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

I bought this compressor on 10-25-17. I plugged it in and pumped it up to capacity. I thought, WOW.... this thing IS super quiet. Thought I made a great purchase (since it costs a bit more than other units this size), I never even plugged an air hose into it to air anything up. Left air in the chambers (didnt exhaust the air from the tanks), so I guess that caused some kinda of air bubble to go in reverse and lock up the compressor. The compressor kept trying to start (because I left it plugged in). I go to use the compressor and notice the unit is locked up and will not start. I smell a strong odor of burnt plastic so i look at the unit closer (see pics). The unit had locked up and tried to start so much that it had overheated to the point of melting the plastic guard over the compressor. It got soo hot that it almost caught my wall on fire. When I discovered this I called the manufacturer and their customer service agent put me in direct contact with the supervisor without being asked to do so. When I spoke with this gentlemen he asked specific questions and seemed as tho he was trying to place the blame on me for leaving the unit plugged in and not purging the system immediately after use. Im sorry, but I have owned many many compressors over the years and I have never had an issue with any like this. He was pretty non-chalant over the issue to the point where I stated, you dont seem too surprised this happened. His reply was, why would I be, Im the supervisor. This made me think twice. Anyways, at the end, he asked me to send my information and proof of purchase to him in email and he would get another unit out after he could confirm, via tracking number ,that the other unit was on its way back. I sent all info and didnt hear back for 3 days until I had to call him to inquiry about the call tag. So, the unit is now in its way back and Im still waiting on the replacement......i will update when I receive the new unit. Hopefully that was a oddity that wont happen again. I dont have warm and fuzzy feelings about it....just thought I would share my experience.

Previously had a Porter Cable 6 gal pancake compressor. If you were within 20 feet of it when it kicked on it was loud enough to put you through the roof. That is one of the reasons I chose the California 4610. I had several other problems with my old P C compressor till the tank finally rotted out much sooner than it should have. The California 4610 has aluminum tanks and a drain valve that is very accessible and a dream to operate so blowing out water buildup frequently is simple. Ive been using the 4610 continuously for over two months now and I have absolutely no complaints. And, they are not kidding about it being quiet. You can stand beside it and it doesnt make much more sound than a loud hum. I rarely rate tools or equipment because you really need to give something a good long term workout before you are qualified to give an honest review. So far I believe this one is a winner!

This compressor is so quiet it won’t even start. I have repeatedly contacted the manufacturer and they reply with repair videos. I bought this expensive compressor to have compressed air on demand. What I received was a part time job trying to get this thing to operate. The last time I contacted them they failed to respond. I have a cheap (20 year old) compressor that has never failed. It is louder, but I can rely on it to operate. I cannot take my California Air compressor to a job site, because I cannot rely on it to work. Very sad. Very expensive. Look for an alternative before you spend your hard earned money with this company.

Super quiet, but thats why I bought it. Well packaged, it survived intact as I watched the UPS man roll it out the door of the truck (yes, he rolled the square box up the aisle and was end-over-ending it down the stairs when I told him to stop and I would take it from there). At roughly 45lbs, its not heavy, but still not light; however, definitely light enough to carry out of a truck. Would be nice to see an aluminum frame for even more weight savings. The on/off switch is not readable unless you have a clear angle as its black on black. I simply wrote on/off with a white marker to make identification quicker, especially in low light. Because of the small capacity it took some time to fine adjust the regulator to (110psi max) without going below. Once I found it, I marked the spot as a reference. I was easily able to adjust the low limit switch to 95psi (factory appeared to be ~85psi) to ensure my nailer didnt fall below minimum. Finally I dont get interrupted by the compressor, and the baby can still sleep when I work inside. For reference, I replaced a bostich pancake with this unit. I swear the bostich was louder than my 5hp shop compressor. This compressor is being used for nail guns only. You could fill tires and do the occasional blast of air, but capacity is lacking for any flowing air application.

I own a Lemon shake up stand this air compressor is the hart of it . It goes down we are out for the day so far so good. It suit off one time then I released it has got to plug in direct no extinction cords

Nice lightweight and quiet compressor!! Used in our kart racing trailer and does excellent job.

Ive only had it a month but so far I love it. It is definatly the quietist compressor I have ever used. The people that work around me cant believe how quiet to is. Update= well its been around 4 years and this compressor is great. Almost daily use and not one issue!!!

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!

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.

Quiet but it does have to run near constant to keep up. On the plus side it fills very quickly.