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I first weaseled my way into the car industry working in a car factory in the late 1990s. Cordless power tools were almost nonexistent at that point, especially in an industrial setting. Everything was pneumatic—and we liked it! Now, whenever I’m in a shop, it seems like the whole world has taken advantage of the power and ease of use of lithium batteries feeding brushless motors. But air compressors still have a place, especially in a home garage. The tools are almost always lighter, usually less expensive, and firing up the compressor to pressurize the tank takes a lot less time to charge dead batteries for unexpected jobs.
When I was young, air compressors were totally out of reach financially. Then, there was a long period of my life when I didn’t have a garage. I couldn’t justify spending the money because I had access to a shop when I wanted to work on project cars. Now, I’m at a point where I’m seriously considering investing in air tools. Something like this Kobalt Quiet Tech 26-gallon vertical air compressor for $339 would probably meet my needs. I probably won’t be running anything that requires huge volumes of air at a high duty-cycle, so I think the small-ish tank will be fine for me. It’ll run the Ingersoll Rand Air Reciprocating Saw or the Ingersoll Rand Air Die Grinder just fine—both of which are on sale on Amazon.
This is a little bit of an experiment as well, thanks for being the guinea pigs. We know all of you buy a lot of power tools through our deals posts, reviews, and buyer guides. Hank and I are really curious how many of readers are still air compressor users, or want to be air tool users. If you have an opinion, please let us know in the comments.
Kobalt 20-Gallon Portable 175 PSI Vertical Air Compressor for $239.00
- Kobalt Quiet Tech 26-Gallon Portable 150 Psi Vertical Air Compressor for $339 at Lowe’s
- Kobalt 26-Gallon Quiet Compressor and 50-FT Triple Hybrid Hose for $381.98 at Lowe’s
- Craftsman 80-Gallon Two-Stage 175 PSI Vertical Air Compressor with Accessories for $1,799.00 at Lowe’s
- Campbell Hausfeld 8-Gallon Portable Quiet Air Compressor for $274.00 at Amazon
Craftsman 1/2-Inch 750 LB-FT Air Impact Wrench for $119.99
- Ingersoll Rand 325B Air Nibbler for $197.01 at Amazon
- Ingersoll Rand Air Reciprocating Saw for $82.79 at Amazon
- Ingersoll Rand Edge Series 1/4-Inch Air Die Grinder Edge for $54.17 at Amazon
- Vevor Retractable Air Hose Reel for $89.10 at Lowe’s
