DIYbanter - View Single Post

In article ,
says...
Compressor duty motors are commonly built with no access to the leads
necessary to reverse them. They are considered 'specific purpose' and
built as cheaply as possible. They are also usually not rated for
continuous duty.

That may be true of the motor that comes on a cheap compressor, but if
you ask for a compressor duty motor from, for example, Leeson or Baldor
it'll probably have a larger frame, higher insulation class, and higher
breakdown torque than a general purpose motor. If single phase, it will
also be reversible.

Ned Simmons