Portable diesel compressors
The full towable lineup from 185 to 1600 CFM.
Compare portable classes
Industry: Mining and construction
Compressed Air Systems for Mining and Construction
- Since 1978
- Sullair dealer since 1984
- 14 locations
- under 2 hour response
Jobsite Air Spec Plate
- Classes
- 185 / 375 / 750+ CFM
- Pressure
- 100 to 350 psi options
- Dewatering
- Trash and submersible
- Fleet
- Sale and rental
- Dealer
- Sullair since 1984
What size towable compressor and dewatering setup does my jobsite need?
When breakers stall mid-swing or the blast nozzle loses pressure at the far end of the hose, the unit is undersized for the tools actually running. Add the nameplate CFM of the simultaneous tools: one or two breakers fit a 185 class, a blast pot or a full tool crew needs a 375 class like the Sullair 375 series, and drilling or multi-crew work moves to 750 CFM and up. The selector below does the math, and dewatering is sized separately from inflow GPM and head.
The jobsite lineup
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185 Class Towable
- Output
- 185 CFM at 100 psi
- Runs
- 1 to 2 breakers or 2 to 3 tools
- Tow
- Single axle, pickup towable
- Use
- Utility and light demolition
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375 Class Towable
- Output
- 375 CFM at 100 psi
- Runs
- Blast pot or 4 to 5 tools
- Model
- Sullair 375 series
- Use
- Blasting, shotcrete, pipeline
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750+ Class Towable
- Output
- 750 to 1600 CFM
- Runs
- Drills, large blast, multiple crews
- Pressure
- 100 to 350 psi options
- Use
- Drilling and mining
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Dewatering Pumps
- Types
- Trash, submersible, wellpoint
- Use
- Excavations, pits, shafts
- Basis
- Inflow GPM plus head
- Fleet
- Sale and rental
45 + Years in Business
14 Midwest Locations
4.7 Star Google Rating
Portable compressor selector
Pick the tools your crew runs at the same time. The output is total CFM, the portable class that carries it, and the product path. Rule-of-thumb starting point; an engineer confirms against altitude, hose runs, and duty.
Recommended portable class
Check the tools above to see total CFM and the portable class.
Run the numbers yourself
- CFM calculator: total the breakers, drills, and blast nozzles running at once to pick the portable class.
- Air receiver tank calculator: size receiver capacity so tools that spike, like blast pots, hold pressure at the far end of the hose.
- Compressed air leak calculator: check what worn couplers and hose leaks cost you in diesel and lost tool pressure.
What compressed air really costs
- 10% of US industrial electricity goes to compressed air Source: US DOE Compressed Air Sourcebook
- 20 to 30% of compressed air is typically lost to leaks Source: US DOE Compressed Air Sourcebook
- 75% of ten year compressor cost is energy, not purchase price Source: CAGI life cycle cost data
- under 2 hr average emergency response across our territory Source: Brabazon dispatch
Where sites run our air and pumps
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Pneumatic rock and demolition tools
Breakers, drills, and spaders fed at full tool CFM.
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Sandblasting
Blast pot air sized to nozzle number and orifice.
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Shotcrete
Consistent air driving wet and dry process guns.
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Dewatering
Trash and submersible pumps keeping the cut dry.
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Pipeline and utility
Boring, tapping, and pigging air along the right of way.
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Foundation and drilling
High-pressure air for rigs and pile work.
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Road and bridge
Deck demolition, sawing, and finishing crews on one unit.
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General jobsite air
Tools, hoists, and cleanup air anywhere on site.
What keeps jobsite air and dewatering out of trouble
Four disciplines separate a site that runs from a site that waits on equipment. None of this is gated behind a form.
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Size from tool CFM, not horsepower
Every pneumatic tool has a nameplate CFM: a 90 lb breaker runs about 90 CFM, a rock drill 100 to 200, a blast nozzle 150 to 350 depending on orifice. Add the tools that run at the same time, then add altitude and hose-loss margin. That total picks the portable class, not the engine badge.
