20 Best Portable Air Compressor For Air Tools (2023 Updated)

Bought this mac5200 from acme as a replacement for the same model purchased back in 2005. The first one finally sprung a leak in a seal after 17 years of full time professional use and abuse. Hope the new one lasts just as long; I am hard on tools and can’t think of anything else that’s made it that far.

I wouldn’t buy anything else. No other portable compressors can touch the cfm these put out, best in class hands down. Acme got it delivered to me in NC from ND in three days, and the price was exactly what I paid for my original mac5200 all those years ago!.

I ordered the Makita mac5200 from Acme Tools. It came via FedEx when promised. I am satisfied so far with my purchase. It’s quiet for the size. It pumps up to 140 lbs. I haven’t had a chance to use it on my plasma cutter yet.

That’s the main reason I bought it. It is replacing an old craftsman compressor that’s 30 years old. I hope it lasts at least that long. We shall see.

This thing is hands down the best portable compressor I’ve owned! It is reasonably quiet. I can have it run in my garage while I work and I don’t go deaf. It supplies enough cubic feet per minute to run all of my air tools including grinders and paint gun.

It doesn’t take up much room. Overall I’m impressed with the build quality and ease of use. The only “con” I can think of is the little storage tray rattles so I stuffed some one inch pipe insulation in it.

Rattle fixed!.

I read a lot of reviews and was interested to try one for my dental office. When it came in I took it out and plugged it in our living room. I was genuinely impressed. I could EASILY talk with my son and wife across the room without raising my voice.

This compressor is genuinely quiet! Brought it to my office and have been using it every day for 2 weeks. (LOTS of USE) without issue. Can’t hear it running at all unless inside the utility room and even in there it is more quiet than the HVAC.

I did connect it with my old (LOUD) 40 gallon compressor to have extra reserve pressure. But unplugged the old one and this little guy keeps up pressure all day in our office that uses air driven equipment all day.

Maybe I just got a great one. but I have 0 complaints. I haven’t been paid for this review, I just like to give credit where it is due.

This is the second Cal Air Tools compressor Ive bought. Ive had their small portable for years and its been an excellent, and quiet, performer on the job site. Its nice when the compressor kicks on inside a house and doesnt scare your client or their cat! I needed a larger tank model for the shop and bought this one.

After setting it up I turned it on and filled the tank. It sounds even quieter than the older one. I left it at full pressure for a week with no hoses attached and it stayed at full pressure the entire week.

No leaks what so ever!! Now when I assemble the hose system in the shop I will know that any leaks do not come from the compressor like other brands Ive experienced in the past. Its a great tool. Highly recommend.

Excellent air compressor. It reaches pressure quickly. It is very well made and easy to move around. It is so quiet as to be almost unbelievable. You can carry on a conversation in a normal speaking voice standing next to it while it is running.

My old air compressor was so loud that it would startle me when it came on. You could barely hear yourself think while it was running. The California Air Tools Compressor gets the job done and is easy on the nerves and ears.

I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

i’m coming from using 4. 6 (dual tank) and 6 gallon (pancake) compressors. i like how it is quiet, relatively light, and aluminum (don’t have to worry about rust). i was anxious that this little guy wouldn’t be able to handle lugnuts but got a little bit of reassurance from a couple reviews.

well, i’m happy to report that i used this compressor just yesterday to rotate my tires. i used this along with a harbor fraught earthquake 1/2″ impact wrench along with a 50 foot 3/8″ air hose. also, my lugnuts are tightened to 75 ft lbs.

the compressor kicked in at the 5 or 6th lugnut but I didn’t have to stop and wait to complete the job for the wheel. the compressor would re-charge as i moved to the next wheel. YMMV with your wrench and hose (and compressor).

blowing out car air filter to clean it was a different story as the capacity is not high enough, but, i eventually got it done after waiting several iterations to re-charge. time will tell if the rings/pistons/motor craps out, so, i will update the review if that happens.

the only hiccup i experienced was when the unit wouldn’t automatically recharge when i was continusouly using an air nozzle to blow out the air filter and almost exhausted the tank. i had to turn off and on the compressor and it recharged.

the unit, however, would recharge if i was a bursty in air gushes versus continuous at around 90 or so psi and would go back up to 115 or so. i’ll probably read the manual to see if there is anything will help with the aforementioned issue.

i will be using this for light auto work, light carpentry stuff (nailers), and blowing out (i. e. cleaning) dust/dirt off of various things. i would have rather gotten the dual (4. 6) or 5. 5 gallon tank versions but got a good price on this 2 gallon unit, plus, the aluminum versions of those units are more expensive as well.

as others have mentioned, set your expectations with this little guy and you should be fine.

