I want to thank everyone for the replies and discussion. Clearly, there are too many variables between rim and tire brands and designs, as well as technique, to make establishing minimum compressor specs viable. I started running road tubeless in ‘13, IIRC, and I hardly feel that I’ve more insight into what I need from a compressor today than I did then, so the lack of consensus doesn’t surprise me.
So two things today...
I went to Home Depot yesterday and bought an HDX brand 1gal garden sprayer (
https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-1-Ga...HDXA/307766754), thinking it would be interesting to see if I could do this without a compressor. The included bits mixed up just perfectly to fit snugly on the valve stem; I used the fluid pickup tube as the valve stem hose. After several attempts discharging various pressures from the sprayer/jug, and futzing with adding tape, I was able to get the 650bx48 tire up on the shelf, but unable to seat it. I was doing about 50 strokes on the sprayer, which got to be exhausting! Once it did hold some air, I switched to my floor pump but was unable to get enough air going in to overcome the amount leaking out the unseated bead, so that was a fail. This was with a WTB i23 rim with factory tape plus three additional layers of Easton tape and a Herse Switchback Hill tire. Had I a compressor, it’d have worked.
Frustrated, arm blown out, and running out of time today, I re-resolved (!) to just get a damn compressor again. I also dropped the wheels and tires to my LBS to get installed since they are right on the way to HD, I got sh*t to do, and definitely want to ride tomorrow. At HD, I bought a 4.5gal Husky unit:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4-...0445/305026725. I know... and I’d have preferred to buy Lowe’s, but the premium was $150 for a Dewalt unit there, which was just really too much more for me to spend on this thing which I’m going to barely use.
Anyhoo, the Husky was laid out to fit perfectly where I wanted it, although I’d have liked the drain plug on the front, but it does have wheels so I can pull it out easily to do that. I hooked up my old hose reel, and ordered a Park inflator to replace my POS Prestaflator, so I should be good to go once that arrives. Even tucked into it’s little cave under the stairs, at 67dB, it is totally unobtrusive and a huge, huge improvement over my old Central Pneumatic unit.
I’m really hoping— and really confident— that once I get the pump head, I’ll have a system with virtually pro-level capacity to tackle tackle any bike tire situation I may face. I forget what I paid for the hose reel those years ago, but a similar (and longer) one is available today for $90, so I’m calling my “all in” on this one at $450. Given a Bontrager TLR Flash Charger floor pump is $150, I reckon the $300 buys me a ton of convenience and additional capability, so I’m happy.
Here’s a not-very-flattering pic of where I stuffed it, under the steps and right next to my work bench: