4 Best Air Compressors for Your Home Garage

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Having the right tools makes a huge difference when you want to work on your vehicle at home. From tightening nuts and bolts to changing spark plugs, tools greatly help with car maintenance. And in the case of pneumatic tools, air compressors are a must. They’re also great for inflating tires and even painting your car.

Air compressors come in various shapes, sizes, and price ranges. Here are four of the best models for your home garage.

How to decide which model you should buy based on your needs

Air compressors are handy for inflating tires and other tasks | Taylor Weidman/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As the name implies, an air compressor increases the pressure of the air it picks up from the atmosphere, then conveys the pressurized air to the attached tool via a pipe. It has an on and off switch, regulator or output pressure adjustment button, and output ports. Most air tools also feature a safety valve to allow you to remove air that’s left inside after you are done with your work. You should always remove the air to prevent the tank from rusting.

The following are some tools you can use with an air compressor in your garage: 

  • Air hammer
  • Socket wrench or ratchet
  • Grease gun
  • Hydraulic riveter
  • Impact wrench
  • Tire inflator
  • Blower 
  • Paint sprayer 

As you shop for an air compressor, consider the type of work you will be doing with it and the experience other people have had with the type you choose. You should consider the cubic feet per minute and pounds per square inch to know a particular model’s total power.

“As far as what PSI is right for you, it depends on the tools you’ll be using,” Roadshow by CNET explains. “For example, a smaller framing nailer may require 70 to 90 PSI, but shears and air sanders could take from 100 to 120 PSI to function properly.”

The following are four air compressors that Roadshow by CNET recommends.

Industrial Air IL1682066.MN 20-gallon electric air compressor

When you need both power and reliability, the IL1682066.MN 20-gallon electric air compressor from Industrial Air is an excellent pick. It’s a 159-pound unit that comes with wheels and handles to make it more mobile. In terms of power, it can deliver up to 135 PSI. 

This air compressor has a U.S.-made tank featuring rugged cast iron for maximum durability. The oil-lubricated pump keeps this unit quiet. There’s also an option to convert its 120-volt motor to 240-volt when necessary. Plus, you don’t have to ravage your bank account to buy one. It goes for $689 on Amazon.   

Craftsman CMXECXA0232043 20-gallon vertical air compressor

When you don’t want to spend a fortune but still need a high-quality, reliable pneumatic power source, consider the Craftsman CMXECXA0232043 20-gallon vertical air compressor. With a large tank to supply power to all your tools, this unit has a maximum output of 175 PSI. You will have no problem moving it around your work areas — it has eight-inch wheels and a handle. You can find it for $399.97 on Amazon.  

Craftsman CMEC6150K 6-gallon pancake unit with 13-piece accessory kit

The popularity of pancake models is thanks to their small size, which makes them highly portable. One such model is the Craftsman CMEC6150K six-gallon pancake air compressor with a 13-piece accessory kit. It is the second-best-selling portable model on Amazon with over 10,000 customer reviews and a 4.8-star rating.

With a capability to supply up to 150 PSI, this model comes with 13 accessories for seamless use and maximum efficiency when working on small tasks. Its total weight is 32.5 pounds, and its tank has a total capacity of six gallons. It costs $149.02 on Amazon as of this writing.  

California Air Tools 2010A 2-gallon aluminum tank model

Hot dog models sometimes have larger tanks than pancake models, but not always. According to Roadshow by CNET, choosing between a hot dog and a pancake is just a matter of taste.

Regardless, the California Air Tools 2010A two-gallon aluminum tank air compressor is an excellent choice. It is ultra-quiet, running at 60 decibels. You will also have no problems moving it from your garage to other parts of your home when working on various projects because it weighs about 35 pounds. Its total output is 120 PSI, meaning you can still use it for most of your automotive tasks. This air compressor costs $199.40 on Amazon. 

RELATED: 5 Best Car Detailing Kits in 2021

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5 Ways to Beat the Heat if Your Car Doesn’t Have Air Conditioning

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Summer is upon us, which means it’s a great time to go for a drive. There’s almost nothing like hitting the open road in your car with the air conditioning blasting and watching the miles slip by. But what if your car doesn’t have air conditioning or the system is currently broken? Here are five ways that you can beat the heat this Summer if you don’t have the luxury of cold air coming out of your car’s vents.