Very nice small compressor but leaks back through compressor section. Every 15 minutes the compressor starts and runs to resupply tank when there is nothing connected to the quick disconnect (which isn’t leaking).

Also I replaced the small gauge on the regulator and when the little gauge was removed I found it was installed in the fitting cross-threaded and I had to retap the hole before installing a better and larger gauge.

Seems to be some poor workmanship when this was put together. Still like it though.

While the quality is five stars of five, I will be using it for putting air in my new air bags, which I put the air stems in a very comfortable place nxt to my license plate. The problem is my smitty air systems fill nosel isn’t what I call a comfortable or efficient part of the system as a whole.

When I tested it, on several times trying I lost air over and over before I could get it disconnected. This can be quite a problem as air bags are fairly small in size and was difficult to get within a single pound left to right sides.

I will be trying to come up with something that will work for me, but for the premium price I expected more on the smaller fittings. Recommend to a friend ? That will depend on what it takes to refurbish something that is what I would feel is efficient and of reasonable quality.

For the price, shouldn’t have to go looking for a decent tire fill fitting.

I bought this compressor for a recent desert trip. The compressor works great! Easy to put together and easy to use! The only issue I came across was that the gauge does not have an accurate read of 25psi or lower.

I used a digital tire pressure gauge to get an accurate read. I think it’s a pretty minor issue, but thought it should be mentioned.

This product is almost perfect relative to its competition, but one major issue I have is the pressure gauge does not provide an accurate reading what-so-ever. Furthermore, the gauge does not consistently provide an incorrect reading, e.

g. it is not always 20 psi off, sometimes its incorrect by 10 psi, sometimes 20 psi, etc. Perhaps mine is defected? Other than the faulty pressure gauge, the compressor works great. It has a very good CFM relative to its 12V competitors, and I am pleasantly surprised by how “quiet” it is *for a compressor*.

I use this compressor along with the Barricade deflators for off-road, and its a great combination for quick deflation and inflation. I ride 20 psi off-road and 30 psi on-road with 35 inch tires. I haven’t measured the inflate time, but I’d roughly estimate under 2 minutes per tire.

The faulty pressure gauge unfortunately adds more time since I have to remove the pressurized line (containing the in-line gauge) and accurately check the pressure with a separate gauge, then adjust accordingly.

This is really inconvenient, hence the 3-star rating instead of 4. 5 stars (0. 5 star deduction for price, since it’s expensive for what it is. my 10 gallon compressor in the garage costs less).

If you are looking for a quiet compressor in a larger size, this is the one for you. Using a blow nozzle is actually louder than when the compressor kicks on. The auto drain is awesome and works like a charm.

This is quieter than most oiled compressors I’ve used, including the one I was borrowing while waiting for this to arrive. Don’t let anyone tell you that all oil free compressors are all noisy. It came well packed and was bolted in the center of a pallet with a box around it.

Couldn’t be happier with this unit.

We had the 10 Gallon California Air Tool machine rated at 65 decibels so I already knew how quite a compressor could be. We’ve also tried a 30 gallon Husky as a back up which was rated at 75 decibels.

Somehow this 60-gallon compressor is quieter than all of them. It’s a miracle. I was worried that it being 75 decibels would still disrupt our factory (which has the compressor running for long periods of time) but that’s not the case at all.

It is such a welcome relief. I think they measure the 75 from very close to the machine as compared to others which they measure from farther away because 75 decibels have never sounded so quiet to me! It does shoot a blast of air at the beginning and end of the cycle which is the loudest part, but then when it’s just the motor running you can still have a normal conversation.

