New Compressor- Which one to get? I can’t decide

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OXCanada

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So I have gone back and forth between two compressors over the last month and I am unable to decide on a direction. Please help!!

This compressor will be based out of my shop and rarely travel out of it. It will run nailers and typical shop functions. Also it will do the odd air impact tool for miscellaneous car repairs (lug nuts for tire rotations etc). In the future I may want to do some plasma cutting but that’s a couple years off.

The question is tank size. The makita seems like it will do everything that I need it to but will cycle a lot. The ingersol rand seems like it will be overkill for just about everything and is less portable. I like the idea of portability if I need to go somewhere but at the same time I like the idea of a a nice big tank that won’t cause it to cycle much.

Let me know your options! Thanks for the help

The contenders:

Makita MAC5200 Big Bore 3.0 HP Air Compressorhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001Q2VPU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_g1TUBbR05HDBC

Ingersoll-Rand Garage Mate - 2 HP, 5.5 CFM, Model# P1.5IU-A9https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001O3E9WC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_61TUBbQVB9WED
 
I wouldn’t recommend the IR model.  It’s big and loud and for your uses, probably much larger than you need.  Quality is a bit sketchy too.  I have one and 5 years in the motor now trips the GFCI circuit it’s plugged into.  It’s seen light use, so I was not happy about that. 

The Makita is interesting.  I wouldn’t have expected that little tank to put out >5 cfm at 90 psi.  I’m sure it will only do it for quick bursts, but for properly torqued lugnuts it will be fine.  I have the small mac700, and the build quality is great and it’s quiet (65db or thereabouts).  The only thing I have had to do is change out the steel coupler and regulator for stainless and a fresh regulator.  I had the same issue on the IR, but after that fix, no problems.  I’ve had 9 years of light use on it and lately it’s spent 6 months trimming out a friend’s house.  It’s strange that they don’t publish the dB specs on the larger Makita, but I would try to see in person or call them directly.  I don’t expect it to be as loud as the IR, but it isn’t going to be as quiet as the baby Makita. 

If you want a larger tank, California air tools sells a 10 gallon model which might be the perfect in between size.  It’s also an upright, if floor space is an issue.  I think that 10 gallon should have enough cfm to run the impact fine (generally you want more than 5, but you can get away with a little less but look at the impact gun specs).  Personally, I’m not sold on the quality of the CAT compressors, but I haven’t owned one. 

Another good brand to consider is rolair.  They make one comparable to the Makita.  Don’t know the dB specs and the air output is low, but doable.
https://www.toolnut.com/power-tools/air-pneumatic-tools/compressors/rolair-fc2002hbp6-2-hp-5-3-gallon-compressor.html
 
I have had the Makita MAC5200 Big Bore 3.0 HP Air Compressor for a couple of years and it is great! Very quiet as far as compressors go. I can be standing within 4 feet of it conversing with a friend and it can cycle on and off without impacting the conversation. Used to have a Rigid twin tank and the noise was deafening. My shop is 16x24 and climate controlled. You won't regret the Makita purchase.

Jack
 
I recently bought the California Air Tools 4620AC for $275.00 on Ebay.  Cat"s Ebay store lists these as blemished but I could not find anything on the one I received.  I had an old PC 3.5hp that was incredibly loud so I retired that one.  This one is great, puts out as much air as the old PC and can stand next to it running and have a phone conversation.
 
rst said:
I recently bought the California Air Tools 4620AC for $275.00 on Ebay.  Cat"s Ebay store lists these as blemished but I could not find anything on the one I received.  I had an old PC 3.5hp that was incredibly loud so I retired that one.  This one is great, puts out as much air as the old PC and can stand next to it running and have a phone conversation.
Click to expand...

Can’t find any such store on eBay but Cal. Air does have their own outlet store here:
https://www.ultraquietaircompressor.com/main.sc

Is this what you meant?

 
Rolair's are awesome, but LOUD AS HECK! Makita's are good compressors, but when I wanted a quieter portable compressor I bought a CAT. Went with the smaller HP since some houses electrical systems are suspect and blowing breakers is not a good thing, so I went with the CAT- 4610A-H. I called CAT to get more information and they sell on Ebay cheaper than anywhere else, unless you can catch a Home Depot sale of the rebranded Ridgid compressor. They said the "H" is for heavy duty. The units sold on Ebay are either older frames or they have scratches etc., but they list them as used. Nothing that affects usability and they put a warranty on them. Below is the unit I have. They also make a 4620 as stated above but when I talked to CAT they said they draw enough amperage to blow breakers. Think Zinsco panels...scary!https://www.ebay.com/itm/CAT-4610A-...pressor-USED/302231524592?hash=item465e6714f0:g:of4AAOSwQc5bV0L3

Mine will run an impact, but I have a reasonably powerful cordless so I don't really need to use a pneumatic impact anymore. The issue with the small compressors is they won't get up very high in pressure.

