Which air compressor

[Paul Lajoie]

Looking to upgrade my shop air compressor, not sure what brand to get. Most important option is it’s got to be guiter than most are now. No pancake style. Probably 10 gallon, 120 volt. I’ve been looking at California air, but just read some reviews split between good and bad. Bad being a lot of damaged packing, connections broken and not good overall quality. Who else makes a guide compressor? Thanks for your input.

Paul

 

[robo hippy]

Our club demonstrator at last meeting was doing hollow forms and used one of the California air compressors. We meet in a school lunch room, and they have a stop light on the wall for noise levels. It didn't even go to yellow, with red meaning shut up! Only negative thing I have heard about them is that they don't have huge volume. His was more than adequate for putting the nozzle inside the forms and blow the dust out through a 5/8 inch opening.

robo hippy

 

[John Ames]

California air really are junk and no support after the fact. I had one that blew up internally after about 20 uses in a year. Called them, talked to some guy who was less than useless. No restitution, no help, no nothing.

I got a little Makita and it works like a treat. Rolair also makes high quality, very quiet compressors

 

[Richard Coers]

I love my small California Air, but brand and quiet are not the best evaluation tools for buying a new compressor. You need to look at what tools you want to use with it, check air usage for all the tools, and then start shopping. You don't mention if this will be the only compressor you have. 10 gallon is really small for a shop air compressor and won't power a sander, and just short usage of a spray finishing gun and air gun. You need to study CFM requirements and capacities.

 

[John K Jordan]

...is it’s got to be guiter than most are now.

Just curious, do you have room in your shop for a small sound-insulated closet or box, perhaps mounted on a wall? If so, that could be a nice long-term solution to the noise.

When I built my shop I included a 4x8' closet to house both my compressor (5hp 60gal Ingersoll Rand) and the dust collector (5hp ClearVue cyclone). The cyclone, for example, is a real screamer but when it's running I can hear a spoken whisper outside the closet. The compressor is also very quiet.

Note there are ways to build a sound-reduction enclosure that work much better than others, for one example, using staggered stud walls with insulation woven between the studs. This prevents direct sound transmission through the walls.

For my permanent sound-insulated closet, I powered the compressor with a switch outside the closet and piped the compressed air through the wall into the main shop for filtering, moisture removal, pressure regulation, and distribution to multiple outlets in and outside the shop.



Of course, all this may not apply to your situation, but sound from a smaller compressor could be easily reduced by building a simple insulated box around it.

JKJ

 

[hockenbery]

It’s a little bigger than you might want but I’ve had a 60gal Quincey from Northern tool for about 10 years.
Surprisingly quiet.
I can sandblast as long as I want. The tank refills while delivering air to the blast gun.

The loudest is emptying the tank at the end of the day’s use.

 

[Paul Lajoie]

Our club demonstrator at last meeting was doing hollow forms and used one of the California air compressors. We meet in a school lunch room, and they have a stop light on the wall for noise levels. It didn't even go to yellow, with red meaning shut up! Only negative thing I have heard about them is that they don't have huge volume. His was more than adequate for putting the nozzle inside the forms and blow the dust out through a 5/8 inch opening.

robo hippy

I’m not gonna need a lot of volume, use will be the occasional pin nailer or air stapler and hopefully eventually piercing turnings.

Paul

 

[Paul Lajoie]

California air really are junk and no support after the fact. I had one that blew up internally after about 20 uses in a year. Called them, talked to some guy who was less than useless. No restitution, no help, no nothing.

I got a little Makita and it works like a treat. Rolair also makes high quality, very quiet compressors

Thanks John, the reviews I read were pretty much split good, bad. Bad being received damaged or broke regulators with very little use

Paul

 

[Paul Lajoie]

I love my small California Air, but brand and quiet are not the best evaluation tools for buying a new compressor. You need to look at what tools you want to use with it, check air usage for all the tools, and then start shopping. You don't mention if this will be the only compressor you have. 10 gallon is really small for a shop air compressor and won't power a sander, and just short usage of a spray finishing gun and air gun. You need to study CFM requirements and capacities.