The machine outlet is 3/8″ and we needed to buy a reducer to 1/4″ and a splitter since we are running 4 lines from it – so far no problems!We can finally work in peace and quiet and we’re so thankful for this machine!And I know that California Air Tools has great customer service, technical support, and quality machines – so there is no way I would ever buy another brand – they’re the full package deal and worth every penny.

Highly recommend this 60 Gallon California Air Compressor!.

It is hard to review something that is only been in service for a couple of weeks. Considering I have had 20 years of pretty good service from my last compressor, I’ll wait a year or so before posting a real review.

My compressor won’t experience much severe duty in my studio furniture shop (otherwise I might have opted for an oil based reciprocator), but I hope it will perform as I hoped. It is quiet, and everything seems pretty airtight.

I also own a portable CA, 10-gallon unit that I’ve been using in the field for several years, and I’ve been happy with it, so this seemed like a decent gamble.

I returned 2 in the first week because I thought the motors burnt out. Turns out this particular model is sensitive to the amperage that it can get from the source. If you are working at an older house or Or even off a hundred foot heavy gauge cord it will start to overheat and shut down by mid day or earlier.

Usually you can just turn it off and take a 5 minute break. Sometimes it is longer. One tie I gave up after a half an hour and burrowed a different brand from the owner of the ranch I was working on and that one worked fine all day.

The guys I have talked to running all the other brand pancake compressors all say they never have this issue. The second big issue is the drain valve. This is a portable jobsite unit and it is going to take some hits.

Well, mine got bumped on the job site and the valve cracked. Had to shut the job down and go find a replacement, which Home Depot does not sell. It is sticking out the bottom close to the ground and close to the side as well.

Very exposed and vulnerable. When I got home I welded a short piece of angle iron behind it and a V shaped pice of rebar in front so I can access it. Now it’s bullet proof but I am going to replace it soon anyway with a 5 gallon fortress from harbor freight.

I just can’t count on it to not shut down on me while I’m framing some walls or nailing shingles. Job stoppages like that are frustrating and not acceptable when caused by failures in style that so many other companies have done right.

This one is going to be relegated to home duty for airing up bike tires and basketballs. Probably going to get rid of my shop compressor since most of my shop air tools have been retired now that cordless impacts and ratchets are actually good options.

Replaced my old broken no name compressor with this Ridgid. Use it mostly for tires but also DIY projects around the house. It is fairly light and easy to carry around. Fills up fast enough. It’s a compressor, so it’s noisy but not unbearable.

I was looking at more expensive compressors but happy I made this purchase as it satisfies all my needs. Thanks Ridgid.

Got this on sale a couple of years ago. The manual sucks but the compressor is rock solid. Nowhere does it tell you how to get the compressed air from the tank to the outlet connectors. All the manual says is ‘turn the pressure regulator counterclockwise’.

To get the air to the connectors, you have to turn that pressure regulator clockwise until the output matches the pressure rating of the tool you’re using. It’s simple enough once you get the hang of it.

One video on YT described a compressor from another manufacturer and voila, I saw what I had to do. This compressor comes with no attachments, nothing at all, just the compressor. If you shop around, you’ll find some deals on the hoses and small tools you need.

I have had this for a couple weeks. Had to replace the Fortress 6 gallon 175 psi hand carry compressor that burned up a motor after about 13 months of use. I’m a homeowner that does not use these things very heavily so disappointed in that outcome.

That being said, I probably caused the demise of the Fortress by running an air hammer with it. This is it’s replacement. Needed more flow to run items as mentioned above. My only issue with the McGraw compressor is it does not like running with an extension cord.

I had some success with a short beefy cord from one circuit, but it did not like that on another circuit. Works ok when running directly plugged in without extension. To be fair, the instructions tell you this.

If you want to work further away, buy additional air hose. That is on my list when I return to Harbor Freight.

It’s an air compressor and it does compress air quite well. As to the features, I wish the power cord were just a little longer. Even in the same room as the outlet, I need to get the 25ft extension cord out to span the 4 feet to the outlet.

Then there’s the handle that features two hand turned nuts with plastic grips. Every time I use the unit, I need to put the handle on it to roll it. When it’s back in the closet, off comes the handle so the door will close.

Can’t they just make a folding handle like so many other devices has? A nut with a push lever to lock in place would have been ideal. Aside from that, it does exactly what you’d expect from a compressor and has a great price to match.

