Not sure which compressor you need? Our website has a new calculator that works it out for you. Pick the tools you will connect, and the calculator works out the air delivery, pressure and tank size you need. It also shows the machines in our range that can handle it.
The most common question with a compressor is how much air you actually need. Every tool uses a different amount, and it also depends on how many run at once and how often you use them. A machine that is too small runs all the time and wears out sooner, while one that is needlessly large costs more than it has to. The calculator adds it all up for you, and within a minute you know where you stand.
How the calculator works
1. Pick your tools
Click to pick what you will connect to the compressor: blow gun, tyre inflation, impact wrenches, grinders, spray gun or sandblasting gun and more. For each tool you can see its air consumption and working pressure.
If your tool is not in the list, choose your own consumption and enter it in l/min, m³/h or CFM. You will find it on the rating plate or in the tool’s manual.
2. Tell it how you will work
For each tool you set how many run at once and how often you use it: occasionally, often or all the time. Then you choose where the compressor will stand – at an ordinary 230 V socket, at a three-phase 400 V supply, or somewhere without electricity.
You can also choose the design (mobile, stationary or portable), a machine up to 70 dB or a soundproofed one, and oil-free air for food, healthcare or laboratories. If you need the machine right away, choose “In a hurry”.
3. The calculator works out what you need
You will see three figures straight away. Air delivery tells you how much air the machine really has to supply to the hose. It includes a 30% reserve, so the compressor does not run non-stop and there is enough left for leaks. The calculator chooses a pressure 1.5 bar higher than your tools need. It sizes the tank so that the compressor ideally starts no more than 6 times an hour and at most 10 times – which extends its life.
Based on the consumption, it also tells you whether a piston or a screw compressor suits you better. Suitable machines from our range appear right under the result. You can sort them by output or by price, and for piston machines you can see how many times an hour they start at your consumption.
4. The list shows only suitable machines
The “Filter the list below” button carries the result over to the regular compressor list. The list then shows only the machines the calculator recommended, with a bar above it showing how many there are. If you also want to see the other machines with the same parameters, one click shows them.
Real-life examples
This is how the calculator works out four common situations. You can click them together yourself and see specific machines for them.
Home garage and workshop
Blow gun (occasionally), 1/2" impact wrench (often) and car tyre inflation (occasionally), 230 V socket.
190 l/min · 8 bar · 100 l tank
piston compressor
Car repair shop
Blow gun and 1/2" impact wrench (often), air ratchet, tyre inflation and angle grinder (occasionally), 400 V.
440 l/min · 8 bar · 270 l tank
piston compressor
Painting and sandblasting
Spray gun and sandblasting gun (both often), 400 V.
550 l/min · 9 bar · 500 l tank
piston compressor, for painting a filter and ideally a dryer
Production in continuous operation
Two angle grinders and two random orbital sanders (all the time) and two blow guns (often), 400 V.
2,010 l/min · 8 bar · 720 l tank
screw compressor
Ventilek advises
Allow for the tools you will buy later, too.
A compressor lasts for years, and tools tend to pile up over time. If you know a grinder or a spray gun will soon join your impact wrench, add it to the calculator now. It will find a machine that can handle that too, and you will not have to buy a new one in two years.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does the calculator cost, and do I need to sign up?
- Nothing. The calculator is free and needs no sign-up, and it works on a computer and on a phone.
- My tool is not on the list. What now?
- Choose your own consumption and enter the air consumption and working pressure from the rating plate or the manual. If you do not know the pressure, leave it at 6.3 bar – most air tools work with that.
- Why doesn’t the calculator offer me a much bigger compressor?
- A needlessly powerful machine with a small tank would start too often and wear out faster. So the calculator makes sure a piston compressor starts at most 10 times an hour and sizes the tank to match.
Try it out
You will find the calculator in the Compressors category, right below the introduction. If you are not sure what to choose, call us on +420 311 532 091 and we will be happy to help.