A piston (reciprocating) compressor uses pistons controlled by a crankshaft to deliver the gas at high pressure. These are typically found at smaller worksites and aren’t designed for continuous use. In the single stage compressors, the air is compressed on one side of the piston, while the other side deals with the functionality of it: as the piston moves down, the air is drawn in, and when it moves up, the air is compressed. Single stage compressors are relatively affordable compared to the other compressors and are typically easy to acquire; they can be found in almost any mechanic shop.