I bought this compressor to replace a venerable DeVillbiss unit I used for 25 years. Thought I'd try this new, ultra quiet compressor. I must say it is absolutely the quietest unit I have ever seen or used. Wait, wait though.... what they don't tell you is HOW they get the thing to be so quiet. Here's the fine print: It's so quiet because it DOES NOT work. It just sits there like a stone.

Mine flat out failed after 14 months and certainly less than 20 uses in that time. This is meant to be my secondary compressor, used to inflate tires and use in the house for trim nails or whatever. Very light use. For my primary compressor I have a large DeWalt that I use in the shop almost daily for everything from spraying finishes, to running air sanders. I'm well versed in compressors and tools as I've been using them for more than 30 years as a hobby and professionally.

This company has taken this "quiet" mantra to a whole other level, though. I have written them 2 nicely worded emails and left them 2 voice mails explaining the failure and hoping they could fix it or send some replacement parts or something. Well.... they don't return phone calls or emails apparently. They like to remain quiet on the customer service end of the operation, as well. They take their marketing very seriously, I guess.

I'd like to say they were rude or condescending, or otherwise unhelpful, but the truth is, they are non existent. They are just "quiet." Beyond quiet, actually.... more like dead silent.

I see that the warranty is good for 12 months. The fact that mine failed after 14 months is just my luck. Of course I don't know how anyone could get a warranty claim from them since they refuse to return communications.

CAVEAT EMPTOR - please consider my experience before purchasing. It sucks having a $200 door stop taking up space in my shop.

For those of you who like specific ratings:

PROS:
I ordered it and it was delivered to my house
It works great as a door stop. The rubber feet keep it planted nicely on the floor.
It is EXTREMELY quiet... after 14 months it quite literally could get any quieter

CONS:
It doesn't compress air (that's kind of a biggie for an air compressor)
The plug wire is too short
The internal parts are lightweight, i.e. cheap
When it did work, the regulator was out of whack and inaccurate
Non existent customer service
EVERYTHING ELSE you could possibly expect from a compressor or a tool company

If by some miracle in the future I hear back from California Air, I'll update this review.

UPDATE: Feb 6, 2017

Since it's broken anyway, I decided to take it apart and see what happened. Upon further inspection customers should know this unit has what appears to be a cast aluminum housing. VERY WEAK choice for the guts of the compressor. As you can see in the photos, the area where the valve seats on the down stroke shattered. Metal shrapnel everywhere. The shards penetrated the silicone gasket and blew throughout the motor. I hope the pictures explain it better than my writing.

The valve gaskets are a cheap grade of silicone and were discoloring and hardening, as well. This machine is junk. If you have one and it hasn't failed yet, I think it probably will. If you buy one after seeing these pictures, don't say I didn't warn you! Oh... by the way.... still haven't heard anything from the company after another email and phone call....

This California Air Tools 2010A Ultra Quiet and Oil-Free 1.0 HP 2.0-Gallon Aluminum Tank Air Compressor is AMAZING! I contemplated buying a new compressor for years, but kept putting it off because I hated the noise of my old Campbell Hausfield compressor. Well, now that I own this one, all I can say is THIS IS THE GREATEST COMPRESSOR EVER for a hobbyist or woodworker with a small shop. Seriously, I love it!

[UPDATE 6-5-2017: The compressor is still going strong. I haven't been cranking out as many projects lately, but I still find a use for this compressor and my brad nailer at least once or twice a month. It starts up quietly, fills quickly, delivers plenty of air for my needs, and empties again quickly at the end of each use due to the small capacity tank and handy tank valve. I love it!]

[UPDATE 9-29-2016: After two months of use, I continue to LOVE this compressor. I can't get over how pleasantly quiet it is, and the performance is outstanding. Typically, I find that mine cycles (re-fills the tank) about two or three times per project, so the overall strain/runtime on the motor is very low and yet is able to deliver all the brad nails I have needed for a wide range of projects: small cabinets, boxes, and drawers; picture frames; custom wooden signs; medium sized end tables; and tacking other small parts in place while glue sets. It is perfect in that role. To amplify its convenience, I mounted it in a rolling shop cart/worktable along with a retractable 20' air hose. That means my brad nailer is at the ready whenever I need it, with plenty of additional hose slack for other tasks like inflating toys or car tires. And when I'm finished, I attach an air nozzle and use the remaining air in the tank to blow sawdust off my tools and shop cart. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Original review follows.]

The 2010A's low noise level, solid performance, and decent air tank capacity are ideal for someone who does NOT run high-consumption air tools (air wrenches, HVLP sprayers, etc.), but uses a brad and finish nailer in the shop to tack parts together and install trim. In that role, you'll be hard pressed to find a more ideally sized (or quieter) compressor! In a pinch, this compressor may be able to handle some very light framing as well, but it is definitely not intended for that purpose.

