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10 Best Small Rotary Screw Air Compressors

Published Categorized as Reviews

Small rotary screw air compressors are still relatively large for compressor machinery. You should expect a tank size of around 60 to 120 gallons.

These air compressors are still seen as industrial tools, but smaller sizes make them great for DIY enthusiasts or low need workers.

Today, we will explain what a Rotary Screw Air Compressor is, what to look for when you’re buying one, and the best small version on the market!

Table of Contents

What Is A Rotary Screw Air Compressor?

Rotary screw air compressors have rotating screws-like mechanics, which press air until it is so tightly packed that it can create force. They move in a positive displacement mechanism instead of piston compressors.

Rotary screw air compressors have two rotating interweaved helix screws. As they rotate with each other, they capture air in the pockets between the helix shapes.

When the air gets trapped, it is pushed until it gets smaller and smaller, traveling down the axis of the screw.

The air is then released (or discharged) from the opposite end of the helix screws. At this point, it will have been pushed and reduced so much that the release will cause the air to rush out in force.

Quick List of The Best Small Rotary Screw Air Compressors

If you want a quick answer to the best small rotary screw air compressor, then check out our list below, where we have categorized the best compressors and the reason for their title.

The first 5 are our favorite, but the bottom 5 might be more beneficial to you and your projects.

  1. Best Smallest Rotary Screw Air CompressorHPDAVV SE10-LDGZ00304AS
  2. Best Thin Rotary Screw Air Compressor HPDAVV PACK5/230V
  3. Best And Most Powerful Rotary Screw Air Compressor HPDAVV PACK11/230V
  4. Editors Pick For Best Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor HPDAVV DAC4V-5HP/230/1/60
  5. Best Horsepower Per CFM For A Small Rotary Screw Air CompressorHPDAVV ‎DAC7D-10HP/230/1/60
  6. Great Budget Pick For A Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor HPDAVV B08W2BQHNZ
  7. Great Budget Pick For A Rotary Screw Air CompressorHPDAVV ‎B08RD8G5NR
  8. Great Powerful Small Rotary Screw Air CompressorHPDMC PACK7/230V
  9. Best Easy Maintenance Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor HPDAVV PACK7-TA
  10. Best Open Plan Small Rotary Screw Air CompressorHPDAVV PACK7-T

Depending on your project, our top 5 compressors might not fit your needs. We recommend reading through our buyers guide and our full review to see which of the 10 ten is best suited for you!

10 Best Small Rotary Screw Air Compressors

Many rotary screw air compressors look the same, but now you’ve read our buyers guide, you’ll know what to look out for. All of the compressors in our list are amazing at their job, but some are a lot bigger than others.

We have kept the size down to a maximum of 50 inches tall, but that height might be too much for some people. Make sure to measure your workshop before buying a compressor.

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

Best Smallest Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV SE10-LDGZ00304AS

Small Size

This compressor is not only the smallest machine on our list, but it is the smallest rotary screw air compressor around! The length is 27.5 inches, the width is 23.6 inches, and the height is just 15.7 inches.

Power

Despite its small size, this air compressor is extremely powerful, rocking up 35 cubic feet per minute (CFM) on a whopping 10 horsepower.

Intended Purpose

This rotary screw air compressor uses its compression to power a refrigerated system. This means that if you planned on using the air compressor for a different purpose, you will be disappointed with this refrigeration-ready machine.

Environmental Protection

Not only is this compressor amazingly powerful for it’s small size, but it has also followed the international Montreal agreement to make sure that the atmosphere is protected from excess CO2. This means that the rotary screw air compressor is excellent for the environment!

Pros

  • Smallest Rotary Screw Air Compressor (27.5 x 23.6 x 15.7 inches)
  • 35 CFM
  • 10 Horsepower
  • Environmentally Friendly
  • Cheap

Cons

  • Already Designed To Be A Refrigeration System

Best Thin Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV PACK5/230V

Small Size

Although the first compressor on our list is the smallest by far, this rotary screw air compressor is the second thinnest as its width is only 29 inches.

The length is rather long, measuring at 44 inches, but the height is a respectable 37 inches.

Here you should see that getting a truly small rotary screw air compressor is somewhat tricky, however, we have tried to help you find the smallest ones out there without cutting in on their quality.

Power

The airflow from the compressor is 25 to 29 cubic feet per minute with a horsepower of 7.5. Although these numbers are lower than the previous compressor, they are still amazingly high for DIY usage.

Remember that we recommended at least 6 CFM but recognised that most compressors could power around 16 CFM. This means 25 CFM is top tier power.

