AN NENG tackles the core issue: How to choose between 185 CFM and 200 CFM diesel air compressors? Starting from practical details such as the number of tools to carry, fuel consumption, and ease of removal, it speaks in plain language without any circumvention, precisely matching your construction/factory operations.
After years of operation at AN NENG and conversations with hundreds of construction bosses and factory buyers, the most frequently asked question was: "I want a mobile diesel Air Compressor. Should I choose 185 CFM or 200 CFM?" No one wants to hear "It depends on your needs" - people want specific answers. Today, I will skip those convoluted industry terms and only talk about the practical details on the construction site, telling you which model perfectly meets your daily working requirements, without speculation or circumvention. All are solid selection dry cargo.
Let's clarify CFM first： It basically depends on how many tools you bring at a time.
First,let's make one thing clear: CFM is not a number on the parameter table; it is the exhaust volume of the air compressor per minute - in simple terms,it directly determines how many pneumatic tools you can operate simultaneously at once. One more tool is troublesome,and one less is a waste.
For an ordinary pneumatic pickaxe, it needs 150-180 CFM alone; for road cutting machines and pneumatic grinders, each also requires 80-100 CFM. These are the basic figures - it is precisely this number that gives meaning to the choice between 185 and 200 CFM. I have seen many people choose 185 CFM, thinking it's okay to use it, only to add a small pneumatic tool, and the pneumatic pickaxe loses its power; some also blindly choose 200 CFM,carrying only one tool throughout the process, which is pure waste of fuel.
By the way, pressure: 7 bar and 10 bar,don't choose randomly. Follow the tools.
There is a small detail that has a significant impact： Almost all 185 CFM diesel air compressors have a fixed pressure of 10 bar - specifically adapted for single pneumatic picks and road cutting machines because these tools require a stable pressure of 10 bar for effective work.
While 200 CFM models can generally be selected as 7 bar/10 bar： 7 bar is suitable for tasks like sandblasting， which require a lot of air and low pressure， while 10 bar is for using multiple heavy tools. At AN NENG， we design these two models without randomly adjusting the pressure and CFM combination； it's all based on the actual tool requirements on the construction site.
Why these two CFM models, only screw-type diesel air compressors
If your air compressor is to be used intensively 185 or 200 CFM， it must be used daily - piston-type should be ruled out. I have encountered customers who bought piston machines and used them on the construction site every two months， causing them to break down and then coming back to us to replace with screw-type machines.
Screw-type diesel air compressors (both of AN NENG's models are screw-type) operate stably and durably， and the pressure will not drop even after continuous operation for more than 8 hours. For 185 and 200 CFM， this is not an "upgraded model"， but a necessity to avoid unnecessary machine repairs.
185 CFM diesel air compressor: The right choice for single tool operation in daily work
To put it simply： The 185 CFM mobile diesel air compressor is for people who only bring one main pneumatic tool at a time， or maybe a small pneumatic tool like a small air drill. This is the main model for small construction sites and is also the one we sell the most - for road construction， residential building construction， and small-scale demolition.
The 185 CFM model of AN NENG:The practical details truly used on construction sites
I don't talk about abstract parameters； I only talk about the design of our 185 CFM traction-type diesel air compressor that meets the actual working requirements：
It is lightweight， weighing only 850 kilograms. A regular pickup truck can tow it away, there's no need to hire a large vehicle. A customer told me that they drive to 3 or 4 construction sites a day, and towing it is not a problem at all.
The fuel consumption is low. At full load, it only burns 2.5 liters of diesel in one hour. For an 8-hour drive a day, it's only 20 liters of fuel - a single tool working is much more cost-effective than a 200 CFM machine.
The air filter is for heavy-duty models. The construction site dust is heavy, and this air filter won't get clogged within a week. There's no need to stop work for cleaning every day, and it doesn't delay the work.
It precisely fits these tasks. Don't choose randomly.
Road repair: 1 bulldozer to fill potholes, 1 asphalt cutting machine to cut asphalt
Residential construction: formwork erection, tile laying, concrete pouring, the entire process with a single pneumatic tool
Remote construction sites: farms, rural construction, small mines, without city power supply, it can supply electricity for it, sufficient and not wasteful
If your daily tasks are these, the 185 CFM is completely enough - any larger one would just be a waste of money and fuel.
200 CFM diesel air compressor: only worth choosing when you have multiple tools at the same time
200 CFM screw-type diesel air compressor, not an "upgraded version" of the 185 CFM, but different tools for different tasks. This one is for people who bring 2-3 pneumatic tools at a time - heavy work, large construction sites, can't let the air compressor's air supply be insufficient and delay the work progress.
Our AN NENG 200 CFM model: details for all-day high-intensity heavy work
Still, don't go around, just say the points that are useful for working at large construction sites:
The fuel tank is large, 50 liters. The full tank can last for 20 hours of continuous driving, no need to refuel frequently. Customers from mines and bridge construction said that with this design, they can stop 2 or 3 times a day, and the work efficiency is much higher.
The towing frame is reinforced. Although it's heavy (1100 kilograms), it won't bend or collapse when towing on dirt roads or uneven surfaces, and there's no need to constantly repair the frame.
It can switch to 7/10 bar pressure. Just flip a switch, sandblasting (7 bar) and with two pneumatic hammers (10 bar) can be switched at once, and there's no need to set up two air compressors at one construction site.
We also have a modular version, suitable for fixed work places like factories and mines - the core is still the same reliable, just fixed on the ground and more stable.
Precisely fit these tasks. Don't buy the wrong one
Open-pit mining: 2 bulldozers to break rocks, plus 1 pneumatic grinder
Bridge / large construction: bring 3 small pneumatic tools at the same time, or 2 heavy tools
Sandblasting + pre-treatment: sandblasting (7 bar) and using a pneumatic gun for cleaning (10 bar), no need to change machines
Pipeline pressure test: 10 bar high pressure, to detect industrial pipeline leaks
If you don't carry multiple tools at the same time, this one is a waste of resources - expensive to buy and uses up fuel, completely unnecessary.
185 CFM vs 200 CFM: practical comparison table, only listing the differences you care about (no extra parameters)
This table was shown to showroom customers, only writing the differences that you can feel in daily work, no need to flip the parameter table, you can choose at a glance, never let you down before.
Jiangsu Aneng Drilling Equipment Technology Co., Ltd.
