Makita MAC700 2.0 HP* Big Bore™ Air Compressor

Needed a compressor that was better than the tire 12v inflator was using for tires. Also, was looking for a compressor that could run a 18g nail gun for putting up trim/ lattice around the deck, could use for blow gun, and would run some air tools in the home garage setting. Read many reviews, compared other compressors, and settled on this due to what I would be using it for (frequency) and price. It came down to this (mac700) or one of those newer quiet air compressors. I chose this because it had the higher 3.3cfm rating and still a fan of the oiled cast iron compressor format. While this is a bit heavier it isn't too bad to carry, mine will be in the garage mainly so really wasn't a problem vs. longevity. Shipping from Acme tools without a issue, arrived in perfect condition from FedEx. When I opened the box, was really surprised by the build quality on this, handle wraps around and makes lifting manageable, everything is mainly metal- except the cover, and the iron oil pump looks like it will last awhile. Setup was pretty straight forward, put the oil in, attach the air filter, then turned it on to do the 20min break in with the air valve open and was really surprised how quiet this is, much quieter than the pancake style ones that I have heard in the past, the 1700rpm motor speed helps. Builds pressure to 130psi fast and the re-cycle from around 95psi-130psi is quick depending on what type of tool you are using. Make sure you buy a pack of connectors/fittings as this is just the compressor only. Using a 50ft 3/8 hose, connected the air inflation tool, fills tires without issue, just be sure to check the regulator pressure so you don't overfill the tire, almost did this as this is way more powerful compared to the 12v junk I was using prior. Blow gun, works great for getting grass off the mowers and dust inside the computer (Yes I did this lol), tested the 18g brad nailer works great, I also bought a kobalt impact and it works for my purposes (set the regulator at 100psi) for getting a few lug nuts off the car and basic tire rotation. Pressure does drop fast when using the impact gun but if you take your time and let it re-cycle it works fine for home use, going to also use the gun to get the mower blade bolts off and other small projects. You will need more air tank gallon/cfm size if your doing bigger auto type jobs, sanding, painting, grinding, ect. so depends on the job vs compressor. So far this has been good purchase and hopefully will last a few years.

I have been researching different air compressors for home use for about two weeks. I looked mostly at the oil free ones and the reviews on several brands and types were pretty mixed. I stumbled on to the MAC 700 and read many of the reviews and the only three major complaints were it's heavy, the manual is lousy, and the chances of it showing up damaged is pretty good. The actual reviews for performance were very good. I didn't find one complaint on how the compressor performed. I have several Makita tools and have always been impressed with the quality. I decided to take a chance on the damage, so I orderd my compressor on Sunday night and received it on Wednesday (Free 2 Day Shipping). When it arrived there was no damage to the box. I opened it up and the packing inside the box left a lot to be desired. I can see now how it cold get damaged. I inspected the unit and there was no physicall damage to it. Everyone was right, the manual is pretty bad. I went on You Tube and found two video's that showed you how to break it in and how a compressor actually works. You do have to be careful filling the oil. You only fill it to the middle of the sight glass. I found that once you started it, the oil level went down and I had to add just a little more. Don't add too much at a time or you will overfill it. Mine took a little over 3/4 of a bottle. The manual says to run it for a minimum of 20 minutes with the drain valve open to break it in. I figured 20 is good, so 60 would be better. I ran it for 60 minutes and then shut the drain valve and it went to maximum pressure in no time at all. I hooked up my new Framing Nailer and tested it. Worked great ! I haven't actually done any work with it yet, but will be soon. Here's my take, so far: Pluses: 1. Pretty quiet for a compressor, I was quite suprised 2. It's extremely well built, it's not cheap (that's why it's heavy) 3. Very little vibration 4. Rebuilds pressure pretty quickly Minuses: 1. Poor Manual 2. It's pretty heavy for no bigger than it is 3. I can't think of any more So far I'm impressed. I will be doing some remodeling with it in the next few weeks and will update this at that time.

