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The Ingersoll Rand Garage Mate has been a very satisfactory Air Compressor for the type of heavy-duty automotive work I do at home. It is built well, designed with the heavy duty user in mind, is easy to move around the garage, and as so far met and exceeded my expectations for a high-quality air compressor.
First of all let me say that I've tried all sorts of air compressors in the past. I used to use Harbor Freight, but many times the compressors I would buy from them would be of spotty quality and fail after lots of heavy-duty repeated use in the garage. I do lots of automotive repair work, specializing in everything from suspension work to body work. So my air tools are under constant pressure. I use everything from impact guns, ratchets, saws, and many others. This compressor has stood up well, and works perfectly for the type of work I do. Ingersoll Rand stands behind their product, they have a "real" name, so I am more comfortable using the company over others.
Some features worth mentioning are the fact that this machine has a very quiet operation. At 75 to 80 decibels, this is a much quieter machine than other compressors in the same two-horsepower range. It also has a pressure gauge, a regulator, a safety valve, a manual drain, and a six foot power cord. All of these are standard and to be expected from a good brand name such as Ingersoll Rand. But one of the most important things for me, since I do have the occasional employee using my machine, is that this meets OSHA standards. That means I'm remaining compliant and I won't get in a sticky legal mess for using machines that are sub-standard or inadequate to the task.
Long story short this is a great machine. With its large tires it's easy to move around. I move it around the shop a lot so that's a plus. It comes standard with a 12-month warranty from the factory, so unlike the cheap discount or home center store compressors, you're safe and you have a good manufacturer standing behind the product. The 5.5 CFM means there's plenty of air to power heavy duty needs, and even if you're doing small jobs, the 75 to 80 decibels means that it would sound like a smaller machine from other manufacturers. I definitely will buy one of these again if we expand our business, as this has been the most reliable and best performing compressor I've owned to date.
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