Worked fine for 6 months. Stored then moved to new house and it filled with air, held steady pressure and fully released with both valves. But when I hooked up hose it refused to provide any air! Also got extremely hot and smell of electrical fire.

WAS under FACTORY WARRANTY but because I didn’t purchase the POWER PLUS warranty from T & Supply, I got a complete runaround when I tried to get it repaired or replaced!!!! The company’s lack of taking responsibility and standing behind their warranty is the reason for the review.

Will NEVER purchase from either Porter Cable or Tractor & Supply again.

It does what is supposed to do and does it’s well and quick. I’ve only used it a few times airing up tires, my truck takes 65 psi and this does it without hesitating. I only gave it 4 stars because it is rather loud.

My wife even commented on how loud it was when I was on the driveway and she was in the house. And not knowing it’s longevity yet I can’t give it 5 stars. I also must note that the first one I bought when I got it home and opened the box it looked like it had been used for years! It was covered with dust and the gauge covers were even cracked.

So TC should get dinged on that.

Decent for being on sale at the time of purchase. No hose or connections in the box so swapped the stuff from my broken compressor. Quieter than the old compressor it replaced. It’s not to heavy and move it around the garage often.

Could be filled and transported to fill a flat but doesn’t hold the air when off for more than a day.

Pretty much all these 6g pancake compressors are made by the same company. Bostitch, DeWalt, Porter-cable, Stanley, Black and Decker, Makita, Craftsman: all the same company. Only minor differences in design.

So just get whatever has the best value for what you want. And for me on sale at $80 off with no tools it was this one. It fills up pretty much as fast as a compressor can on a 15amp circuit. No leaks.

Worked fine. But with so-so build quality and cosmetic defects right off the bat. Paint chipping around every connection into the tank, loose plastic cover over the manifold. But it worked and for the price I didn’t care.

Really I should’ve taken this more seriously. It’s loud but a good kind of loud. A deep bass kind of loud. At 2 feet away my old compressor ran at 75db, this one runs at 85db, which technically means its TWICE as loud, but if you told me I had stand next to one of them for 10 minutes I’d take the 85db model in a heartbeat.

I couldn’t stand within 20 feet of my old compressor when it was running but can tolerate this one fine. The difference is the pitch and vibration. My old compressor rattled and ran at a higher pitch.

This one is a steady bass. It’s just a more tolerable sound. Its like comparing a screaming baby to a V8 rumble. Here’s the real problem. It gets hot quick. Max duty cycle is 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off, which most people will never get close to anyways since it fills much faster but I did once when the cheap drain valve came open and I didn’t take notice soon enough.

On a 65F night, with no sun and barely a moon, and outside with full ventilation after running for less than but close to 5 minutes because of the loose drain valve mine had reached a temperature most would consider burnt to a crisp.

I didn’t have time to take actual temperature readings but I estimate he tank itself was at least 100-120 degrees F, the rubber hosing outside the engine housing was too hot to touch, maybe 160-170F, and the internal components, though I couldn’t touch them, got hot enough that the heavy metal engine began to melt through the flat plastic base of the engine cover so that now instead of a flat base raised above the tank with significant clearance I now have a deformed base where you can see the distinct imprint of the engine where it started to melt through the plastic until it stopped when it hit the tank.

So now it makes contact with the tank. Shining a flashlight into the housing shows obvious heat damage on the metal components some of which most definitely reached temperatures far beyond what is safe, easily 300-400F.

The compressor still works but sounds completely different since it rattled against the tank now and gets hot even faster since there’s no clearance between the tank and the base. So this lemon is going bsck.

I could try a warranty replacement but I’m within the return window so might just do that even if it means I have no compressor until the next sale. Good thing there’s pretty much one version of these things on sale somewhere or other at all times, and I’m pretty sure this was just a lemon because other models didnt come with the cosmetic defects that mine had right off the bat.

I bought this to replace my old Porter Cable pancake that bit the dust after nearly 20 years. First, this model is an obvious rebadge of the newer Porter Cable compressor but it’s $10 cheaper (regular price).

