California Air Tools 8010A Aluminum Tank Air Compressor | Ultra Quiet, Oil-Free, 1.0 hp, 8 gal

Upgrade from a small 3 liter tanked compressor to reduce noise. Using for airbrushing. Having a big tank has cut down own the motor running constantly. The motor is quiet for an air compressor. Not as quite as the one I was using before, but not too loud either. Build quality is solid. We will see how it stands the test of time.

I just purchased a new decibel meter from Amazon to test some of my power equipment noise levels. When I got my new California air compressor I was anxious to see how close to the 60 decibels it actually was. Well upon first running the compressor I noticed lots of rattling noise coming from it, and when I used the meter is was registering it at around 84 decibels from about 8 ft away - this is where i placed it in my work shop. Bottom line it is not anywhere near 60 decibels. ( I wish it was) But you still need hearing protection when it it running.

it is almost like it is not on but in 2 minuts it stops with 120 pounds of pressure .I never seen or heard anything like it .I was just lucky to pick this one

I have 2 smaller California Air units and was very happy with their performance. And extra happy with their quiet operation which was a priority. For this location I need more air capacity and went with the 8010A unit. Just as quiet. Also happy that I went with the aluminum version. The first time I used it was with my impact tool to take off some stuborn lug nuts. It is not Factory Air but good for what I am doing. I love California Air. I have always changed out the Quick Disconnect on the regulator. I just pefer a different version. Be careful not to overtighten any new nipples at the regulator. it is plastic and it will split.

My AC arrived today. Having read every review before ordering, and with some anticipation, I first checked the condition of the external box and it looked in good condition. The box inside was the actual CAT’s box and it looked new and also good condition. Opening that internal box I found all of the parts expected and the AC itself in excellent condition—-no scratches, no dings, no blemishes, no imperfection or worrisome cracks—-nothing; the entire contents looks perfect. Welds at the ends of the tanks look perfect. I decided to spend a little more and get the aluminum tank over the steel tank for 2 reasons: rust-free and lighter. OK; on to assembly—-Easy attaching the wheels, but I added lock washers to make the bolts more secure. No problem attaching front foot rubber bumper. I attached the air filter, hand-tight as the manual instructs (yes; some people actually *do* read manuals! :-) ) There is a short plastic hose that attaches to the air filter but it ended up pointing vertically upward. That did not seem like a good position for it to be in. I began to bend the tube and attach some duck tape so that it was at least somewhat horizontal until I discovered that the cover to the air filter could easily be removed and rotated so that the hose ended up pointing almost vertically downward = much better solution (no tape needed.) Plugged it in and turned it on. Almost jumped back as a habit to my extremely noisy and annoying old pancake AC—-but no! It is much quieter. I would not say that it is “ultra quiet”, but the sound level is very acceptable—even pleasant! I checked for leaks, again as directed by the manual, using a soapy water spray bottle. I found no leaks anywhere—-and I checked every possible location: valves, cables, connectors, guages—-everything. I also checked the tightness of all the bolts—-all were fine. It is a bit odd, the orientation of the 2 pressure gauges: the tank guage being read from the side and the regulator guage being read from the top. No biggie, but I might install a 45 or 90 degree angled connector on the tank guage. I did that with my old compressor and it was then much more convenient reading the guage. Many reviewers say that they found some components to be too fragile—-especially the regulator. I am not sure I would agree with that. On the other hand my AC will remain stationary in the corner of my garage for the vast majority of the time, using a long hose reel. So I am not worried about breaking anything on the AC. If you are going to be transporting this a lot you might want to read the other reviews. Overall I am very pleased with this AC initially. If it lasts 3-5 years I will consider it an excellent purchase. Easily 5 stars for my purposes. I ordered a second one.

I am a general contractor and have had allot of compressors, i purchased this compressor to install in my work van and run it on a 3000 watt inverter it does great it works properly and does not draw a ton of power. I’m pleased with the product, its quite and performs as should!!! I had a dewalt similar compressor and it would not run of my inverter 14 amps. No ratings on maneuverability and light weight because it will never leave its place in my van.

Really really quiet compared to other common air compressors! A little top heavy over uneven terrain.

A very impressive air compressor. I def it to paint farm tractor with HVLP GUN it kept with the gun well

I use this in a small garage. My old compressor was much smaller and would rattle your teeth when it kicked on. This one is much quieter and makes my workplace much more pleasant to be in.

I am a forty year veteran of small 6-8 gallon air compressors. My first small horizontal 6 gallon air compressor lasted 25 years. My second 6 gallon pancake air compressor lasted 10 years. My use rate is of an ordinary homeowner that uses his air compressor intermittently for blowing off riding lawn mower, adding air to tires, occasionally using pneumatic tools, etc. So what do I think of the California tools air compressor? The first thing I look at on any air compressor are the welds. On my unit the welds show no imperfections. The second thing I look for is air leaks. My compressor holds air well and shows no indication of air leaks. The air compressor fills quickly and is the quietest unit I have ever owned. One word of caution. Do not, I repeat do not use an extension cord of any size and length to power this compressor. The ari compressor has a tag right on the power cord stating not use an extention cord but I did not notice it. The extension cord caused the air compressor to overheat. It took approximately 30 minutes for the compressor to cool enough to restart. My oversight appears not to have caused any permanent damage. if you need to reach farther distances buy a longer air hose. All in all I am very pleased with my purchase. How many years will this unit last? Who knows but I am looking forward to using this air compressor for years to come.