I'm late to the party, but have a bit of experience with compressors. Some of the more popular names come in varying grades with very different levels of quality. I've seen a Speedaire that was identical (other than paint) as a Campbell Hausfield (and several other brands), so you really have to research them.
For the normal (non-screw type) piston compressors I'd say Saylor-Beall and Quincy are the best, but many of the Quincy models now have gone to the cheap side. S-B doesn't really make a cheap compressor of any kind. The really nice thing about S-B is you can call them and get someone on the phone who knows what they're talking about. A while back I bought a nice 80Gal S-B from the estate of a retired woodworker, called S-B and in about five minutes had all the supporting documentation e-mailed to me...manual, parts manual, etc. It was missing the guard so I made a new one, changed the oil, new air filter, new belts, did a hydro test and bore scoped the tank, etc.
As much as I like S-B, I sold mine when I got a crazy deal on an 80Gal Quincy pressure lubricated QR model....it's their premium, heavy-duty model....they aren't cheap and I'm into it well under $1K. The Quincy puts out more air and seems quieter, but it was just such a deal that I was able to sell the S-B and almost cover the cost of keeping the Quincy for free. You really can't go wrong with either brands.