My old compressor came with two hoses and a brad nailer, this one comes with nothing at all but the unit itself in the box. Not that it matters to me because I could re-use the ones I had, but in terms of value if you end up spending money for those tools there are other options that are much better.

That said, for my needs and getting this on sale it meets all my expectations. It’s as loud as my old one, definitely not one of those “quiet” compressors, and it fills with air in the same amount of time.

I have a big 35 gallon compressor, but it’s not mobile. I needed something for projects outside my garage, such as putting a shingled roof on the chicken coop or filling tires farther away than my driveway.

I’ve been using this one for over a year now and it works great! Staplers, nail guns, air chucks, and my blow gun all have been used in much more mobile situations. I was able to top off all four tires on our car this morning from the tank at max pressure to start, but without having it plugged in.

Your online system for registration is frustrating. First, I have to establish a sign-in in order to register. Why? Just let me register the device. Second, the serial number of my compressor is 2 digits longer than what is allowed to be entered.

Third, I tried registering twice and each time it said there was an error and I could not register. Now, I get an email saying it is registered. So, bottom line, your registration system stinks!!!.

I use me air compressor to fix my fence, air up tires, and build furniture. The year I have owned my compressor I haven’t had any issues with moisture in the tank, or air pressure. The convenience of the portability of this air compressor makes it the perfect tool for home use.

I do recommend you replace the air line it comes with one that is longer and higher quality.

This compressor makes quick work of tire inflation. The rubber feet keep it steady on the floor and the included accessories save another separate purchase. This is ready to use when you open the bo.x

I bought this 2. 5 gal compressor as a secondary unit for those time i don’t feel like carrying my bigger ( and heavier ) 4gal compressor. A had it for about 14 months before it failed. Warranty is over so i had to go at my nearest Dewalt / Bostitch service center.

It seem like it’s going to cost more than half the price of a new unit to fix this one. What is very frustrating is the fact that this compressor have very little use compare to my other bigger compressor ( from a green powertool company ) wich i have been using EVERY DAY for the last 10 years.

No joke the Bostitch compressor less than 5% ( maybe 1% ) of the runtime of my green compressor wich has never failed on me. After reading a couples of review ( bad ) i have decided not to fix this compressor, this a low quality tool and i am not very impress by the level of service offered by the manufacturer.

Me as a user: I restore antique/vintage motorcycles and the occasional car. In the late 70’s I had a motorcycle shop and used a 3. 5 HP, 25 gallon Craftsman with 3 of us connected to it. How this Dewalt compares with limited use to date Noise comparison: a wash.

While not deafening, the Dewalt is as noisy as my Craftsman ever was. Not horrible, just not the “quiet operation” I was anticipating. I believe a large part of the noise is driven by this next component refill time.

My Craftsman would go from empty to full in less than 5 minutes. After bleeding and refilling several times my Dewalt takes a minimum of 12 minutes to fully refill (30 gallon Dewalt vs. 25 gallon Craftsman).

I haven’t taken the cover off yet to peek but my guess is the piston and canister (what broke on my Craftsman and 3 Chinese crappy replacements later led to this purchase) for pumping air are significantly smaller on the Dewalt than on my Craftsman (also 1.

5 HP Dewalt vs. 3. 5 HP Dewalt). This combination leads me to believe that, with regular usage, I will be lucky to get half the years of service out of my Dewalt that I did with my Craftsman (also purchased Craftsman when parts AND assembly were made in the good ol’ US of A).

Ultimately this is a pancake compressor mounted on a 30-gallon tank. I do appreciate the 200 psi whereas my Craftsman was rated at 125. As an “old guy” who will use this as detailed, I believe it will suffice so long as I do not have to use it in an extended, continuous operation, setting.

I have yet to use it for spray painting a car but I am marginally optimistic the refill capabilities will keep up. If they really wanted to make their customers happy they would sell this unit with a slight increase in HP and pump/refill capacity.

But I understand why they don’t it’s purely marketing (you’ve already purchased the motor and piston how much could the incremental cost really be?). Truth is I haven’t had an opportunity to put it through its paces yet as I purchased it in the middle of moving to a new residence.

If I think of it I’ll circle back in a year or so to provide an update.

