A good compressor to get you started.
I shopped extensively for a light duty compressor based on the following criteria: price, weight, and flow rating. I found the PC 3HP pancake style to be the best model that fit my needs. First the price...this model comes in at about the mid-range of the portables. It features the same motor and compressor as the PC 3HP twin stack model but is $40 cheaper and about 10 pounds lighter. I also thought it would be a little more compact and easier to move around. Given the twin stack has a few nice features, like dual quick connect fittings and a gage console, but I just didn't think I would need them.

As far as flow capacity the PC 3HP is one of the best considering its price and weight. It's rated at 5.3 CFM at 90 psi. It is an oil free design, so it can operate on uneven ground. The oil splash designs are supposed to have greater durability but for my infrequent use it should be just fine.

Other than that what can I say - it pumps air. Supposedly it runs at higher pressure (135 psi max) than its competitors. This gives it the reserve of a 5 gallon tank, even though it is physically 4 gal. It is fairly loud, but I haven't listened to many other models to make an educated comparison.

Overall I think it's pretty sweet. Especially after I drove my first nail with the PC finish nailer I bought to go along with it. But that's another review...

*** One year+ update ***

I have now owned this unit for over one year and am pleased to report zero problems. I have used it quite a bit for high air flow operations, such as blowing off dust / debris and even running an air chisel to bust up concrete. It often runs full time for 5-10 minutes and is able to keep up with air demand.

However, I do agree the regulator assembly is not adequately protected from damage. If you are going to be regularly moving the compressor around, spend the extra... bucks and get the one with the roll cage. I actually ran a compressed air line out to my garage, so the compressor can stay put in the basement and avoid potential damage from moving it. In retrospect, I probably should have bukced up for the roll cage model.

*** 4-year update ***

I have owned this compressor for 4+ years now and am still completely satisfied. I did have one problem with a leaky pressure regulator. I was able to fix it a few times by disassembling the regulator housing but eventually stripped one of the connectors. I was able to obtain a replacement direct from PC, for less than $20, which I thought was pretty reasonable.

This past summer I decided to demolish my entire chimney, 35+ feet of brick and mortar. I used a hand held, air chisel to break up the mortar joints. The compressor was operating at 100% duty cycle for 10-15 minutes at a stretch, but couldn't quite keep up with continuous use of the air chisel. I figured it was time to buy a bigger model. As an last ditch experiment, I bought a 10 gal portable air storage tank, some extra quick disconnect fittings and rigged up a reserve tank in parallel with the 4 gallon PC tank. (yes, I am an engineer) My thinking was that I would run the crap out of my little PC and if it bit the dust, that was my excuse to buy a new compressor. I am amazed to say the PC compressor ran flawlessly for the entire chimney demo and still works fine today. As hard as I try, I can't kill the thing. I have more than gotten my money's worth from this machine.

Good Quality, Great Service
There are a lot of pancake compressors on the market, but this one stands out for two reasons. First, the quality is better than most of the oiless models out there. Second, the Porter Cable service organization. If you're *anywhere* near a medium sized or larger city, spare parts and repair are just a phone call away.

For the remodeler working alone, or the handman looking for a small compressor for the shop, this machine is an excellent chice.

Poor Engineering
I'm a structural Engineer. I design buildings not machinery but you don't have to be an Engineer to see that this model has a major design flaw. There is no gauge guard that would prevent the whole gage assembly from bending (and separating) at the base where the nipple attaches to the tank. Air will leak from the threads of the nipple (as was the case for me) or worse.. the entire gage assembly could "blow out" of the threads causing serious injury. Pancake compressors due to their top heavy nature can and do rollover, and if this unit rolls onto the gauge side, sooner or later your going to have a major problem. I discovered this design flaw when I plugged my brand new compressor in and a rush of air shot out where the gauge nipple screws to the tank. There was no visible damage to the gages so that means to me that it doesn't take much of a blow to damage the nipple-to-tank connection. The compressor was improperly packaged. There was no extra packing foam or otherwise to prevent the compressor from banging side ways. There is a little diagram that suggests that the container be stored up right but honestly.. that's a joke and any manufacturer counting on this is a JOKE. This container was either stored on its side with other stuff on top or it was dropped on its side (damaged inside surface of the box suggests this was the case). Either way.. the manufacture should have recognized this and incorporated a structural guard... poor product due to poor engineering.

Damaged Compressor due to defective design
I agree with the other reviewer on this item - it is a defective design. My compressor arrived damaged due to the gauge assembly being bent during shipping resulting in the nipple to the tank splitting open. The compressor was unusable. After thinking about it for 30 seconds, I realized that this compressor can not stand up to any damage on the job and moreover may represent a situation where the gauge could unexpectedly blow out and kill/injure someone.

Great machine
8 Oct 02

I read every review I can find on a tool before buying and did so in this case. The problem was, there were a couple `for' and a couple `against' this compressor which didn't help in the decision process (usually there's enough positive or negative comments to aid in making a decision). I decided to go look at the unit before buying it, so I went to my local Lowe's (which is where I ended up buying it... sorry Amazon - you're usually my first choice).

