I have owned several compressors down through the years. The first two were Sears. One was very small and seemed to run constantly. It was suitable for small spraying jobs and blowing up tires but it would overheat after a few minutes so I eventually sold it. The second one was also Sears with a larger compressor unit and a ten gallon tank. It was OK for spraying and could run some air tools but, generally it was too small for something like a beed blasting cabinet which I wanted to buy. I gave that one to my brother after about ten years.
With that as a background, about 15 years ago, I decided to solve my compressor problem. I went to a local store and bought an American-built unit. It was assembled by the air compressor store using a vertical 80 gallon ASME-certified tank, a US-made two stage cast iron compressor and a five hp. single phase Canadian motor. It's been running ever since without so much as a single fault. It wasn't cheap but, after the usage I've given it, I can't complain.
I change oil about every six months. It holds a quart of 30 wt. non-detergent that I get from the local Tractor Supply Co. I drain it about once a week from the petcock on the bottom, It usually doesn't have much water in it.
One feature I like is that there are two large (2-1/2") threaded bungs on the side of the tank that are sealed with O-rings. This makes it possible to remove them to look inside and see if there is anything going on, like rust. The last time I looked, it appeared that all was well. The tank, as I mentioned, has an ASME cert. tag welded onto it. The walls are about 3/16" steel. It's set to shut off at 150 psi and the motor draws 23 amps per line, although it seldom runs and will pump back up in less than two minutes. It's rated at 21 SCFM and will keep up with my bead blaster so no complaints there, either.
If I can make a pitch for spending your money, I would suggest that an really good air compressor is a good place to put it. You will find yourself using it all of the time. I have cutters, drills, hammers and die grinders that I use almost daily when I'm working in the shop. They are all H.F. and plenty good enough for my needs since I'm not buildiing nuclear submarine parts. LOL.
I like the vertical style for its smaller footprint. I left it on its original wood pallet until just last year since it's heavy and I didn't want to move it (600# more or less, I think). Last year the pallet started to fail so I had to remove the motor and compressor unit so I could lift the tank. I made some steel feet that have 1/4" of rubber under them.
That's my compessor story. Here's a picture.