Thanks Richard, the reason I’m looking mostly at quiet compressors is my shop is in the basement right under our living room( plus I don’t like hearing that noise while I’m working) . As for usage it’ll be for occasional use of my finish nailer or air stapler and eventually piercing my turnings so don’t need a huge volume.

Paul

 

[Paul Lajoie]

Just curious, do you have room in your shop for a small sound-insulated closet or box, perhaps mounted on a wall? If so, that could be a nice long-term solution to the noise.

When I built my shop I included a 4x8' closet to house both my compressor (5hp 60gal Ingersoll Rand) and the dust collector (5hp ClearVue cyclone). The cyclone, for example, is a real screamer but when it's running I can hear a spoken whisper outside the closet. The compressor is also very quiet.

Note there are ways to build a sound-reduction enclosure that work much better than others, for one example, using staggered stud walls with insulation woven between the studs. This prevents direct sound transmission through the walls.

For my permanent sound-insulated closet, I powered the compressor with a switch outside the closet and piped the compressed air through the wall into the main shop for filtering, moisture removal, pressure regulation, and distribution to multiple outlets in and outside the shop.

View attachment 68276

Of course, all this may not apply to your situation, but sound from a smaller compressor could be easily reduced by building a simple insulated box around it.

JKJ

Just curious, do you have room in your shop for a small sound-insulated closet or box, perhaps mounted on a wall? If so, that could be a nice long-term solution to the noise.

Thanks John, definetly no room for a closet.


Paul

 

[Paul Lajoie]

It’s a little bigger than you might want but I’ve had a 60gal Quincey from Northern tool for about 10 years.
Surprisingly quiet.
I can sandblast as long as I want. The tank refills while delivering air to the blast gun.

The loudest is emptying the tank at the end of the day’s use.

Thank you hockenbery, 60 gallon definetly more than I need.

Paul

 

[Stan Pressner]

I have the 8 Gallon California air for hollow form blowout, pin nailing, stapling and it has been perfect for me

 

[john lucas]

I just bought this Dewalt. It is the quietest compressor I've ever heard. I have it in the next room where my old incredibly noisy one was. I wouldn't mind having thus right next to me. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dewalt-26-gal-ultra-quiet-compressor-dxcmsac426

 

[Alan Weinberg]

@john lucas Very quiet but some very bad reviews in the link you posted . . .

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

I have a small California Air compressor. I bought it over a year ago to replace one that rusted out and I'm been impressed with it. I use it at least 3 times a week and it's on for multiple hours at a time, there have been days that I forgot to turn it off and left it on all weekend without it running. It's much quieter, I haven't had any issues with it rusting (yet), it seems well made and it easy to use. I would buy another one again.

 

[Jon Moyer]

A few years ago at work I bought a small Makita compressor to replace a loud Dewalt. It has worked very well in a light industrial setting, about 20 hours a week. It is much quieter than the DeWalt. It was recommended by flooring installers working in people’s condos because it didn’t disturb neighbors. Last year i needed to expand production into a small room so a very quiet compressor was needed and I bought a California Air, wow is it quiet and has worked fine. I would buy either of these again.

 

[John K Jordan]

Very quiet but some very bad reviews in the link you posted . .

In general, when I read reviews, one thing I look for is if the review appears to have come from someone who actually bought and used the product. Some reviews for many products simply look a bit shady. Some of the reviewers with poor comments about this compressor are not even listed as “Verified product owners”. One is upset at Tractor Supply, apparently never even received the compressor but still does not recommend it!

I read some of the other reviews which were positive, some had issues. It was encouraging that Dewalt addressed some of the concerns and provided contact info for their parts and service “team.” I see 86% of reviewers recommended this compressor.

 

[Dean Center]

I've had a California air compressor for about 6 years, but I don't use it very frequently or in a demanding application. I used it once for nailing moulding with brads and it worked OK. I think it's about a 4 gallon job (the one with 2 small, horizontal tanks). The noise is tolerable, but not as low as others have experienced--I have no idea why.

