Customer Reviews for Powermate 30 Gal. Portable Electric Air Compressor

I bought this to replace an aging Craftsman compressor that had gotten so loud I could barely stay in the garage with it running. It finally got to the point it would only build 60psi so I bought this one. This is a MUCH better unit! it builds more air pressure, it's quieter and the tank seems to hold pressure for days! If you need a medium sized compressor this one is worth the money.

Home Depot has an old description of this compressor. First the compressor does NOT have pneumatic tires but hard rubber tires. Steel safety cage is gone and replaced with the same plastic cage used on the C301H Husky. Drain valve is only a finger screw that is had to work. I had to order another one as this one is binding and only turns about a 1/2 a turn. Feet are nothing more than a flat piece of rubber that does not mount to the compressor. They fall off when ever you move the compressor. Manual recommends a 20 amp breaker, not a 15 amp. Compressor runs quietly and take about 6.5 min. to fill. Once the compressor filled to 155psi everything was fine. As it dropped to 120 and started to refill it trips the breaker about 25% of the time. I took the safety cover off to see if the belt was too tight. The belt was twisted. Got that straitened and so far it has not tripped the breaker, time will tell. As I just got this yesterday I can not speak to long term use. If I had to do it again I would just get the Husky. It has a 135 psi max pressure but they stock it in the store, has pneumatic tires and you can check it out before you buy. By the was the electric motor says it is a 1.8 HP vs the 1.6 HP stated in the description.

I've owned this compressor for about 4 weeks and only used it 3 or 4 times to power a brad gun. I am very happy with it so far. Just the right size for my garage/shop. It runs smooth and quiet. Easy to move around. It is a high quality product and a great buy.

My Automotive Business's oil-less compressor died in the middle of a paint job and because of all the positive comments on the Powermate 30Gal Portable Compressor I decided to order and wait a week for the delivery to the H.D. store submitted in the order. To date (one month) I have not been disappointed in either the purchased product or the delivery process from HomeDepot. I can now perform all my current projects and hear the phone ring and carry a conversation with customers while the compressor's running. Everything and more than I needed to sustain the business and thanks to all that submitted comments on this product. Owner and CEO, Tino

Good for price

I purchased my first Powermate (Coleman) air compressor over 20 years ago and it is still working very well. Since then I have purchased two additional Powermate compressors and will purchase another Powermate if the need arises.

I have not used much, but overall happy with compressor. The bleed valve on the bottom of the tank was difficult to get to and I purchased a separate extension for this. Also product description reports and shows pneumatic wheels, but hard solid wheels were delivered. I saw another review with similar comment.

We wanted this unit because of the 'V-Twin' pump and dual voltage motor. After visiting 4 stores in the area and being told that the unit has been substituted with another equivalent model we have given up. The substituted model is single voltage motor with a side by side pump. Still the same price though. We were told by HD customer support that 'For this particular product, the product may vary in features and appearance from different markets.' ???? Does this mean that in Seattle the item will have the features described but in St Louis the item is allowed to be different. The features on the compressor in the local stores are lower in specs and also the physical size is different. To the uninitiated, watch out what you are getting, you will be disappointed.

Don't expect to see the tires as pictured on the air compressor you'll receive. The tires are the cheaper, solid tires that work good on a smooth surface. Oh well, or maybe I got the odd compressor of the lot. More than a little disappointed.

Low noise. A few parts easy to assemble. I like the vertical rather tan the hoizonital configuraton better. Easy to roll around.

Product arrived exactly on schedule in good condition (Roadway Transportation). Their on line 'tracking' was excellent and they called before delivery and accommodated a special delivery time request which was accomplished exactly as promised by a very friendly/helpful driver. Driver waited while I quickly unboxed unit to check for any hidden damage Have one week of moderate use and unit is performing as advertised and expected. Pros: * Low noise level. * Oil serviced to correct level. * Zero to 155 psi in 7.5 minutes (after shut off slowly leaked down to 147 psi and then holds) Cons: * Removed belt guard to check pully alignment and belt tension. Belt had placed over pulleys but was completely loose/relaxed and had NEVER been properly tensioned. Compressor and motor had not been tested as a unit as the gray paint on the inner face of the motor pulley was in perfect/new condition with no belt tracking. * Tank drain is valve has a tiny knurled knob that is impossible to open without use of needle nose/long pliers. Also... operators manual shows a 'winged' style valve rather than the 'knob' style currently used... but either type of valve is excessively difficult to open/close due to minimal space between tank bottom and ground. Had to buy/install a 'close' style 1/4" 90 degree brass elbow, 6" 1/4" pipe nipple and ball valve to provide reasonable access for tank drainage. * Rubber 'slip-on' pads for support legs are pretty weak.... but can be replaced with some 1/4" heavy neoprene rubber sheeting if needed. NOTE: Mfg. includes a separate "NOTICE" instruction sheet requiring the unit to initially operated for 30 minutes at zero tank pressure (drain valve 'OPEN')..... which is important. However there was no mention/recommendation involving a time frame for removing/replacing the initial 'run-in' oil. Called the mfg. customer service to report the belt tensioning problem and ask their opinion about replacement period for run-in oil. They said they recommend replacement of initial oil at 8 to 10 hours of normal use. I asked why they didn't state that on the "Notice" sheet..... for which they had no answer ( ?!?!). Also this compressor requires use of 'Synthetic" compressor oil.

So far , so good, only Con: as usual with uprights, the pet cock / drain valve is difficult to access / use, would have been better designed with a 'L' trap for easier access when draining system of water. The unit is top heavy.

I read many reviews before I purchased this compressor. I am very pleased to say that I am very happy with the performance and how quickly it builds air. It takes about 13-15 minutes to build from 0-155 psi. I have only had it for about 6 weeks but I think it will last a very long time. Do make sure to follow the break-in procedures, it is very important.

