California Air Tools10020AC Ultra Quiet & Oil-Free 2.0 Hp, 10.0 Gal. Aluminum Tank Air Compressor

Couldn’t be happier

I had an old compressor that was so loud and annoying to use. This unit has two main features I wanted. 1. It was quiet. 2. It has a tank that doesn't rust. Lots of people talk about how quiet this is. It really is that quiet. Such a pleasure to use. I smile every time it kicks on. The Aluminum tank upgrade is well worth the $$. Every compressor I have had ultimately starts to leak over time. No matter how diligent I am about draining the tank, it is inevitable that water gets in and sits inside of the tank. Steel tanks start to leak after a few years. I am hopeful that the Aluminum tank model lasts longer. I bought this unit in October 2022. As of this writing it is a bit new to accurately review. I will update this post if I ever have issues with it.

I bought this for some light air brush stuff, and some low airflow pnuematic tools around the wood shop + filling up car tires and stuff. Pretty light duty for what it should be able to handle all in all. I barely use it to be honest, but when i need it, I need it. It mostly stays off, and it i keep it empty and drained on the regular. In short I am not a power user, and I kept good care of it.Within 6 months the unit would turn off in the middle of usage, at random pressures. I couldn't get it to turn back on for a while. I called customer support, they said that the pressure switch sometimes gets dirty and to tighten and loosen the contacts... Well, I did that it worked... for like a day. Customer support kept the same tune, that it wasn't broken, just needed the contacts to be removed and reinstalled every once in a while... Well I did this for quite some time. Eventually I had to just buy a new pressure switch, turns out the pressure switches are junk and I am not the only person to have this issue, seems to be common. Welp, new pressure switch it worked for a while. Now it seems like the motor is starting to die. I bought this unit in July of 2021. It is February 2024. This unit isnt even 3 years old yet. It is the most unreliable compressor I have ever owned in my life. And I have owned some real stinkers in my life.I was so excited to get this compressor when I got it. I don't typically write negative reviews, but paying $600 for a compressor should yield much more than 3 years of minimal usage.

The pump finally went out on my 20yo 60 gallon compressor. I replaced the pump and it ran a little while longer then the motor went out. Instead of throwing good money after bad, I got this CAT 10 gallon compressor. My compressor is in my business shop and was always a problem if it kicked on when I was on the phone with a customer, not anymore! I think they're using a compressor like what's on your refrigerator as it's only slightly louder than that. I opted for the 10g vs the 20g tank because as you can see in the picture, I'm using my old 60g tank as part of the system. Now if I do need the compressor at the ranch or job site, it's nice and easy to move and has the same CFM as the 20g tank. It will kick on a little more often but that's not my normal use case.This unit is very well thought out. My only feedback is it would be nice to have a clean way to add the oil/water filter. I'm still working on my permanent set up solution.Definitely happy with this and highly recommend it.

My last (Makita) compressor was obscenely loud. This is a great contrast.But, the makita had a small storage compartment which was very useful. This one doesn't have that. Shame. Had to zip tie a harbor freight storage bin to the top of it.Also, this one is a bit awkward to roll around. Be careful of the drain valve on the bottom. But it doesn't take up much space.It won't run a small die grinder for me even with the regulator maxed out. I figured it would run it. Nope.

Amazingly quiet! I have an older steel 2 gallon tank, but I needed more volume, this 10 Gal is pretty silent and fills up real quick. I use it to run my pneumatic heat press all day 5 hours almost daily. Aluminum is worth it, its light, easy to move around. My friend inspired me to buy this one. Easy to lift into truck if needed. No rust benefits.

I couldn’t believe when I came to write this review how many other people had the same issue. This is a serious QC problem with the wheel and feet brackets on this unit. The top of the rack was messed up too. The box was beat up, but the packaging seemed ok otherwise.I didn’t even turn it on. Sent back. I was looking forward to this using California Air, but not so sure I’m going to get another one after reading these reviews.

I replaced a much larger unit, when it kicked on, it was deafening.This does everything I need it to, and it is super quiet. I got the aluminum tank, so that I would not have to work about corrosion.