Suggestions for Good Vertical, QUIET air compressor

[Alan Lightstone]

I have a horizontal air compressor that will occupy too much floor space in my new workshop, but a vertical one, in a sound insulated room, would be far better for me.

Any suggestions as to types, features, etc... that are beneficial to an air compressor, and which are the quieter ones.

I won't be using it for spraying (I use my HVLP system for that), so it's just for the occasional air tool, filling tires, cleaning the shop and cyclone, and some pneumatic nail guns. Someday I might switch over to pneumatic sanding, but not planned right now. Also, for vacuum veneer system I have a vacuum pump, so don't need it for that either.

[Darcy Warner]

My Wayne and old quincy are so quiet I don't notice them running. Both two stage, slow speed set ups.

[Jim Becker]

I'm a fan of IR, but Quincy gets a lot of kudos from folks. If you're in any way serious about pneumatic sanding in the future, you'll want to up-size what you buy now because those things require a lot of air. Otherwise, for general shop use, you can almost get away with any typical 60-80 gallon high quality compressor. Mine is only 3hp, but does what I need it to do...and I'll never use it for sanding. It covers my pneumatic nailers, spraying finishes and general utility use just great. BTW, the best doodad I added to it from the beginning is an auto-drain system :) especially since it's out of sight and out of mind living with the cyclone in a sound reduced closet.

[Ben Rivel]

Everything you listed except for air tools like a sander could be done with a nice and quiet California Air Tools compressor. They have small upright ones that i believe are 10 gallon. The things are ridiculously quiet. Its been nice having one.

[Cary Falk]

Anything with oil. I have a 60 gallon CH from Lowes. I replaced the intake filter with a Solberg and it made it even quieter. I have been running it for years without issue.

[Harold Balzonia]

Whatever you do, I cannot advise strongly enough AGAINST California Air Compressor. I had one that blew up the piston rings after maybe 20 uses over 16 months. I called, emailed and tried again and again to get ahold of them and they never returned messages. After a few weeks I finally talked to some guy in the service department and he was as useful as a tuxedo at a nudist colony.

i took the motor apart and found shrapnel throughout the cylinders. The gaskets were yellowed, the cast aluminum was thin and cheap. Basically it was complete junk. Others have had similar issues according to other forums and amazon reviews.

caveat emptor....

Buy any large oiled compressor from Quincy, or IR and I think you'll be happy. They run slow, and most are remarkably quiet these days.

[David Kumm]

The pick of the old compressor litter is the Quincy QR series. They are easily rebuilt, run slow and are quiet. If you ever look at the valves and internals of compressor pumps, you will know what I mean. I also use a dental compressor that is almost silent for nailers, pneumatic gates, and low volume usage. The key to quiet is slow running. 600-700 rpm vs the 1100-1200 the crappy cheap ones run at. Dave

[Prashun Patel]

Ca tools 8010spc.

I bought a different model but was impressed with the noise level on this one.

I have not had the same issue with ca tools support. I have found them responsive and helpful both in selection and counseling me on maintenance.

[Mike Cutler]

Alan

I have this one from Rolair. It's actually pretty quiet for a standup 5hp air compressor. If it's in an enclosed room, I doubt you would even hear it cycle. Mine is the model shown on that page

https://www.rolair.com/products/air-compressors/electric-stationary/5-hp-light-industrial

Once you said air tools, blow down the shop, and sanders, you kind of moved into a bigger air compressor. I have a Rolair JC10 for use in the house and shop.

Quincy makes some really nice compressors also.

[glenn bradley]

Everything you listed except for air tools like a sander could be done with a nice and quiet California Air Tools compressor. They have small upright ones that i believe are 10 gallon. The things are ridiculously quiet. Its been nice having one.

Another California Air user here. Stupid quiet. Check the video at 2:20 here (https://youtu.be/8ciXFWwL0OQ?t=139).

[David Eisenhauer]

Just to point something out - If you buy a 60 - 80 gal upright and only use it for your occasional tasks as listed above, the compressor should not run all that often. In other words, it will only kick in now and again and create that noise. Mine (HD special, a red one) is not what I would call quiet, but it only kicks in every few days when I turn it on to top off the high end pressure in the tank. I use it for tires, occasional shop blowout, lawnmower maint, etc. Maybe go for the one that has the best reliability and parts/customer service record rather than the quietest one.

[Alan Lightstone]

What are the reasons for going to a two stage compressor vs. a single stage?

Is the difference in tank size of 60 vs 80 gallons important, or not?

[Jim Becker]

Two stage is often quieter and can also provide higher SCFM for tools. Tank size is relative. For average shop use, 60 is fine, but using demanding air tools, such as a sander, will benefit from the larger tank as the compressor will run less.

[David Kumm]

The benefit of the larger tank is to allow the air to cool and drop out the moisture into the tank. Same for the two stage. With no high usage tools it doesn't make much sense to run a two stage 20 cfm compressor but with sanders and die grinders an even larger tank is beneficial. Dave

[Bill Dufour]

You could mount the compressor and motor on a board on the ground and mount the existing tank vertical. save yourself some money.

[Scott T Smith]

Two stage compressors will provide a higher PSI for tank storage. Most single stage compressors cut out between 125 - 135 psi; two stage units cut out at 175 psi.

Since air compresses, there is exponentially a greater volume of air stored in a tank at 175 psi than 125 psi. Increased volume of air storage is the primary benefit of two stage compressors.

Like others I've had a California Air Tools compressor for several years, and have been very pleased with it. Unlike Harold, my experience with their customer service people was very positive and they quickly responded to my request for a new manifold (that it was my fault had broken). Even when I told them it was my fault they still replaced it under warranty.

[Tim M Tuttle]

I have a horizontal air compressor that will occupy too much floor space in my new workshop, but a vertical one, in a sound insulated room, would be far better for me.

Any suggestions as to types, features, etc... that are beneficial to an air compressor, and which are the quieter ones.

I won't be using it for spraying (I use my HVLP system for that), so it's just for the occasional air tool, filling tires, cleaning the shop and cyclone, and some pneumatic nail guns. Someday I might switch over to pneumatic sanding, but not planned right now. Also, for vacuum veneer system I have a vacuum pump, so don't need it for that either.

I have this California Air Tools model: http://www.californiaairtools.com/ultra-quiet-series-of-air-compressors/2-0-hp-air-compressors/cat-10020c/

I purchased it from Amazon back in March and the first one I got had a screw rolling around in the motor assembly. I didnt even turn it on and sent it back. That was fun. Got a new one a few days later. Worked great for a few months and then had an issue where it got super loud and wouldnt fill past about 110 PSI. Emailed support and they got back to me in an hour or so with a couple of suggestions. Ended up being a loose hose that took about 20 seconds to fix. Since then it's been great. I do everything you mentioned plus use it for HVLP and it works great for all things so far and it's REALLY quiet.

So, I've had issues but nothing catastrophic. Before I ordered this one I went to HD and bought a Ridgid. Plugged it in and turned it on, super loud. Boxed it up and took it back.