Review on 4 Gallon 135 PSI Oil-Lubricated Compressor By BOSTITCH CAP2041ST-OL by Nathan Skipper

The Bostitch CAP2041ST-OL seems to be a winner.I have three air compressors and have decided to get rid of two. I was unsure as to which of the two smaller ones to keep. I did some research on the advantages and disadvantages of each and will outline them here.The three compressors are: The Bostitch CAP2042ST 4 gal. which I am reviewing here. $229. ( I will refer to it as CAP)The Bostitch 6 gal. "pancake" portable compressor which sells for about $100. The Porter-Cable 125 gal. compressor on hand truck like wheels, which I consider stationary, about $250. This compressors works well for big jobs and running for extended time periods.I was unsure of the real difference between the two smaller compressors. Here is what I found: In a test of using my Hitachi framing nailer, both of the Bostitch compressors would drive 17-18, 2 1/2" framing nails at 80lbs of pressure into two 2X4's before they would cycle. The cycle time for the pancake was 30 sec. and for the CAP, 20 sec. The CAP was somewhat quieter. In using 3 1/4" nails at 90lbs of pressure, both would drive 10 nails before cycling. The recovery times were the same for each. The large Porter Cable; I did not test since I knew it would take much longer before it cycled since it is much larger.I did not test my small nailers used for molding and general small woodworking since they use a lot less air and I didn't want to go through large amounts of nails.The advantages of the CAP are that it will likely last longer than the Pancake because it is lubricated with oil rather than using Teflon in the air pump cylinder. It is quieter. The air gauges are easier to read and the valves to release water in the tanks are simple valves which can be easily turned with my fingers. Most compressors are supposed to have the air pressure released after use and the water in the tank drained. If you are like me, this doesn't often get done. Perhaps with an easy release it will get done more often. This unit also is cooled with fins, etc. so it can be run for a much longer time without overheating.The disadvantages are that it is more expensive, it is about twice as heavy as the pancake and requires yearly oil changes (40 wt. oil especially made for compressors).The advantages of the pancake is the light weight, it can be picked up easily and carried anywhere. It is very inexpensive and works very well for limited jobs and use time. It could be replaced with a new one and still be cheaper than the one time purchase of the CAP. Both compressors are about the same size.The disadvantages of the pancake is that it will likely not last as long without wearing the Teflon out and getting hot ( such as constant use for roofing or all day framing). The valve to release water from the tank requires a wrench and is on the bottom.When using the compressors to blow air for cleaning filters or blowing debris from my chain saw, the large Porter-Cable would be hands down the best since it has a large quantity of air. Between the two small ones it is roughly the same.In my case the Bostitch CAP2041ST will be the one that will meet my needs. I don't have the room any longer for the P-C unit. I can run it all day in the woodshop with no problems. I found that the "pancake" would also be no problem running all day in the shop. I don't mind the maintenance. I prefer a quieter machine since it will be in the room with me, it has a quicker recovery time and I will likely not have to ever get another compressor.If you are using a compressor for filling auto tires and a few quick jobs, I would recommend the "pancake" type compressors.