I recently had my air compressor die and I'm looking for a new one. After hours of research, I've decided to purchase a 10 gallon, 2 hour power, air compressor from California Air Tools. Although I have already pulled the trigger, I'm always interested in learning which companies produce the best quality tools for your average DIY'er.
Not counting my welding equipment, I own a table saw, a band saw, a drill press and a large collection of hand tools (I have a collection of 29 hammers) and a lot of clamps and jigs. All my power tools were purchased second hand. No air compressor.
Ha, Ha, I do the same thing too. However, I'm trying to become more independent in that regard and purchasing more tools. That new air compressor I got from California Air Tools turned out to be pretty sweet. Super quite and it can go from an empty tank to completely refilled at 125 psi in about 90 seconds; which is ridiculously fast compared to my last compressor. Overall, I'm pretty happy with my purchase.
Years ago, when I wanted to do some sandblasting, I rented one from the local (small town) rental store. The guy had built it himself out of a propane tank, a gas engine, a two-stage pump, throttle control, etc. It was amazingly powerful. I was trying to bring out the grain in the 12x12 beams we were using in the house we were building, and it required a very light touch. Then, as long as I had it, I thought I'd try taking some rust off our very old Pontiac station wagon, and managed to put a hole in the right rear fender in about 20 seconds.