GMC MOC6L Air Compressor: Discontinued — What to Buy Instead
GMC went into receivership in 2008 and the brand disappeared. Here is what the MOC6L was and what replaces it.
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The MOC6L was a small portable air compressor from GMC, the Australian budget power tool brand sold widely through hardware retailers in the 1990s and 2000s.
GMC’s Australian operation was placed in receivership in 2008 and the brand left the market. The parent business continued under a different name distributing other brands, but GMC tools themselves have had no manufacturer support since. Warranty claims were only ever possible through the original retailer, which after this long is academic.
If you still have one
A compressor is a simple machine and an old one can keep working for a long time. Three things matter.
Drain the tank. Water condenses inside every compressor tank and rusts it from the inside. A tank that has never been drained is thinning where you cannot see it, and tanks fail violently. Drain it after every use.
Check the safety valve. Pull the ring occasionally to confirm it releases. It is the only thing between a failed pressure switch and a serious accident.
Motor start capacitors are the common failure on small compressors, and they are a cheap generic part if you can identify the value.
What to buy instead
The CRAFTSMAN 6-gallon pancake compressor, linked below, is the standard small-shop machine: 150 PSI maximum, 2.6 SCFM at 90 PSI and an oil-free pump.
The number that matters is SCFM at 90 PSI, not the tank size or the peak pressure. A brad nailer needs very little; a die grinder or a spray gun needs far more than any pancake compressor delivers. Match the compressor to the thirstiest tool you plan to run, not to the tank.