Quiet air compressor

[Merrill Herring]

Looking for a quite air compressor for my woodworking shop, needs to maintain pressure will be mostly used for nail guns.

[Jim Becker]

Rolair and California Air both have reportedly very quiet designs and are good for pneumatic nail guns.

[Mac McQuinn]

I recently purchase this Rol-Air item; https://www.rolair.com/products/air-...d-carry/vt20tb
It's pretty darn quiet at 78-79db, I've called Rol-air and their tech support has been excellent.
Mac

[Dave Zellers]

I have the RolAir JC10 and can't believe how quiet it is.

[Victor Robinson]

The Rolair JC10 is a tried and true winner in this relatively new category of "quiet compressors." I love mine - it's definitely quiet and reasonably portable. I recently stuck some casters on mine so now I can kick it around the shop.

[Glen Gunderson]

I have a California Air Tools one (I think it's the 5510SE) that I bought to have a small quiet compressor in the shop for nail guns and blowing dust off projects. I expected it to be quiet based on the dB rating but I was still shocked when I fired it up for the first time. It really is only about as loud as a normal conversation.

[Greg Castaneda]

This is the one I currently use. Provides decent volume/pressure and is pretty quiet.
https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/MAC2400

[Geoff Crimmins]

I'm quite happy with my Rolair JC-10 plus, which is small and very quiet. California Air Tools has several compressors that are similarly quiet. If you're using brad guns or lightly using a nail gun, Senco has a small compressor that's very quiet.

[Jack Lemley]

+1 Makita MAC2400. I love mine!

Jack

[phil harold]

Super quiet
http://www.californiaairtools.com/ul...rs/cat-10020c/

I love it

[Harold Balzonia]

I've posted this before but I'll post it again.......

I would stay as far away from California Air Tools as humanly possible. I had one and the motor failed after maybe 15 total uses. It was a second compressor for me and I only used it sparingly when I had a job to do indoors. I called their service dept and it took weeks to get through to a human being. Message after message, email after email left unanswered. Just awful.....

long story short, they refused my request for warranty coverage because the unit was "out of warranty." It was, in fact, out of warranty.... I kid you not.... 3 DAYS past the warranty. No leeway offered. I took the thing apart and can send you photos of the insides of the compressor. Shrapnel everywhere!

California Air Tools compressors are really junk and made from very poor materials... bad gaskets, cheap cast parts, etc etc.... Again, I can send you photos of the guts of mine.... it's scary how bad they are. You'd be better off with a harbor freight, in my opinion.

If anyone wants to chime in and say how great their California Air Tools compressor is, I'd just say, throw on the old Randy Travis record: it's just a matter of time

[Mike Cutler]

Rolair JC-10. Very quiet. You'll never need hearing protection with it. The gun cycling will make more noise than the compressor.

[phil harold]

Sounds like you got a bad one
In a matter of time All compressors fail.

I've posted this before but I'll post it again.......

I would stay as far away from California Air Tools as humanly possible. I had one and the motor failed after maybe 15 total uses. It was a second compressor for me and I only used it sparingly when I had a job to do indoors. I called their service dept and it took weeks to get through to a human being. Message after message, email after email left unanswered. Just awful.....

long story short, they refused my request for warranty coverage because the unit was "out of warranty." It was, in fact, out of warranty.... I kid you not.... 3 DAYS past the warranty. No leeway offered. I took the thing apart and can send you photos of the insides of the compressor. Shrapnel everywhere!

California Air Tools compressors are really junk and made from very poor materials... bad gaskets, cheap cast parts, etc etc.... Again, I can send you photos of the guts of mine.... it's scary how bad they are. You'd be better off with a harbor freight, in my opinion.

If anyone wants to chime in and say how great their California Air Tools compressor is, I'd just say, throw on the old Randy Travis record: it's just a matter of time

[Greg R Bradley]

I've posted this before but I'll post it again.......

I would stay as far away from California Air Tools as humanly possible. I had one and the motor failed after maybe 15 total uses. It was a second compressor for me and I only used it sparingly when I had a job to do indoors. I called their service dept and it took weeks to get through to a human being. Message after message, email after email left unanswered. Just awful.....

long story short, they refused my request for warranty coverage because the unit was "out of warranty." It was, in fact, out of warranty.... I kid you not.... 3 DAYS past the warranty. No leeway offered. I took the thing apart and can send you photos of the insides of the compressor. Shrapnel everywhere!

California Air Tools compressors are really junk and made from very poor materials... bad gaskets, cheap cast parts, etc etc.... Again, I can send you photos of the guts of mine.... it's scary how bad they are. You'd be better off with a harbor freight, in my opinion.

If anyone wants to chime in and say how great their California Air Tools compressor is, I'd just say, throw on the old Randy Travis record: it's just a matter of time

And I will agree with Harold completely and also with Phil's praise. I had one great experience with a 10020 7-8 years ago and horrible experience with a 6010 a couple years ago. I think they built good stuff then brought the prices down by changing suppliers on the later units. You could see the difference just in the boxes and packing materials after the change. Their service is as horrible as Harold says.

My Makita MAC700 and MAC2400 are great.

[Jebediah Eckert]

2437BC9E-755C-4E47-86C5-2389866E8588.jpg

I bought the above California Air Tools compressor a year or two ago for the shop. It stays on all the time and mostly used for nailers or blowing things off. I wish I bought it years before. It is quiet and there when I need it.

My experience with CAT is different from Harold. In shipping it must have got dropped and bent the regulator knob. I called them and got a person with zero difficulties. Sent me a whole new regulator out (I think Even 2nd day air). They were told it happened in shipping but they took care of it anyhow.

When I swapped out the parts I had a few questions and had to call a few more times (operator error) and they were very helpful. I just called the number in the manual.

Maybe if that’s a concern just look up their customer service number and give them a call. Ask for a technician or repair and ask them a question. That should answer if Harold’s issue is common or he just caught them during a bad run?

oh yeah, it’s real quiet!