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

Unit arrived with a screw and washer missing on one of the feet.

First and most important - Quiet is an understatement, you almost don’t realize it’s running - roll cage protects the manifold and gauges and compact enough to easily be tucked away under the workbench - got it for my 80yo father who still tinkers in the shop daily - it’s light enough he can carry it around and I can talk to him with it running w/o shouting - air flow/output is impressive from this quiet and compact workhorse, should have got it several years ago

I do not take much time to rate consumable items and this is my first review in more than a year. I must tell you this item met 100% of my need. It runs fine with my framing nailer and is super quiet. I am not measuring decibels, rather making a general statement. I am 100% Completely Satisfied with this California Air Tools Air Compressor model 1P1060SP. Thank you much!

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.

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.

Very impressed with this unit. Arrived a day sooner than scheduled and was well packaged. Much quieter than expected. Held 120lbs pressure overnight and no leaks. Good value for the price and would recommend to others. Very satisfied with this purchase.

Used to blow dust/dirt out of RV A/C fins. Worked great. Also, used to quickly air up my RV tires. Light enough to carry on the road.

I purchased this because it was supposed quite, compact and only weigh 29lbs. It is quiet once you put the filter on it, it is not 29lbs the ship weight shown on the label is 36lbs. The product description shows 29lbs then if you scroll down and read all the details it discloses the unit weighs 34lbs. Id say its between 34-36lbs which is my first reason for 4 stars. It builds pressure quietly and quickly. My second reason for 4 stars because the first one I was shipped was used and must have been a return. The box was taped over about 4 different times and one of the rubber feet on it was split. Im annoyed by this since I had to box it all back up and waste my time taking it to a UPS store and wait for another to be delivered. Amazon sent me another no charge, it was brand new never opened this time. The hose connection fitting on the replacement leaks air when a hose is not attached which is my 3rd reason for 4 stars. I did contact California tools and they replied promptly the part is in the mail. I appreciate them stepping up and making right. Overall I am happy with the performance of such a small compressor.

You can have this running in the same room and and almost not even hear it running. I can carry on a conversation and keep working. Weight isnt bad little heavy but i believe it is due the the frame. But it protects the pump and motor so I am ok with a little extra weight

I used to own a pancake compressor that would frighten my dog when it kicked on. This thing is quiet, well built, and is an awesome deal. Ive only used it to shoot nails, but I did quite a few. It worked with zero faults and it even fills fast. Under a minute from no air in the tank to full. Its solid and well built. I feel like it weighs slightly more than my porter cable pancake compressor, but theyre real close in weight. I thought the 1 gallon size would be too small, but it fired off nails as fast as I could pull the trigger. This is totally worth the ~$115 I paid for it. If I get another compressor, Im going with a California tools one. I love what theyre doing.