Senco PC1010 1/2- Horsepower 1-Gallon Matte Finish and Trim Portable Hot Dog Air Compressor, Gray/Red

I had a Senco air compressor with 2 cylinder tanks years ago & it was a great product, absolutely loved it, very quiet, many years of use. I needed a small trim compressor that was quiet & did the job. It was more powerful then I thought & love that it is so quiet. Senco makes a great product, I would recommend this product 100%. This little Hot Dog Senco is awesome, doesn't disappoint.

I am a kitchen & bath remodeler, and have yet to use this on the job. I have, however, done some preliminary testing in my garage tonight. The results are stated below.My first impressions are all positive: Better quality than expected at this price (great value). Smaller (better) than expected. Quieter than expected. Now for the tests.Quantity of nails shot with various nail guns before motor kicked on, using this Senco PC1010:23 gauge = 2018 gauge = 1015 gauge = 5Framing nailer = 3To give a comparison to a larger pancake style 4 gallon 1.5 HP Campbell Hausfeld that I have been using for 15 years, which weighs more than twice as much (52 lbs.):18 gauge = 4015 gauge = 18Framing = 13Obviously, these numbers coincide with the number of gallons of compressed air, as the 4 gallon unit delivered approx. 4 times more nails than the 1 gallon unit. No surprise here.Recovery time (time from when motor first kicks back on while nailing, to when tank is fully charged and motor stops, with no nailing during this time) = 32 seconds. By comparison, my Campbell Hausfeld takes 30 seconds. It has a much larger motor, but it is having to compress 4 gallons of air instead of 1 gallon. Again, no surprise here.Noise test:I did two tests on both, this Senco, and my old Campbell Hausfeld. First I put my decibel meter right up next to the motor, and then I moved the meter to 3 feet from the motor. Here are the results:Noise level, in decibels, at motor:Senco = 83, Campbell Hausfeld = 99Same test from 3 feet away from motor:Senco = 69, Campbell Hausfeld = 80From what I understand, 10 decibels = double the sound. Therefore, the Campbell Hausfeld is more than twice as loud. I believe this is accurate based on standing next to each unit.My primary reason for wanting to change compressors was to reduce weight. I feel that having fewer gallons of compressed air immediately available is a small price to pay for having a compressor that is not only less than HALF the weight and size, but MUCH quieter as well. Especially given that my primary use will be with 23 & 18 gauge nailers.This is NOT the kind of compressor you want for doing a lot of 15 gauge nailing, and certainly not for framing. It will drive them just as powerfully as any large compressor - after all, 125 psi is 125 psi - but it simply will not be able to keep up with mass nailing using this size gun. Need to install a couple pre-hung doors? No problem. Need to build a partition or two for that kitchen remodel? No problem. But don't even think about trying to use this, and expect it to keep up, if framing a house all day long, or roofing a house. It was not designed for that. Buy the tool that meets the need and rate it accordingly.Note: I realize that my comparisons with the Campbell Hausfeld are not an apples-to-apples comparison. I just wanted to offer this info for anyone who may be wanting to change from a pancake style to this little Senco. I figured that since the pancake models were so popular that this comparison might be of help.I will try to report back after I have used it on several jobs. Time will tell if this little gem can maintain it's 5 star rating. This was my first Senco tool ever purchased. I have a feeling it won't be my last. Very impressive, so far.6 MONTH UPDATE: After using this product for the last 6 months, for my kitchen remodeling business, I maintain my rating of it. It has been a GREAT little compressor for all my nailing needs. It handles ALL of my trim needs, as well as the occasional building of a wall or two with a framing nailer. I love this compressor much more than I did the larger pancake compressor that I had used all those years.16 MONTH UPDATE: After nearly a year and half of regular use on the job, I remain fully impressed with this compressor. The ONLY "problem" that I have encountered was that the foam pad around the handle has started to tear off. NO big deal since the unit is so light anyway. Nice to have the foam, but not really a NEED. Other than this minor flaw, this thing has been perfect. I have never once found that I wish I had a bigger unit.

You have to understand what you are getting. This is a tiny little fellow, and the people who built it put low weight and portability first and foremost. Everything else is secondary. You can grab this thing and haul it around like a carry on bag at the airport. You can zip up and down stairs. It's lovely. This thing weighs 20 pounds. That's absurd. Pick up this thing and then pick up a mid-size compressor that weighs about 50-60 pounds and you totally see the difference. My Makita MAC700 weights 60 pounds. My MAC2400 weighs 77 pounds. Those are VERY heavy compressors. Getting a 77 pound compressor off a chest-high shelf and then carrying it through three rooms and up a couple flights of stairs---let's be honest, it's 50-50 that you'll be wrenching your back and in pain for a week.So, it's light and small. It's really easy to get on and off a shelf. At the same time, that means that it's going to fill kind of slow and you're not going to get that many nail gun shots before it kicks on again. If you're a typical homeowner moving a bit pokey as you do a project, that's nothing at all. The compressor will totally keep up with you. Shoot some nails, take a drink of water or move a board or two around, and you're ready to go again. If you're a pro a moving fast, though, you'll find this thing lagging.Mine had a problem right out of the box. I would not work right, and a guy in an online forum said to screw off the check valve, spray it with WD40, shake it, and reassemble. I did and it has worked great since then.Would I use this to inflate tires? I don't think so. It's just not designed to put out lots and lots of air. Maybe topping up tires here and there if you're willing to do it a bit slowly. This Senco is designed to fire 8 or 12 nails, cycle for about 20-30 seconds, and then go again. I will say to its advantage that it's on the quieter side when it's running. It's not quiet, but it's not that ear-splitting roar you get with some of those pancake compressors. It also holds air pretty darn well. If I leave it plugged in all night, I'll only hear it come on every 45 minutes to an hour or so.If you accept this for what it is, it is a great tool.