Over the past three years of reading reviews, I repeatedly came across the California Air Tools as a brand know for its quiet operation. Never having owned any of their products, I was a little reluctant about making the purchase, and I was frustrated by the lack of many real world performance reports about this particular model. Before I spend almost $200 on a compressor, Iike to know it's going to do everything I need it to. Now that I have taken the risk and tried it myself, I thought I would share my (positive) findings for the rest of you:

- The noise level is truly, impressively low. It is quieter than many household vacuum cleaners. In fact, it's only about twice as loud as the compressor on a mini refrigerator! The tone is closer to a low throaty hum, rather than the high loud scream of the average oil-less compressor. You can stand next to the unit while it is running and hold a normal conversation without raising your voice. Awesome.

- Equipped with the 1hp motor, the 2-gallon tank fills from empty to 120psi in exactly 47 seconds.

- Fully pressurized, the tank will consistently drive 19 to 20 brad nails (18 gauge, 1-1/4" long, at 80psi) before the tank pressure drops to approximately 80psi and the motor kicks in to refill the tank.

- Recovery time from 80psi back to 120psi is exactly 13 seconds! (I am sure you can continue driving additional nails/brads while the motor is recovering, but I did not test that, as I have never needed to drive nails/brads that fast in my shop.) Thus, not only is it quiet in operation, but it also doesn't need to run for very long before the tank refills. That's exactly why a small compressor like this one is so ideal for driving a brad nailer, finish nailer, and/or pneumatic stapler.

- Equipped with an aluminum tank, there is no risk of rust if you forget to drain the tank regularly after use. That said, the release valve at the bottom of the tank allows it to empty so quickly and easily (and the motor can re-fill it so quickly) that there really isn't a good reason not to drain it after every use.

- The unit comes with a 1/4" quick-attach/quick-release collar installed. You'll need to purchase a "male" 1/4" quick-attach fitting for the end of the air hose you wish to attach to the compressor. This unit does not come with an air hose or any additional fittings. That's pretty typical, but I wanted to make sure other buyers realize they will need to purchase those additional accessories (plus any desired air tools, of course).

- The power cord is approximately 4' long, which is adequate if you are able to locate the compressor next to a wall outlet. If an extension cord is needed, the instructions specify that it should be at least 14 gauge and no more than 25' long. That's pretty typical as well, but again, I wanted to make sure buyers realize they may need to purchase a heavy duty extension cord as well.

- The entire unit weighs approximately 35lbs. I did not weigh it, but I am sure it is in that ballpark. No, you wouldn't want to lug it around a jobsite all day (a compressor on wheels would be better in that case); however, it is sufficiently portable that you should be able to store it on a shelf or in a large drawer without feeling as though it is prohibitively heavy to move and set up for use. The carry handle is also reasonably well balanced.

- The metal frame rides on four substantial rubber feet that seem to do a great job of dampening vibration transfer to any surface it sits upon. Because the frame is fairly wide and the entire unit is under 15" tall, the compressor is very stable and should never tip over unless you do something very stupid with it.

- The actual external dimensions (i.e. the max span in each direction) are 14-3/8" tall (floor to top of handle) x 18-1/2" wide (width of tank) x 15" deep (front of air tank to back of motor housing).

- Fit and finish are very good. When my unit arrived, the only assembly required was to install an air filter by threading it into the side of the motor housing as directed. Although the components are not as neatly shrouded as some of the beefier units on the market (like the Dewalt Heavy Duty Quiet Compressor), they appear well made and in operation, I have encountered absolutely no leaks. The tank welds are quite nicely done. In fact, the only issue I encountered was that, right out of the box, a small screw had fallen out from a threaded opening near the center of the base. When I tried to reinstall the screw, I found it would not thread in, so either a previous buyer stripped the screw and then returned this unit to Amazon or, more likely, someone over-torqued the screw on the factory assembly line and didn't notice the problem. Either way, it does not appear to affect the function of the unit, so I decided to let it be and keep the compressor rather than hassle with a return. If this is indicative of the quality control, there may be minor fit and finish issues with other units as well. However, mine is in great working order and I am pleased in spite of this one quirk.

As you face the compressor (so that you can read the California Tools logo printed across the air tank), the main tank pressure gauge faces to the left, so you have to bend your head around to that side to read it. In contrast, the regulator (which controls the pressure through the hose to the tool) faces upward. I think it's a little strange that both gauges don't face the same direction, but it's not really a big deal. As long as the compressor is operating properly, the regulator is really the more important gauge, and it's easily visible by looking down on the compressor from almost any angle (though it's oriented so that, ideally, you read it while standing in front of the unit). A red adjustment knob mounted just below the regulator allows for easy adjustments to the line pressure. Most brad and finish nailers I've used need somewhere between 70 to 120psi to operate properly, which is comfortably within the 120psi limit of this unit.

I hope that information is helpful. All in all, I'm very impressed by this compressor due to its superbly low operating noise, excellent tank capacity for hobbyist/small-shop woodworking, and good fit and finish. If you're wanting something that's small, quiet, decently powerful, and low maintenance that can run a brad and finish nailer for assembling drawers, trays, boxes, cabinets, and small parts, you're going to have a very hard time finding a unit nicer than this. Highly recommended!

Excellent quality and performance while being used to power a mist system for cooling and lubricating metal parts while being machined on a CNC router. The system is in a small 8' x 12' work area where a cheaper compressor was too loud to be endured, even with hearing protection. This solid compressor absolutely lives up to the claims made for its low noise performance. You can be next to it while it is running and have a normal conversation.