Recommend a Small Compressor Please.
#21
I'll never have an oiless compressor again- or an oiless anything. It won't perform or last with no oil in my opinion. I would only use an oiless as a second emergency compressor.

I guess if you use it once a month or so it may be right for you.

You can adapt a compressor that is quieter, oiled and has 4 times the rating to keep up. My oiled twin cylinder 60 gallon is 17 years old and works as it did new. I run sand blasting and air tools a lot. Mobile1 5-30w oil change every year.

If you don't mind a little adaption, this compressor has worked fine for a friend of mine who uses it on his 30 gallon system.. and I may buy one for a spare while overhauling the one I have when the time comes.

 Just a thought.

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-hp-145-p...60383.html
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#22
(01-06-2019, 10:35 AM)shifty Wrote: https://www.homedepot.com/p/California-A...602927-_-N
This is what I have. It works great for air nailers. It runs very quiet and is what I use in the shop most of the time. I wouldn't expect it to run impact wrenches or other air tools though. I've got a 60 gallon that use for that.


That looks pretty spiffy. Not a bad price either.
Steve

Missouri






 
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
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#23
I've got a different angle than the fine posters above. 

My experience is if you want something special, you're gonna have to pay for it [or get super lucky]. Normal brands from normal stores will net normal performance. By asking for an actually quiet compressor you're asking for something more than normal. 

Sadly, quiet compressors are a niche product. Thomas is famous for making some of the best, but you pay triple (generally around $400-500) for their smallest mini-hotdog compressor, but it's exceptionally quiet. I've got one. It's a wonder to use. It's 1/10th as loud as my box store pancake Porter Cable, which was one of the loudest compressors I've ever used.

https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Compressor...ompressors

When I lived in LA, I actually did woodworking in my apartment. This compressor is so quiet that my upstairs neighbors never complained. 

I also like Rol-Air compressors, but haven't had an opportunity to own one yet. 

---

You can also install your compressor in a closet with noise dampening insulation...
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#24
I have a non pancake but small hotdog style Husky and an upright small hotdog Campbell Hausfield. Bought both new for under $50 each 10+ years ago. They are both very quiet compared to my Hitachi pancake which rattled the glass panes. The 2 little compressors are limited but just fine for occasional brads or trim work around the house. Both are light weight too. They have served my non professional needs very well and if they die, oh well. Good to see you posting Richard!


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#25
I have a Rol-Air FC2002.  Much less noise than the old oil-less Dewalt it replaced, but not what I would call "quiet".

The Rol-Air is not oil-less, but like others here, I specifically avoided an oil-less compressor when I bought the Rol-Air 6 years ago.  Happy with it.
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#26
I bought this one recently:
4 Gal. 225 PSI High Performance Crew Electric Portable Air Compressor - Model # C041H
Its quiet and it can run HVLP. The only drawback is the size of the tank which is only 4 gallons. I bought the compressor from Home Depot for about $231 delivered.
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#27
I have the small Thomas shown above but I'm not sure they're the same company/ownership as 10+ years ago when I bought mine. Had a problem with the regulator on it but no other issues.

Rich
"Have a very small amount of things to work with." Henri Cartier-Bresson
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#28
Well I must have gotten a stinker, this thing is louder than my previous compressor.  I measured it with my phone and I'm getting 84+ db/depending on weighting and where I have the meter in relation to the compressor.
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#29
I have the same Porter-Cable pancake and I am able to drive nail after nail after nail.  I ran a palm nailer heavily when I re-built my deck and that uses plenty of air.  Something else was going on.  

The new Harbor Freight compressors are supposed to be super-quiet.  

https://www.harborfreight.com/2-gallon-1...64596.html

California Air promotes itself as the largest producer of quiet air compressors.  Home Depot shows them in their catalog.

https://www.californiaairtools.com/ultra...tor-grade/
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
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#30
(01-04-2019, 04:52 PM)lilrichard2 Wrote: I had a Porter Cable pancake compressor that I hated because of the noise it made when running, so I purchased a small unit based on a recommendation in Popular Woodworking. Big mistake as it doesn't have enough oomph to shoot more than four 1 1/4" brads at a time.

Can you recommend a compressor that has approximately the same capacity as that of a PC Pancake but has much less noise as I'll be using this in a garage shop?

Thanks,

r

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen; I think 
I've found one to suit my needs.

r
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