ABAC AB3-2160V1 3.5 HP Single-Stage Air Compressor - 60 Gallon Vertical, 135 PSI, 230V Single-Phase

The ABAC AB3-2160V1 pairs a 3.5 HP motor with ABAC's belt-driven PAT 38 single-stage aluminum pump on a 60 gallon vertical ASME tank, delivering 12.35 CFM at a maximum 135 PSI on 230V single-phase power. The vertical layout keeps the footprint to 22 by 26 inches, which is why it lands in wood and metal shops, auto repair bays and serious home garages that have outgrown a portable unit but do not need 175 PSI.

Key specifications

• Model: AB3-2160V1
• Warthog part number: 8090304281 (ABAC part number 2021119134)
• Motor: 3.5 HP, 230V / 1-phase / 60 Hz
• Pump: PAT 38 belt-drive, single-stage aluminum pump for fast heat dissipation
• Air delivery: 12.35 CFM at max pressure
• Maximum pressure: 135 PSI
• Tank: 60 gallon vertical, ASME-coded with ASME safety valves
• Controls: start/stop pressure switch
• Fully enclosed belt guard for safety and optimized cooling airflow
• Weight: 261 lbs | Dimensions: 22" x 26" x 68"
• Warranty: 1 year, assembled in the USA

How it compares

Three ABAC machines sit around this one. The AB2-2160V1 puts the same 60 gallon vertical tank on a 2 HP 115V motor, so it needs no new circuit but moves meaningfully less air. The AB-224VP is the portable 115V answer, rated 7 CFM at a 145 PSI maximum on a 24 gallon tank at 150 lbs. Going the other way, the AB5-2160V4 keeps the same 60 gallon vertical footprint and steps up to a two-stage PAT 49 pump for 14.6 CFM at 175 PSI. Choose on pressure first: 135 PSI covers standard 90 PSI air tools, while 175 PSI is what impact work and longer duty cycles want.

Typical applications

ABAC rates this stationary single-stage range for sanders, grinders and large spray guns, plus grouting, inflating, blow-down and general cleaning. At 12.35 CFM that works out to:

• Spray painting: most paint sprayers draw 4 to 11 CFM, so the AB3-2160V1 has headroom for a steady spray arc once the nozzle and pressure are dialed in
• Sanding: a dual-action air sander uses roughly 11 to 13 CFM, putting it at the top of this unit's range for intermittent work
• Stapling and fastening: driving staples and nails into wood, plastic or steel
• Grinding, inflating and blow-down between other jobs

The 60 gallon vertical tank is what makes that work practical. Stored air covers the demand spikes an air tool creates, so the motor cycles less often and the pump runs cooler than it would on a smaller portable tank.

Single-stage or two-stage?

A single-stage pump compresses air in one piston stroke and tops out around 135 PSI, which suits shops running standard 90 PSI air tools. If the work calls for 175 PSI, longer duty cycles or cast iron construction, step up to a two-stage machine instead. Browse the full range of ABAC piston air compressors to compare.

Setting it up

Site it on a level floor with clearance around the belt guard for cooling air, and run it on its own 230V circuit sized to the motor nameplate. Any piston compressor pushes warm, wet air into the line, so if that air goes to paint, tires or anything that hates moisture, add a filter regulator and a refrigerated dryer rated above the compressor's 12.35 CFM output, such as the ABAC COOL 15. See the rest of our compressed air dryers.

Built by ABAC, part of the Atlas Copco group and an air compressor manufacturer for more than 40 years, the AB3-2160V1 60 gallon vertical air compressor delivers dependable single-stage performance for shops that need more air and more storage without moving to a two-stage unit. Backed by a 1 year warranty and assembled in the USA.