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

QUIET! Makes less noise than air tools, like 2 hands clapping. FAST! 8-gallon tank fills in about 2 minutes. LIGHTWEIGHT! Easily pulled aluminum unit from box with one hand. LOOKS GOOD! Nice silver paint. Lower profile than v-twin motors. NO OIL! Less mess & headaches. Teflon-coated pistons & cylinders reduce friction & sound. EASY! Assembly a breeze. Drain lever is visible at side, & quicker to open than threaded plug. Use on tires, lug nuts for brake jobs, clean dust, pressurize smoke to test vacuum leaks or remove stains. Solvent on 1 side & air on the other, works like a charm. This is a game-changer, by far the best Ive ever seen.

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.

The location of the drain valve makes it a terrific pain in the behind to drain the water out after use. You have to lift the entire compressor and rotate it slightly to one side to drain, and it is not easy. The position of the valve on the side prevents the use of automatic purge valves as well. I think its safe to say well be looking for a compressor with a drain on the bottom the next time we need a new one!

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 it is exactly what I was expecting

Since over time every compressor i had rusted out i decided to get the Aluminum model and im very happy with the compressor. Its very light for the 8 gallon size and when i fired it up in the house, you could have a normal conversation while its running. My last series of compressors were ear numbingly loud , This is a very nice unit and i highly recommend it!

This is my second California Air compressor, the first was smaller and had a steel tank. Ive passed the smaller one to my son and he uses it with an air brush and as a general purpose compressor, he loves it. As stated its very quiet and delivers all the air I need for an air nailer and general purpose. I blow dust from computers and will eventually use it for a Laser engraver air assist. I highly recommend California Air.

I carry the aluminum compressor around with one hand by the handle, I don’t even roll it. Not because I’m strong but it is light enough that it’s the easiest way to carry it, I don’t have to bend over to roll it or pick it up. I thought people were exaggerating on how quiet this thing was. No exaggeration, this compressor is truly quiet. Very impressed and happy with purchase.

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.

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.