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

This compressor is even quieter than I expected. Such an improvement over my old oil-filled compressor that gave a jet engine a run for its money. I haven’t sprayed finish with it yet so will have to see how that goes. So far, great value for the price.

So far I do love it. Compared to what Ive had in the past its unbelievably quiet. Im a retired finish carpenter of over 45 years and still like to build and repair things and so far its fine. It works with all my finish guns but Im not doing production work so it might not keep up for that. I tried it with an air chisel and it works fine as well but I have to let it catch up. I love that it has an aluminum tank so no more rusty water to drain. And its on wheels so I dont have to lift it all the time. Really just what I wanted.

I just got my new compressor, easy to put together it’s actually smaller than I thought it would be but man it’s just inquired. I write very few reviews but I wanted to let everybody know that I am optimistic this is the best compressor I’ve ever bought. It is actually quieter than a normal conversation which shocked me. I got the aluminum model for the lighter weight. I’m sure this thing will work flawless for 20 years

I really like the noise level; its just perfectly quiet just like they said. It doesnt take too long to fill the tank and its very compact and easily portable. It does build up a lot of heat while running but not to the point of being extreme. The instructions were fairly good. The unit I received had one issue that for me, was easier to fix than return. The pressure regulator was not screwed on tightly and had a very slow leak. I had to take the cap off the regulator remove the engine wires and the air supply line so I could remove the regulator. I put some Teflon pipe tape on the big pipe and replaced all the reverse order. It wasnt a big job but you need some mechanical aptitude and some tools to accomplish. I would have given it a 5 star if not for the regulator issue. If you are not mechanically inclined, send it back for a replacement.

In 2017 I purchased one of these compressors for a large Co2 laser cutter I own. I like the fact that it is very quiet as compared to other compressors Ive owned. I have recommended this compressor to several friends. In November of last year (2020) I purchased another one of these compressors to use for some light construction / remodeling work. I had only used it a couple of times when the air pressure gauge was gently bumped and to my surprise blew off! The gauges thin copper broke in half and and left half of the male copper threaded tube inside a female custom fitting. I phoned the company and told them about my problem. They suggested I purchase an extraction tool, heat up the fitting (so the locktite would break free), and extract the left over piece. I followed their instructions and unfortunately the female fitting cracked / broke-off (cheap pot-metal - see pic :( ). Now Im stuck with a practically new compressor and $$$$$$ to get this thing fixed! My time is more valuable than the repair cost/ time so Ill likely just purchase a compressor built for construction. I would avoid this unit if you plan to bring this to a job site.

Small air tools and cleaning items; tire pump, I hear a click when pulling the switch, suddenly will not turn on compressor motor

Works well for filling tires and blowing away air. Dont expect to run any air tools with this. The tank is much too small.

After a long search for a quiet air compressor, I finally found a winner. I took it to the lake to blow up some inflatables and I was pleasantly surprised by the low noise level of the air compressor. Its lightweight and fits perfectly in my RVs lower storage compartment.

So if your buying this for a air brush this review will help out,, I went from a harbor freight oil less air compressor to this California air compressor. My harbor freight air compressor ran all the time and was very noisy. This air compress isnt silent but its allot less noisy then my H/F compressor and the bonus is once it reaches 100 psi it shuts off and that is allot of air brush time before it calls for air again. its a 8 gal air tank. One thing this compressor is missing is a water trap I installed one and glad I did because even though there is a water bleed valve on the bottom it still puts a little water in the air its sending to the air brush so install a water trap. Also I wish it would have had fitting for a air brush it doesnt come with any and that is a task of getting the right fitting to make it adapt to a air brush. The front rubber foot needs to be improved to a better design. also I am pretty sure it can be made quieter by installing a better front foot on the compressor. Its definitely worth the money, but you can tell its china made, the off and on switch seems very cheap. Over all I am happy with the purchase. I personally dont think it could run air tools for like a mechanic. This is perfect for air brushing. I bought the aluminum tank and seems of good quality. probably the cheapest air compressor you can buy with a large air storage tank you can buy for air brushing.

I purchased the aluminum version. It is light, well built and so quite. I can have a phone conversation right next to it while it is running. I love it. Worth every penny.