California Air Tools CAT-4610S Ultra Quiet & Oil-Free 1.0 hp 4.6 gallon Steel Twin Tank Electric Portable Air Compressor, Silver

Wow just wow. If you have ever had a run of the mill air compressor and are tired of the loud and obnoxious sound that it produces then this is the best thing youll ever buy. I have had a 30 gallon oil-less 2.6hp craftsman and it was loud as could be, in the 95 to100db range and if you used it for any extended amount of time it was unbearable in the garage. I got a 5hp 80 gal oiled and it was better but it was still loud and the sound was much lower toned so it was more tolerable. But when i needed a smaller one and stated doing research and California Air Tools kept popping up as the one to go with due to its quietness compared to all the others. I have a friend with a porter cable 6gal for $99 and it seems to be the one that everyone buys, it is loud @85-90db but face it most compressors are and that is what is to be expected. I almost pulled the trigger until i saw this one as an amazon open box for $120 and thought id give it a try. I will tell you that i would happily pay the full price of $200 if i would have been able to hear it run before. It is as quiet as they say. You can have a conversation right next to it while talking at a normal level. The build quality is far above most compressors i the sub $300 category.

I am generally very happy with this compressor. It is certainly quiet, compared to other compressors I have used, but it is much heavier than I expected. The product details list the weight as 21.9 lbs, but my scale says 45 lbs. Not a problem, but not quite as portable as I expected.

Compressor is very quiet and has enough pressure to run 2 trim guns at the same time or a single framer. The compressor I received has a rattle that comes from the brass regulator tube, this would not be noticeable on most compressors because it would be droned out by the motor. I bought this because I have young children and am doing some remodeling around my house and my full size compressor is much to loud to have running in garage. I originally bought this after hearing a friend of mines and couldnt believe how quite it was. Compressor is not silent but is quite enough to have running inside the house with family sleeping (note:work is still getting done compressor is usually one of the loudest things on job site after saws). Silly to say but I think it calms the feeling of a job site because there is no violent screaming of a compressor in the back ground, radios do not have to be as loud and voices do not have to be raised to talk over it. Aluminum Tanks are awesome to avoid rust from forming inside tanks and spraying out when emptying tanks. Also, is light for how sturdy the machine is. I will never cheap out on a compressor again.

This really meets the claim. It is light and quiet. Tank size is kind of small but the refresh rate is fast. It is so nice to have the compressor comeonand not have to leave the building or even raise your voice.

I was looking for a quiet compressor. I have been using a porter cable pancake unit. When that thing comes on babies cry and ear drums bleed. I was tired of the noise. The entire reason in purchased this unit was it clam to be quiet. I am shocked. Totally shocked. The noise from this is minimal. It is far from ear piercing. I would classify this as quiet. It is not hype and it lives up to its marketing. I also upgraded to the aluminum tanks. I am glad I did. I would imagine the steel tanks would add weight and take my joy of use away. Spend the extra money on aluminum. Overall—I am thrilled with my purchase. Time will tell how it holds up. Very happy.

Pleased so far

I prefer this to my older Porter Cable compressor but I dont like being taken for a ride. This is made in China. It is quieter than my Porter Cable but is far from Ultra Quiet. Durability still unknown. Instructions fair to poor; they tell you for instance to release pressure using the safety release valve but nowhere in the instruction manual does it say where or what the safety release valve is. It is lighter than my older steel compressor, which is a big help. I bought this and a Hitachi brad nailer together. They work well together, but the Hitachi nailer has superb instructions, whereas compressor has poor instructions. It matters.

I am a home user and previously had a pancake compressor. I was embarrassed when I worked in my garage using the compressor because it was so noisy. I got my 4610AC yesterday and used it on a project today. I would hear it come on but then, it was so quiet, I would not notice when it stopped running. I like the push to connect quick connect fittings. I thought that I would have to change the connectors that came with the unit to push to connect and they were already there. The unit exudes quality.

It’s quiet, lightweight, and meets all of my needs in my home garage / workshop environment where I use it frequently. I have it on a custom-made stand with a 3/8” 100ft retractable air reel mounted underneath it. The hose reel connects into one of the compressor air outputs – and I have a coiled air compressor hose connected into the second output for quickly grabbing and using air around my adjacent work benches. (See Compressor Set-Up pic). I had no hesitation buying this 4610AC as a direct replacement for my original 4610A. It’s marginally more expensive to buy the “A” (Aluminum air tanks) than the “S” (Steel air tanks) but the weight difference makes it more than worthwhile to do so. I will use the frame and air tanks from my original 4610A to add a further 4.6 gallons of air capacity to my set-up as and when needed. I attach a couple of pics showing how this arrangement can work. Those additional bare air tanks can be used in several additive and optional ways in future when a larger reserve air volume is needed. The two bare tanks can even be charged and then easily transported indoors for the odd occasion when I just need a small volume of air to blow something out in the house. Highly recommend this compressor – you shouldn’t be disappointed!

This is my second air compressor. I was limited in use of my 15 gallon cheap compressor to the hours of the day when no one was on the telephone or watching television. It sounds like a freight train and shakes the house. This compressor is far quieter. Even after reading the descriptions, I was surprised how quiet it is. Plenty of air for staple, brad and pin nailers - it can even handle the big framing nailer, if you can move at a slow pace for a while. Light enough to carry to the work, I might eventually rig up a hand trolley for it at some point.