Product arrived defective. Upon arrival, I immediately went thru the break-in procedures. After testing the lines for leaks I pressurized the tank as the manual states. When the motor shut off, I could clearly hear a distinct hissing noise coming from the bottom of the tank.

I spoke with customer service and was given misinformation that I could attempt a repair on the tank. But, I then followed what the manual states and I took the compressor to a factory Dewalt service center.

There, I was told the tank had to be pulled from service and was not safe to operate nor safe to attempt a fix on the tank. The whole compressor had to be sent back to Dewalt. Now the item is on back order.

I still dont have a compressor I paid for at least a month ago now. I cant afford to go buy another compressor so Im just forced to wait. My remodeling business is at a standstill. So many tools rely on my compressor.

So many of my jobs I have to have a compressor. This compressor was expensive, I paid up expecting this tool to go to work for me. Instead, its actually slowed my business to a crawl. Wish I had a more positive review.

But my experience has been terrible so far.

I really do like my DeWalt air compressor. I chose this model because it required less amps to restart the motor to build the tank pressure back up. The only complaint I have is it is kind of slow to get back up to full pressure before it shuts off.

I have had other compressors that were much faster but they also would not restart when using an extension cord unless you drained all the pressure out of the tank. I guess thats the trade-off. Overall I am happy with it and may buy it again but I would seriously look around for a better option before I chose this model again.

I found it rather easy to setup and use. The instructions are very clear. It is definitely user-friendly if you are not in a big hurry.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, it’s an air compressor, and they are all loud, but this one seems particularly loud for its size. THAT’S the only draw back. It’s small and lightweight which makes it very portable.

The handle on top is great, and if you use a coupon, then you actually have no excuse to not have one of these little guys. Maybe you don’t use, or need, an air compressor often; well then this is a great little one to have on hand, tucked away.

Maybe you already have a whole shop, but you want something to throw in the trunk of your car, or bed of your truck to run out and do something somewhere else. Anyway, great compressor, great size, great value, loud as all heck.

Did OK with a 2 in 1 brad/crown stapler for a couple of hundred, 1 1/2 inch staples used securing outdoor fence panels. Pressure always exceeded 100 psi before automatic shutoff. During the fence work, I had to wait periodically for the tank to repressurize when I got to stapling in more than 1 staple every few seconds.

I also used a 30 foot, long straight air hose to extend the nailer reach across the job and increase air volume of high pressure air available for continued tool use. The unit runs very, very loud. I FIRST reach for hearing protection before turning this unit on in the garage.

While off, but pressurized, the unit loses all air pressure within tens of minutes. This unit air loss when idle is likely a quality issue. The idle air loss is a negative, for this unit, when I think about the many hours my Craftsman and Ryobi 3-5 gal, portable, 110v units always retain high air pressure.

This Harbor Freight brand compressor is my first, but if it’s air loss rate when idle increases, it will likely be my last HFT compressor.

I bought this little compressor for furniture restoration and car tire inflation. Using a Brad nailer , a finish nailer, air blowing tool for dust and refinishing debris. It wouldn’t be suitable for grinders or sanders, I use corded tools for those jobs of restoration.

This little guy does perfect with small jobs. Ideal for diy handyman home chores, crafting, car and bicycle tires. I trimmed several rooms , was a bit slow recovering but small jobs are easily done.

It was loud but not as loud as a larger compressor, all compressors are loud so don’t let that worry you, actually it is not that bad, it’s a small motor. I recommend it for anyone doing small jobs.

The low 8. 5 amp power requirement is very useful if you have limited power in your workspace and have multiple power tools and lighting. For someone working from a detached garage that only has a single 20 amp feed, this would be a good choice.

It’s also an advantage if you need to run it off a long extension cord, since 8. 5 amps doesn’t cause enough voltage drop to be much of an issue, even at 100 feet on a 14 ga. cord. The other thing about this machine is that it actually is very quiet.

60 dB is barely above a whisper, so you can listen to the radio at a reasonable volume in your shop, and even have a normal conversation next to it while it’s running. Bonus points for not irritating your crabby next door neighbor if you live in the city.

They probably won’t even notice you have a compressor. I believe you could even use it in an old wood-frame apartment building as long as you position it in such a way that it doesn’t cause too much vibration.