Here's my 2 cents:

- The unit is built well. Heavy duty enough for any homeowner and most light construction jobs (finish carpentry). It's not hefty enough for (nor was it designed as far as I can see) for heavy construction work (roofing, framing, etc...).

- I see the point the "structural engineer" made (I'm an engineer too... mechanical but that's completely irrelevant!) about the gage guard and the connection at the tank and yes you could easily break it off. If you want to ensure you don't have this problem, buy a compressor with a cage around it. PC makes one for ... more. As far as tipping over, I don't see how it could happen. I even tried tipping mine over. Maybe if you put it on a 45 degree incline and then bounced up and down.......

- It's a little noisy, not too bad. Heck what do you want from a COMPRESSOR!

- Plenty of air to shoot my 15ga nails and recovery time on the tank is VERY quick.

- Very light (40-50 lbs maybe) so it's easy to transport to the jobsite.

- So far I'm very pleased with it. I'll let you know in 6 months.....

good unit for the price
i've had one of these units for a few months, i bought it as a lightweight back up unit used mostly for my series of nailers (framers to brad nailers). So far it has been trouble free. although i do take my large compressor i find the unit that usually comes out of the truck is this one. some comments about it being loud, well yeah it is ..BUT IT'S A COMPRESSOR. they're all loud. the one guy a structural engineer had a few weird complaints...top heavy??? he must have used it up side down.it's hardly top heavy. in fact it's quite stable. i agree the fittings, gauges etc are exposed but then again i try not to drop 4x's on it. i have lots of tools i can damage if misused/mishandled. if you have a need for a lightweight fairly high SCFM unit, this might fit the bill. if you require a unit immune from any/all possible damage or an imagined worst case possibility buy one of the heavy weight units with a cage. just remember cage=weight=a pain in the [tush] to lug to and from the job site

Something Different Inside
...The pressure supplied is more than sufficient for average duty use. The recovery time is not to bad. The price is reasonable. However with those positives let me get to the other side.
First, ..., the guages are exposed in a poor design and can be a serious potential liability. It can easily be broken off. The consumer needs to make special note of this.... Although most of these models are on the display floor, having four legs, I found that a good deal of them only have three legs. This makes it hard to stay upright any of the time. It rolled around the back of my van at every stop, go, turn, you name it. I even tried surrounding it with other items to box it in. It is so top heavy, it falls on its side anyway. A slight tug on your air hose is enough to send it rolling.
The four legged version is satisfactory but, watch out for that three legged version its a nightmare. I exchanged it for the roll cage model. I'll tell you about that one on that review.
I AM OUT.....

Great Little Air Squeezer!!!
This little Porter Cable compressor is all (and more) that I expected it to be. It pumps the 4-gallon tank to 125 psi in less than a minute, and then cycles automatically as the pressure drops. The output should be more than adequate for my needs to run an air ratchet, blow nozzle, hand sandblaster and pressurize a small auxilliary portable tank. The order arrived ahead of schedule with no damage via UPS. Works like a champ, the price was right and Amazon's Free SuperSaver Shipping made this a no-brainer bargain.

The gauges, regulator and hose coupling on this model are out in the open, and exposed to potential damage if used at a busy construction site. A better choice for that kind of a work environment would be the 3HP enclosed, stacked-tank model offered by Porter Cable. The downside to that model is about twenty more dollars, and about twenty more pounds of mass to move around. For my application, however, the exposed fittings are not an issue.

Maybe a good compressor, but beware of shipping
I ordered my P-C 3HP/4GAL compressor from Amazon, and their tool supplier, Tool Crib, shipped the unit to me via UPS. When I unpacked the compressor there was a broken piece of plastic in the bottom of the box. After reading the Owner's Manual and starting the break-in procedure I realized the plastic piece was the on/off switch! Using plastic for such a high-use piece like the on/off switch is a very poor design.

I took the compressor to the local Porter-Cable service center and they tell me the boxes the P-C compressors come in are NOT designed to handle the rigorous treatment of UPS shipping. The compressor is very heavy and the support inside the box is just flimsy cardboard, so the unit will shift alot during UPS shipment. The boxes were designed to be shipped on pallets and sold in stores off the pallet.

No wonder the switch was broken. I'm just wondering what other parts may have been damaged in the shipping. Won't know until the replacement part comes in and we can turn the unit on. It's been two weeks now and the replacement switch unit still has not arrived.

Be advised about this shipping problem with this compressor. Your's might arrive damaged also. Tool Crib should know better than to ship these heavy units in flimsy boxes! Luckily the local Porter-Cable service center is willing to fix it under warranty!

Badly designed pressure switch
The pressure switch occasionally will not shut of the compressor. The only way to shut it off is to pull the electrical plug from the wall. There is no consistancy in the amount of pressure it builds. Sometimes 140 PSI and othere 165 PSI. Fifty percent of the time the safety valve blows. I called Porter Cable to send me a new one and they wouldn't. Referred me to a service center 30 miles away. I phoned the service center and they said they may not have the parts for this compressor and may have to order them. So far I am not impressed. I had a CH for 7 years without a problem. My PC is a week old.