Originally Posted By: mootz
The units that have the ability to power an air tool, to me, would be the best choice because of its versatility- you basically could do anything air related such as popping a tire bead back onto a rim and anything less. The smaller units just don't have he grunt to do that, but you get what you pay for.


There are compressors powerful enough to run air tools without a tank? If you could post a link I'd love to take a look at one of those units. I was always under the impression that you needed at least a 2.5 gallon air tank to power air tools.

If powering air tools and re-seating tire beads are a concern for you, it may be cheaper to simply add an air tank to a smaller compressor like the ones in the "quick air" series. Wouldn't be able to run the tool continuously but would be plenty for short bursts and a lot cheaper than a heavy duty compressor.