Best Of

A ranked guide to choosing an air compressor for home use, ordered by the jobs each size actually unlocks rather than by sticker price.

A ranking editor’s take on the best pancake air compressor, ordered by which one you should buy first based on the work you actually do.

A ranked oil free air compressor comparison that orders picks by the jobs they unlock, from brad nailing to sustained sanding, plus the categories worth skipping.

A quiet air compressor review ranked by what to buy first, from ultra-quiet 1-gallon units to isolated 20-gallon verticals, with a blunt list of what to skip.

A blunt, buying-order ranking of air compressors for framing nailers, from the 6 gallon pancake most people should start with to the gas twin tank almost nobody needs.

A ranked buying order for garage air compressors, from the pancake most people should start with to the 60-gallon stationary unit only a few actually need.

A ranked buying guide to portable air compressors, ordered by the job each one unlocks rather than by price, with a blunt list of what to skip.

A ranked guide to 16 gauge finish nailers ordered by the job each one unlocks rather than by price, with a blunt list of what to skip.

A ranked buying guide to 18 gauge brad nailers, ordered by the jobs each tool actually unlocks rather than by price.

A ranked guide to choosing a framing nailer for deck building, ordered by the job each tool unlocks instead of by price.