don’t need to worry about running extension cords, or charging batteries. The other thing is that the air powered tools are much smaller and lighter to operate, yet provide more power to get the job done better and faster. The reason for the popularity of air compressors and air tools is that once you have experienced the power to weight ratio of air tools, you will never want to go back to heavy and slow power tools.
Here is a list of the Best Portable Air Compressor Reviews – Perfect for garage or home use.
1. CAT-10020C Air Compressor
The best air compressor for the garage or home is not just about size and weight of the product. Here at Air Compressor Journal, we want to help you find the best air compressor that you will really enjoy using, and California Air Tools (CAT) offer the best features at this air compressor price.
The CAT -10020C is high on our list of the best portable air compressor reviews, because it is so quiet to operate. This has got to be a good thing when you want to buy the best air compressor for the garage or home use! The CAT-10020C is a 2 horsepower air compressor with a 10 gallon air storage tank. It is rated at a massive 5.3 cubic ft per minute at an operating pressure of 90 psi. What this means is the CAT 10020C provides excellent compressed air with enough flow rate and storage capacity to run any number of air tools in the garage. Better still it can also provide higher flow rate for shorter bursts and maximum air pressure to 125 psi. It also comes with 2 snap on connectors and high pressure hoses. This means you can run two high pressure hoses for two air tools at the same time – awesome!
Click here to see the California Air Tools CAT-10020C air compressor price.
2. CAT 5510SE Ultra Quiet Air Compressor
The best part is the low noise signature of the California Air Tools air compressor. California Air Tools have designed the CAT 5510SE air compressor to run at much lower pump speed than most other air compressors. Because of the low pump speed, the noise output is minimal, and wear and tear is reduced. This means that you can use the best air compressor in the garage, and people will barely notice it is running.
The California Air Tools CAT 5510SE is an oil free air compressor, which is almost maintenance free. It comes with a large 5.5 gallon storage tank, and it is powerful enough to recharge the storage tank in just 2 minutes. It comes with a sturdy frame, and large wheels which makes it the best portable air compressor for the garage. If you want a high performance, quiet compressor for home use, be sure to check out the California Air Tools CAT 5510SE. This is simply the best portable air compressor for garage or home use and it comes with an affordable air compressor price tag!
Click here to see the California Air Tools CAT 5510SE air compressor price – it is very affordable!
3. Porter-Cable C2002WK Pancake Air Compressor
The Porter-Cable C2002-WK Oil Free Pancake Air Compressor is always a favourite for the best portable air compressor for garage or home use. It is a high performance air compressor with an operational pressure of 150 psi. The Porter-Cable C2002-WK is designed with a 6 gallon pancake style storage tank, and also provides a decent flow rate. The Porter Cable C2002-WK air compressor provides a great balance between air pressure and delivery rate. The Porter-Cable air compressor is a louder than the CAT 10020C. The good thing is that it doesn’t have to pump as hard or as often to maintain working pressure.
Click here to see the PORTER-CABLE C2002-WK air compressor price.
4. Porter-Cable PCFP02003 Air Compressor
Another Porter Cable air compressor is high on our list of best portable air compressor reviews – the Porter-Cable PCFP02003. With a very compact design, this is one of the best portable air compressors and just might surprise a few people. With an excellent operating pressure of 135 psi, and a 3.5 gallon air tank, the Porter-Cable PCFP02003 Pancake Compressor has everything covered. Check out our detailed listing of the best pancake air compressor reviews.
This is the best portable air compressor for garage and home use, because it is electrical powered. This means that it can be powered from a domestic power outlet, and weighs only just over 10 kilograms. Despite its small size, this best portable air compressor is powerful enough for all types of jobs in the garage and around the home.
Click here to see the PORTER-CABLE PCFP02003 air compressor price.
5. Campbell Hausfeld FP209499 3 Gallon Air Compressor
The Campbell Hausfeld FP209499 is a neat and lightweight air compressor for garage or home use. With a 3 gallon air storage tank, it doesn’t take up much space in the garage. It is light enough to move around the house or yard, so it is perfect for those home renovation tasks.
The Campbell Hausfeld air compressor has an operating air pressure of 110 psi, which is ample for most tasks around the home, such as brad nailing and drilling. This will allow the user to run a reasonable range of air power tools, but it will have its restrictions. Due to its lightweight construction, the flowrate is quite low in comparison with other portable air compressors.
Click here to see the Campbell Hausfeld FP209499 air compressor price – it is very low.
6. Senco PC1131 Air Compressor 4.3 Gallon Air Compressor
The Senco PC1131 is the best portable air compressor for home use because it is designed with a small footprint, so it doesn’t take up much space. But the Senco is powerful, with a 2.5 horsepower air pump, and a 4.3 gallon storage tank. With a high rating flowrate of over 4 CFM, the Senco PC1131 can recharge the tank in around 1 minute, which is excellent. It also has a maximum air pressure of 125 psi, which is enough for all sorts of work in the garage or home renovations.
These are the reasons we like the Senco PC1131 as the best portable air compressor for garage and home use. It can provide enough high pressure air for short bursts to do most jobs around the garage and home, and you don’t have to wait around for too long for the air tank to recharge.
Click here to see the Senco PC1131 air compressor price.
7. Makita MAC2400 Big Bore 2.5 HP Air Compressor
Makita are renowned for making high quality power tools, and the Maikita MAC2400 is no exception. The MAC2400 big bore air compressor is powered by a very handy 2.4 horsepower electric motor. The big bore air pump can deliver a maximum of 130 psi and a very nice flowrate at 90 psi also!