Pros

  • Thin Compressor With Only 29 Inches In Width
  • 25 – 29 CFM
  • 7.5 Horsepower
  • Multiple Uses Available
  • Low Price Tag
  • Two Year Warranty

Cons

  • 44 Inches Long

Best And Most Powerful Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV PACK11/230V

Medium Size

Although we aimed for small rotary screw air compressors, we couldn’t ignore this fantastic piece of machinery simply due to its relatively large size.

The dimensions of this rotary screw air compressor is 45 inches long, 40 inches wide, and 49 inches tall. This is a big piece of kit, but look at the power it brings!

Power

This rotary screw air compressor has a massive cubic foot per minute rating of 57! It runs 57 CFM on 15 horsepower, working a maximum pressure of 150 PSI.

To house all this power, the compressor has to weigh a large sum. The total of which reaches 900 pounds.

Pros

  • Most Powerful Rotary Screw Air Compressor
  • 57 CFM
  • 150 PSI
  • 15 Horsepower

Cons

  • Not Small (45 x 40 x 49 inches)

Editors Pick For Best Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV DAC4V-5HP/230/1/60

Best Mixture

This compressor is the editor’s pick because it is small and powerful. The dimensions are 34 inches long, 31 inches wide, and 42 inches tall.

It also has a solid power rating of 19 cubic feet per minute from an input voltage of 230. This creates a maximum working pressure of 150 PSI (the same as the most powerful compressor on our list – number 3).

This means that it has a strong force along with a small structure.

There may be stronger and smaller compressors on our list, but this one has the best mixture of criteria.

Pros

  • 19 CFM
  • 150 PSI
  • Dimension 34 x 31 x 42 inches
  • Best Balance of Needs

Cons

  • 5 Horsepower
  • Expensive

Best Horsepower Per CFM For A Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV ‎DAC7D-10HP/230/1/60

Horsepower To CFM

The horsepower of this rotary screw air compressor is 10HP, which is very similar to most of the other compressors on this list. However this rotary screw can reach a cubic feet per minute of 39. This means it can do more with less energy

Size

The dimensions of this compressor is 38 inches long, 31 inches wide, and 43 inches tall. These numbers should be becoming familiar now, as they are the standard medium-to-small-sized compressors on the market.

Simple Installation

The equipment comes with an easy-to-use and robust microprocessor, which has intelligent controls and a long-lasting transfer system that acts efficiently. This means that getting the machine going and starting up the equipment is super easy!

Pros

  • 39 CFM
  • 10 Horsepower
  • 150 PSI
  • Demensions 38 x 31 x 43 inches
  • Simple Installation

Cons

  • Expensive

Great Budget Pick For A Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV B08W2BQHNZ

Power

This rotary screw air compressor is not the cheapest on our list, but it is a great “for your buck” compressor! The CFM rating is just 19, and the horsepower is a tiny 5.5hp, however, it still manages to create a working pressure of 150 PSI.

Size

This compressor is 34 inches long, 31 inches wide, and 42 inches tall, again reaching an average size for these smaller compressors.

Warranty

This compressor had another win to its low-budget price tag by offering a two-year warranty and lifetime maintenance, so you know that your product is protected!

Pros

  • Great Value
  • 19 CFM
  • 5.5 Horsepower
  • 150 PSI
  • Dimension 34 x 31 x42 inches
  • Two-Year Warranty & Lifetime Maintenance

Cons

  • Our Number One Compressor Is Cheaper And More Powerful

Great Budget Pick For A Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV ‎B08RD8G5NR

Vertical System

This rotary screw air compressor is the only vertical tank on our list, and it has been designed this way to create smaller footprints and lower noise levels, thereby creating more flexibility in its usage and in your floor space.

Size

Because the system is on its side, it cannot be considered small. In total, the dimensions for the rotary screw air compressor are 65 inches long, 60 inches wide, and 35 inches tall.

Intelligent Electronic Controls

This compressor has microprocessor control panels which use a simple interface with clear graphics. This interface displays the compressor’s essential parameters and monitors the compression without interrupting the process.

Pros

  • Great Value
  • 18 CFM
  • 5.5 Horsepower
  • 150 PSI
  • Intelligent Electronic Controls

Cons

  • Dimensions 65 x 60 x 35 inches

Great Powerful Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDMC PACK7/230V

Power

This rotary screw air compressor is one of the most powerful compressors on our list, with a cubic feet per minute rating of 39! This is matched with a lower PSI of 125 and an average horsepower rating of 10hp.

