Choosing an air compressor

[mike93lx]

I am currently using a 3HP 60 gal Craftsman that works great but takes up too much space in my garage and is too loud to use at night or when my son is sleeping.

I am planning to switch to either a CAT 4610a or 4620a but can't decide which. With noise being so important, the 4610a is more attractive but I'm nervous about capacity.

My current usage is very minimal. Blow off tool, nailers (framing and finish/pin) , air ratchet, etc are most common. I don't even own a pneumatic impact, but will probably pick up one of the compact astros at some point soon. I'm not worried about plasma cutting or painting with this.

So, what do you think?

 

[48548]

I should have looked at that over the ir twin stack I got. The ir is pretty loud.

 

[mike93lx]

I decided to give the 1hp unit a try and bought a Husky 4610A on ebay. they are OOS on HD's website as I believe they discontinued the model around the same time that these CAT units were on sale last year. At $185 shipped, it seemed like it was worth a try. Worst case, I'll sell it down the road and get a bigger one.

 

[CompressorPros.com]

Cheap air compressors are going to be noisy. Stay away from oil less ones if noise is a concern.

A lot of people with your concerns choose something like BelAire's 2061V, which is a 115 Volt compressor on a 60 gallon tank. For light usage, you would be able to use the air storage for a decent amount of time.

http://www.compressorpros.com/air-compressor/60-gallon/single-stage/belaire-2061v/

 

[mike93lx]

Cheap air compressors are going to be noisy. Stay away from oil less ones if noise is a concern.

A lot of people with your concerns choose something like BelAire's 2061V, which is a 115 Volt compressor on a 60 gallon tank. For light usage, you would be able to use the air storage for a decent amount of time.

http://www.compressorpros.com/air-compressor/60-gallon/single-stage/belaire-2061v/

have you actually heard one of the CAT oil less units? they are incredibly quiet.

Why would you suggest a 60 gallon when my post talks about downsizing from that exact size?