Twin-cylinder air compressors
Two pistons in two cylinders are the most common piston compressor design — from small plug-in machines to industrial units for continuous duty. Two smaller cylinders share the work, run slower and heat up less than one large one, so the machine can keep working for longer.
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Twin-cylinder is not the same as two-stage
Two cylinders can work in two ways. On a single-stage machine the cylinders are the same size and each compresses its own charge of air straight to the final pressure — typically 10 bar. On a two-stage machine one cylinder is larger and pre-compresses the air; the second, smaller one takes it to 11 bar or more after cooling.
This page includes both variants: 172 single-stage and 124 two-stage twin-cylinder machines. If you are after higher pressure, go straight to two-stage air compressors.
How much air two cylinders give
Per kilowatt of motor power, a twin-cylinder machine typically gives around 116 litres of air per minute, while a single-cylinder one gives around 85. The spread is wide, though: from 45 l/min on the smallest oil-free 0.55 kW machine to 1,864 l/min on a tandem with two pumps. So even among twin-cylinder machines you choose by air output, not by the number of cylinders.
How to choose
Belt or direct drive
Most twin-cylinder machines have a V-belt that slows the pump to roughly 700 to 1,400 rpm, so it heats up less and copes with longer running. Direct drive is found on smaller plug-in machines and on the industrial ABAC Tech units with a low-speed motor.
With or without oil
Four-fifths of the machines are oil-lubricated. There are over fifty oil-free twin-cylinder machines — from ABAC Expert Zero workshop models to Clean Air dental units for surgeries.
Which tank
Twin-cylinder machines sit on tanks from 6 to 900 l. Most have a 270 l tank; for a workshop people often choose a machine with a hundred-litre tank or a 50 litre twin-cylinder air compressor. Forty machines come without a tank, for use with your own air tank.
Main ranges
Most twin-cylinder machines are in the ABAC Pro Line, followed by the soundproofed ABAC Silent, the industrial ABAC Tech for continuous duty and, for constant heavy loads, the cast-iron ATMOS Perfect and WALTER ranges, whose cylinders dissipate heat better.
One, three or four cylinders
Smaller machines have a single cylinder, larger cast-iron pumps three cylinders or four. The full overview of types is under air compressors.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a twin-cylinder compressor better than a single-cylinder one?
- For longer work, yes: two cylinders heat up less and the machine can run for longer. A single-cylinder compressor is lighter and smaller but needs breaks.
- How can I tell a single-stage from a two-stage twin-cylinder machine?
- A single-stage machine has two cylinders of the same size and usually 10 bar. A two-stage machine has one larger cylinder, an intercooler pipe between the cylinders and 11 bar or more.
- Is there a twin-cylinder compressor for 230 V?
- Yes, seventy-seven machines with 0.55 to 2.2 kW. More powerful twin-cylinder machines need a three-phase 400 V supply.
- Are twin-cylinder compressors oil-free?
- Mostly not — four-fifths are oil-lubricated. Over fifty twin-cylinder machines are oil-free, mainly ABAC Expert Zero, the soundproofed Super Silent and Clean Air dental units.
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Black Wind piston compressors
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ATMOS piston compressors
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Walter reciprocating compressors
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Piston compressors ABAC
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Piston compressors ABAC
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Expert Zero compressors
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ABAC reciprocating compressors
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Quiet compressors Super Silent OS
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INDUSTRIAL TECH compressors
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CLR reciprocating compressors
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Combustion compressors
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Screw compressors
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Pressure vessels
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Compressor accessories
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Product sorting
List of products
The only machine in the range for a 230 V socket: A29B pump with 2.2 kW, 320 l/min at 1,300 rpm, 10 bar, 50 l tank on castors, 58 kg. Regulator, two gauges, DN 7.2 quick...
The biggest reserve in the quiet range: horizontal 50 l tank on wheels, 32 kg. Oil-free twin-piston pump 1.5 kW at 1,420 rpm, 230 l/min, 9 bar, 85 dB Lwa and 65 dB at 4 m;...
The highest-output direct drive in the range: V-twin, 2.2 kW, 356 l/min, 50 l tank, 40 kg. For a spray gun, a grinder and longer work from a standard socket.
The lowest noise in the range: 83 dB Lwa, 63 dB at 4 m. Oil-free twin-piston pump 0.55 kW at 1,420 rpm, 140 l/min, 8 bar, 6 l tank in a frame with a handle, 17 kg. Regulator,...
A two-stage pump on the A-series pulley — the step between workshop and industrial duty. Higher pressure than the single-stage pumps and more efficient compression.
Twin-cylinder direct-drive mobile compressor ABAC V36: 2.2 kW from an ordinary socket, 355 l/min air delivery, 277 l/min FAD, 10 bar, 50 l tank, 42 kg on wheels. Regulator, two...
The smallest pump in a sound canopy. 64 dB(A) instead of 71, a 30 l receiver inside, 68 kilos.
A quiet compressor on wheels, 24 l and 24 kg: oil-free twin-piston pump 1.5 kW at 1,420 rpm, 230 l/min, 9 bar, 85 dB Lwa and 65 dB at 4 m. A reserve for a decorating gun and a...
The fifty with the A39B pump: 2.2 kW (3 hp) on 230 V, 355 l/min at 950 rpm, 10 bar, 67 kg on castors. Belt guard that guides the cooling air, aftercooler, DN 7.2 quick coupling;...
Strongest six in the range: oil-free twin-piston pump 1.5 kW at 1,420 rpm, 230 l/min, 8 bar, 85 dB Lwa and 65 dB at 4 m. Six litres in a frame with a handle, 19 kg — for a...
The smallest cast-iron WALTER with a tank: for short jobs, as a second compressor alongside a larger machine, or for workstations you wheel it to. Its 340 l/min air delivery...
The A39B pump on the biggest tank in the range: 2.2 kW on 230 V, 355 l/min at 950 rpm, 10 bar, 90 l tank on castors, 80 kg. Reserve for longer bursts, aftercooler, regulator; 95...
The entry-level two-stage pump of the B series. For duty where the compressor runs most of the shift and consumption is steady.
The highest-output single-stage pump in the range. For a workshop in daily use where one tool follows another.
Professional V-belt reciprocating compressor with an output pressure of 10 bar designed especially for use in craft and professional applications. Mobile oil-lubricated version...
A quiet compressor as a sack truck: 20 l tank under the pump in a frame on two wheels, 33 kg. Oil-free twin-piston pump 1.5 kW at 1,420 rpm, 230 l/min, 9 bar, 85 dB Lwa and 65...
The smallest pump in the A series. Suits smaller workshops where the compressor runs intermittently — blowing down, inflating and light air tools.