I've needed a portable air compressor for a few odd jobs away from my shop, so I decided to try a McGraw diaphragm compressor from Harbor Freight that I got on sale for $220. It goes up to 175 psi and puts out 4 cfm at 90 psi. They don't say what it does at lower pressure.

My thinking with the oil-free compressor is it might also work well for painting, if it would keep up with my gun's air flow. There'd be no chance of oil in my hoses. I gave it a try today and shot a whole cup full with no problem. After a whole cup, I'd at least have to stop and refill the cup, which gives the compressor plenty of time to refill the tank, back to 175. I didn't see less than 120 psi in the tank while painting. This compressor is a lot quieter than an old craftsman diaphragm model that I had for over 20 years. After getting a 60 gallon, 5 hp shop compressor, I gave that old thing to someone in need.

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