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

This unit is very quiet. No one has exaggerated that. Mine arrived in good shape with no issues. Via a 6-foot host I connected a external regulator / water trap and 4-port manifold at my airbrushing station. No leaks as far as I can tell. Compressor startup is quiet and doesnt make me jump while airbrushing. Fills quickly and then shuts off. I have the compressor output set at around 50 psi so it never gets as low as the external regulator. Pressure at the airbrush is good all the time. Im more than satisfied with this compressor for airbrushing. I wont be trying it for inflating tires or running nailers and such. I have bigger compressors for that kind of work.

Slow to keep up

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!

Havent used it a lot yet but it is very quiet. For my purposes and residence it is perfect.

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.

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.

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 purchased this compressor mainly for airbrushing anything from textiles to game miniatures. If Im able to fill up a low car tire or other inflatables, that is a bonus. Although I have not had the opportunity to use it for inflating low car tires, it does work perfectly for indoor airbrushing. The motor runs quiet enough for indoor use. It does vibrate a bit if used on a slick surface like the tile floors I have in my craft room, but placing it against something to prevent it from moving is easy enough. I highly recommend this compressor for airbrushing due to the cost and low noise factor. EDIT: Still a great compressor. I have used it to top off the air pressure in my car tires and it worked great. I did need to purchase an air compressor accessory kit that had a tire chuck and air hose.

Great little compressor super quite, recovery time is quick. I was sold under the claim that most compressors have a 500 hr. Life expectency and this one is claimed to have a 3000 hr. run time expectency, that sold me and have seen first hand small compressors lasting far less than 500 hrs. I did have a problem with the control nob for the air pressure adjustment being plastic and easily can be twisted to far and easily broken or snap off could have splurged a little and integrated the knob n a safer location or made this a bit more durable. I would recommend to any one who uses small Power Tools such as finish nailers. Portable air system, or any small compressor job. Ive yet to try this with a framing nailer but would be interested to see how it holds up. Has anyone tried it with a framing nailer? And how did it hold up?

Works exactly like youd expect, its ridiculously quiet, which is awesome. I have one complaint to the design team though - guys come on, theres got to be a way you can add some sort of power cable holder to it. Heres another idea while im at it - add a way to store a small coiled up hose. As it stands now, I have to shove the power cord and the hose into the housing before I carry it around. And since I carry it around all the time, this gets annoying. You could call it the CAT-1P1060SP+ and sell it for like 2 bucks more. Cheers!