Pancake air compressors are great for household work. They are small, portable, and require very little maintenance.
If you have considered buying a pancake air compressor, then this guide will help you find the best one.
We have done thorough research and finally found some awesome pancake air compressors with good performance. We are pretty much sure that, you will find a perfect one from here.
Table of Contents
Our Three Top Picks
Budget
If you are dealing with a tight budget, we recommend you choose the Campbell Hausfeld FP2028.
According to our research, This offers a good performance within a reasonable budget. So, it will be a smart step for you to choose this compressor if you want to save some money.
Overall
PORTER-CABLE C2002 The best pancake air compressor that you can buy right now. With a moderate price and full of a lot of features, the PORTER-CABLE C2002 comes to the top of the top-rated pancake air compressor list.
This air compressor will provide you with all the features you need in a pancake compressor.
High-End
DEWALT DWFP55126 has the capability of performing the most powerful functions is the one according to the experts.
And the DEWALT DWFP55126 goes to the top of our list when it comes to heavy work. This compressor has the most functions and accuracy to offer you. This is why we strongly recommend it.
Best Pancake Air Compressor Reviews
PORTER-CABLE C2002
Specification
- Tank Capacity: 6 Gallons
- Noise Level: 82 dBA
- Weight: 31.3 Pounds
- Maximum Tank Pressure: 150 Psi
- Power Source: Electric, 120V
- Pump Type: Oil-free
Review
PORTER-CABLE has been contributing greatly when it comes to air compressors. And the PORTER-CABLE C2002 is one of the best portable pancake air compressors from them.
They have included a console cover over the vital parts of the compressor to make this compressor more durable and long-lasting.
For a pancake air compressor, you need a good handle on it. Because that’s why you chose a pancake in the first place, right?
This compressor provides a strong handle that helps you carry it easily. Moreover, the lightweight of this compressor eases up your handling.
Air couplers in this compressor will help you to attach the pipe. There are two of them, so two users can use this compressor at the same time. This can save a lot of time for you when you use this air compressor for painting.
Even though the air release nozzle in this compressor is sensitive, with a little care you can easily maintain it in this case.
All in all, you can see this Porter cable 6-gallon pancake air compressor gives you a reasonable output so that you find comfort using it.
Bostitch BTFP02012
Specification
- Tank Capacity: 6 Gallons
- Noise Level: 78.5 dBA
- Weight: 29 Pounds
- Maximum Tank Pressure: 150 Psi
- Power Source: Electric, 120V
- Pump Type: Oil-free
Review
Trusted by millions over the world, Bostitch has been providing some of the best 6-gallon pancake air compressors to their customers. And the Bostitch BTFP02012 is one of their masterpieces.
This amazing compressor contains such a high-efficiency motor that you can start it easily even in cold weather.
With a high-quality flow, the regulator maximizes the performance of your air tool at a higher rate. The couplers in the regulator help in this case.
Get an exceptionally low noise level with the Bostitch BTFP02012 to ensure that you get as little sound as possible.
The regulator knob for controlling the output pressure feels really tight while regulating. If so, push the knob a little harder to make it work at full.
While assembling the chuck make sure to carefully use the blowgun here. Otherwise, you won’t be able to assemble it properly.
Get yourself free from the troubles of oil leakage with this amazing air compressor.
In short, you can see that the Bostitch BTFP02012 can give you an amazing working environment with just a little care.
DEWALT DWFP55126
Specification
- Tank Capacity: 6 Gallons
- Noise Level: 75.5 dBA
- Weight: 30 Pounds
- Maximum Tank Pressure: 165 Psi
- Power Source: Electric, 120V
- Pump Type: Oil-Free
Review
DEWALT is world-famous for manufacturing top-quality and high-performance air compressors and other tools. Among their air compressors, the DEWALT DWFP55 is the finest one to choose from.
You know how hard it is to maintain an air compressor, especially because of its oil pump. But with the DEWALT DWFP55, you get the top-quality oilless pump that needs maintenance less often.
The regulator flows at a higher rate, in this compressor, to ensure improved performance. Along with the high-efficiency motor, this feature helps you a lot to perform more accurate tasks with this air compressor.
