Best Gas Air Compressor – Review and Buying Guide

Best Gas Air Compressor

A gas powered air compressor is frequently used in industrial plants to produce the compressed air that is necessary for the day-to-day operations of the factory. A properly designed and efficiently maintained air compressor is vital for achieving energy savings tool since it utilizes the considerable amount of energy.

However, gas air compressors, powered by gasoline, are well known for its high-end industrial applicability and sturdiness. It is also found that the gasoline powered air compressor provide higher efficiency on 35 percent partial-load.

For this reason, many gas air compressors are also equipped with a gas engine and solid cast iron cylinders that allows users to power other equipment such as air tools and gas generators.

One of the best thing about is that most gasoline powered air compressors are that they are portable and more friendly to use in outdoor. Though, they produce a great amount of heat, the heat can be harnessed to use as a heat exchanger. Hence, overall energy loss will decrement significantly. This portable air compressor can be commuted to any construction sites or job locations.

So you’re looking for the best gas air compressor? Look no further! Gasoline compressors are a great way to do DIY projects because they provide an immense amount of power. To find out which is the best, we’ve compiled a list of our top 6 picks.

Oops, you have no time to dig into article deep, no problem, because we have already tested the below 6 gasoline powered compressors based on portability, efficiency, crack propagation possibility, and ease of use. Therefore, we encourage you to pick industrial air gas powered air compressor. 

What is Gas Air Compressor?

Gas air compressor is referred to as gas-powered air compressor used to power pneumatic tools and equipment. It’s a gas engine with separate gasoline tank that connects directly to the air compressor via hoses. Gas air compressors are perfect for powering especially pneumatic tools—like cleaning products, nail guns, sprayers and paint guns.

A gas air compressor operates by pulling fuel from the gas tank, which is sent through metal lines directly into an aluminum gas chamber, or carburetor. Smaller engines have one single piston in the gas chamber; larger gas air compressors have multiple pistons.

6 Best Gas Powered Air Compressors Reviews 

1. Industrial Air Contractor Gas Air Compressor

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The first item to review meets most of the user’s expectations. It has an expert level portable gas air compressor that equips it with high functionality optimum tool performance as well as high strength construction. Here are product details about its features.

Gas compressors are highly prone to overheating. As a result, without an efficient heat regulator system leads to fast wasting. That gives a reason why the manufacturer gave much attention to the cooling systems.

The efficiency of this cooling system promises a long hours working machine. Thus besides ensuring longevity, this tool has an unbeatable ability.

The max pressure of a gas compressor is the critical determinant of optimal tool performance. Besides that, it affects the versatility of the machine. Luckily, this pontoon compressor has a considerable pressure to optimize its working. Alongside that, it escalates its versatility to handle many projects such as bolting, hobby nailing, wrenching, and many others.

Additionally, the tank design makes this machine straightforward during operations. To begin with, it has 2-gallon tanks. Consequently, if you need a huge gas supply, this might be the perfect tool for you.

Besides, it has a regulator that improves on its portability. But even better is its handles. They are greatly cushioned to ensure the movements of the tool are more comfortable than before.

The horsepower construction focuses mainly to avail more than a flexible tool. Why do I say that? These are the reasons the 5-horsepower is of Honda type, making it highly premium.

But to make it better is the overhead cam and overhead valve. These two components make the starting and stopping of the machine more relaxed than you could ever experience from a gas compressor.

What We Liked

• It has elementary operations.
• The brilliant design facilitates portability.
• Its enormous pressure makes it highly versatile.
• The powerful engine makes it quite powerful.
• Equipped with tank pressure gauge.

What We Didn’t Like

• Does not come with a hose kit

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2. NorthStar Portable Gas-Powered Air Compressor

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Additionally, the Northstar gas compressor is not only of massive strength but also reliable. Let talk about its enormous pressure and the elegant construction. Here are some of its out outstanding features.

First, NorthStar Gas-Powered Air Compressor is a brilliant v-style tool that increases its longevity but also makes it sturdier. Before I go any deeper, let me remind you that excess heat is quite toxic when dealing with gas compressors. The v-style design provides a superior cooling environment. Consequently, making this tool exceptionally durable.

Alongside that, the handy design is the highly-escalated pressure. This mid-range pressure highly increases its applications. Therefore, it can do frame nailing as well as greasing.

The pump construction is also not left behind. It is of a sturdy cast iron pump. As a result, the longevity of this air compressor is not questionable. Further, the housing case is also highly reinforced not to compromise its wholesome, high quality crafting.

Lastly, is the valve design that ultimately makes this tool easy to operate. It has iron floating-type Swedish steel valves, which are quite easy to operate and also long-living.