A year or two ago, it developed a problem involving the switch/controller, which is apparently not unusual with small compressors. Cal Air does not do any support, but refers inquiries to a third party parts provider, who were a little pissed at Cal Air over the deal at that time. The parts people were pretty helpful and had videos on common repairs. I found the replacement parts are budget models, but ordinary and available from many sources. Getting at connections and working on the darn thing was a pain. Maybe an expectable consequence of a compact tool. After ineptly doing my repair job, it was back to running like new, and has continued working OK.

I thought in our arid climate I would not have trouble with condensation and rust, so saved a couple bucks by buying the steel model. Rusty water started draining out a few months after buying and I would buy the aluminum model, if I had it to do over again.

My good friend had good results with a small Senco compressor, which was quieter than my Cal Air, and just a wee bit more expensive.

Summary:
n=1. It's functioned well in an undemanding use. Cal Air provided no support. Fixing it myself from available parts worked out. Only needed 3 bandaids. YMMV

 

[Bill Blasic]

I've had a California Air compressor for quite a few years and it has been trouble free and does not scare the heck out of me when it starts up.

 

[Tim Dunbar]

I have a 20 gal California air compressor, had it for a couple of years now and use it everyday, been perfect so far, and very quiet!

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Just curious, do you have room in your shop for a small sound-insulated closet or box, perhaps mounted on a wall? If so, that could be a nice long-term solution to the noise.

When I built my shop I included a 4x8' closet to house both my compressor (5hp 60gal Ingersoll Rand) and the dust collector (5hp ClearVue cyclone). The cyclone, for example, is a real screamer but when it's running I can hear a spoken whisper outside the closet. The compressor is also very quiet.

Note there are ways to build a sound-reduction enclosure that work much better than others, for one example, using staggered stud walls with insulation woven between the studs. This prevents direct sound transmission through the walls.

For my permanent sound-insulated closet, I powered the compressor with a switch outside the closet and piped the compressed air through the wall into the main shop for filtering, moisture removal, pressure regulation, and distribution to multiple outlets in and outside the shop.

Of course, all this may not apply to your situation, but sound from a smaller compressor could be easily reduced by building a simple insulated box around it.

JKJ

Hello John, do you have a method to bring compressor air into, and allow dust collector air out of, of your closet?

My shop is a separate room within my garage. I built a closet 20 years ago for my 2-bag 650cfm dust collector on the garage side of the shop wall. It has a 4" duct going thru the wall for the suction side, but I also installed a 5" or 6" duct (short piece just as a wall penetration) thru the wall back into the shop to relieve the pressure inside the closet, and also to send some of my heated or cooled air back into the shop. Thanks.

 

[John K Jordan]

Hello John, do you have a method to bring compressor air into, and allow dust collector air out of, of your closet?

My shop is a separate room within my garage. I built a closet 20 years ago for my 2-bag 650cfm dust collector on the garage side of the shop wall. It has a 4" duct going thru the wall for the suction side, but I also installed a 5" or 6" duct (short piece just as a wall penetration) thru the wall back into the shop to relieve the pressure inside the closet, and also to send some of my heated or cooled air back into the shop. Thanks.

Steve,

Yes, I built a duct to return filtered air from the closet to the shop. It will also allow air to enter the closet for compressor intake, but that amount is minuscule compared to the air moved by the 1700 CFM cyclone!

As well as returning filtered air to the shop, I wanted to avoid pumping noise into the shop. As mentioned earlier, the 5hp ClearVue cyclone is a screamer, a banshee on steroids - I don't dare go into the closet without hearing protection when it's running!

I built a duct from inside the closet and back into the shop, made some turns to avoid straight paths, and added some internal baffles. The duct is 1/2" plywood, glued and screwed, with a thick rubber coating sprayed inside and the outside padded with insulation where possible. I built the closet before putting up the shop ceiling so I made use of the space between the ceiling and the shop roof, between the trusses. The return air duct is in the ceiling in the main shop. I have a Dylos air quality monitor and see no change in the particulate count when pulling fine dust through the cyclone. (The ClearVue seems incredibly efficient.)

This is the sketch I made when designing the duct. It goes up into the closet ceiling then folds back between two trusses, then crosses to the next truss space before venting back into the shop.