Be careful not to be too rough with the air pump as it may leak otherwise. Rest assured you can repair it any time with a removable console cover over it. Moreover, the cover protects all the controls for you.
Finally, with less weight and drain valves, you can maintain your compressor easily. So, you should consider this air compressor in your power tool list.
Hitachi KNT50AB
Specification
- Tank Capacity: 6 Gallons
- Noise Level: 73 dB
- Weight: 47 Pounds
- Maximum Tank Pressure: 150 Psi
- Power Source: 120V
- Pump Type: Oil-free
Review
There is no question about the popularity of the quality of Hitachi. The Hitachi KNT50AB is an air compressor made by Hitachi and it is keeping itself at the top of the list of best pancake air compressors for a framing nailer.
With the lighter weight and good balancing, maintaining an air compressor has never been as easy as the Hitachi KNT50AB. Get your heavy-duty work done with this amazing compressor for its durability.
In case you are willing to operate multiple nailers at once, this air compressor will help you fully through the process. You can save a lot of your valuable time and get your job done quickly with such a feature.
Even in extremely cool temperatures, this air compressor shows amazing flexibility. With the easy flip switch for actuation, you can select sequential fire modes easily.
Even though you may face the problem of getting the nails jammed, there are options for quick and simple nail extraction.
Overall we can ensure that choosing the Hitachi KNT50AB air compressor will be a wise decision for you without a doubt.
Campbell Hausfeld FP2028
Specification
- Tank Capacity: 1 Gallon
- Noise Level: 84 dBA
- Weight: 12.7 Pounds
- Maximum Tank Pressure: 110 Psi
- Power Source: Electric, 120V
- Pump Type: Oil-Free
Review
When it comes to air compressors, Campbell Hausfeld has earned the trust of its users with their quality and reliability. The Hausfeld FP2028 is one of their unique air compressors for certain reasons that you can find below.
You can keep track of its airflow with the air gauge attached to it. Besides helping to monitor the air pressure it also helps to utilize the stored air perfectly.
From inflating objects such as tires or sports balls to nailing or airbrushing, the Hausfeld FP2028 covers the whole field for you.
Very light in weight and compact size with a strong handle attached to the top allows you to carry the compressor easily, anywhere you want.
You may not want to disturb your neighbors or anyone around with the louder sound it creates. So we recommend you use it smartly to avoid this problem.
Keeping the noise and the tank capacity aside, this amazing compressor gives you the full package to use for every situation like flat tires or air spraying and so on which makes it a good budget pancake air compressor.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Pancake Air Compressor
Pressure Rating
Pressure rating is the most important thing that you should consider first. Different air tools work with different pressure ratings. Here you can see that the DEWALT DWF55 has the maximum pressure building capability. Therefore, this will be compatible with most mid-range air tools.
CFM
CFM for air compressor refers to the airflow capability in Cubic Feet Per Minute. Every air tool is rated with a CFM rating. The higher the rating the higher the air requirement will be. Here you can see that for more CFM the Hitachi KNT50AB is the one that you can buy.
Noise
As most of the time, a pancake air compressor is used at home, noise is a big issue. As you know, any noise that is upper than 60dB is considered noise pollution, this is better if you buy one with low noise. Quiet performance, the DEWALT DWFP55, and the Hitachi KNT50AB are the best pancake air compressors.
Weight
Pancake air compressor used for mobile operation. Therefore, the weight needs to be less for easy carrying. Here you can see that the Campbell Hausfeld FP2028 weighs way lower than others. But the weight of the Bostitch and Dewalt are also considerable.
Tank Size
The tank size isn’t an issue for air compressors because all the pancake air compressors in our come with a 6-gallon tank except the Campbell Hausfeld. Therefore, you can choose one easily
Pump Type
Oil-less pumps are better for maintenance. Here in our list of top 5 pancake air compressors, all come with an oil-less pump. hence, you can go for any one of them regarding the pump type.
Finally, as a recommendation, if you are a general user, then we recommend the PORTER-CABLE C2002. Again if you want to use it for a nailer, then our recommendation is the Hitachi KNT50AB. It also makes less noise compared to others.