The short answer

A CFM number is not complete by itself. To compare an air tool with a compressor, keep the pressure, rating label, and source wording attached to both numbers.

This matcher accepts a tool record and a compressor record only when both are published at the same PSI and the compressor output is labelled CFM. It does not convert CFM to SCFM, infer tank adequacy, or turn a numerical difference into a performance or safety guarantee.

Why PSI is only the first check

Airflow is measured under conditions. The Compressed Air and Gas Institute glossary distinguishes capacity from the conditions under which it is delivered. Its compressor-performance guide also separates delivered air from displacement and explains that compressor flow changes as discharge pressure changes.

That is why a pressure line belongs beside the number. The first records in this dataset state 90 PSI for both the tool and compressor. The matcher performs its arithmetic at that stated condition. If one record uses a different pressure, it stops instead of silently normalizing the values.

Same PSI still does not make every label equivalent. CFM, SCFM, ACFM, and displacement CFM describe different measurement contexts. The CAGI glossary defines SCFM against reference conditions, while compressor product pages may use CFM, SCFM, or delivered SCFM. The current utility keeps those labels separate. A compressor record labelled SCFM returns a not-comparable result in this MVP.

The five fields a comparison needs

A useful comparison is a small record, not a headline number. Before subtracting one value from another, check these fields:

Field What to retain Why it matters
Exact model The manufacturer model identifier A general tool category can hide major differences between models.
Tool field The source label and value, such as Average Air Consumption The calculation changes when the selected field changes.
Tool pressure The PSI stated next to the tool values A number without its pressure context is incomplete.
Compressor field The source label and value, such as CFM or SCFM Unlike labels are not silently interchangeable.
Source and checked date The original URL and the date the record was reviewed A visitor can inspect the input and a later update can be traced.

The matcher stores those details with the record. A result is therefore an auditable calculation: a named tool field multiplied by quantity, placed next to a named compressor field at the same published pressure. It is deliberately less ambitious than a recommendation engine.

Read the tool's air-consumption fields

Tool specifications can publish more than one consumption value. The label tells you which input you are selecting. It is not safe to replace a field called Air Consumption @ Load with a stronger word such as “maximum” unless the manufacturer uses that word.

For example, Ingersoll Rand's 231C product page lists Air Consumption @ Load as 22 CFM, Average Air Consumption as 4.2 CFM, and the pressure as 90 PSI. The 293 page lists 64 CFM at load, 12 CFM average, and 90 PSI. These are separate manufacturer fields, not two ways to write the same number.

If you are checking two 231C tools with the published average figure, the arithmetic is:

4.2 CFM × 2 tools = 8.4 CFM

Using the published load figure instead gives:

22 CFM × 2 tools = 44 CFM

Those calculations answer what the selected input produces when multiplied by quantity. They do not answer whether a particular compressor will maintain tool performance in a real installation.

What the compressor number means

Compressor output also needs its own context. A manufacturer may publish output at several pressures. DEWALT's SCFM support table shows output values at 40, 60, 90, and 100 PSI for some models. The output at one pressure is not automatically the output at another.

The compressor records in this MVP preserve the source label. For example, the dataset keeps CFM, SCFM, and delivered SCFM as distinct values. The comparison logic currently accepts CFM only. That narrow rule is intentional. It prevents a clean-looking subtraction between unlike labels.

When the matcher should stop

There are three honest outcomes besides a positive or negative difference. First, the tool and compressor may state different pressure conditions. Second, the compressor may use SCFM or another label the MVP does not normalize. Third, the selected tool model may not publish the requested average or load field.

In each case, the right output is a visible stop. A made-up conversion, borrowed value, or generic “recommended CFM” would look more convenient, but it would no longer describe the source records the visitor selected. The site is designed to expose that limit instead of hiding it.

How to use the matcher

  1. Select the exact tool model, not a general tool category.
  2. Choose average or load consumption only when the source publishes that field.
  3. Enter the number of identical tools you want to inspect.
  4. Select a compressor record and check the pressure and unit context.
  5. Read the arithmetic and open both source links before using the result.

If a selected model does not publish the requested consumption field, the matcher returns insufficient data. If the pressure differs or the compressor uses an SCFM label, it returns not comparable. Those are deliberate stops, not missing features to work around with a guess.

What this comparison cannot tell you

The result does not establish that a tool will perform adequately in every operating pattern. It does not calculate tank capacity, recovery time, duty-cycle adequacy, receiver condition, hose or regulator losses, electrical suitability, installation requirements, or pressure safety. It does not account for every condition that may affect a compressor or tool in service.

Use the result as a transparent check of two published figures. For an equipment decision involving those excluded factors, verify the application with the manufacturer or a qualified professional.

Sources checked

Checked 2026-09-19. Source pages can change. The values used by the matcher are stored with their checked date in the site's data records.