I purchased this compressor so i could do projects around the house as well as in the garage so far i have no complaints its easy to move around, very quite which is the BIG + I have an attached garage and can't hear it in my house when its running

After intial break in procedure, I filled up the compressor and it held pressure without dropping for 5 days until I needed it. No leak down at all. Also, as others have said, it is really quiet. I am really impressed with the build quality and the fact that it is a twin piston compressor for a lot less money than single piston option at H-D or elsewhere

The same as the other reviews I read. The description says that it has an aluminum tank which it does not. So far it is doing fine for what it was purchased for, compressing air and running air tools. I am going to see if Home Depot will reimburse me the difference between the incorrectly advertised one and the Husky one the store sells. Can't hurt to ask.

Purchased this one year ago. Mine has has the metal belt cage as shown in picture. Unit is very quite, quick recovery and well built. Initially I purchased the Husky/Cambell Hausfied - that unit was very poorly assembled. Large belt pulley had a cross threaded nut holding it to the shaft. Knock in motor. Anyway, this powermate has been a pleasure to use. 95% of my use is for cleaning. Blowing out chain saw, car detail work, bike cleaning. Anything that is difficult to clean by hand.

I purchased this unit at Homedepot.com and had it delivered to my local store. The shipping was free that way. HD.com shows a metal mesh beltguard, and the specifications list the tank as made from aluminum. Upon picking it up, I discovered that the tank was steel instead of aluminum, and the beltguard is the same plastic one on the Husky unit. I wavered upon deciding to keep the Powermate, or return it as it cost $60.00 more that the Husky. I eventually returned the Powermate, unrun, to the store. It was cheerfully accepted, and I then bought the Husky unit for $60.00 less. The only tradeoff was that the Powermate has a 155 lb. max pressure as opposed to the Husky only has 135 lbs. No big deal, this for a home garage hobbyist shop and not being used all day, every day. Home Depot was very good about the return and the refund. Make sure you keep the box until you are sure its a keeper! They need the barcodes on it for the return.

Looked at many compressors this size. I found this one to be a excellent choice. Very quit, and a quick recovery. Compact but yet very powerful . The twin cylinder oil cooled motor runs as smooth as a kitten....big tires aluminum tank very nice unit....

Product arrived when expected in good condition. Truck driver unloaded in my drive and box and compressor in good condition. Broke it in per instructions in manual and it's been running fine for the last couple of weeks.

Unit I received works fine. However, I paid what I consider to be a premium price expecting to receive a high quality compressor, at least better than the low price compressors available everywhere. The unit I received has a plastic rather than metal beltguard. Also, although the brackets were drilled for elevator bolts, the two feet welded to the air tank came fitted with the cheapest possible rubber pads. I could not find proper machinery vibration isolation feet so I had buy the various components and make my own. Clearly corners were cut in the interest of reducing cost which is exactly the type of product I try to avoid. Some people may not have an issue with features I find problematic but I can not recommend this product without reservation.

Purchased this on line. Had to pay the $55 shipping because they wouldn't ship to store. Read the instructions that said it came with no oil in it, thought I would check anyway since I couldn't see anything in the sight glass. Use a socket to break the drain plug loose, a crescent wrench will just round it off because it's in there so tight. Needless to say it was full of oil. Drained it down to where it sould be in the sight glass and was good to go. It kept kicking the 15 amp breaker out. Finally had to rewire the motor to 220 so it would start like it should. So far it's doing what it should, but it only has an hour run time on it. We'll see how it does after 50 hours.

I haven't had this compressor for long but it is not loud and runs well. The one thing I would suggest is when you brake in the motor the instructions should say to change the oil so that you blow the motor.

We use this in the vehicle maintenance department in our company. Powerful given the size, and the piston system is much quieter and considerably quicker to fill than the diaphragm compressors. The adjustable line pressure is a phenomenal feature for us. It has good sized rubber wheels, which makes transport easy, and they don't break like the cheap plastic wheels on other models. Overall worth the investment.

I had been shopping around for a good compressor. I bought this one online based on the reviews. I am using it with tools that use alot of flow. This compressor has no problem running them and it recharges very fast. I do not have to stop working to wait for the compressor to recharge. The housing around the belt was slightly different than pictured, it is made of plastic, but has a nice snug fit and is low profile. This compressor is not too loud either, and is much quieter than my previous unit. This is a great tool... Go for it!

Compressor has decals stating it has no oil in the motor(add your own). Even though it has a oil level site It looked empty because it was full of oil. so.... I bought oil and added but it quickly oveflowed less than 3 ounces in. THERE IS NO INFORMATION REGARDING OIL CAPACITY THE VERY LEAST THEY SHOULD SAY IS A MINIMUM. They show a picture in the Manual that says the oil should be between points "A" and "B" in the level site this didn't help me my unit was full no air bubbles. I COULDN'T RELY ON THE LEVEL SITE(WINDOW) BECAUSE IT WAS MAX FULL. I DRAINED THE OIL AND 4X's MORE OIL THAN poured CAME OUT. I refilled using the level site as my guide since now i knew it was empty. On initial start up the compressor seemed loud since tank valve was open. after the 30 minute break in i closed the valve and realized this thing really quiet. i have an 20 gal oil less unit and you can't compare the 2. I didn't want to spend more on an oiled unit but did and it was well worth it. Now in hindsight after a few weeks i wouldn't have minded going bigger but in 110v your limited. But at this price point I couldn't have done better. Luckily My oil less unit was free but now I would never recommend an oil less unit if you going for a 30gal tank

I needed a bigger compressor so I found this online at Home Depot. I'm very happy with it, it works well and the quality is good.

have had it just a short time, but it is doing a really good job.