GMC DTC32L Dual Tank Compressor: Discontinued — What to Buy Instead
A twin-tank compressor from a brand that went into receivership in 2008. What the format offered, and what to buy now.
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The DTC32L was GMC’s twin-stack compressor — two horizontal tanks mounted one above the other, a format popular with trades because it gives reasonable air capacity in a footprint that fits behind a ute seat.
GMC’s Australian business went into receivership in 2008 and the brand vanished. There has been no parts or warranty support since.
What twin tanks actually give you
Not more pressure, and not more airflow. Two tanks give you more stored volume in a shape that is easier to carry than one large upright tank.
Stored volume matters for tools that draw in bursts — a brad nailer, a framing nailer, a blow gun. The compressor refills between bursts and the tank absorbs the peaks.
It does nothing for tools that draw continuously. A die grinder, a sander or a spray gun will empty any portable tank in seconds and then run at whatever the pump can actually deliver, which is the SCFM figure.
Reading the spec that matters
SCFM at 90 PSI is the number. Everything else is packaging.
A brad nailer needs well under 1 SCFM in practice. A framing nailer a little more. An impact wrench wants around 4 to 5 SCFM. A DA sander wants more still, and no portable compressor will keep up with one.
What to buy
The CRAFTSMAN 6-gallon pancake compressor, linked below, delivers 2.6 SCFM at 90 PSI and 150 PSI maximum — plenty for nailers and inflation, and honestly short for air sanding.
If air tools are the point rather than nailing, buy a larger stationary compressor rather than a bigger portable one. That is the real division in this category.