What We Liked

• It is a simple operating tool
• The outer case is quite sturdy
• The tank has a tremendous capacity
• Its parts such as wrist pins are replaceable
• A 100% duty cycle which makes it very handy

What We Didn’t Like

• Extremely heavy gas compressor

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3.DEWALT Gasoline powered Air Compressor

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Do you need a compressor that can paint a car, among many other uses? This machine from Dewalt wouldn’t disappoint. It has dramatically enhanced features to equip it for mid-sized workloads. Let’s get details of its construction.

Having a fast speed pump increases the functionality of a gas compressor. Maybe that is the reason why the Dewalt brand placed its cards well on the pump. It has a fast speed of 3400RPM.

Moreover, everyone regards an item that will work for an extended period. When it comes to this machine, the cast iron barrel offers more than the cylinder durability. It secures the pumps to escalate their life expectancy.

Still, the valves crafting ensures that they work fantastically even during cold weather. To guarantee that, this tool has soft-start valves that are not only easy to start but also exceedingly reliable in all seasons.

What We Liked

• Massive air output of 4.0cfm makes it very useful
• Its tank design makes it compact for effortless storage
• The heavy-strength crafting increases this machine life expectancy
• Loading and unloading is quite simple

What We Didn’t Like

• It does not come with a hose

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4. Industrial Air IHA9093080.ES Gas Powered Truck Mount Air Compressor

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Additionally, this gas compressor will meet expectations for an industry-level gas compressor. It has dramatically enhanced features to handle high strength tasks. Here is why it promises such a high-level functionality

Industry applications are generally required heavy-duty tools like gas compressors. Hence, an industry gas compressor ought to have considerable pressure. Correspondingly this tool has a maximum pressure of 155 psi to handle such heavy-duty projects.

The horsepower for a heavy-duty air compressor should be above 6.5HP. Luckily, the industrial gas compressor has a 9 hp engine, which consider to be industrial air compressor. That implies it can work on all the projects with much ease.

However, all those functionalities are made possible by the powerful engine. It has the OHV engine that is skillfully fitted with an automotive air cleaner for better operations. Besides, that is the 6-liter fuel tank that is certified by EPA and CARB. Thus, its emissions are environment friendly.

What We Liked

• Its cooling system is very efficiently
• The metal belt guard crafting makes it durable
• The fuel tank meets the EPA requirements
• A colossal tank capacity with a compact design

What We Didn’t Like

• It is cumbersome hence transportation is very strenuous

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5. Makita MAC5501G Gas Air Compressor

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Also, the Makita MAC5501G compressor has a larger tank capacity with an excellent cooling system. This product is a belt drive design. It also equipped with belt guard design to protect the belt, which pass energy cast iron flywheel to compressor. However, most people love its fast recovery time, among other features. Some of its exceptional features are;

The most outstanding part of the Makita MAC5501G 5.5 HP Big Bore gas air compressor is its engine. It has a GX160 4-stroke engine that promises high performance and reliability. The engine supports a 5.5 HP horsepower. Thus it is a superior GX160 4-stroke engine that works at a fast speed.

Who does not need a machine with large air output? Your bet was right. Everyone aims at a machine that has a vast air output and, if possible, with immense pressure.  Purchasing the Makita gas compressor gives you the luxury of a vast air output of 12.5 CFM rate at 100 PSI.

The pumps of an air compressor are the fast wasting parts. Hence, with a flimsy construction, you may end up with regrets. However, this tool has a cast-iron pump that can withstand any rough conditions.

Are you wondering what will promise the longevity of this machine? The v-twin style guarantees that. This design offers a well-crafted cooling system. Moreover, this design allows the immense pressure and air output.

What We Liked

• It has a fast recovery time
• Two 10-gallon twin tanks are handy when dealing with multiple nailers
• The integrated control panel makes its operations easy
• Unlike other gas compressors its less noisy
• An exceptionally superior engine gives an excellent performance

What We Didn’t Like

• It cannot handle heavy-duty industrial projects
• Requires battery which is an added expensive

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6. Hitachi EC2610E Gas-Powered Wheeled Air Compressor

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Lastly, this gas compressor has magnificent crafting. Its powerful engine and horsepower make it very useful. Besides, that its other features include;

It is a tool that will give the simplest operations due to the pneumatic throttle control. What does that refer to? This type of control uses an elongated cable for the throttle adjustments, which reduces the possibility of breaking or crimping.

The pump construction is like no other to ensure more superior performance. Am I overstating? I don’t think so, here is the reason. First, the pump is of a cast iron. Thus no one can debate its durability. Further, it is oil-lubricated, which makes its operations very smooth.

Besides, ensuring that you have huge maximum pressure and vast air output, the manufacturers went a step farther. They installed a locking regulator that offers uninterrupted air pressure delivery.

What We Liked

• This elegant gas compressor can handle multiple nailers
• It is a fast working machine
• Larger tank capacity for plenty of air storage.
• It offers very intuitive controls
• A gas compressor that is not prone to crimping or breaking

What We Didn’t Like

• Extremely noisy gas compressor

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How to choose the best gas air compressor: Buying guide

Do you want to know which the best compressor that you should pay for is? Then this section will give you the needed insights. It has the details of the key things that you should know before purchasing a gas compressor.