BTW, when designing the shop, I filled a fat notebook with detailed sketches of everything from the dirt up. This took a lot of time but it kept me from making a bunch of false starts and "I sure wish I hadn't done that" moments!

Instead of returning the air to the shop, some recommend venting the dust collector to the outside. This will work well but if the shop is heated or air conditioned the replacement air would have to come in somewhere from the outside. (and a big cyclone moves a LOT of air!) Some people don't even filter the output from the cyclone or other DC - just pump the dust outside into a box or on the ground. The noise from this method might not make any close neighbors happy!

One comment about sound-insulating a closet or wall - I used "staggered stud" construction. My walls are all 6". The staggered stud wall uses 2x4 studs spaced so one supports the plywood on the inside wall and the next supports the outside wall, etc. This prevents direct contact and reduces sound transmission. Fiberglass sound insulation weaves between the two sets of studs. Some people line the closet with sound-absorbing materials but I didn't - and as mentioned it's quiet enough with the cyclone running to hear a whisper just outside the wall.



For access to empty the DC drum, etc, I put double steel doors on the side of the closet away from the main shop, opening into my "maintenance" room.

Since this is an air compressor thread, I'll make a suggestion for those designing a shop: I ran air lines above the ceiling in three zones - one down one side of the main shop, one down the other and to the outside, and one to the back room to the little machine shop area and to a big air hose on a reel just inside a roll-up door. Each line has a shutoff valve on the wall outside the closet so I can only turn on those zones I need. Also, with the power switch on the outside of the closet, it's easy to turn off the power and close the main air valve without going inside - I shut off the compressor power every time I leave the shop. I know someone who lost his shop and all his equipment and wood when his compressor pressure cutoff switch failed and caused the motor to overheat when he was out of town.

Spaced through the shop are air outlet drops from RapidAir. These come without the airline couplers, Home Depot sells two types of couplers: I only use the type in this photo. It allows one-handed connection by simply pressing in the connector on the air hose instead of having to push back the outer sleeve with one hand while inserting the hose connector with the other! Look for the type with a small gap between the sleeve and the end flange.



BTW, I didn't do this but if designing a large compressed air delivery installation, industrial experts recommend running air lines in a big loop in the building - better delivery efficiency at any one drop, plus adds a bit of extra capacity.

JKJ

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

In general, when I read reviews, one thing I look for is if the review appears to have come from someone who actually bought and used the product. Some reviews for many products simply look a bit shady. Some of the reviewers with poor comments about this compressor are not even listed as “Verified product owners”. One is upset at Tractor Supply, apparently never even received the compressor but still does not recommend it!

I read some of the other reviews which were positive, some had issues. It was encouraging that Dewalt addressed some of the concerns and provided contact info for their parts and service “team.” I see 86% of reviewers recommended this compressor.

I only read the one-star reviews. I determine whether those one-star reviewers are idiots (it's a superpower), whether they had a one-off issue, or whether they have a legitimate gripe. Too many legitimate gripes and I pass. In my mind, there's no point in reading the 4 and 5 star reviews. I get that it works great for you, but I want to hear from the folks that had an issue.

 

[Rob Gabel]

I needed one and went the cheap route and got a Vevor. Has worked fine and is definitely quieter than my previous pancake style. It is not a daily use item for me, but I have not had any issues with it yet. Going on year 2 of owning it.

 

[Dave Hulett]

Looking to upgrade my shop air compressor, not sure what brand to get. Most important option is it’s got to be guiter than most are now. No pancake style. Probably 10 gallon, 120 volt. I’ve been looking at California air, but just read some reviews split between good and bad. Bad being a lot of damaged packing, connections broken and not good overall quality. Who else makes a guide compressor? Thanks for your input.

Paul

Paul, 3 years ago I bought a an Emax compressor back in 2018 and it only lasted 3 years. So I replaced it with a Husky. Love it and it's very quiet. Note, my brother in law has a Dewalt like John Lucas mentioned and it's far quieter.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Steve,

Yes, I built a duct to return filtered air from the closet to the shop. It will also allow air to enter the closet for compressor intake, but that amount is minuscule compared to the air moved by the 1700 CFM cyclone!