I will make this short and sweet. I bought this compressor for myself this year for Christmas. I made no hesitation when purchasing this exact model over all the others. I am a professional carpenter and this unit meets/exceeds my expectations. Although I just unboxed the unit itself, I have been using the exact model for well over a year now. My boss has this exact model, one he bought over 5 years ago. He owns and operates his own residential building and remodeling company. This compressor was one of his first purchases, and it has outlived most purchases he has made since. The gist of it all: He didn’t quite take care of this unit. Not once did he ever change the oil (please don’t forget the importance of regular maintenance) or follow any of the maintenance recommendations. This beast has been out and exposed to the elements for extensive periods of time. It has braved some of the harshest of seasons New England could muster. It has framed houses, decks, additions, and many more. The recovery time is quick, the noise level is a whisper when compared to other units of similar size and function. We tend to use this model when in smaller spaces and don’t want to wheel out the monster rolair unit. This one is far more portable despite its heft. We regularly run multiple finish guns off of it, and done some serious framing with it. We run a small crew 1-3 people so we aren’t really stressing this unit out, but we have. It has stood up to it all and still functions incredibly well. There was no question, no doubt in my mind that this was the compressor I would purchase and if you’re in the market, don’t hesitate.

It is very rare indeed that I buy anything that is not defective, no matter how much the item cost. This was more so a consideration for me when I read all the problems customers had after receiving their Amazon shipped MAC 700. This was an exception! I've owned quite a few Makita power tools, and have not had any issue with any of those until my impact driver batteries started going bad two years ago. I just replaced that with a Hitachi Micro from Amazon recently, and I am very pleased so far with that purchase. That is the only Makita tool I have ever replaced. Had there been a source of reliable new stock batteries for it, I would have had no reason to replace that tool either. Due to my exceptional track record owning Makita products and the excellent service with Amazon, I opted to settle on a "middle of the road" sized compressor. Having a very bad back, anything larger/heavier was simply out of the question. I could not deal with another noisy pancake compressor. I received the MAC 700 yesterday. WOW! I was astounded to unpack the compressor and not find one problem with it. This is the only compressor I have ever owned that used oil. My contracting days are way behind me and prior to this I have only owned a Sears Industrial pancake 1.5HP, 4 gal compressor. It served my needs for over 15 years and I felt it was beginning to strain when topping off the tank lately. Since I keep the compressor in the kitchen (no garage and way too heavy to lug up and down the basement),I NEEDED a quieter compressor. This MAC 700 is it! The Makita is SO quiet compared to the Sears pancake you have to hear it to appreciate the difference. I did not run into any of the reported issues with the tag wire going into the crankcase, no broken or missing parts, or anything else previous buyers have had an issue with. It takes just over one minute to fill the tank. It is only slightly smaller than the Sears 4 gal, but not much lighter, if at all. Nonetheless, this is a very nice unit. My only concern would be the drain valve is way too close to the ground for potential, accidental damage. I would have liked to have seen the drain valve (best I have ever seen) placed elsewhere on the tank or designed a little differently. I have no intention of using it for the same reasons I had bought the larger tank Sears unit when I was contracting, or used for painting large projects. This was bought for the occasional tire inflation, vacuum cleaner bag and A/C filter cleaning etc. I keep this on a dolly for easy transport anywhere in the house, and the carpeted dolly helps reduce the noise as well. I also bought the 135 PSI, 5 gal Sears Air Tank ($24) and installed QD fittings ($15) so all my compressor accessories would fit both the compressor and the air tank, eliminating the need to carry the compressor in the basement for small jobs such as blowing out the drain line on the dehumidifier. Another very satisfied purchase from Amazon!

