Just got my first air compressor. Don't know how I got by without compressed air handy previously. Picked up a California Air Tools 4620AC. Probably overkill for my needs right now but wanted something that could run an HPLV gun down the road. Better to buy something nice now than 2 years down the road after having spent $100-$150 on something with less power. The CAT is great. Good size. Nice and compact. Super quiet. My dads old air compressor from the 70s would wake up the neighborhood. My wife doesn't even know I'm using this thing.
Compressed Air
- Thread starter EricRN
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Kenny Durrant
Member
I know what you mean. It's nice having one by your side. That's the main reason I bought the California Air. Mine is inside the house and I couldn't have a noisy compressor. I did have to learn the hard way about spending. I used to by the cheapest thing I could get by with or a little less than I needed. The next thing you know your frustrated trying to get by and you changed something and you need something all together different. I've found that I you research just a little and save money until you can get what you want or what you need it's cheaper in the long run.
I thought I did that when I bought my 33gal craftsman 2hp compressor 15 years ago. Never need anything bigger or better -- wrong! It handled my needs but dang was a beast and stupid loud. Got to the point that I had to lug it outside of the garage to fill it or the dogs would freak out for hours. Finally gave up on it and went with a California 4710sq, at 4 gal it takes up a fraction of the space and like yours it is quiet enough I never worry about firing it up. Mine is just 1hp, but puts up more cfm than the old 2hp craftsman. Really happy with mine so far, definitely recommend to anyone considering buying one.
jttheclockman
Member
I see you said HVLP now with those tools you need continues air. so not sure how big that unit is but maybe it will allow it use. Also I highly suggest an in-line filter to remove dirt and water from the line if using any paint guns. Helps to protect inner workings of power tools also. Good luck.
Yeah, something bigger (3-5 HP) would be ideal for HPLV. But those are big and expensive. The 4620 has a 2HP engine and puts out the most cfm of any compressor this size that I could find (exept for a Husky that wasn't very well reviewed). It can put out 6.4 cfm at 40 psi, which is enough for some guns (just barely) as far as my research revealed. I'll need to read the specs on the guns carefully when I go to make that investment. The 4.6 gallon tank on the compressor might be a bit small for HPLV. But I don't build and paint/finish huge projects. The tank I have can probably handle those smaller projects. If not, I can add a 10 gal expansion tank to the system. I just didn't have the space for that now and didn't want to commit to the bigger tank before knowing I absolutely needed it.
And definitely good advice on the filter. I've got one installed between the compressor and the hose reel, and then when I use it for finishing, I plan to install a second inline right before the gun.
I set up the compressor with a tectonic reel up near the ceiling. The compressor feeds to a 2 stage water/dirt/oil filter and then from there to the 50 foot Renton reel. Love it. Out of the way when I'm not using it. Easy to reach when I need it. And the hose will reach far outside the garage for when I want to spray paint or finish.