As well as returning filtered air to the shop, I wanted to avoid pumping noise into the shop. As mentioned earlier, the 5hp ClearVue cyclone is a screamer, a banshee on steroids - I don't dare go into the closet without hearing protection when it's running!

I built a duct from inside the closet and back into the shop, made some turns to avoid straight paths, and added some internal baffles. The duct is 1/2" plywood, glued and screwed, with a thick rubber coating sprayed inside and the outside padded with insulation where possible. I built the closet before putting up the shop ceiling so I made use of the space between the ceiling and the shop roof, between the trusses. The return air duct is in the ceiling in the main shop. I have a Dylos air quality monitor and see no change in the particulate count when pulling fine dust through the cyclone. (The ClearVue seems incredibly efficient.)

This is the sketch I made when designing the duct. It goes up into the closet ceiling then folds back between two trusses, then crosses to the next truss space before venting back into the shop.

View attachment 68297

BTW, when designing the shop, I filled a fat notebook with detailed sketches of everything from the dirt up. This took a lot of time but it kept me from making a bunch of false starts and "I sure wish I hadn't done that" moments!

Instead of returning the air to the shop, some recommend venting the dust collector to the outside. This will work well but if the shop is heated or air conditioned the replacement air would have to come in somewhere from the outside. (and a big cyclone moves a LOT of air!) Some people don't even filter the output from the cyclone or other DC - just pump the dust outside into a box or on the ground. The noise from this method might not make any close neighbors happy!

One comment about sound-insulating a closet or wall - I used "staggered stud" construction. My walls are all 6". The staggered stud wall uses 2x4 studs spaced so one supports the plywood on the inside wall and the next supports the outside wall, etc. This prevents direct contact and reduces sound transmission. Fiberglass sound insulation weaves between the two sets of studs. Some people line the closet with sound-absorbing materials but I didn't - and as mentioned it's quiet enough with the cyclone running to hear a whisper just outside the wall.

View attachment 68299

For access to empty the DC drum, etc, I put double steel doors on the side of the closet away from the main shop, opening into my "maintenance" room.

Since this is an air compressor thread, I'll make a suggestion for those designing a shop: I ran air lines above the ceiling in three zones - one down one side of the main shop, one down the other and to the outside, and one to the back room to the little machine shop area and to a big air hose on a reel just inside a roll-up door. Each line has a shutoff valve on the wall outside the closet so I can only turn on those zones I need. Also, with the power switch on the outside of the closet, it's easy to turn off the power and close the main air valve without going inside - I shut off the compressor power every time I leave the shop. I know someone who lost his shop and all his equipment and wood when his compressor pressure cutoff switch failed and caused the motor to overheat when he was out of town.

Spaced through the shop are air outlet drops from RapidAir. These come without the airline couplers, Home Depot sells two types of couplers: I only use the type in this photo. It allows one-handed connection by simply pressing in the connector on the air hose instead of having to push back the outer sleeve with one hand while inserting the hose connector with the other! Look for the type with a small gap between the sleeve and the end flange.

View attachment 68298

BTW, I didn't do this but if designing a large compressed air delivery installation, industrial experts recommend running air lines in a big loop in the building - better delivery efficiency at any one drop, plus adds a bit of extra capacity.

JKJ

Great job, John, the staggered stud method is a common construction method for sound control for apartment and hotel construction. Very effective, and the sound insulation helps to quell the hollow drum effect of air pulsations in the cavity. and it really didn't take too much extra material to get a great payback on the investment. A few extra studs, and wider top and bottom plates. Easy.

 

[JeffSmith]

I’ve used a CalAir compressor for over 10 years now - the smallest one they made back then - for finish nailers and clearing shavings from hollow forms and just general blowing stuff around and cleaning up. It gets used regularly and often left on just because it’s so quiet. It hasn’t had any issues so far. Several years ago I did hear/read about an issue some people were having regarding metal filings in the tank. I took the advice to blow it out several times, found a small amount of what looked like possible abrasive grit from a final cleaning. It didn’t cause a problem and the unit still performs daily.

