Toolbox: Lightweight Air Compressors

I discovered the benefits of a small compressor by accident when we were forced to rent one. We asked the rental company for the least expensive compressor that would handle a small commercial finish job. This turned out to be a 3/4-hp Rol-Air with a single 21/2- gallon tank. We also got 100 feet of hose so we could leave the compressor outside to make our presence in an occupied office as unobtrusive as possible. As it turned out, the hose leaked and we didn’t have the time to trek back across town to the rental house. So we made do with a 20-foot hose but we were practically standing on top of the compressor. Surprisingly, however,