Years ago, it was common for shops to have a central power source that drove all the tools through a system of belts, wheels and driveshafts. The power was routed around the work space by mechanical ...

We earn commissions from purchases you make using links in our articles. Learn more. Whether it's for painting, dusting, inflating, or air tools, sometimes there's no substitute for an air compressor.

I first started using air-powered pneumatic tools nearly 40 years ago while working as a custom cabinetmaker and remodeling contractor. At that time, air compressors were behemoths: large, loud, and ...

Motors for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment are special-purpose motors called “hermetic,” meaning they’re sealed. They’re sealed because they’re in the same housing as the compressor and ...

Years ago, we used to enjoy watching diehard ARB-equipped off-road enthusiasts stubbornly (and slowly) fill up their tires using their own ARB on-board air compressors—even when another air source was ...

A good digital multimeter (DMM) is key to diagnosing compressor problems in general. For instance, in a previous article (May 15 issue of The NEWS) we discussed using the DMM to read suction and ...

"An air compressor can be used for so many different domestic projects, even though so many people mistake them for something that only commercial areas need," said Andy King, founder and managing ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. If you've ever seen a compressor run without owning one, it was probably at a car repair shop. And if you noticed anything about those, it's ...

Why is a built-in air compressor useful? Let's pump through a few scenarios. Say you're making your way across Moab, Utah, the hard way in your fancy new R1T. To scramble up and over some of the ...