This one is light enough to carry around for finish jobs anywhere I need to go. I’d buy another one in a heartbeat.

 

[Kevin Jesequel]

Our club demonstrator at last meeting was doing hollow forms and used one of the California air compressors. We meet in a school lunch room, and they have a stop light on the wall for noise levels. It didn't even go to yellow, with red meaning shut up! Only negative thing I have heard about them is that they don't have huge volume. His was more than adequate for putting the nozzle inside the forms and blow the dust out through a 5/8 inch opening.

robo hippy

That was me

I decided to buy a small, portable quiet compressor for demos after using a couple at the AAW symposium in May. I like the California Air compressor. It is perfect for demos and is super quiet. Mine is only two gallons though and drains quickly when trying to blow out shavings from wet-turned hollow forms. In my shop, I have a 60 gallon Quincy like @hockenbery. Before I got that though, I used a 26 gallon Cobalt quiet tech compressor that was pretty quiet and had plenty of air for blowing out shavings or running an NSK piercing tool.

 

[Paul May]

I use a California Air Tools 4710SQ Quiet Compressor 4.7 gallons 60 dB . I use it to blow off shavings on the lathe and myself. I don't run any air tools with it. I had to return the first one since one leg was were bent. The replacement was perfect.

 

[Steve Bonny]

I have a tiny California air compressor too, just 1 gal although I did add an aux tank to add volume. I love it. Had it for several years, no issues. I have a big noisy compressor I switch to if I need high air flow. The small one is great for blowing dust, airbrushing, pumping tires etc.

 

[Michael Lombard]

Looking to upgrade my shop air compressor, not sure what brand to get. Most important option is it’s got to be guiter than most are now. No pancake style. Probably 10 gallon, 120 volt. I’ve been looking at California air, but just read some reviews split between good and bad. Bad being a lot of damaged packing, connections broken and not good overall quality. Who else makes a guide compressor? Thanks for your input.

Paul

I replaced a very noisy compressor with a 20 gal. Husky model 3332013 from Home Depot. It is, (relatively speaking), very quiet. I have a 2-car shop and can work comfortably in it with the thing running.

 

[Tony Perelli]

Great info here- thanks.
What are your thoughts on the smallest/cheapest compressor you can go with and still be happy? I’m thinking for clearing out occasional hollow forms and general turning needs.
I see affordable 3 & 6 gal pancakes, will those do what we need or lack something?
Thanks!

 

[Doug Freeman]

Don’t re

Great info here- thanks.
What are your thoughts on the smallest/cheapest compressor you can go with and still be happy? I’m thinking for clearing out occasional hollow forms and general turning needs.
I see affordable 3 & 6 gal pancakes, will those do what we need or lack something?
Thanks!

Dont really need a compressor. I use a shop vac to clean hf’s vs blowing dust in the air. Long ribbons get cleaned out with some “rakes”. Other than blowing out chucks, dont really use compressed air for turning.

 

[musky]

California compressor for me. Much quieter than other irritating ones.
Truth be told, mine is broke down right now, it's had a lot of use. Have it narrowed to two parts, pressure switch, or the electro valve. I could order both, but would like to only buy what I need.
Whats really bad is I now have to use one of my other loud compressors till I fix this one.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

Great info here- thanks.
What are your thoughts on the smallest/cheapest compressor you can go with and still be happy? I’m thinking for clearing out occasional hollow forms and general turning needs.
I see affordable 3 & 6 gal pancakes, will those do what we need or lack something?
Thanks!

California Air 1 or 2 gallon. Make sure it's one with aluminum tanks instead steel so they don't rust out. If they sell a "quiet" model that small get it.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

I have a no-name 60 gallon compressor purchased at the home depot nearly 30 years ago. It's in the former horse stalls underneath my barn/shop so I can barely hear it running. It gets "serviced" (check the oil and let the water out of the tank) once or twice a year if I remember. I keep hoping it will die so I can get one with enough CFM to run my favorite pneumatic sander for more than a couple minutes at a time, but it just keeps running.