I'm looking to buy an air compressor for my garage and am thinking i'll need a minimum 20gal tank but also, what CFM should i be looking for? (seems like all the mainstream compressors are 4-6cfm, and 1-5hp, although i dont know if thats peak or running HP)



I plan on using it for an impact wrench, air ratchet and tire inflation on cars/atv's. (which is why i dont think i could go down to say a 10-13 gal tank)



What size tank do you have and what CFM?



Thanks

 

I've got the Craftsman 33g 6hp compressor. It runs almost every tool just fine except for a die grinder. They use a ton of air continuously. If you plan on running something like a die grinder, you're gonna have to invest in one of the big boy belt driven models.

Get the biggest you can afford.



Things I use with it:

Sand blaster

Die grinder (have to pause every once in a while)

impact

air wrench

air nozzle for sweeping the floor

Paint gun

 

Mine is 50 gal. 3HP. It has a HUGE poster on one side that says what sorts of tools it will run continuously, intermittently, or not at all well.



edit: don't recall CFM. 13?

 

27 gallon Campbell Hausfeld. I don't know the cfm or hp off the top of my head. It has met all of my needs. One air cutoff tool I have overtaxes it occasionally if I use it for too long of a stretch.