Cabinet Air Compressor?

[JWC86]

I’m in the market for a new compressor in my home shop. Considering this this one due to its low noise (56db) and the small footprint.



I’ve never seen a small cabinet style compressor before. I would love to know who makes it for them.

General PDP Template

www.canadiantire.ca

Most of the others I can’t find at this db rating are much smaller(this one is 10am, 3.0 cam at 90psi.

Anyone have any insights?

 

[PoorUB]

That is a lot of money for 3 CFM and ten gallons. I get the quiet part, but you can buy a $300 compressor and set it inside a cabinet and add an cheap bath exhaust fan, or set the compressor in an attic space or closet for a lot less money.

 

[JWC86]

That is a lot of money for 3 CFM and ten gallons. I get the quiet part, but you can buy a $300 compressor and set it inside a cabinet and add an cheap bath exhaust fan, or set the compressor in an attic space or closet for a lot less money.

Ya I don’t think I would pay that price. Canadian Tire is notorious for having higher prices but having 40-60% off sales a few times a year. I’d wait for that.

 

[cvairwerks]

A 1000 hour lifespan?

 

[Citation]

How quiet do you really need? I have a CAT 5510A. It's not silent but it's really easy to live with. I've compared it to a louder window AC unit. I've used the Goodyear branded 8 gallon quite compressor sold at Walmart as well. It's just as quiet as the CAT. Unless you need really low noise, the current crop of low noise units are all good to the point where I don't think noise while working in the shop is an issue. For me, personally I won't pay the premium for that sort of cabinet compressor vs one of the more typical quiet compressors unless there was a clear need for that extra noise reduction.

 

[dnschmidt]

When you had cabinet compressor in your title I pictured a 10HP+ 3 phase Atlas Copco or Kaeser screw compressor. I hung out in my buddy's body shop too long.

 

[jimf]

I have the California Air Tools 4620AC. Very quiet and, after four years, no performance issues to date (rated for 3,000+ hours). Mostly used for filling tires in my home garage. Small footprint makes it easy to store.

California Air Tools - The Largest Manufacture of Ultra Quiet, Oil-Free & Lightweight Air Compressors - CAT-4620AC

New page

www.californiaairtools.com

L (19.1") x W/D (16.7") x H (19.7")
5.30 CFM @ 90 PSI
125 PSI max
4.6 gallon tank
2.0 HP
14 amp
70 DB

Paid about $375. Looks like it runs $426 on Amazon these days.

 

[SteveL]

Just got this little guy two days ago. Very quiet and will be even better once mounted inside the new cabinets that are a month or so away. $580ish off Amazon with free shipping. It’s not going to run a blast cabinet or 1/2” impact but for what I need, 5.3 cfm @ 90psi is plenty.

 

[JWC86]

Just got this little guy two days ago. Very quiet and will be even better once mounted inside the new cabinets that are a month or so away. $580ish off Amazon with free shipping. It’s not going to run a blast cabinet or 1/2” impact but for what I need, 5.3 cfm @ 90psi is plenty.

That looks interesting, how does the automatic drain valve work?

 

[PoorUB]

It’s not going to run a blast cabinet or 1/2” impact

It will run a 1/2" impact just fine, just not for minutes on end. I bet it will have enough air to loosen lugs on a car wheel. and if not, wait a minute for it to pump up and hit it again.

 

[Citation]

It will run a 1/2" impact just fine, just not for minutes on end. I bet it will have enough air to loosen lugs on a car wheel. and if not, wait a minute for it to pump up and hit it again.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[SteveL]

That looks interesting, how does the automatic drain valve work?

It works well, all be it a bit loud unless you have the drain tube running outside. Same sound you would get from a short burst of an air gun @ 125psi. And it usually happens when you least expect it. My plan is to drill a 5/16” hole through the exterior brick wall and run the tube outside. The drain seems to cycle a couple of times each time the pumps come on to refill the tank so I can only assume that nothing is collecting in the tank.

So far I like the compressor a lot. Not a lot of capacity but it really is quiet enough to negate that downside. It’s currently sitting in the concrete floor next to the living room wall and my wife said she hasn’t heard it run once so far.