California Air Tools 8010A Aluminum Tank Air Compressor | Ultra Quiet, Oil-Free, 1.0 hp, 8 gal

My wife and I are renovating a mid-1960s house, ultimately planning to live here full-time. My 27gal compressor back home was sorta-portable (wheels & stood vertically) but not easily transportable between the two houses. While researching for a small, quiet compressor for the reno my original compressor violently self-destructed. (:- Portability became much more important. The 8010 is small enough and light enough to strong-arm into a car trunk. Tank capacity is completely adequate for my needs (air gun, light sandblasting, minor cut-off work.) At this level its ideal. BUT--I also needed a relatively-quiet unit. My original was not, and as my wife has offices at both locations Im particularly careful about how much noise I generate. This California Air Tools compressor is billed as ultra-quiet, and thats an excellent description. This is easily the quietest compressor Ive every used, and that includes the little carry-along tire compressors one carries in a car trunk. I have a cousin who has a home-shop in which she makes things for her business. I learned they needed a compressor for some airbrushing they need to do. As noise in her shop is also a big consideration, I was able to recommend this compressor without reservation. Id buy it again, for sure. And yes, I did buy it. I have never accepted compensation for anything I review.

This is the perfect air compressor for any hobbyist that is thinking of purchasing. I purchased this compressor to use with my Iwata eclipse airbrush and I couldnt be happier. This gives me plenty of air with the 8gal tank and its easy to adjust the air psi that flows through my airbrush. I highly recommend the aluminum tank over the steel version as it will last you a very long time with the proper care of course.

So quiet when its running (we can use it in the house and have a conversation at the same time). Seems efficient in terms of consistent cycle during use. Our lesson is you *must* drain tank when youre done for the day. We left it pressurized and after one day the check valve spring was compressed and it wouldnt start. Once we figured that out, the fix was pretty quick and easy but this is more finicky than other consumer-level compressors.

It is definitely quieter than my last one and light weight, which makes it fairly easy to transport to job sites. Because it is cheaply built, not surprising for the price, Im really paranoid about damaging it in any way. I dropped my last one a couple of times and it still held together. Not confident that something wont break off with this one. Otherwise, it does what I need it to do.

A very impressive air compressor. I def it to paint farm tractor with HVLP GUN it kept with the gun well

Everything worked as expected right out of the box. It fills the tank in just over 2 minutes. I replaced the quick couple at the tank with my own 25 foot hose with quick coupler on the end. I turned the pump off and was gone for over two weeks and when I came back the pressure was exactly where I left it (no leaks). The compressor is pleasantly quiet as that was a primary objective for me in replacing my old unit. A little more expensive than some units but as long as it holds up over time I feel it will be worth it.

Builds pressure fast & very low noise. The geometry of the handle & wheels couldnt be more useless. When you try to wheel it around it will do a wheelie & flop on the back of the tank... Im only 56 tall, so its just a bad design. Get the aluminium model cuz you are going to just carry it to move it.

What a great little air compressor not too loud I would recommend it for anybody that needs a small one

Don’t believe any reviews to the contrary, this is as quiet, or quieter, than advertised. I needed something I could run in the house without damaging my children’s hearing and this fits the bill. It’s orders of magnitude quieter than the 6 gallon porter cable I used to use. The only down sides are the aluminum tank, while lighter than the steel porter cable, is not as light as hoped. Also, the handle for pulling it on the wheels is to short to be almost useless for someone who is 5’10” tall. Also, they say it’s made in San Diego California, but the box says made in China. Not good.

Bought 7 months ago for my laser runs very little, its quite what I was looking for. A week later I noticed when I was engraving I had no air I thought I for got to turn it on it was on. I have power to the motor but motor will not run. I have not heard back yet from the company, I will update review when a solution is found.