[UPDATE 7-31-09: Well over a year now and this compressor just keeps looking better and better. No problems whatsoever. This compressor works well and works quietly. Absolutely the best job site compressor around. For a compressor to work this well after being used this hard it deserves 5 stars after all.] Update after first two weeks: Best compressor we have. The Makita is very quiet. It is now the only one the guys will use indoors hanging cabinets, subflooring, beadboard, etc... The Makita makes a soft plubathubathubathubathuba sound; compared to the GROWkROWkROWkROWkROWk of our pancake compressor. When the Makita runs it stays in one place and doesn't shake the coffee cups off the sawhorses. Some of our other compressors will shake the fillings out of your teeth. The Makita also builds pressure fast. It cycles fairly often due to the single small tank but it fills quickly so it actually has to run very little. I have installed the replacement motor shroud. Amazon customer support was great. You can read the rest of the review but take it from me that this is a wonderful compressor, at a great price. Looks like I'll be ordering one or two more. Even with the shipping damage I highly recommend this item. Original review: Yes mine arrived damaged somewhat. You can read many other reviews with the same problem. The plastic shroud over the compressor was broken in several pieces. 5 minutes with some duct tape and everything was back in place. All the fittings were in fine shape and the shroud does not prevent the compressor from being used. So even though I had to tape the shroud back together I am giving this 4.5 stars. Simply because it works so well. (Nothing important was damaged on mine. I'll hold off on other observations about the packing and shipping until the end of the review.) Ok, on to the real review... I use 4 other compressors (from Ingersol Rand, DeWalt, Porter Cable, and Northern Industrial). I have found these all either too heavy/big, too noisy, or both. My Porter Cable pancake compressor is so loud I even bought a longer hose so I could get farther away from it. I have searched a long time to find a good portable job site compressor. I believe I have found it. This Makita beats every portable job site compressor I have ever seen. Hands down. In fact I have given my pancake compressor away. I will keep the NI compressor in the garage to fill up tires. The DeWalt will be reserved for big jobs where I can leave it on-site for a while. So what are my impressions of the MAC700? -First it is quiet. Very quiet. My wife can even watch "This Old House" in the next room without complaining. (The circular saw gets on her nerves however.) -Second it is narrow. This makes it easy to pass between wall studs or floor joists when moving from one room to the other. Of course you can't just throw it in the bed of your truck at the end of the day. You will need to tie it down to keep it from tipping over in transit. -Third it is light in weight. Sort of. It is heavy enough to not vibrate and dance across a floor, while still being light enough to carry for short distances. (It is however a two handed grunt to get it up in the truck bed. ) -Forth. Did I mention it is quiet? Well it also fills very quickly. Because of the small tank, a nail gun will bleed it down pretty quick. But because it recovers so fast you will not notice it when working. -Fifth, the quality of the unit is superb. Especially the tank drain valve. -Sixth, it's a chick magnet. I'm too old for such nonsense but judging from the reaction of my 18 year old daughter, ("It's so cute!") I'd say all you younger guys, (and gals!) out there would be proud to have this little compressor accompany you on your next job! It will improve the appearance of just about any pick-up bed. (Even the rusted out pan of Kevin's old 1976 F-150!) So in summary there is little reason not to take a chance and order one of these. The worst that could happen is that you might need to exchange or return the thing to Amazon. If you need one right away and don't want to risk a delay, these units are sold in many lumbar/home stores for about $219. Still not a bad deal. But if you can wait a few days, getting one for $159 makes it unbeatable! OK, some additional thoughts about the packaging. My box arrived undamaged. Some stacking and scuff marks but no shipping damage. Other users that have received a damaged compressor have also rated this compressor 4 or 5 stars. Why, if so many users are getting damaged goods are the reviews still so high on this compressor? Simply because it is a fantastic compressor at a great price. Customers may be disappointed by the shipping damage but it doesn't seem to prevent most of us from keeping the compressor and using it. (After a couple of phone calls to Amazon and Makita, there is a new cover on the way and Amazon has refunded a portion of the original purchase price.) The real issue with these units is that the internal packaging is not sufficient to keep the unit from rocking inside the box. Two small pieces of Styrofoam, and a few pieces of cardboard are all that secure the unit. It is impossible to move these boxes without shaking the contents at least a little bit. And the plastic shroud, while plenty thick, is brittle. Or at least too brittle to withstand commercial shipping and handling. Some users have complained about the brass relief valve or some other critical part being broken. Obviously these units were violently mishandled in shipping. But the plastic shroud can break even with normal handling. It is just too brittle and packaged too poorly to survive. A bunch of these units banded together on a pallet may be ok. But the packaging is not sufficient to protect an individual unit during ground shipping. A previous reviewer suggested that susceptible parts be removed for shipping. There is nothing here a customer couldn't put together and that is a good idea. But really, these units need to be repackaged for individual shipping. As for complaints about the user manual, evidently it has been greatly improved. My user manual was very descriptive with easy to follow instructions for set-up. No problems with the manual now. My vote is to go for it. Be prepared for the necessity of a repair or exchange; but even with the danger of some shipping damages this is a great deal on the best small compressor I have ever seen.

