CALIFORNIA AIR TOOLS CAT-1P1060SP GAL 56DB Air Compressor

It’s small. It’s lightweight and easy to move. It’s quiet. It’s fills and refills quickly. I can use it at home, at night, while everyone in the house is sleeping with no issues whatsoever.

I cant believe I used noisy and low CFM pancake compressors for so long. This little beauty is quiet, and recovers fast with its big bore compressor. A bit heavier than I expected, the description specified the weight, but it just feels heavier. Still way lighter than a 2 gal Makita which I had initially bought, but returned. The only negative is that it doesnt have a cord wrap.

This is _almost_ as quiet as the $1,800 Jun Air that I use in the laboratory. I use this one in the shop for pneumatic clamps and intermittent air tool use. It is day-and-night different in noise level than any other shop compressor I have used. It is nice to have the dual gauges. It is small and light enough to easily move around the shop. When I want a bit more reserve air, I just connect it to an inexpensive 7.5 gal walk-around tank. I have not had it long enough to make a comment on reliability. I can observe that the initial quality was great - no leaks, just plug and run.

California Air Tools charges more than competitors for the same tank capacity / air output and in trade, you get a noticeably quieter device. Not zero noise quiet, but more than quiet enough. The downside to this specific affordable CAT unit is that the tank is just 1 gallon and after only a few seconds with a air gun (blow dust off), the compressor is already back on and recharging. So this is okay for a brad nail or stapler, or for a low-volume air gun. But it is not intended for production work with, say, a framing nailer, and no way is it powerful enough to do spray painting. I got the unit reviewed here, the CAT-1P1060SP unit (left in my photo) over the similar-specs CAT-1P1060S (right in photo) because theres a cage around the compressor (except, oops, when you attach the muffler to the back, that sticks out) and because theres a panel with two gauges, pressure regulator, and quick coupler. The unit I got is about $10-$15 more than its workalike, but I plan to haul up to our summer cabin and back and wanted one with more protection when its banged around in transit. The only thing I dont like is the power on-off lever which, I wonder, how durable it will be. You can buy, separately, a 5- or 10-gallon auxiliary tank for ~$50 (5-gal steel) to $125 (10-gallon aluminum) from CAT. That would solve your problem of air supply running out, but so would spending $200 for a CAT compressor with more capacity. 4-5 years ago I bought a 2-hp, 10-gallon CAT air compressor that is also quiet and CAT calls it ultra-quiet but its still noisier that the 1-gallon unit I just got. I know I paid $50-$100 more than for a cheaper, noiser compressor, and Im glad I spent the extra money. My experience with CAT service / support is mixed. It hasnt needed any service. But the first compressor came with the rear supports / vibration-damping lags out of alignment and missing parts. A year later (seriously) CAT sent me a completely different quote replacement part unrelated to what was wrong, and in the meantime Id been to Home Depot and bought a bunch of big flat washers to use as leveling shims. If you need ultra, ultra quiet, there is a thousand-dollar CAT compressor with 1 hp motor and 8-gallon tank in a noise-containment cabinet.

I needed a lighter weight compressor to replace my 20 yr old twin tank Craftsman. This is both small and lightweight - so easy to carry - and as quiet as other reviewers have stated. Using it inside the house - brad nailers and finish nailers - and it has performed flawlessly. Runs up to pressure quickly and recovery is fast as well. Perfect for what I use it for but obviously not suitable for framing or roofing nailers, or other high CFM draw air tools.

Great little and quiet. I cannot hear it running in the house. Next to it you can still talk and hear. I’m very impressed. Even sitting on the concrete floor on its rubber feet it’s not noisy. It’s not silent but so much better than the old pancake style harbor freight.

I was eagerly awaiting this compressor. And I didn’t have to wait long. My pancake compressor which was bought used, but hardly used began to have regulator issues. Not to mention it was so loud! I decided to go with this due to all of the good reviews. It is a very attractive addition to my shop, and is so easy to use. The one gallon tank is the only thing that I may rethink. But it is also the reason that I don’t hesitate to fire it up any time I need it. Plus it fills quickly and quietly! The air release valve is smartly placed right up front compared to underneath the unit with an annoying screw valve. I have used it a few times with a brad nailer, and it works great. Just don’t expect it to be rapid fire due to the one gallon tank.

As an airbrush artist doing paintings in my home studio compressor noise is a BIG DEAL. I usually stay up late at night and a standard compressor can wake the dead. This California air tools is hardly noticed.

It’s compact, quiet, simple to operate, and does probably more than most people need, just in case you want more for a special job. A very distinguishing friend of mine recommended California Air Tools pumps because he knows I hate junk, and I’m very pleased. I’m pretty sure others will be too, unless you need higher pressure or capacity, and that’s something you can find with a bigger model from California. They’re really good products.

Boy this thing is quiet. True, you are not going to forget it is there, but the average polite conversation isnt going to be disrupted by it either even it is sitting at your feet. FWIW, I use this at an SMD rework station for blow-off, drying, and powering small air tools where it has replaced my little DeWalt pancake unit. When the DeWalt kicked-on, I’d always flinch and often turn my head away from the noise. No more! This fact alone made this a worthwhile purchase for me. This compressor has a very pleasing “putt-putt-putt” sound, unlike the obnoxious “braaaaaap!!!” of other units, yet the air output is impressive for such a small unit. As other reviewers have mentioned, it only takes 60 seconds to fill from empty, and 15 seconds to refill itself to the cutoff pressure (~120 psi). Although my use case is pretty specific, I can definitely see where this unit would be a good fit for air brushing or powering a trim/brad nailer. And of course it will handle the usual tasks like inflating bike tires, car tires, athletic equipment, and levitating random sleeping cats (KIDDING!). Perhaps the biggest “like” (other than being so quiet) is the portability factor. Im guessing it is about 35-ish lbs which means even an over-the-hill duffer like me can pick it up and take it to where it is needed without needing medical attention afterwards. Its actually pretty well balanced. Hefting it up to the tailgate of my truck did not evoke any colorful language from my back. :) All in all this is a very impressive little compressor without any visible downsides. It is well-built, runs cool and is basically a steal at this price. If you need quiet, portable air in small quantities, you will love this thing. 5 stars. Update: July 19, 2020: When I went to throw the box away, something in the bottom rattled. Hmmm... Curious! Further investigation revealed an intake muffler. Wait... what? So I installed it. This means that when I wrote the review above, it DIDNT HAVE THE INTAKE SILENCER ON! After installing the silencer, its even quieter. You can listen to music or talk on the phone while this thing is running. Unreal! I use this compressor every day and it really deserves six stars. It sits beside my rework bench and just purrs along. Love it!