California Air Tools 8010 1.0 HP Ultra Quiet and Oil-Free Air Compressor, 8 Gallon Steel Tank, Lightweight with Wheels, 60 dBA Noise Level

This is a petite little thing - the picture makes it seem larger than it is. One person can pick it up by the handle without too much trouble, and the aluminum tank helps with that. I selected it because I didn't want to be draining nasty rust-water out of it after use, but the light weight is a nice benefit. It arrived well-packaged and damage-free. It's double-boxed in sturdy cardboard, and Styrofoam inserts cradle the compressor very well. Setup was a snap - attach the wheels and rubber foot, screw on the included air filter hand-tight, and it's ready to go. It was leak-free and functional out of the box. It's small size wound up making it a perfect fit for our crowded garage, and it is a huge upgrade from the 1-gallon portable-style compressor we've been using. Not only was the portable unit slow, it was really noisy as well. True to other reviews, this compressor is pleasantly quiet - it's about like having someone in the room with you speaking at normal volume. You can hear it, sure, but it's quite easy to stand next to and have a normal conversation. And at 8 times the capacity, the difference from the little portable unit is night and day. I'm super happy with the purchase. Don't expect heavy industrial service from it, but it's the perfect little garage or home shop unit. Unequivocal 5 stars.

First off WOW!! This compressor is QUITE! Use to have a generic pancake compressor that when the pump kicked out you felt that thing rattling your teeth. This sounds like it's barely running. Fills up quick, and has great power for the size. Excellent value for the money and the aluminum tank seems very durable. Absolutely love this compressor.

I have a small work shop and wanted a quite air compressor. This compressor is very quite and it's also lite enough to move it around. I'm so glad I bought this California air compressor

Initial impression: I have never heard a compressor this quiet. I have a small pancake compressor and it is a lot louder. You can stand next to this tool while running and have a normal volume conversation. Fast recycle time. Minimal assembly: put on the wheels and screw in the muffler. Compact and easy to move on the wheels. Looks solid and well made, time and use will tell. Air capacity is sufficient for most jobs, heavy needle gun use or other high draw air tools might have to run in cycles.

Works well

I purchased this particular compressor because of all the so quite reviews. I have to admit this is the most quite air compressor I have ever been around. I do a lot of remodel projects in our home, where we all live, so noise was a big factor in deciding on purchasing this one. It is quieter than our countertop icemaker for sure. The unit handles my framing nailer without any problems. So, many quick hit tools this machine will work well. But there are a few drawbacks that one should be aware of before purchasing. 1. For a small compressor it is super difficult to move around. The handle is low so if you try to lift with the handle and stand up you will be dragging it on the back because the wheels will be off the floor. So if you want to roll it you have to be hunched way over. I usually end up picking the thing up and carrying it. But this is difficult if it is plugged in and the air hose is extended. 2. ( See update below) I have not tried to apply wall texture with it, but I have attached the blow nozzle to dust off and the compressor does not have much capacity before it kicks on to recharge. The recharge time is a little slow as well. So, I am not sure this will work with a texture gun. Or I should say it may be real slow going spraying texture with this unit. 3. The gauges are in not easy to read places. It sits low to the ground so both gauges should face up. You about have to get on your knees to see the one gauge. Overall, I am very happy with the purchase and I would purchase again. It is well built, quite and will work for most small applications for home improvement projects. If you do a lot that requires higher volume of air output I would look for a higher capacity unit with quicker recharging. UPDATE JUNE 2025 I finally was able to test the compressor out using it for an orange peel texture and here is what I learned. First, for orange peel texture you need about 90 psi in the hose. I set the hose pressure to 90 and turned on the air valve of the texture gun and the line pressure dropped 20 psi. I had to up the line pressure to 110 psi so I could maintain 90 psi when operating the tool. The most amazing thing is the air compressor was able to accomplish texturing my bathroom. It was slow. I did about a minute of spraying (4 to 5 passes on a wall), before turning the texture gun off and letting the compressor recharge (about 2 minutes to charge up). So, in about 20 minutes my bathroom was textured with a beautiful and even orange peel texture. I was impressed. I have been using this air compressor for quite awhile now and I have had zero issues. It does everything I need it to do for my DIY home improvement projects. A great product.

This is a great little compressor. If you are used to "normal" compressors, you won't believe how quiet this thing is. You can carry on a normal conversation with someone while standing next to it. And the aluminum version is quite lightweight. I mean it IS a larger compressor so it isn't a feather, but with reasonable strength you can pick it up an carry it with no problem. The only "ding" I would give it is that the handle is too short which makes it awkward to wheel around because you have to stoop while walking. I am 5' 11" and if I grab the handle and stand erect the entire compressor comes off the floor. When I'm in a hurry I just lift it off the floor and carry it one handed. An ideal situation would be an extendable handle of some kind. Lastly, out of the box the compressor did show a very slow leak somewhere. Overnight it lost about 1/2 of its air. Likely a fitting just needs to be tightened. I still rate this a 5 star, though, because the quietness and relative portability of the compressor are outstanding.

My AC arrived today. Having read every review before ordering, and with some anticipation, I first checked the condition of the external box and it looked in good condition. The box inside was the actual CAT’s box and it looked new and also good condition. Opening that internal box I found all of the parts expected and the AC itself in excellent condition—-no scratches, no dings, no blemishes, no imperfection or worrisome cracks—-nothing; the entire contents looks perfect. Welds at the ends of the tanks look perfect. I decided to spend a little more and get the aluminum tank over the steel tank for 2 reasons: rust-free and lighter. OK; on to assembly—-Easy attaching the wheels, but I added lock washers to make the bolts more secure. No problem attaching front foot rubber bumper. I attached the air filter, hand-tight as the manual instructs (yes; some people actually *do* read manuals! :-) ) There is a short plastic hose that attaches to the air filter but it ended up pointing vertically upward. That did not seem like a good position for it to be in. I began to bend the tube and attach some duck tape so that it was at least somewhat horizontal until I discovered that the cover to the air filter could easily be removed and rotated so that the hose ended up pointing almost vertically downward = much better solution (no tape needed.) Plugged it in and turned it on. Almost jumped back as a habit to my extremely noisy and annoying old pancake AC—-but no! It is much quieter. I would not say that it is “ultra quiet”, but the sound level is very acceptable—even pleasant! I checked for leaks, again as directed by the manual, using a soapy water spray bottle. I found no leaks anywhere—-and I checked every possible location: valves, cables, connectors, guages—-everything. I also checked the tightness of all the bolts—-all were fine. It is a bit odd, the orientation of the 2 pressure gauges: the tank guage being read from the side and the regulator guage being read from the top. No biggie, but I might install a 45 or 90 degree angled connector on the tank guage. I did that with my old compressor and it was then much more convenient reading the guage. Many reviewers say that they found some components to be too fragile—-especially the regulator. I am not sure I would agree with that. On the other hand my AC will remain stationary in the corner of my garage for the vast majority of the time, using a long hose reel. So I am not worried about breaking anything on the AC. If you are going to be transporting this a lot you might want to read the other reviews. Overall I am very pleased with this AC initially. If it lasts 3-5 years I will consider it an excellent purchase. Easily 5 stars for my purposes. I ordered a second one.