The best feature of the Makita MAC2400 is the lightweight design and construction. Perfect for the supply of air compressor power in the garage, this unit is small enough to store away. Designed with a frame with built in wheels, it is easy to move around whenever you need it. Not only is the MAC 2400 light, but it is also nice and quiet, which makes it the best air compressor for garage or home use.
Click here to see the Makita MAC2400 Big Bore air compressor price.
8. The Makita MAC700 Big Bore Air Compressor
If the MAC 2400 is a little too heavy for you, then a lighter alternative is the Makita Big Bore MAC700 air compressor. With a 2 horsepower motor, the MAC700 is not short on power, but it weighs almost half that of its bigger cousin.
Not only lighter, but smaller in size as well, which makes the MAC700 easier to store away. Never mind that it has a smaller air tank of 2.6 gallons, the high capacity air pump can still provide loads of high pressure air. Makita is a high quality product, and the MAC700 is a good choice for best portable air compressor for garage or home use.
Click here to see the Makita MAC700 Big Bore air compressor price.
9. Industrial Air ILA1883054 – 30 gallon air compressor
We couldn’t go past the Industrial Air ILA1883054 as a larger sized air compressor. It offers a lot of value for the average user in the garage or for around the home. The reason we have included it on the list of best portable air compressor for garage or home use is great value for money. With a 30 gallon air tank, the Industrial Air ILA1883054 supplies a massive 5.7 cubic ft per minute flowrate.
Heavy Duty Air Compressor
This high flowrate is necessary with such a large air tank, but this is the beauty of using the best air compressor for the garage or home use. The large storage tank allows you to run high pressure tools for short bursts. You simply may not be able to run such high power air tools with a smaller air compressor. In fact, when the Industrial Air ILA1883054 air compressor has re-charged the 30 gallon air tank, you can tap off the compressed air for small jobs and never need to run the air compressor.
The Industrial Air ILA1883054 is extremely quiet and people may not even notice the air compressor is running. The Industrial Air ILA1883054 is one of our favorites for best portable air compressor because it is a high quality product that should serve you well for many years.
Click here to see the Industrial Air ILA1883054 air compressor price.
10. Rolair JC10 – 1 Hp Oil Free Air Compressor
If the large 30 gallon air compressor is too large for your garage, then we have included the Rolair JC10 on our list of best portable air compressor reviews. The Rolair JC10 is the perfect all purpose air compressor for home use, because it is very lightweight. And is easy to store away when not in use.
This is another very quiet air compressor, which is very portable. The combination of these factors makes it the best air compressor for home use and you can comfortably work inside the house with the unit running. The Rolair JC10 offers great functionality and top quality for a small size air compressor.
Click here to see the Rolair JC10 air compressor price.
How to Choose the Best Portable
Air Compressor for Garage or Home Use
The best air compressors come in all shapes and sizes, both large and small. Some are electrical powered air pumps, some are gas powered. The larger air compressor units are generally designed for industrial applications. A smaller air compressor is generally designed with wheels so it can be moved around.
The best portable air compressor is generally powered from a standard domestic power outlet, and is therefore most suited to domestic applications. If you need the perfect for home renovations, then we have the best portable air compressor for garage or home use.
What is the Best Portable Air Compressor Price?
The most important part of buying the best portable air compressor is the price. We don’t always recommend that you select a cheap air compressor, but rather that you look for value for money. This means other factors are important, such as how long the air compressor will last. How much maintenance it requires, and how much work do you need to do.
Checklist for the Best Portable Air Compressor reviews:
- Portable: The Best Portable Air Compressor needs to be specially designed and built for the garage or use around the home. It needs to take into account the overall weight, whether it includes wheels, and does it have a handle?
- Power: What is the power source? Gas powered air compressors tend to be larger and heavier, and therefore not the best portable air compressor. Electric powered air compressors are quieter and lighter. And then there are the very small 12 volt electric air compressors which are good as tire inflators.
Air Pressure vs Flowrate
- Air Pressure: The operational air pressure is an critical factor for the best portable air compressor. Because if it is not powerful enough to run your power tools, you will end up using an alternative power source.
- Flowrate: The air flowrate is the co-factor along with air pressure that governs the power output of the best portable air compressor. The higher the flowrate in CPM the better.
- Storage Tank size: The best portable air compressor is a trade off in terms of tank size, because you don’t want a big heavy tank at the cost of portability. If you need a larger storage tank, you may need to look at a workshop or industrial sized air compressor.
Other features that make the Best Portable Air Compressor:
- Noise: The amount of noise can be a critical factor when choosing the best portable air compressor for garage or home use. A noisy air compressor is hard on the ears, and bad for neighbors, so the less noise the better!
- Maintenance: There is nothing worse than fiddling with tricky maintenance and cleaning of an air compressor. What you really want to be doing is using the air compressor instead. Always choose the best portable air compressor with low maintenance requirements, and a brand that is reliable!
- Price: The most important aspect of all is the air compressor price tag. These days there are some very cheap air compressors on the market, but we recommend looking for something affordable. What we recommend is to choose the best portable air compressor that offers more capacity than you need right now. So that you know you will always have enough power to get the job done in the future.
We hope that the information we have provided is helpful to find the best portable air compressor for garage or home use. We hope you find an air compressor price range that fits your budget as well as your garage!