Air compressor for hobbyist?

To play devils advocate, I’d ditch my 120V oilless if I didn’t need it to blow out sprinkler lines. The only other time I use mine is if I mount up tires (to seat the bead), otherwise I have a bunch of Makita 18V tools. I’m sure they don’t stack up to real pneumatic tools, but I spend maybe a day a month in my garage using them. Just not sure I can bring myself to spend the money on a real compressor setup.
 
I really like my belt-driven porter cable. I picked it up at tractor supply for somewhere in the $350 range. Belt drive is Sooo much nicer. I tried a harbor freight belt drive unit, and it was very comparable, BUT the HF unit did not have a certification plate on the tank, while the porter cable does. No Regrets. its a 120v unit. Runs impact wrench, buffer, HVLP paint sprayer, no issue. The buffer draws more than it can replenish, but it works fine as I pause the reposition, etc..
 
For your purposes, I would recommend: 20 or 25 gallon, oiled, belt drive compressor, as big a motor as well run on whatever electric feed you have. Make sure it'll pump up to 125PSI or more.

For the impact gun, replace the tank's outfeed quick release with a High Flow like a Milton V, and the hose end to match. (Doing just one or the other may work, but will accomplish nothing.) You'll run the tank down faster, but your impact will hit harder, and after doing all the lug nuts on one side, by the time you move to the other side of the vehicle, it'll catch up.

I am speaking as someone who successfully operated an 450 ft/lb IR impact off of a 10 gallon tank / 1/3HP for several years, before upgrading to 60 gallons / 135PSI / 13.5CFM. With the 10 gallon, by simply planning some activity between vehicle sides, I could stay productive during the recharge cycle.
 
My current air compressor is a homemade gizmo one of my uncles assembled from a water pump tank and a refrigerator compressor. It’s fine for airing up tires but not great for much else. I wouldn’t mind being able to run some air tools and maybe spray paint a bit. I don’t need a huge capacity but I want something that is good quality and that is from a company that will be around in a few years if I need parts. I bought one of the airless Campbell Hausfield models from WalMart for my dad about 20 years ago and it’s still running, but boy is it loud when it kicks on.

What’s my best option for $300-400? Edit: a little searching reveals that my memory of paying $279 for a compressor has poisoned my expectations for what is available at this price point. Maybe I should up that to $600-700, although that seems like a lot to spend for something I only use a few times a year.

For that kind of dough the Makitas and Rollairs are tough to beat.

If you need capacity attach an external tank or two.
 
Rural King has a brand called Industrial Air Machine that claims to be made (at least partially) in the USA. Any experience with them?
 
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