Roll down your windows

Queen Elizabeth II was seen driving her Range Rover. | (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Have you ever heard the term “2-60 air conditioning?” It means that you roll two of your windows down and go 60 mph on the freeway to cool off. It’s a pretty obvious no-brainer that if your AC is on the fritz, then you can roll down all your car’s windows to stay cool. According to BobVila.com, this will create drag and decrease your car’s fuel economy. But who cares about saving gas when it’s super hot in your car?

Park your car in the shade

The Smart Car parked in the shade of an oak tree.
The Smart Car parked in the shade of an oak tree. | (Marjie Lambert/Miami Herald/MCT)

After sweltering in a semi-hot car with the windows down, the next best thing you can do when you get to your destination is to park your car in the shade. Parking the car in the shade will ensure that your car stays cooler, and if it’s in a safe spot, cracking the windows will help as well.

Use a sunshade

Munchkin Brica Sunshade
Munchkin Brica Sunshade | Amazon.com

Another way to keep your car cooler when it’s parked, especially if you can’t find a shady spot, is to use a sunshade in the windshield. There are also sunshades that you can buy for the side and rear windows on the car, which should help as well. According to Popular Science, these sunshades can reduce the heat in your car by 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. You can currently find sunshades for around $20 on Amazon.com.

Tint your windows

A man takes the interior temperature of a car.
A man takes the interior temperature of a car. | Getty Images

Your car’s windows create a greenhouse effect on your interior and it’s especially hot if you drive a larger SUV or sedan. Another way to keep the heat out is to tint your car’s windows using a ceramic tint. It can cost a few hundred dollars, depending on your application, but the reduction in heat and UV rays is well worth the added cost.

The door fan

McLaren Honda's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso's father Jose Luis Alonso opens a car door.
McLaren Honda’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso’s father Jose Luis Alonso opens a car door. | (QUIQUE GARCIA/AFP via Getty Images)

While everything we previously mentioned will undoubtedly cool down your car’s interior, there is one weird door trick that Popular Science recommends. You’ll need to open the driver’s side door and then roll down the passenger-side window.

Then “fan” the driver’s side door by opening and closing it several times in a row. Doing so will circulate the hot air quickly and make it cool enough to get inside and it’s quicker than driving with the windows rolled down. Also, it might look weird, but it’s a perfectly effective method.

Just because you don’t have AC, it doesn’t mean you must suffer

Driving around in a car without air conditioning might feel like a torture chamber on wheels, but it doesn’t have to be. Sure, these tricks might not be a substitute for the nice cold air that you get from a working AC system, but they are definitely better than doing nothing about it. Beat the heat and keep your car mostly cooled with the aforementioned tips.

RELATED: Don’t Buy These Used Cars With Air Conditioning Issues, Consumer …

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Supercar Fail: Double Yellow Lamborghini Aventador Crash

by Gabrielle DeSantis

On a mild June afternoon, the drivers of two yellow Lamborghini Aventador supercars went out for a drive in Singapore. However, these supercars weren’t out together for a drive. Fate brought the matching pair of yellow Lamborghini Aventadors together that day, and not in a good way. Just kidding, it isn’t clear if the two drivers knew each other, but it can be assumed the cars were matching for a reason.

A Lamborghini Aventador Crashed into a Lamborghini Aventador

A yellow Lamborghini Aventador crashed into another yellow Lamborghini Aventador | RedChili21

From the photos shared on RedChili21, it appears the first Aventador was sitting at a light, waiting for it to change. At some point, the second yellow Aventador came up behind it and failed to stop in time. Thus, a double supercar crash. Soon after, the owners removed the license plates from the supercars to avoid detection. That did not work.

While the two Lamborghini Aventador S vehicles look alike in color, it goes beyond that. The vehicles have similar black wheels, side skirts, rear diffusers, and wings. Of course, this brought out all kinds of people to watch the kerfuffle. With cities shut down due to the pandemic, there was not much else to do.

A Lamborghini Aventador goes for over $400,000 on a good day, which is likely much higher in a place like Singapore.

An epic double Lamborghini Aventador crash

A yellow Lamborghini Aventador being towed away | RedChili21

The vehicle that was stopped at the light sustained a lot of damage to the rear end. It appears the bumper, quarter panel, and diffuser were squished during impact. A fire broke out at one point before the Lamborghini Aventador was loaded onto a flatbed tow truck.

One can assume there are only so many yellow Lamborghini Aventador S supercars with black wheels driving around Singapore. Video footage showed one of the supercars driving around and cutting off drivers in earlier weeks.