Single-stage or two-stage air compressor design?

This design determines the amount of air pressure you will get. What does a single-stage mean? Let me start by clearing that these stages are named according to where they pump the air and not the number of cylinders.

Subsequently, a single-stage compressor can have more than one cylinder, but it pumps the air directly to the tank. However, a two-stage compressor has two or more cylinders and pumps the air from one cylinder to the next sequentially until it gets to the tank.

A two-stage is required when you have applications that require quite high pressure, which applies to the industries’ case. However, a single-stage has reduced pressure but efficient in handling less heavy applications.

Here, you get the top rated high pressure compressor that will fill your inflatables within short period.

Duty cycle

What does the duty cycle mean? It refers to the amount of time the air compressor is allowed to run in 10 minutes. The duty cycle is usually expressed as a percentage. Let us look at how to interpret it.

For example, a compressor with a duty cycle of 50% means it should run for only 5 minutes in a period of 10 minutes. Just a moment, I guess you are thinking about what will happen when you exceed the duty cycle. Exceeding it will cause the pump to overheat. And do you want are the results? The pump will only last for a few days than expected.

The recommendable duty cycle is beyond a rating of 65%. Though, some of the gas compressors nowadays have a duty cycle of 100%. Hence, they can be run for a very extended period.

Cooling system

These machines are highly prone to overheating. And as a matter of fact, heat is not safe for the engine. Thus an efficient cooling mechanism is a requirement. Some of the gas compressors have efficient air circulation for cooling.

On the other hand, some machines have designs such as v-style to facilitate fast cooling. Further, after cooling, the gas compressor is likely to get moisturized. The longer the compressor works, the more the moisture, which is not safe for the metallic parts. So what is the precaution?

Honestly, there isn’t a way to stop the moisture occurrence, but here is a safeguard. Getting a bigger sized compressor leads to shorter working periods. Hence, it wouldn’t get too hot. Successively, it reduces the amount of condensed air, which results in moisture.

But what will happen when battling with external moisture? Let that not trouble you. The use of silica gel or any desiccant dryer will help to remove the moisture from the air.

Air output

The air output of a gas compressor is measured in cubic feet per minute, CFM rating. Air tools generally need a specific volume of air to keep them working. Consequently, the amount of air produced by the compressor must meet the tools limit.

The size and the speed of the compressor affect its CFM. Also, it is essential to highlight that the CFM on the manual indicates the output at zero pressure. Hence, you should check the CFM at a given pressure. Most mid-sized compressors have a 12.5CFM at 100PSI.

Life expectancy

A lot of things determine the life expectancy of a gas compressor. Among and most critical is the pump construction. Most pumps have a cast-iron material that is widely trusted when it comes to longevity.

Still, engine crafting is very critical. It should be not only sturdy to handle its applications but also reliable by avoiding constant breakings.

Power source

Gas compressors have power sources, namely, gasoline or diesel. If the worksite is located far from the city, you should consider a diesel-powered air compressor. However, with that, you will have to look at the fuel tank size.

The fuel tank size depends on the nature of your work. In the case of an industrial application, then a huge fuel tank is recommendable.

Size

The compressor size is important, especially if you have a limited storage size. Such machines have a compact design to occupy less space. However, most of the industry air compressors are normally huge. Also, getting a lightweight gas compressor provides portability, which is highly needed.

Price

The final but still important thing to highlight is its price. However, that should not make you get a flimsy machine. Definitely, that will turn out to be expensive in the long run.

The best way to go is to get an item that is worth your money. Hence, check on the gas compressor features and ensure it is equitable to its pricing.

Some FAQ About Gasoline powered Air Compressor

Is A Two-Stage Compressor Better Than A Single-Stage?

Most people get confused about the working of single and two-stage compressors. As I highlighted in the buying guide section, this has no relation with the number of cylinders but its output method.

A single-stage cylinder outputs directly to the tank, while for a two-staged compressor outputs to the next cylinder until it gets to the tank. Consequently, a two-staged compressor generates more pressure.

Two staged compressor is preferred for industry application while a single stage is preferred for home applications due to its minimal but reliable pressure.

Final words 

Good gas engine powered industrial air compressors should have a horsepower over 6.5 HP. This equips it to complete some of the likely heavy-duty tasks. One top rated small gas air compressor is an medium range industrial compressor. Besides this, it comes with an outstanding cooling system as well as a high air output and pressure.

It’s important to know the differences between a gasoline powered air compressor and electric one. In general, an electrically driven machine is more expensive but it will never run out of power like a gas-powered can. They are also easier to maintain because they don’t require oil changes or filters as often. The choice ultimately comes down to what matters most for you – money or convenience?

We hope this guide has helped you better understand the different types of gasoline powered air compressors and to pick out one that best meets your needs. If not, let us know in the comments below!