I've had my compressor for about a year and a half. In that time I've installed baseboard, crown molding, trimmed a large kitchen island, installed a hickory hardwood floor, and installed 20 sheets of 3/8 underlayment for vinyl tile flooring. The underlayment was by far the most taxing project as I fired about 10,000 1 1/4 staples for the install. I've changed the oil 3 times, I change it early and often to prevent wear on the pump. I'm a DIYer, not a contractor. I'm writing this information so you know I've used the compressor as opposed to someone who opened the box, turn it on and then wrote about how much they like it. I'm not sure how they would know if they like, since they haven't really used it. I was not paid or given anything for my review. I'm writing this because I rely on others reviews to decide which products I will buy. The compressor is quiet, as advertised. I have run the compressor a lot with my wife in the house, who is noise sensitive. She doesn't complain about the noise, which is a good sign. The compressor charges the tank quickly. It has been able to keep up and get ahead of my stapler, even when installing underlayment with the stapler in bump fire mode. The compressor cycled often, but I never ran out of air. It seems very well built and the pressure is easy to adjust. The rubber feed do a very good job of protecting finished flooring. Oil changes are quick and easy. The ball vale on the drain is quick and easy to operate. It is very effective in getting water out of the tank, which is critical for the longevity of the tank. The handle makes it easy enough to cary and is a good place to store a coiled air hose. I prefer compressors with oil lubricated cast iron pumps due to the increased durability and longevity, but it does make the compressor heavy. At 52 lbs, its on the heavy side. You'll also want to strap it down or support it in your vehicle, otherwise it will fall over.

This is a great compressor coming from someone who used a 0.5 HP pancake compressor in the past. It's decently quiet. I watched videos of this compressor running against typical pancake compressors, but the difference is more noticeable in person. It's not the quietest compressor out there, but you can have a conversation with this nearby without having to raise your voice. The RPM is lower, and the sound is much less obnoxious than some of the cheaper compressors I've used. It fills quickly, up to 130ish PSI in under a minute. I've tested my unit when it arrived after the break-in procedure, and it held air overnight, only losing 5 PSI, which is probably attributable to the temperature lowering during the period I left it full. Speaking of the break-in, it comes with enough oil to fill the unit. You need to attach the filter, fill the crankcase with oil, and run it for 20 minutes with the drain valve open. I drained the oil and refilled it with fresh 30W non detergent compressor oil after break-in to make sure any contaminants were flushed. The unit is decently portable. The handle is comfortable and it weighs about 50 lbs, so it's not too heavy. Overall, the quality of the fittings is pretty good. The drain valve is easy to use, and the fit and finish feel better than what I would expect from a $250 compressor. I'll update this review as I use it more.

Best nailing compressor I’ve ever worked with. Very very quiet. Can easily work indoors and not have your customers of remodeling jobs jump through the roof when it activates each new cycle. Only con is it’s not very light, but the beefy build quality makes it that way. Its shape and handle make it easy to transport, maybe actually easier than a fat pancake type.