Perhaps the driver thought the Aventador was his ghost driver in Mario Kart. Just trying to beat his previous best lap time while the roads were empty. Or so he thought.

Purchasing a car in Singapore isn’t easy

Purchasing any car in Singapore isn’t easy, let alone a supercar like a Lamborghini. According to Wikipedia, drivers must have something called the Certificate of Entitlement (or COE). Drivers must bid on the COE to register, own, or use a vehicle in Singapore. It lasts for a period of 10 years and can cost upwards of $50,000.

Back in 1990, officials put this system in place to extend the limited resources available. Such limited resources include roads, parking lots, and demand for vehicles. Officials feared that traffic would not be sustainable if everyone could drive.

The COE system is used in conjunction with a congestion tax called Electronic Road Pricing. This system is similar to our tolls in the U.S., except this system is mandatory to use the roads in Singapore.

RELATED: Florida Man Used $3.9M PPP Loan To Buy Lamborghini

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Does Cruise Control Waste More Gas?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Many car shoppers seek models with advanced driver assists. Features such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance can safeguard occupants and keep the car’s resale value high. But there are tradeoffs with some advanced safety features. Some have a reputation for glitching; others are expensive to repair. And one notable feature — adaptive cruise control — might even negatively affect gas mileage and total ownership costs.

How does adaptive cruise control work?

A modern variation on the traditional cruise control system, adaptive cruise control includes different systems that automatically adjust a vehicle’s position relative to its road position. One system known as automatic braking uses sensors to detect vehicles ahead and slow to avoid rear-ending them. When there is no longer an obstacle in front, adaptive cruise control will resume its previous speed automatically.

Dynamic set speed types can slow a car or speed it up without manual intervention to match current speed limits. These systems use GPS to gauge a vehicle’s position relative to speed limit signs and help drivers avoid unintentionally speeding on a highway or expressway.

As car manufacturers have worked to develop autonomous vehicles in recent years, the industry has developed a classification convention that includes features that allow a vehicle’s computer systems to share vehicle control with the driver or else take control entirely. Vehicles with adaptive cruise control are considered Level 1 autonomous vehicles. Level 1 vehicles usually also have features like parking assistance, lane-keep assistance, and automatic braking.

Are there drawbacks to adaptive cruise control systems?

Adaptive cruise control doesn’t come standard on every vehicle. In fact, this system can be pricey depending upon the make and model. Though this feature can help mitigate accidents stemming from driver fatigue, it can also lull drivers into a false sense of security. A tired driver using adaptive cruise control might not resume control of the vehicle quickly enough in an accident or emergency.

According to a recent study cited by Kia, if a driver travels through hilly or mountainous terrain with many curves, adaptive cruise control systems might prove less fuel-efficient than presumed. The excessive increases and decreases in speed could cause vehicles to consume up to 20 percent more fuel than they might by using the gas and brake pedals.

However, in general, adaptive cruise control usually helps drivers conserve fuel, save money, and reduce total car ownership costs. Coupling this feature with driving in the right-hand lane and avoiding sudden acceleration and braking can result in serious fuel cost savings.

The origins of this car convenience feature

It’s helpful to understand what cruise control is and how it works. It’s a system that keeps a vehicle running at a constant speed the driver sets. Though it has precursors, the modern mechanism we know as cruise control was invented in 1948 and patented in 1950 by inventor Ralph Teeter. The device saw its first commercial use when installed on the 1958 Chrysler Imperial. Soon, the feature saw widespread adoption by auto manufacturers and surging popularity among consumers, especially during the oil crisis of the 1970s when consumers were eager to reduce the amount of gas they consumed.

In cars equipped with this feature, a driver brings the vehicle up to the speed they want and then enables cruise control with a switch or a button. The vehicle then pulls the throttle to maintain the speed. The driver can still accelerate, but once they take their foot off the gas pedal, the car decelerates to the previously set speed until cruise control is disabled. Traditional systems typically store the previously set speed in memory to restore that speed after braking.

Traditional cruise control systems also work best with vehicles with a continuously variable or automatic transmission. When using them with manual transmissions, shifting gears typically disengages the feature. It can also be hazardous to use during inclement weather and when making sharp turns. However, drivers can benefit from the increased fuel efficiency they provide, MotorTrend reports. Moreover, setting the speed at or below highway speed limits during long drives can help drivers avoid unintentionally speeding.

RELATED: Is Adaptive Cruise Control Worth It? Absolutely

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