My air compressor is a 5 gallon cheapie I got at the auto parts store some years back. It has burst a seal and no longer holds air. The spot where it's leaking doesn't appear that it's meant to come apart, and it's not valuable enough for me to fight it. I think I paid $75 or so for it.
Before I bought this one, I researched and got myself deep into analysis paralysis - it took me two or three years to get fed up with not having an air compressor because I couldn't get myself off the fence, and to just go buy the first one I saw and be done with it. I don't regret that decision. It lasted a long time and did everything I needed for all that time. So I could just go buy another - I don't think I can go too far wrong. I just use it to fill tires, to very occasionally run an impact wrench, and to blow air through carb jets. I'm not spraying paint or driving thousands of nails or anything that needs large volume.
If anyone can recommend a smallish, inexpensive air compressor that might be more maintainable in future, I am listening. If not, I'll just go up to Sears and buy whatever is a reasonable size and in stock.
Before I bought this one, I researched and got myself deep into analysis paralysis - it took me two or three years to get fed up with not having an air compressor because I couldn't get myself off the fence, and to just go buy the first one I saw and be done with it. I don't regret that decision. It lasted a long time and did everything I needed for all that time. So I could just go buy another - I don't think I can go too far wrong. I just use it to fill tires, to very occasionally run an impact wrench, and to blow air through carb jets. I'm not spraying paint or driving thousands of nails or anything that needs large volume.
If anyone can recommend a smallish, inexpensive air compressor that might be more maintainable in future, I am listening. If not, I'll just go up to Sears and buy whatever is a reasonable size and in stock.