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Technology
ByEli Becht/
Having a reliable air compressor is handy for many reasons. The big one is the fact you don't have to leave your house to air up your tires, a basketball, or anything else of that nature. If you have a Harbor Freight nearby, you can go into the store and choose from a wide variety of well-liked air compressors, so it can be difficult to narrow it down and pick one for your needs. Some are better than others, but not everybody always needs the highest-end product on the market. If it's the difference between a few hundred dollars, you could decide it's better to save some cash. You can save even more money if you're signed up for the Harbor Freight Inside Track Club membership.
Everything on the list is among the top-rated from buyers at Harbor Freight — and some of them are from the top air compressor brands. No matter what you end up choosing, you know it's something that previous customers have liked in the end. There is a longer explanation of why these air compressors were picked at the end of the list.
Fortress 2 Gallon 135 PSI, Ultra-Quiet Hand Carry Jobsite Air Compressor
It's no secret that air compressors can be quite loud, which is why the Fortress Ultra-Quiet air compressor bills itself as being 80% quieter than its competitors. The air compressor has a 4.9 out of five average rating on Harbor Freight's website, making it among the top rated on the entire site. On top of being quiet, it's highly mobile with its attached handle, and Fortress says this is 28% lighter than its direct competitors. This makes it a good compressor to use not only at home but also at work sites. You can pick this up from Harbor Freight for $189.99 either online or in-store.
There's not a lot of maintenance that has to be done with this compressor, either. It boasts an oil-free pump, so that will never be anything you have to worry about. The only real downside is the 135 PSI output, which is fine for a lot of people, but there are more powerful compressors on the market. As for how it holds up over time for buyers, there are no glaring flaws pointed out in the reviews.
Fortress 5 Gallon, 225 PSI High Performance Wheeled Jobsite Air Compressor
If you're looking for one of the strongest air compressors sold at Harbor Freight, Fortress has you covered. You can pick up the Fortress 225 PSI air compressor for $299.99, making it the most expensive from the list — but that's the price you pay for power. This is a fully mobile compressor that Fortress says delivers up to 250% longer runtime than its competitors. The compressor can also start up in temperatures as low as negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit, so this can be used to air up your tires in the winter.
User reviews for this Fortress air compressor are very strong, with a 4.7 out of five rating on Harbor Freight's website. The only real hiccup here is the high price point, but if you need the extra power this can provide at 225 PSI, it's going to be something that you'll get a lot of use out of. Like the other Fortress air compressor from the list, this one also has an oil-free pump, which means limited maintenance will be required to keep it up and running.
McGraw 21 Gallon, 175 PSI Oil-Free Vertical Air Compressor
If you need a big air compressor, the McGraw 175 PSI option comes in at 21 gallons. This makes it far larger than some of the other compressors on the list, and it comes with some differences. Amajor one is the fact that it sits vertically and looks more like a canister than a machine. Outside of that, it shares a welcomed feature with some of the other options in that it's completely oil-free. McGraw also says this is up to 25% quieter than similar air compressors, so don't expect it to make a ton of noise while using it. It costs $279.99 from Harbor Freight's website, and user reviews for the compressor are 4.7 out of five.
With this being a larger compressor, it's going to be best suited for a permanent workplace like a garage, but it's mobile enough with wheels that you can take it around places. It weighs 88 pounds, so it's probably not going to be great for hauling it back and forth between work sites, and one of the lighter options would be better for that. With that said, if you're aware of its limitations, it's tough to go wrong with McGraw's air compressor.
Bauer 1.6 Gallon 135 PSI 20V Brushless Cordless Air Compressor
If you don't need something heavy-duty, go with the Bauer 135 PSI cordless air compressor. The big thing setting this one apart from others is the fact that it's cordless, so there's no need for you to be tethered to a wall outlet. It even makes it possible to keep in your car in case of low tire pressure, so there's a bit of versatility being offered here that you don't see with others from the list. You can pick this up from Harbor Freight for $139.99.
The drawback here is that it is a limited charge, so you won't be able to use it all day long without giving it some extra juice. That's not the worst thing in the world if you're using the compressor in moderation, but it's something to keep in mind. User reviews on Harbor Freight's website come in at 4.3 out of five, so you're still getting a quality product here. With this being cordless, it's a lot easier to lug around to other places, and there aren't any major weaknesses pointed out by buyers outside of the battery needing to be charged.
McGraw 6 gallon 0.8 HP 150 PSI Oil-Free Pancake Air Compressor
If you're looking for something relatively cheap and low profile, look no further than the McGraw 150 PSI Pancake air compressor. This is a small and low-powered compressor compared to some of the others on this list, but it'll work perfectly fine for various jobs. For example, this is a perfect compressor to use with an air nailer. At $129.99 from Harbor Freight, it's also the cheapest compressor on the list by a good margin. User reviews for it come in at 4.7 out of five, and there aren't any obvious weaknesses to point out about it.
The smaller size is the big thing people mention in reviews, and that's going to be the big reason you'd want to gravitate toward this air compressor in particular. Like the majority of the others on this list, this McGraw model is also oil-free, so there's no need to worry about an involved maintenance process. Buyers note that this model can run loud, and if that's an issue for you, perhaps some of the others from this list would better suit your needs.
Why were these air compressors selected?
The air compressors on this list were chosen because they are among the top-rated on Harbor Freight's website. However, there were some exceptions to that rule, as we didn't want to include one through five and call it a day. Instead of spotlighting a bunch of the same brand, some variety was included so you don't feel like you're being pushed in one specific direction. Building off that, there are many different air compressors for different situations, so an emphasis was put on that, too. If you needed a cordless air compressor, we made sure to include one that would fit your needs.
While these aren't the five highest-rated air compressors from Harbor Freight, they all have high user scores. Some of them are stronger than others, but some offer more portability. You'll have to just choose for yourself based on your needs.
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