California Air Tools CAT-5510A Ultra Quiet & Oil-Free 1.0 hp 5.5 gallon Aluminum Portable Electric Portable Air Compressor, Silver

Ordered this compressor Jan 2016 for light use in small hobby shop. Have been very careful about maintenance/cleanliness (as I am with all my tools) to prevent problems. Opened shop door this morning (1/7/2017) and found shop filled with thick electrical fire smoke. After clearing out the smoke, I suspect a failed bearing led to COMPLETE destruction of the compressor motor. Thankfully, it didn't burn the whole shop down! I have used numerous brands and types (large & small) of compressors for decades and never seen one fail this catastrophically. Technically, I'm still within the one year warranty period, but a review of the warranty details reveals shipping is at my expense (not cheap for 5.5Gal Steel Tank unit) and the warranty terms exclude just about everything. No big surprise to find that one year later the price has been slashed $60. This product should be recalled immediately!

SUPER impressed with this little compressor. I just needed something to air up tires around the house, and this one is perfect. I can't believe how quiet it is while running. I have a few pneumatic tools (drills, ratchets, butterflys, impacts, air chisels) I hardly ever use any more, but out of curiosity, I hooked 'em up just to see what this little thing can do. It runs my nailers, butterfly, air chisel, and ratchets and can keep up no problem. The tools that required more air flow (impact, 1/2" drill) of course operated, but not for long. And by "not for long", I mean seconds. I got maybe 15-20 seconds worth of adequate drilling before I had to stop and let the air supply build back up. On a 1/2" impact, you could probably get the lug nuts busted on one tire before you had to stop. I'm not sure as I didn't try, but I bet I'm not far off. For what I do now, this little compressor is more than adequate. It takes about 90 seconds to completely fill the 5 gallon tank from 0 psi, and recovers pretty quickly while in use. Long story short, if you're a hobbyist who runs nail guns and staplers, or just need a compressor to air up tires around your house, you will be pleased if you get this one. I would weigh my options if i was looking for one to use in a shop setting if this one is the one I was going to rely on for most of my air supply.

 Wow, this thing is really quiet. I have not had it very long but so far I am impresses with it.

On Feb. 26, 2017 I placed an order with Amazon Prime for a “New SP Series” California Air Tools CAT-5510A Ultra Quiet & Oil –Free 1.0 hp 5.5 gallon Aluminum Portable Electric Air Compressor. It shipped well with adequate packaging and arrived in a timely manner. I followed the instructions in the manual and everything seemed to be working well. Unfortunately, the compressor did not last long. After a short time it did not recharge itself. Also, the motor would get hot and turn itself off and not restart.I contacted customer support and spoke to Daniel. He sent me pictures of the check valve with instructions that might alleviate my problem. It did not work. He told me to contact Amazon Prime to exchange it for a new compressor. Amazon did not have that model in stock and couldn’t get it for a couple of months. I contacted Daniel again and he told me to ship the defective compressor to California Air Tools for a complete exchange at no charge. Daniel sent me the shipping label and instructions for sending the compressor back to the company.The new compressor arrived in a few days, but it was the wrong model. It had the steel tank. Originally I ordered the aluminum tank. I contacted California Air Tools again, and this time spoke to George the Customer Service Manager. He was very apologetic and sorry for the mix-up. He immediately shipped me a new compressor. He also included a heavy duty air hose at no charge to make up for my inconvenience.The new compressor has arrived and seems to be working fine. Hopefully, the third time’s the charm.In conclusion the compressor, when working, is fantastic. It is quiet, easy to maneuver, good airflow, and recharges nicely. Customer Support is excellent. George and Daniel bent over backwards to help me resolve my problems. Since I’ll only be using the compressor in a light duty capacity, I hope it lives up to the 4 star rating I gave it and meets my expectations. MW

Quietest compressor I ever own, works great so far. Great for the DIYers. Get the aluminum tank vs steel so you won't have to worry about rusting, also much lighter.Update: October 9th 2017. I've own this compressor for about 7 months now and can HONESTLY say that its been used LESS than 6 times. I recently turned it on and notice a burning smell and smoke coming from the motor. REALLY? Its basically brand new, poor quality. I spoked to customer service and the told me to send it in for evaluation. I sent it in on Sept 20th (3 weeks ago) and so far I HAVE NOT heard back from them. I tried emailing and calling them but no response at all. I am glad that this was my back up compressor because this is ridiculous. I am planning to file a complaint against this company. Do get ripped off like I did.

Worked great until it died. Motor burned up after 11 months of infrequent use but was pressurized virtually continuously. The warranty was not vaild because it was usually pressurized (??????). My application was in a motor home. It would run for about a minute 6 to 8 times per day. George the Service Manager (of Cal Air Tools) said the damage is not covered because every day or two it must be fully drained and depressurized. Do not use this if you intend to leave it pressurized.

Mine stopped working right after 6 months. The regulator that turns it off and on is flaky and the motor starts overheating. I have tried and tried to adjust it, but it just gets frustrating. It worked good when I first got it. Hoping they can send me a new one or replacement stuff for it. We will see.