Which type of air compressor is quieter >>???? in the $200 to $250 range
I have the same compressor. I think it's a good trade-off between capacity, performance, noise, portability & price. For just a nail gun, pretty much any small compressor will do. The Senco PC1010 is fairly quiet & light. I wanted a little more oomph so I could use it for blowing out dust from projects, tools around the shop etc., which is why I went with the PC1131. The Makita mentioned in this thread was my second choice.I just went through the same shopping process, and ended up replacing my PC - 6gal oil-less w/ the Senco PC1131 (oil splash). I've only used it a couple times, but the Senco is considerably quieter than the PC.
There is a very good comparison article in the latest issue of Wood Magazine on "portable" compressors. Decibel level was one of the compared stats.
Compressors are not unlike routers. The big 3HP router is good for mounting in a table, but not for trimming laminate. The small plunge router won't do well hogging out bowls. So buy more than one