Metabo HPT 6-Gallon Air Compressor

I researched all other pancake compressors and this one had the best stats of them all for what I was looking for. I wanted the most capability for the lowest noise and this one fits the bill. Pros - CFM: Nearly all other pancakes have a 2.6 CFM, and this one is 2.8. The only one with better CFM is Harbor Freight's Fortress which is 3.0 CFM - Noise: This is the quietest Pankcake on the market at 73 dB whereas most competitors are in the 80+ range. Every 10 dB means 2x as loud. So on average, nearly every other air compressor is almost 2x as loud. - PSI: This is 150 PSI, as are most other pancakes out there. The only two with higher PSI are Dewalt's and the HB Fortress at 165 and 175 PSI respectively. To me, this wasn't a big deal since those compressors need to run longer to get to 165 and 175 PSI. It is exponentially harder to get to a higher air compression, which means extra run time, and extra wear and tear on the motor. This compressor kicks on around 110-120 PSI and that's plenty for the tools I run. - Rubber feet: They are nice, soft, and spongey. They provide excellent grip and help protect against jarring vibrations. I'm actually impressed. Not sure how this compares against others, but was something I was happy with. - Comfortable carrying handle Cons (I knew both of these prior to purchase): - Gauges. I dislike how the gauges are not side by side. The air pressure gauge is not possible for me to read while standing up. I have to bend over and tilt the compressor to read it. They should design it like the Ridgid Pancake where it is easy to read both gauges while standing up. - Weight. Heavier than most other pancakes by 1-5lb depending. Still quite manageable for me to move around with one arm. Strong competitors in my mind were the Fortress (3.0 CFM, 175 PSI, 81 dB), the Dewalt (2.6 CFM, 165 PSI, 78.5 dB), and the Rigid (2.6 CFM, 150 PSI, 80 dB). For me: - Fortress had amazing specs, but way too loud at 81 dB - DeWalt secretly switched their model out a few years ago, but kept the exact same model number. Almost all website listings include the specs from the old model, not the new one. The new model is worse in EVERY way. It's louder (78.5 dB instead of 75.5 dB), and the took away the gauge for the regulator and replaced it with a cheap looking plastic regulator. Also the reviews were poor. I was very disappointed by this and thought the old switcheroo was unprofessional and misleading. - Rigid was the best of the "regular generic" pancakes as it had a 3 year warranty and the good design (gauges are easy to see). But I wanted more CFM and quieter which the Metabo gives. Regarding Metabo noise: It is still loud, but far less loud than my previous air compressor which was horrible to be around. While loud, it's managable and not horrible. I couldn't imagine getting an 80 dB air compressor if you want your sanity while using it indoors. I'm happy with the noise. I think some people who are disappointed by the noise don't know how loud other compressors are and have wrong expectations. It is not quite. But it knocks the noise down from almost unbearable and run the opposite direction to loud but you don't need to run away (I'm talking indoor use here). So it achieved the goals I had in mind, with the only substantial compromise being the annoying gauge design, but still far better than the DeWalt gauges.