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MSHA basics for mining sites
Equipment working a MSHA-regulated site needs the site basics handled: guarded drives and couplings, serviced fire suppression where required, and operators trained under Part 46 or Part 48. We prep units for mine-site deployment and document the service history your safety department will ask for.
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Air treatment on the jobsite
Diesel portables make hot, wet air. Blasting and coating work needs an aftercooler and water separator at minimum, and coating specs often require a desiccant trailer to keep moisture out of the abrasive and off the fresh surface. Treatment is specified per job, not bolted on after a failed holiday test.
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Dewatering sized to inflow
A pit pump is sized from measured or estimated inflow GPM plus total head, with solids handling matched to the water. Undersized dewatering does not just slow the job: it puts crews in water and undermines excavation walls. We size from your inflow numbers and stock trash and submersible units.
Featured setup for mining and construction
The unit we put on more Midwest jobsites than any other is the Sullair 375 series: 375 CFM at 100 psi, enough for a blast pot or a full tool crew, towable behind a heavy pickup, and supported by every one of our branches. Sites with drilling or multiple crews step up through the portable diesel lineup to 750 and 1600 CFM classes, and dewatering rides along from the pump fleet.
When buying is the wrong answer: short-duration projects almost always
pencil out better renting. Below roughly 60 percent utilization across the year, rental
wins once you count maintenance, storage, transport, and resale risk, and the math gets
more lopsided for specialty units like high-pressure drill air. If the unit will not
work most of the season, ask for the rental quote first through
rentals.
Typical project: bridge deck demolition on schedule
One 375 replacing two undersized units on a deck job
A common scenario in bridge deck demolition is a crew running two aging 160 CFM units and spending mornings rotating breakers on and off hoses to keep pressure up. A typical Brabazon project swaps both for a single Sullair 375 on a monthly rental with an aftercooler for the saw crew, so every breaker and saw on the deck runs simultaneously for the rest of the job. When utilization stays high across a season, the rental math crosses the buy line and contractors often purchase the 375 to carry into the next deck job.
Jobsite support across the upper Midwest
Field service trucks dispatch from 14 branches with an under 2 hour average emergency response. Find your nearest branch:
Questions engineers actually ask us
What size towable air compressor do I need for my crew?
Add the nameplate CFM of the tools that run at the same time and match the total to the class: one or two breakers fit a 185, a blast pot or a four to five tool crew needs a 375, and drilling or multiple crews push into 750 CFM and up. The selector on this page does the math from your tool list.
How many CFM does a jackhammer need?
A 60 lb breaker runs about 60 to 70 CFM and a 90 lb breaker about 90 CFM at 90 to 100 psi. That is why a 185 class portable is the standard one-breaker or two-breaker unit: it carries the tools plus hose losses with margin left for a second small tool.
Should I rent or buy a portable compressor?
Rent below roughly 60 percent utilization over the year, buy above it. A unit that works a few months per season almost always pencils out better as a rental with maintenance included, while a unit on site most of the year earns its purchase price. We run the numbers both ways before quoting.
What compressor runs a sandblasting pot?
Blast air is set by nozzle orifice: a number 6 nozzle at 100 psi pulls about 250 CFM, which is 375 class territory once hose losses are counted, and larger nozzles or dual outfits move to 750 class units. Blasting also needs an aftercooler and moisture separation so the abrasive stays dry.
Can Brabazon supply MSHA-ready equipment for mine sites?
Yes. We prepare portable compressors and pumps for MSHA-regulated sites, guarding, fire suppression service where fitted, and documented maintenance history, and our service branches support mine and quarry accounts across Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri.
Who services portable diesel compressors near my jobsite?
Brabazon dispatches factory-trained technicians from 14 Midwest locations with an under 2 hour average emergency response, and has been the authorized Sullair dealer since 1984. Field service trucks handle on-site repair so the unit does not leave the job.
Where to go next
Get your jobsite package sized
Tell us the tool list, the water in the hole, and the project length. You get back a portable class, a dewatering setup, and an honest rent-versus-buy number.