Best of all, it won’t scare your pets into hiding! The only issue is that for its cost, it isn’t as powerful as many others. Since going battery-powered for my impact wrenches, my primary uses are for air-blowing, and occasional nail gun use, including a framing nailer.

If I tried to go too fast with the nail gun, it wouldn’t keep up, so this isn’t a good choice for a professional framing carpenter where time is money. And for the blow gun, you can get about 10-15 seconds of good pressure, then you have to wait 30-45 seconds for it to recover.

The most powerful 120 volt compressors can supply between 4-5 CFM at 90 PSI (but they also draw 14-15 amps and are LOUD); this one is only rated for 2. 6 CFM at 90 PSI, so that’s your tradeoff for whisper-quiet low-amp operation.

And although I’d give this five stars because I don’t need the most power possible from a 120v outlet (the quiet operation combined with Makita’s quality reputation is what sold me), I’m holding back because brand new out of the box, this unit cuts off at only 125 PSI, not 135 as it should, so there might be a quality control issue somewhere (this is a new model released in the past year or so).

I paid for 135 PSI, and at this price, I feel I deserve every pound. Therefore, my next move is to contact Makita and see what they say. I’ve never had to warranty a Makita product, so whether I update with a 5th star depends on how satisfied I am with Makita’s response.

I bought the 3 gallon version, and I absolutely love it. My only complaint is the weight. It fills up extremely quickly, and the noise is low enough that you can still have a conversation beside it while it’s running.

I haven’t used it with any continuous air tools , but for nailers, it’s worked beautifully. Lugging it up/down stairs is a pain however; as I get older, I may have to attach it to a dolly somehow.

What most people don’t realize is that Goodyear is just the brand name that the Chinese manufacturer licenses to slap on their product– they do that because American consumers associate brand names with quality.

In reality it’s the same type import/foreign product that other “quality” brands sell. I bought it only because it was on clearance and couldn’t beat the price– knowing exactly what it is, a throwaway compressor that will hopefully last a few years.

It came with air leaks right out of the box– the quick connect coupler was leaking where it was screwed into the regulator outlet. Upon removal, I discovered that they use a plastic insert pressed in to provide the threads, instead of actually tapping the metal.

But the metal is so cheap (pot metal) that I can see why they don’t tap it. Problem fixed with some teflon pipe thread paste (don’t use thread tape, it will crack the pot metal). It still leaks at the pressure solenoid/valve (the thing that tells the compressor to turn on and off).

There’s no fixing that unless I were to buy a replacement part. It’s a very slow leak so I’ll live with it. These issues aside, it’s a perfectly functional air compressor. It doesn’t have great output and fills rather slowly (compared to an 8 gallon oil-lubricated compressor I own), but gets the job done for less demanding tools, used in a residential environment (i.

e low duty cycle). I purchased it primarily for my wife to have for backyard projects with a nail gun and other tools that don’t use much air. I suspect it will work just fine for that. If it keeps her out of the garage tangling up my air hoses on my larger compressor, it’s well worth the money.

It is very quiet. It’s small and is for small jobs. For instance, I used it to paint a car and faced frustration having to stop sanding or stop spraying so that the compressor could catch up. For nailing and inflating tires and other general uses, it’s perfect.

I tend to work on projects late at night when it’s cooler, so this is ideal. *Every week or so, loosen the drain valve on the bottom of the tank to expel water that builds in the tank. I live in a humid area, so I do it before each use.

*Also, tighten all screw and nuts periodically to keep it quiet. The vibrations loosen them and make the machine rattle loudly if left. I caught this on sale at my store for $85. I should have bought 10 at that price.

It’s still a good value at 185. Definitely recommend for home use or as a backup/portable.

Compressor was wasy to set up out of the box, the only thing you have to do is bolt on the two wheels and screw in the griphandle and its ready to go! The wheels feel sturdy and have rubber tread on the bottoms for good grip on the ground.

Compressor filled the tank up quickly and was SO quiet doing the job. Compressor is very very quite, especially when needing to use indoors for jobs. Much more convenient and work friendly than my smaller and much louder harbor freight and craftsman models.

Bought two of these during a sale and they both are performing better than I could’ve hoped. Even at the regular price these compressors are a steal!!.

