Are budget air compressors actually viable for casual weekend car restoration?

I'm slowly restoring an old classic car in my home garage and finally need a compressor for pneumatic sanding and maybe some primer spraying. The pro-grade, two-stage compressors are over $1,500, but the big box store brands are a fraction of the price. For a guy who only works on his car on Sunday afternoons, do these cheaper, entry-level compressors actually hold up, or are they just loud metal boxes waiting to burn out?

If you plan on doing any serious continuous sanding, those cheap oil-free compressors will drive you absolutely insane. They are deafeningly loud and run constantly because their tank recovery time is terrible. Find a used, belt-driven, oiled compressor on the local classifieds instead. Your ears will definitely thank you.

For occasional weekend projects, entry-level equipment can usually get the job done if you manage your expectations. You just have to let the tank catch up and install decent inline water separators. I started my own home shop with basic budget tools before eventually upgrading to a massive 60-gallon unit. When researching the longevity of these affordable garage staples, I read various DIY builder discussions, including central pneumatic https://central-pneumatic.pissedconsumer.com/review.html , to see how the motors handled prolonged use. People generally note that as long as you change the pump oil regularly, they function adequately for basic, intermittent automotive tasks.