The two lower stats demote it from the most powerful title; however, 39 CFM is nothing to shake your head at!

Size

This compressor has a surprisingly thin container, with a width of just 29 inches. The length is 44 inches, and the height is 38 inches, so you will still need a good-sized area to place this 600 pound machine.

Pros

  • 39 CFM
  • 125 PSI
  • 10 Horsepower
  • Dimension 44 x 29 x 38 inches

Cons

  • Expensive

Best Easy Maintenance Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV PACK7-TA

Maintenance

All of the components in this rotary screw air compressor are easy to access, which means they can all be cleaned without trying to get yourself into odd or uncomfortable positions.

The annual maintenance was given with the purchase of this compressor also includes changing the filters and the oils, which helps keep the more expensive parts of maintenance clean and ready to go.

Size

This rotary screw air compressor is another one that we can’t really call small but was too good to ignore. The dimensions are 77 inches long, 36 inches wide, and 61 inches tall. Yikes, that’s a lot! All that structure wraps up to a 900lbs weight.

Pros

  • 39 CFM
  • 150 PSI
  • 10 Horsepower
  • Easy Maintenance

Cons

  • Most Expensive
  • Dimensions 77 x 36 x 61 inches

Best Open Plan Small Rotary Screw Air Compressor: HPDAVV PACK7-T

Power

This open plan rotary screw air compressor has a high cubic foot per minute of 39, a horsepower of 10, a capacity of 40 gallons, and a PSI of 150. This makes it a top contender when it comes to power!

Size

Again this is another rotary screw air compressor that shouldn’t really be called small. It has a length of 60 inches, a width of 47 inches, and a height of 29 inches.

However, the inner screws are open plan. This means that although the compressor is bulky, you will fully view the compressing action.

Power Saving

This compressor has a “Load / No Load” control set into the display panel, which allows the system to turn off the power to reduce energy cost when it isn’t in use.

It will also switch between high and low air consumption, depending on your usage. This switch will happen automatically.

Pros

  • 39 CFM
  • 10 Horsepower
  • 150 PSI
  • Power Saving Technology

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Dimensions 60 x 47 x 29 inches

Buyer’s Guide

When buying a rotary screw air compressor, there are 4 factors you need to consider. They are the horsepower, the airflow (also known as CFM), the integrated filters along with the air dryers, and lastly, the electrical phase.

These concepts might seem wildly technical, but we will explain what you should be looking for so when you buy your compressor, you will feel confident in your purchase!

Rotary Screw Air Compressor and Horsepower

Although the screw helix mechanism creates compressed air, it’s the engine that powers the strength of the compressing, and therefore the amount of pressure you can make.

Depending on your needs, you may not require high horsepower. For example, if you need your compressor to lift 400lbs at a time, then a one-horsepower engine will suffice.

In general, one horsepower will lift 550lbs, by one foot, in one second. Use this measurement to calculate how much horsepower you will need.

Rotary Screw Air Compressor and Airflow

As this compressor uses air, airflow is the most important characteristic you should look out for. The rate that the screw compresses the air is measured in CFM, which stands for cubic feet per minute.

Usually, if you use your compressor for DIY or home improvement projects, you won’t need to buy anything bigger than a 6 CFM rating. However, rotary screw air compressors tend to start with a rating of 16 CFM.

The higher the number normally means the better it will work with your tools, so if in doubt, go with the largest number.

Rotary Screw Air Compressor, Integrated Filters, and Air Dryers

The best rotary screw air compressors will have integrated filters and air dryers built into their systems. They often call themselves “all in one,” “full-featured,” or “Total Air System” compressors, as you don’t need to buy extra parts to secure them.

These features allow you to keep the helix screws clean, so the compressor lasts for longer.

Rotary Screw Air Compressor and Electrical Phases

Depending on the type of equipment you are using, you will need either a single-phase compressor or a triple-phase. These phases help connect to the electrical currents. If you chose the wrong phase, then your equipment may be underpowered or at risk of short-circuiting.

Summary

All 10 of these rotary screw air compressors are excellent at their job, although some are a bit too large to be considered small. Depending on your need, pick the one which best suits you!

By Bill Wade

About Air Compressors has been helping folks with their Air Compressor Problems since 2002 online. We're a community of DIY and Compressed Air professionals who are keen to support everyone across the globe with their air compressor issues and troubleshooting. Whether you're trying to identify an old air compressor, or troubleshoot an error code on a sophisticated new industrial air compressor - the community at About-Air-Compressors.com is here to help you