A plasma is going to require a 40+ gallon compressor that runs off a dedicated 220volt circuit and can keep up. Along with a water filter like a Motor Guard.

Personally I would go with an upright unit for space savings, that is very quiet if it is going to be inside with you.

Here is CAT's Ebay store.https://www.ebay.com/sch/californiaairtools/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
 
The Makita MAC700 is probably the best compressor I've owned to date.  Compared against my previous Craftsman machine, the Makita is quieter (lower RPM 4-pole motor), recovers quicker, and doesn't cycle as much with the 135psi tank.  I primarily use it with nailers or for other small tasks where the size is adequate.

My only complaint about the Makita MAC700 is the balance.  I can deal with the weight, but the tank wants to swing as soon as you lift it off the ground because of how the motor and compressor are positioned.

For automotive work, have you considered going with cordless electric impacts?  There are newer models with brushless motors that generate as much or more torque than pneumatics.
 
Peter_C said:
Rolair's are awesome, but LOUD AS HECK! Makita's are good compressors, but when I wanted a quieter portable compressor I bought a CAT. Went with the smaller HP since some houses electrical systems are suspect and blowing breakers is not a good thing, so I went with the CAT- 4610A-H. I called CAT to get more information and they sell on Ebay cheaper than anywhere else, unless you can catch a Home Depot sale of the rebranded Ridgid compressor. They said the "H" is for heavy duty. The units sold on Ebay are either older frames or they have scratches etc., but they list them as used. Nothing that affects usability and they put a warranty on them. Below is the unit I have. They also make a 4620 as stated above but when I talked to CAT they said they draw enough amperage to blow breakers. Think Zinsco panels...scary!https://www.ebay.com/itm/CAT-4610A-...pressor-USED/302231524592?hash=item465e6714f0:g:of4AAOSwQc5bV0L3

Mine will run an impact, but I have a reasonably powerful cordless so I don't really need to use a pneumatic impact anymore. The issue with the small compressors is they won't get up very high in pressure.

A plasma is going to require a 40+ gallon compressor that runs off a dedicated 220volt circuit and can keep up. Along with a water filter like a Motor Guard.

Personally I would go with an upright unit for space savings, that is very quiet if it is going to be inside with you.

Here is CAT's Ebay store.https://www.ebay.com/sch/californiaairtools/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
Click to expand...

The Rolair JC10 is not loud.  I have used both the Rolair JC10 and CAT4610 they are same noise wise.
 
Home Depot offered the California Air Tools Light & Quiet1P1060S for $89 as a Daily Deal a short while back. When it arrived I set it on the table saw to get a close look while listening to a very interesting interview on the radio. Without thinking (or checking whether the switch was on) I plugged the compressor in and it started running 2 feet from my head, between me and the radio. Didn’t miss a single syllable of the interview.

The decibel rating is 56. Too bad it’s a little too big in all directions to fit into a Systainer.
 
757rex said:
The Rolair JC10 is not loud.  I have used both the Rolair JC10 and CAT4610 they are same noise wise.
Click to expand...
The little Rolair would work fine for running a single finish nailer. It is a tiny compressor though, and won't run an impact or other types of high volume air tools. Rolair compressors are built for industrial applications, and on average last a long time.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone!  I went ahead and went with the Makita based on the good reviews.  I will say that even though this is fairly quiet its still LOUD.  I wasn't comfortable enough yet with the california air tools but as long as they stay reliable, that will be my next purchase. 
 
I had the California Air 10Gal vertical and had nothing but problems with it.  The biggest thing was that it stopped turning on automatically and then wouldn't start at all.  I called for support on it a few times and they said I couldn't leave it pressurized over any period of time.  Their "fix" was to pull it apart and stretch out a spring which didn't help.  The third time I called they said send it back but if they couldn't find a problem I would have to pay for shipping both ways and a service fee.  When I questioned the guy on the phone about it he got rude so I decided to sell it ( full disclosure on CL ).  Just can't support a company like that.

When it worked it was very quiet for sure.
 
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