Hey guys, I am looking for some advice as to buying an air compressor.

I know I read somewhere that said you shouldn't get any less than about a 20 gallon tank and it should do a minimum of 5 cfm at 90 psi for it to be good for an impact wrench and pneumatic tools.

I guess I am looking for advice from you guys as to what you have for air compressors and what your thoughts are for minimum specifications.

Right now I need to buy the air compressor to work on my house (hardwoods and brad nailer for baseboards), but I don't want to buy an air compressor that won't be good for working on the vehicles down the road.

Let me know what your thought are.
Thanks.
David

a) wrong section

b) craftsman 26 gal. is wat i have and use it for everything

Ya I suppose it should be in general discussion.

I was sort of thinking maintenance since it would be used for maintenance of vehicles.

It really depends on exactly what you will be using it for. For nailers and impact wrenches, you really don't need a big compressor, and you may want to get a smaller one since it will be more portable (can fit in trunk, etc.). Tools like drills, sanders, cutters, etc. are the ones that really use a lot of air; these will usually use a lot more than 5cfm at 90psi. Most tools list the air flow requirements right on the box, you can usually get by with a little less if you don't mind waiting for the compressor to pump up.

Also, if you ever plan to do any painting, make sure you get an oil less compressor.