Whisper quiet compressor, reaches working pressure very quickly. Regulator very accurate. Bought to replace 5 gallon Porter Cable pancake unit. Please note that it’s a very heavy unit so not easy to move around.

I use a small wheeled buggy. Fit and finish is excellent, one of my friends is a carpenter by trade and uses the same unit. I’d probably have moved up to the wheeled unit if I’d done my homework. I bought it based on independent testing reports, I.

e. , “best small air compressors” where it was rated #1.

Once again Makita exceeds my expectations. This unit is much quieter than expected. It fully pressurizes in a minute. It allows spray painting besides running air tools. It’s a work horse that is well built and will last.

This is not a renamed product sold by other tool company’s. Makita engineers, designs and builds their own equipment. Good job!.

I was real happy with this compressor, just using it to run a pinner and blower for under an hour, total running time over several days. I’d set it up and ran it according to the instructions. All good.

Fairly quiet. No issues. Drained the tank after each use. However, I hoped to put up a little trim today and it doesn’t work at all. Really disappointed. I’m taking it back tomorrow for an exchange.

Brand new straight out of the box, I noticed the manifold containing the tank gauge, regulator and quick connect couplers, turned quite easily like a steering wheel. I detected no air leaks just rotation both clockwise and counter clockwise on the small nipple that attaches the manifold to the tank.

The pump shroud prevents a 360 rotation. This is neither safe or durable, would not last on a job site. The paint job on bottom of the tank is a little rough looking. Looks lie it was set down in dirt while the paint was still wet.

The Instruction Manuel requires, if absolutely necessary, an extension cord that is less than 50′ and with a 14 AWG or larger. This item is equipped with an 18 AWG by 7′ power cord. Talk about a voltage stealer.

This super skinny cord is not heavy duty. wrapping and unwrapping this cord on the cord keeper will subject it to fatigue and early failure. The customer is suppose to use heavy duty extension cords while Dewalt equips their equipment with the cheapest power cord on the market.

This unit runs somewhat quieter than the one I retired after 16 years of hard service but seems to take a little longer to charge up. It does charge to 165 PSI instead of 150 PSI.

Having only one gauge is unacceptable, this is the only compressor on the market with 1 gauge. Even worse is the flimsy plastic handle, totally unacceptable for a tank this weight to have a plastic handle.

165 PSI is a small improvement over the typical 150, but the 1. 5HP metabo hpt “The Tank” compressor goes to 200PSI, fills faster, and now cost the same as this dewalt. And the metabo does have 2 gauges and a steel handle.

DeWalt really missed the mark with this compressor.

Bought this compressor for my home shop. The main reason I chose DeWalt over other compressors, which are basically all the same, was the noise level. DeWalt claims theirs is only 75 dba. NOT TRUE. The noise level on this compressor is 85 dba, which is very loud.

You could never use this in a house if others are inside. My family even complains about this running out in the garage because it interferes with screen time.

Bought this compressor because I needed something light weight to carry up flights of stairs to install baseboard in a three story apartment building. Compressor is very quiet compared to compressors of comparable price and size.

What I like best is the low amp draw as the building Im working in has older wiring circuts. This compressor has not tripped a breaker yet even when using it for an eight hour day. My only disappointment would be that the tank is to small to us as a compressor to spray drywall through a hopper.

As a trim compressor I highly reccommend it.

I love this machine. I looked at those little air compressors for RV’s and actually bought one that was faulty. The company I bought it from eventually refunded me and let me keep the faulty machine.

I got it into running condition and it was basically useless for my RV’ing needs. That is when I went the extra few dollars and bought this machine. It stores compactly and is powerful. It operates on AC only, but no problem.

I have an RV generator that I pack with me I travel. This is easily worth the money. Forget those little compressors. Get the real deal and carry it on board.

I have used this compressor for years at work and decided to get one myself. It is good for inflating bike and car tires, balls (soccer, basektball, etc). Cleaning dust off computers. Quiet compressor when on, fills the tank within a few minutes and is not too heavy, thanks to the handles.

Good solid construction, good finish (should last a lifetime with care). You need to purchase the nozzle and hose accessories separately. I would not use for high pressure work (like spray paint), but for general home use, it is a great buy.