How accurate are compressor fill-time claims?

Treat manufacturer fill-time claims as best-case run time, not wall-clock time.

Real fills slow down at higher pressure, and budget compressors need cooling pauses their marketing numbers ignore. The fill-time tables in our Compressor Directory are derived from stated benchmarks using a consistent method (pressure-rise times volume over minutes), labeled as estimates, and each product page shows how many benchmarks back the number. If a unit has a duty-cycle limit, plan around it: ten minutes on, ten off, can double a big tank fill.